Sunday, September 30, 2012

Across


Which side is yours, which mine; how about, yours is yours, and so is mine. Spread your abundance.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Hermaphrodite


Part of the vast Greek mythology, to which Indian mythology has connectivity, relates to inter-sexed humans. In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus was the two-sexed son of Aphrodite (Venus) and Hermes (Mercury). S/he has long been a symbol of bisexuality or effeminacy, who featured in the folklore and art of the Greek and Roman empires as a female figure with male genitals.

As is usually the case with myths, there are as many accounts as there are variations.  The cult of Hermaphroditus stemmed from eastern religions, where the hermaphrodite structure expressed the idea of a primitive being that united both genders, being endowed with genitals of both sexes.

The reason for this elaborate mythology may rest only on one simple premise: man's search, about 5,000 years ago, for the meaning and origin of life, especially his, being anthrocentric, which also led him to the search for a complete form. That is how the Ardhanareeshwara notion could have been conjured up, denoting union of male and female forms in one being.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Underwater Sunrise


The sun as an imperative for the earth's survival, even if its fury, glow, warmth get reduced under water, deeper and deeper, is yet, all said and done, absolutely necessary for the very existence of sea life on earth, which actually is almost 75% water. Just imagine how much the sun's utility is consumed by water, as opposed to land and the life on it.

Nastanirh: The Broken Nest


Nastanirh, a novella by Rabindranath Tagore, was one of his favourites.  By happenstance, Satyajit Ray made it into arguably one of his best films, Charulata. Ray was in love with his film, and also platonically loved the film's eponymous heroine, Madhabi Mukherjee, who mentioned their mutual admiration and attraction in her biography. Soumitra Chatterji, another one of Ray's proteges, was the counterpoise in the film.

It had the only song in any of Ray's films. It was a poem written by Tagore, called Ogo Bideshini (O, the enchanting traveller from other lands). The song was sung by Kishore Kumar for the first time in his life for free.

With Charulata, Ray won his second Silver Bear for Best Director at the 15th Berlin International Film Festival in 1965. Charulata also won the Golden Lotus Award for Best Film at the Indian National Film Awards in 1965.




Satyajit Ray 


Soumitra Chatterjee

Having said and done all this, a question does not escape me: how would my depiction of a broken nest through the photograph above fare in term of approbation or awards.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Survival


The cycle of life, infinite in variety, but not in purpose: which is to survive and perpetuate the message, pouring forth unstoppably from a single molecule of DNA, until the great Homo Sapiens arrived on the scene and began to interfere with everything, including their own selves and lives, endangering survival of all forms of life, plants and animals.
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Update:

I have taken an audacious liberty of presenting you with a companion piece which is ossified, as opposed to the very alive picture taken by Rameshsar: 

www.flickr.com/photos/rameshsa/8103116751/in/photostream/

whom I congratulate.

Pillow Talk


Cozy, and hopefully a great preamble.
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A 1959 Hollywood film, when Doris Day and Rock Hudson were paired frequently in several films, Pillow Talk did very well financially.


Tolerance


(Above two pictures are by Aaditya V )


(source unknown)


... putting to the ultimate test, intolerance

If India and Hinduism can be so tolerant, to put up with all sorts of depictions and games with its gods, from frivolity, triviality, to downright desecration, how does one explain the outrage that we show at every nook and corner of the smallest of events in print, in speech, in song, in literature -- in fact, in everything. What is more aggravating is that the display of outrage is always unpredictable and violent in the extreme.

Our gods are so kind, thank you, but then, why don't they wake up from their slumber and luxuriant, sumptuous hedonism, to admonish and punish the perpetrators of either the revolting treatment to them before, or after; or to bless them to be equally tolerant of the right to expression an opinion, so long as it does not trespass on Constitutional admonitions and the judiciary.

Also, please visit my earlier post: Ganesh

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Moonraker


I AM A BROKEN MOON
A MAIMED SUN
A LOST IDENTITY

I AM A PEAK
WITHOUT A MOUNTAIN
I AM AN OCEAN
WITH DRIED-UP WATERS
I AM A GOD
WITHOUT A TEMPLE

I AM I AM
A MISPLACED TIME
DISLOCATED SPACE
A FRAGMENTED LIFE

---

Moonraker was the eleventh James Bond film, made in 1979. Roger Moore as 007. In my personal opinion, James Bond films succeeded not because of the quality of writing by Ian Fleming, which was, to say the least, less than mediocre. They succeeded, and continue to generally succeed, because of Albert Broccoli, who masterminded the production, style, brand, and severe adherence to the principles on which the first few films, starting with Dr. No, were founded.


Monday, September 10, 2012

Succulent


Rossogulla: mouth-watering, luscious.

Bengal's ultimate, most favourite item number, after only Tagore and Ray. Dedicated with humility to the most popular Bengali Manush.


Saturday, September 08, 2012

Forlorn


I HAVE NOTHING
OF EVERYTHING
I FEEL LOST
AND FORLORN

REALLY NOT WANTING ANYTHING
BECAUSE I ALREADY HAVE NOTHING
OF EVERYTHING

SINCE BEING LONELY
IS NOT CONTAGIOUS
I HAVE COMPANY OF
ONLY EVERYTHING OF NOTHING

CONDEMNED BY HURT AND CROWDS
NOT INTO WHAT I FELT
TO BE A PARTICULATE CORNER
BUT INTO AN ABYSMAL PIT
FROM WHICH THE ESCAPE
IS ONLY BY GETTING INTO DARKNESS
DARKER THAN ITSELF

I AM FORLORN
I AM L0NELY

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Anonymous sent me: