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The Indian Shuttler: Anup Sridhar

ANUP SRIDHAR’S inability to keep his nerves in a tight decider has been a constant concern in the past. So much so that his coaches following the match on the net at the Prakash Padukone academy in Bangalore felt that everything was lost once the Indian conceded a tight second game to former champion Taufik Hidayat in the second round of the Proton World Badminton championship in Kuala Lumpur.

But the world number 41 was determined to prove his detractors wrong and came back from the brink with an all out attacking strategy to beat the eight seed Indonesian 21-14, 24-26, 22-20 in one hour and 13 minutes and advance to the third round. The 24-year-old now had to face the winner of the match between 13th seed Mohammad Hafiz B Hashim of Malaysia and Scott Evans of Ireland.

“Yes, I used to choke in the decider and have lost many matches like that. But now I feel the results have started to come and that has done a world of good to my confidence,” said Sridhar, who had lost to the same opponent in the Asian Badminton championship semifinal in two close games.

Earlier, National women’s champion Saina Nehwal celebrated India’s Independence Day with a 21-16, 21-10 thrashing of 13th seed Juliarre Schenk of Germany in just 26 minutes to set up a third round date with fourth seed Hongyong Pi of France.
However, the day definitely belonged to Sridhar who accomplished an enthralling victory, after trailing 18-13 in the decider, over one of the most talented shuttler in the world. This was the third time meeting of the duo and on both earlier occasions, Hidayatl1ad got the better of the Indian.

Anup adopted an attacking approach from the start and made the most of the wind inside the arena to clinch the first game with ease. But after the change of ends, it was the Indians turn to be affected by the wind and though he managed to save six game points he could not avoid the tie from going into the decider.
“At this point, I felt like I was once again losing my focus. But I told myself not to think about the second game and concentrate on individual points,” Sridhar told. The loss in concentration had allowed Hidayat to take a big lead in the decider but the Indian unleashed an array of smashes and was also helped by two net chords to catch the world number 10 at 19-all. He did wasted one match point but kept his nerve to clinch the tie on the second.

The only disappointing result for the Indians .came in the men’s doubles where national champs Sanave Thomas and Rupesh Kumar lost to 14th seeded Indonesian pair of Hendra A Gunawan and Joko Riyadi 21-13, 21-14 in the second round.

THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY

A Saturday in Bristol was one of those rare days. It brought forth that perfect one-day match - and as we tend to look at everything from a batsman’s perspective in the shorter versions of the game, this perfection was obviously from that same viewpoint. Bowlers, be damned. The team batting first scored well over six runs an over and still won the game by the skin of their teeth.

This is a familiar tale in most ODIs played on decent tracks throughout the year. Tracks are made to suit the batsmen and more often than not, we witness a run feast for 100 overs.

So under these circumstances, with lives getting busier and attention spans getting shorter, the advent and interest in Twenty20 cricket made perfect sense. After all, why should someone wait for seven hours to get to know the result of a game when you can have it all jam-packed into three hours or so, plus, of course, with the accompanying entertainment - music, mini-contests, cheerleaders etc that doesn’t exist for the most in more serious cricket?

T20 had all the ingredients of an entertaining 50-over game, it is played on flat tracks, the boundaries are brought in to ensure mores hits to and over the fence and, to top it all, as the games are basically eveningers, you don’t have to take off from office or school to watch the game.

It seemed like an advertiser’s dream and was manna from the heavens for cricket’s organizers. So it is little surprise that less than a year or so after India. played their first Twenty20 international and the BCCI thumbed its collective nose at this bastardised version of the game, they are the first ‘official’ board that is preparing to jump on to the T20 bandwagon in a mega way with the concepts of the Premier Cricket League and the Champions Cricket League.

If the BCCI, as it says, has been thinking about this for a while, why is it any surprise that Texas billionaire R. Allen Stanford or Essel group head Subhash Chandra see Twenty20 cricket as the way to bullion bank? While the ICC, itself having got itself a T20 World Cup, is keeping mum on so-called "domestic" events, it’s high time people started looking at T20 (the cricketing part) more seriously. Straight off, the proposed events will add to an already cramped international schedule. If the BCCI’s corporatised domestic calendar takes off, they will of course say that it is up to the players to choose to be "bought" by a corporate and play even more cricket.

