Looking back over the past month, I realize that the pattern with which I practiced Ramadan has seeped in quite well into this blog too. That may have been one of the objectives of this blog, although I’m not so sure if I would’ve wanted it to display itself in this manner: the manner with…
“Hum internet par bhi hain!” With an outstretched arm offering a patta heaped with seekh kebabs and sliced onions dipped in coriander and chilly chutney, the kebabchi looked quite happy seeing me take a photograph of his shop. The internet has still got a long, really long way to go in India. You have this…
Seema is a lawyer who spends most of her day attending courtroom proceedings and preparing for them in lawyers’ chambers. Here she shares how she goes about fasting in the midst of leading the ‘normal’ professional life she is used to during the rest of the year. This just reminded me of a similar time…
In all these years of observing fast during Ramadan, I’m yet to figure out if it is best to have dinner before Taraweeh — the special prayers during Ramadan which are said after Ish’a (on an average, they are around an hour long) — or after Taraweeh. Those who have dinner before, go in with…
The spirit of giving and sharing during Ramadan reflects beautifully in this incident shared by Sameera. I was just talking about a coincidence in my last post, and here comes along another such unexplainable and heartwarming coincidence. Her name is NoorJehan. And she is going to wear a glittery yellow suit this Eid. NoorJehan has…
“Assalam alaikum. Arey, yahaan kaise?” “Bas Iftar ka iraada se aaj Nizamuddin aaya tha. Aap Iftar kahan kar rahe hain?” “Yahin aage mera kamra hai, Dilli jab bhi aata hoon, yahin rehta hoon.” “Toh phir saath hi Iftar kar lete hain?” I’d met him in person for the first time a few weeks back, although…
Basements evoke a sense of refuge. Hidden. Away from the public eye. Deeper than the proverbial six feet. Places of worship give a sense of refuge as well, of a different kind though. What I’m certain about is that the notion of places of worship being a refuge takes a hit while becoming more of it…
“Roza rakhne ki himmat dene wala toh Allah hai.” (It’s Allah who gives us the courage to fast.) The auto driver didn’t see much reason for my fascination with his observance of fast. Not that I don’t know people who fast while maintaining their daily affairs and seeking of livelihood in the same matter-of-fact manner…
(Shhh. I went for a birthday party. We aren’t supposed to celebrate birthdays, isn’t it? I think there are more than a couple of fatwas out there which say so. There was cake too, which was cut to the accompaniment of the birthday song and clapping hands. Pagan traditions, I tell you! But the cake…
“I see that you’ve had something to eat now.” Quite an acute sense of observation, I thought to myself. As I photographed food all day at the fine dining restaurant which he was opening up in Delhi’s boho district, he may have had many thoughts running through his head when he learned that I was…