But two things here, if a company wants to cash in on buying the franchise for a team, it will obviously want some stars to add value and will throw megabucks at that star. Two, which player, however starry, will refuse a few crore (the cap is expected to be between $1-2 million)?

The face of the game is changing too, as time progresses we’ll doubtless see more and more T20 specialists, people who can hit the first ball they face out of the ground and bowlers who can keep the economy rate under 7/over.
The pundits have -argued that there’s no time to showcase your skills in a 20-over dash, that there’s no time to build an innings or set up a dismissal but well, that’s what’s happening in countless Onedayers today. Thirty overs (20 overs of power plays and 10 at the death) of every 50 over game are made for pure innovation (or slogging) for batsmen and containment for bowlers. T20 has taken it a step further by removing those relatively sluggish 20 overs from the 21st to the 40th.

Wickets aren’t at a premium as even if you lose a wicket every 12th ball, you can last the innings. Bowlers of course, don’t have time to get their line or rhythm right as most will get 12-ball spells.

Many also say that it would kill Test cricket, but it might have the completely opposite effect. Interest in Test cricket, interestingly, has shot up dramatically of late and the true fan would logically be more inclined to watch a real battle of skill, character and nerves over tough sessions of play. If anything, it might damage the popularity of One day cricket.

The flip side of T20 could be the influence on youngsters, as kids who will grow up watching slam bang cricket would find it difficult to relate to the technique and subtleties of this game. Will they be the casualties of war? We’ll have to wait and watch.

Fur from the madding crowd

Kaafila
Cast: Amitoj Maan essentially
Direction: Amitoj Maan unfortunately
Rating: AVERAGE

All noise, no poise. This tummy-turner is a fusion of Russian salad, a Titanic watery soup, a jungle jilebi and even a Shootout at Afghani Asparaguswalla. If you wander into it, you may leave brain-dead.

Cripes, Just in case you do, wander in that is, hold on to your helmets. An enormous group of desperadoes from all over the countryside is holed out in a Moscow log cabin. It seems they’re seeking illegal entry into England.

Fake visas, scowls and shut-ups-shut-ups are organised by a bad guy wearing a skyscraper tall furry hat. Howzzat!

Next: The wannabe immigrants’ grunt-grunt or just turn into pools of sauce. Among the survivors do note a Pakistani fakir who mimics Michael Jackson, dear Amitoj Mann who isn’t sure whether he’s acting or directing or neither, a South Indian who’s called ‘Idli Sambhar’, a Kolkata professor who tries to imitate Mrinal Sen and assorted scientists (?) who pass off a tube of pea khichdi as ‘plutonium.’ Such delirium.

In addition, there’s a woman who’s so (unintentionally) hilarious that she could be Charlie Chaplin’s Angel. Last but not the least, say hello to Sunny Deol — as a mercenary; he shoots with both his hands, going bang-bang-bang-bang, till you check your own body for bullet wounds.

Incidentally; Deol utters the most side-splitting line of dialogue in centuries. Says he seriously to the grunt gang, "Boys don’t get emotional. Eat because food has nothing to do with emotions." Profound.
Indeed, Kaafila (official spelling) is so awful that you don’t know whether to laugh, cry or migrate to the chemist’s for a pain reliever.

Luxury of a loaf

With the mushrooming of cafes, bakeries and confectioneries in the city, the customer is certainly spoilt for choice. For one, the product is far superior in quality, it is mostly healthy and, the rest is packaged so invitingly, I’d buy it anyways. Be that as it may, we finally have available a doughnut, light and airy enough to be dunked in a steaming mug of black coffee. What’s more, it is spongy enough to soak in the hot liquid without leaving traces akin to an oil spill in the mug.

Also, the variety of breads is mind boggling. No longer do you have to make do with the customary milk or caramelised brown bread, nor the special sandwich loaf from the neighbourhood bakery. No longer do you juggle the garlic baguette and the cheesy one for your ‘continental‘ evenings; you can now experiment with loaves garnished with olives and oregano. As for the ingredients, ‘you have a choice of breads prepared with atta, bran, soya, whole wheat, wholemeal, wholegrain; multi-grain, seeded… the list is endless.

As a result, the once lowly sandwich, has suddenly acquired a certain air about itself. Given that it is essentially made up of leftovers disguised as exotica, it is quite the fashionable option to be caught eating with your cappuccino. Toasted, grilled or otherwise; hot or cold; open or layered, the fillings are as many (oftentimes as desi) as the toppings being offered by pizza companies. Depending on where you are eating, these carb-laden delights are served with good, bad or sour coleslaw. Potato crisps, tomato ketchup and mustard (or is it?) make up the rear end, unfailingly.

Even as I fall victim to this food fashion, I am reminded of the ones my cousins, siblings and I created during our midnight feasts many summer vacations ago. Since this activity required utmost stealth, we could not rummage through the larder and had to make the most of easily available ammunition. Invariably, that comprised tough bread curling at the edges left out for feeding birds the following day!

The fillings consisted of unbelievable (sometimes unidentifiable) material. Still, they were our mainstay when hunger pangs struck the instant the domestic help retired for the night.

I’m not so sure how my insides would react to a banana, cheese and walnut sandwich today, or, apple and ginger on a layer of cream and sugar. While great pleasure was derived from biting hard into a chocolate slab on bread and butter, the real desperate attempt had to be the one with plain sugar between the same dry slices mentioned earlier.

It required artful manoeuvring to ensure the crystals stayed between the slices and not gather at our feet…

Shredded pineapple with cream, coffee essence with cream and sugar, molten marshmallows with lemon juice and sugar were some of the other flavours that our insides resolutely, and routinely, digested. One thing is certain, though. My childhood was made up of plenty of fruits, cream and sugar, but the bread, now that left a lot to be desired!

A Consommé & The Minestrone.

Come monsoons and a bowl of soup is one thing, other than piping cuppa tea, one can never say no to. In India soups have come a long way: from the doctor advising you to have soup to recuperate and mom putting all the bountiful ingredients, chosen with care, in a pot boiled for hours to the lamb knuckle soup that keeps you warm in winters.

 Nowadays, while some people prefer soup as a starter to meals, others, especially on a diet, take soups as a whole nourishing meal with no calories at all. Here are a few of my favourite soups.

Clear soup: the most famous and the basic of soups, clear soup has its origin in the delicate French cookery and is very nutritious and nourishing. Very delicately flavoured, it is called Consommé. It can be served with different kinds of garnishes and hence gets its different names.

A consommé should be crystal clear. The clarity comes from the albumen of the egg white and the coagulation of the meat and clearing quality of the egg shell.

Basic recipe of a consommé:

• 200 gm minced lamb
• 1 litre stock or water (cold)
• 1 bay leaf,
•  1 clove
• 3-4 pepper corn
• 100gm mixed vegetables, finely chopped (onion, carrots, turnips, coriander left over, and ginger trimmings)
• 1 egg white with the egg shell crushed into it,
• Salt and white pepper powder to taste Method:

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together in cold water (or stock) in a thick bottom pan. Place on boil on high heat and bring to boil stirring only once. As soon as it comes to boil stir slightly once and reduce heat to gentle. Cook for an hour on very low heat without stirring. Strain carefully using a muslin cloth in a clean pot. Serve in a warm soup tureen after correcting seasoning.

The next soup I am going to talk about is the world-famous soup form Italy called Minestrone. This is tomato based garlic flavoured soup with pasta and vegetables and cheese.

Minestrone Ingredients:

• 300gm mixed vegetable (onion, carrots, turnips, cabbage) cut in small dices
• 50gm Butter
• 25gm French beans cut diagonally into diamond shape,
• 1 litre Stock, with 1 clove of crushed garlic, salt,
• 1 clove,
• 1 bay leaf,
• 3 peppers corns.
• Pinch of nutmeg ,
• 25gm Peas,
• 200gm Tomatoes (de-skinned, de-seeded and finely chopped),
• 25gm Spaghetti or any pasta,
• 20gm Grated cheese and chopped garlic mixed together to form small pea-shaped palettes

 Method:   .Cook vegetables without butter or and tomatoes on gentle heat for 10 minutes with stock. Add the butter, peas and beans and cook for 10 minutes. Add the spaghetti (1-inch length) and the tomatoes and simmer gently till the vegetables and the pasta are cooked. Remove the bay leaf and add the cheese and garlic. Serve hot, garnished with Parmesan cheese (optional).

Working without setting foot in office

Solutions for the highway blues come in a dozen different flavours.
But none of them sounds quite as tasty as telecommuting - that wonderful piece of business jargon that conjures up thoughts of lounging by the pool with a glass of iced tea in one hand and a laptop propped on your, well, lap. No bosses hovering over your shoulder. And no reason to remember where, exactly, you parked your car before coming into the office. Of course there’s more to it than that. And that’s what companies are learning as they look to telecommuting as a tool to counter traffic nightmares.

Creating the ability to work without ever setting foot in office brings with it advantages and disadvantages for both the employer and the employee. For some, telecommuting has been a way of life for several years for the company’s army of accountants, who often find themselves working in the field. The company is pushing to free up even more of its employees. More functions and data are being moved onto network servers that can be accessed by employees from their home computers.

Before, all you could do was log on and check your email now you’ll be able to do just about anything you could do at your desk. That’s the goal. Therein lies one of the challenges for companies looking to add or expand their telecommuting ability: they have to decide exactly what they want from it.

You say telecommuting, and I think each person has a different idea of exactly what that means. One of the first things that have to be decided is how much access to grant employees. Do they simply need to download and upload files? Or do they need full-time access similar to what· they’d have if they were sitting in the office? If the answer is the latter, that creates additional security issues and the need for encryption technology. And will the company provide the equipment? Or is that the employee’s responsibility? There is a distinct advantage for companies that own the computers in their employees’ homes, since they can control what is and isn’t put on the computer.

I can put on anti-virus software. I know its running. I know it’s been updated. I know the subscription hasn’t expired. Moving away from the purely technical issues, things can ge more complicated. Particularly when companies have to decide which employees get to do it? Just because someone’s job lends itself to telecommuting doesn’t necessarily mean they should be doing it.

There are personality types that tend to thrive when allowed to work away from the office, while others are better suited for a more formal work environment, said Francie Dalton, a workplace behavioral expert based in Columbia, Md.

Analytical types, for example, may find it easier to do their number crunching once they get away from the constant interruptions "phone calls and bickering co-workers for example" typical of most offices. And there are the highly creative employees who enjoy working in odd places, sitting in a coffee shop, by the pool, or maybe a park bench.
Who cares, as long as they· get the work done?

On the flip side, those workers in need of praise, the high maintenance folks may not fare so well if they venture too far from the bosses who dole out the commendation. Likewise, people who enjoy socialising or organising are more likely to thrive in the office, surrounded by co-workers.

Realising that not everyone will be able to handle the responsibility and freedom of telecommuting, Commerce Bank in Clayton, Mo., is taking a measured approach to its programme. The bank hopes to have a pilot programme up by September. "I think a majority of employees would like’ to think they could do it," said Diane Kroner, the bank’s Employee Relations Manager. "But it really doesn’t work for every job. And it’s not an entitlement." The bank wants to offer a programme that gives select employees the opportunity to telecommute. The idea isn’t to send them out of the office permanently, but rather to offer more flexibility. One day they might work from home; on another, ‘they’ll start from home and then come to the office once traffic clears.

In the end, those telecommuting employees will have to prove their ability to work in the system. Doing that requires a different way of approaching the job, said Joe Calloway, author of the book, "Work Like You’re Showing Off!" Telecommuting employees need to think of the results they are producing, he said. And they need to make sure their employers are aware of those results. It’s not enough for the employee to say he worked on a report today. He needs to say exactly what he did on that report. "When you are not there, and they can’t physically see you work, you really have to go out of your way to assure your employer that they’re getting what they’re paying for," Calloway said.

That charm quotient

Blue Umbrella
Cast: Pankaj Kapur, Shreya Sharma
Direction: Vishal Bharadwaj
Rating: VERY GOOD

 Adapted from a story by Bond, Ruskin Bond, Vishal Bharadwaj’s second confection for children after Makdee, has its passages of charm, visual aplomb and performances that are as lively as an amusement park.

If Blue Umbrella is occasionally bogged down, it’s because of the tempo which is like watching clouds pass by in slow motion. You do tend to pack off into Siestaland….but then you perk up to go with the bagatelle. The centre of attraction is the eponymous chhatri acquired from a Japanese tourist by a shepherd girl (Shreya Sharma) in a Himachal hill town.

A shrewish school marm covets it as if it were the Kohinoor. And a meanie-beanie shopkeeper (Pankaj Kapur) - addicted to conning children - must possess it or perish.

Frankly; the muslin-thin plot would have been perfect for a short feature (say 30 minutes) but then, it wouldn’t have found a theatrical outlet. Undoubtedly; it has a warm sensibility that keeps you engaged - in the tradition of Iranian cinema which takes on micro issues (like a child losing a pair of shoes), elevating them into mega-social comments.

Bharadwaj’s Umbrella comes pretty close to the spirit of that tradition and is limned by bravura performances by Pankaj Kapur and Shreya Sharma, surely meriting a matinee out with the family.

HeyyBabyy

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Riteish Kumar, Fardeen Khan, Vidya Balan
Direction: Sajid Khan
Rating: GOOD

Don’t nappy, be-happy. Legs-lips-’n'-limbs of bimbos are the obsessions of three blokes, one of whom even croaks, "I carry more condoms than money in my pockets," rolling his merry-go-round eyes out of their sockets. Hee Hee?

Just about. But you also go chhee chee as Heyy Babyy, directed by Sajid Khan, indulges in execrable humour, striving to set off mirth ripples with dirty talk about underpants (not washed for a week, it seems), toilet humour and nipples. Enough to make you want to run out for a tipple.

So okay, Mr. Khan may have shouted himself hoarse that he hasn’t ripped off Hollywood’s Three Men And A Baby (technically he may be correct, because he could have just ransacked the original French version).
Hello, but till the intermission point it’s nothing but that - milking laughs out of emergency baby feeds, poop and what the dialogue innovatively calls "bummies." Hang on to your groaning tummies.

Aaah but gangs of geeks, going on about their sex drive, have been whooping it up of late, from the masti ki pathshalas of David Dhawan, Indra Kumar and Priyardarshan.
Comedies, making women out to be sex objects, sell. They’re to be taken deliriously, not seriously - just a brunch of joke- ‘n’ -junk food. Dig in, digest the watchamacallit, never mind the acidity and burps. Sab chalta hai.

Or should that be daudta hai? The three sex machines (Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan), are bedding blondes, red-heads and brunettes in Sydney. Holy kidney? And a baby girl is left at their doorstep.
Either of the trio could be the dad, and so there they go - in ancient Keystone Cops-style fast motion - feeding the darling but never taking her out a rather uncomfy cot.
Yikes.

Trouble ahead: abruptly the script goes ‘original’. Enter the mom (Vidya Balan looking sterner than a prison warden), flashbacks ensue, and there’s much huffing-’n'-puffing. In any case, it isn’t quite comprehensible how she could have even risked leaving her child to the care of three bumblers. Incidentally, the eight month-old is left out in the rain, rushed to an Indian doctor (so, no subtitles are needed) and survives. "It’s a miracle!" beams the doc.
Squawk.

Instead of tittering nervously, you now feel like a coolie carrying a heavy-duty load.
The three men, reformed by their nanha farishta,(little angel) want her back. Mom signs up a weird contract, Boman Irani fetches up to ham, and the baby shebang become a sham. Stern mom, in a hideous wardrobe (ensembles printed with circles and op-art) hisses, softens and hisses. And then she zooms off with her babyy, seated at long last in a cool pram.

No free lollipops for guessing the rest. Yes, yes, it’s time-pass and all that but not of the variety that separates the intelligent from the trite.
Sajid Khan’s direction is more dependent on lavish resources and star value than a distinctive style of storytelling (story?). Those reaction shots of the child are clumsy, often suggesting that they were filmed randomly.

And pray why Sydney? Never mind. How come the mom also stays in the same city in what looks like a hotel or a health spa? Why does her dad go dotty over a potential son-in-law, trilling "I like him, I like him." Logic - a must even in knock about slapstick - is conspicuous by its absence.

The music score by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy is nothing to hum about; the cinematography is patchy and the screenplay’s latter-half is particularly laboured.

Of the cast, Akshay Kumar has an appealing flair for the light-hearted. Riteish Deshmukh is reliably likeable but could he please quit blinking like a neon sign out of order? Fardeen Khan needs to be kept far away from potato salad buffets. Vidya Balan is wasted.
So heyy, this one’s far from okayy. Aap Ka Surroor was funnier.

Hello hockey, hello hope

Chak De India
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Chitrashi Rawat
Direction: Shimit Amin
Rating: VERY GOOD & 1/2

Milk shake, rattle and roll. Sporty girls are bashing up a bunch of eve-teasers in a fast-food restaurant. The hockey coach, doesn’t intervene, whips on his dark glasses and smiles lightly. His girls have scored a hit.

Cheers for Chak De! India which may be predictable but compels you to root for a team of losers whom only an earth-angel can save from disastrous defeat. Written by Jaideep Saini and directed by Shimit Amin, this inspirational effort echoes Hollywood’s Hardball, The Replacements, and Escape to Victory whose influence has already been evidenced in Lagaan.

But what the hell? If a story is retold with varying riffs, a sliver of imagination and sufficient skill, just chill.

Over to Kabir Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), the disgraced captain of the Indian hockey team, who’s out to redeem himself after seven years of vanvas. He lands the assignment, just by a whisker, of coaching the raggedy Indian women’s hockey team. So far, so hopeful.
The 16 girls from various states are a mess either too raw or too cocksure. Begins the training which does get far too protracted, what with the girls snarling, whining and ready to tear one’s eyes out. Slowly but surely, Khan makes them understand their strengths and above all, their Indianness which alone can get them to the winning goal.

Obstinately perhaps, the focus remains on Kabir as the coach. There’s no backstory, no glimpses into his heart and mind. Only his mother pops up at the outset and at the end, full stop. In addition, the introduction of the girls - through hideously antiquated wipes doesn’t make you connect to them, except with the ones who’re either too nice or too much spice. And pray, why linger unduly over the kabhi-bedroom-kabhi-ignore routine of one of the girls with a creepy cricketer?

Chalo Australia, then. Now, you’re hooked as the team takes on the Goliaths, thanks to the coach’s psychological jugglery. The sequences showing Kabir Khan losing his cool, his request to two competitive players to see the larger picture and the finale’s clarion call, are marvellously done, often making your eyes moist. And then, you’re at the edge of the seat for the decisive showdown intricately crafted by sports action director Rob Miller.
Auspiciously, the director fits in strong comments on national unity, gender equality, secularism and team spirit.

Shah Rukh Khan is outstanding - it’s a performance that is comparable and at points even more internalized than the one in Swades. He carries the proverbial burden of the project on his shoulders. Intense and steel like, he stays in character throughout, shunning any traces of glamour.

Of the girls, the little stick of dynamite Chitrashi Rawat, the independent-minded Sagarika Ghatge, the team’s zip-unzip vamp Shilpa Shukla and the anger-spewing Tania Abrol are marvellous discoveries.

Yup, so go for it!

Light Classical Music & Semi-Classical Music

 Gazal: The origin is Persian. The themes revolve around ‘love’. These are generally composed of 5-13 couplets (shers) which are independent. Same melodic theme is applied to all the couplets for a particular Gazal composition. Some of the famous exponents are Master Nadan, Begum Akhtar, Mehdi Hassan, Gulam Ali, and Jagjit Singh.

Qawwali: This is a devotional song sung in a group, but with a solo voice against a chorus. But today the lyrics have become vulgar and obscene.

Soofiana Kalam: This is highly grammatised and has well set rhythmical structure. This form is popular in Kashmir

Keertan: It literally means ‘to sing the praises of’ is a typically Vashnavaite congregational singing of Bengal. Starting from Chatanya Deva (1485-1533) it blossomed out into many varieties.
 
Rabindra Sangeet: Rabindranath Tagore used Indian ragas and talas from Indian classical music and has also taken ingredients from the folk music, like keertans, the bhatiyali and the bauls. He was also influenced by western music. He created various mixed ragas like Bhairava - Bhairavi, Darbari Todi-Bhairavi and created new talas such as Navami and Roopakda.

Semi-Classical Music:

Between classical music and the popular folk and tribal music there is much regional music with less stress on grammar. These forms have been associated with religious festivals, monasteries and temples.

Tevaram: These are religious songs in Tamil Nadu addressed to Lord Siva. The songs were composed by the sixty-three nayanars.

Sopana Sangeet: The songs are sung in Kerala on the doorsteps of temple.

Veera Saiva Vachanas: These were devotional songs in Kannada composed by Basava, Allamaprabhu, Akkamahadevi and many others.

Padas or Devaranama: These were sung in Kannada region by dasas. Dasas were a set of religious singers of the Madhva faith.

Bhajan: Bhajans are sung throughout the north in the praises of the Lord. Narsi Mehta of Gujarat, Mira: the Princess of Mewar, Kabir, and Tulsidas are the chief exponents.

Sabads: The Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhs, contains devotional songs known as Sabads in various ragas.

Karnatak Music: The word ‘Karnatak’ was coined by Vidyaranya in the fifteenth century. He served Vijayanagar Kingdom as Prime minister. However, Karnatak denotes south Indian music distinct from the Hindustani music. This form of music has been influenced greatly by the old Dravidian music.

As for the Tala is concerned, Karnatak music follows the old system and nomenclature of mantras (beats). Ragas in the south are mostly named in Sanskrit, whereas, in the north, the names are derivatives of the dialects of the regions.

Stalwarts of Karnatak Music: Jallapakkam Annamacharya of Andhra Pradesh is believed to have conceived Kirti form of composition, which consists of pallavi, anupallavi and Charanam. Purandardasa, who hailed from Maharashtra, is said to have composed 475,000 songs (according to his own reference in the dasarpada). He developed the Kriti, which had just been introduced by Jallapakkam. He also composed the earliest laksana gitas and other vocal exercises. The immortal Trinity of Karnatak music, Thyagaraja, Syama Sastry and Muthuswami Dikshitar, were born in the later half of the nineteenth century. The greatest of them was undoubtedly Thyagaraja. He would make several compositions in a Raga so as to explore thoroughly its various musical potentialities. He also introduced what are known as sangatis. These are beautiful variations of phrases occurring in Kritis.

The post-Trinity period witnessed many stalwarts setting traditions and different styles. Some of the important names are Patnam Subramani lyer, Poochi Srinivas Iyengar, Veena Dhanam, Tirukodikaval Krishna Iyer (violin), Subrama Diksatar (musicologist and Vainikar), Govindswami Pillai (violin), Konerirajapuram Vaidyanatha Iyer, Kumbakonam Azhagunambi Pillai (Mridangam), Sarabha Sastri (flute), and Pudukkottai Daksinamurti Pillai (Mridangam and Kemjira). There are several other individual musicians who established themselves for their originality of styles. Maharajapuram Viswanatha lyer and G.N. Balasubramanium are worthy of mention in particular.

Sarabha Sastri left behind Palladam Sanjeeva Rao who held the top position among flute players for several decades, until the genius of T. R. Mahalingam appeared. After Sanjeeva Rao, T.S. Swaminatha Pillai was in several respects a much better flautist in Raga delineation. Veena Dhanam is the quintessence of Karnatak music. Her style was handed down to her daughters who, in turn, passed it on to their daughters. Her grandchildren are Brinda and Mukta (Vocal), Balasarswati (Bharatnatyam) and Vishwanath (flute). The family is the best exponent of the Padams. Other great names are T.R. Mahalingam (Mali), T. Viswanatha (Viswam), and the violinists M.S. Gopalkrishnan, T.N. Krishnan and Lalgudi Jayaraman.

Kriti
Kriti is the finest compositional type. The word Kriti means "that which is made or created". The musical structure is of greater significance. The text is always religious. If compared with the Kheyals, it stands out in the term of literary value. Also the structural beauty is better planned than that of the modern Kheyal. Like dhrupad it is independent of the alapa.

Pallavi, the anupallavi and the Charanam are the three parts of a Kriti. Pallavi is the opening section followed by anupallavi. After each Charanam the pallavi has to be repeated. The oldest Kritis were those of Tallapakkam Annamacharya (15th century) written in Telegu. The hey days of Kriti were in the 18th century with the rise of the Trinity: Syama Sastry, Tyagaraja,
Muttusvami Deekshitra. Svati Tirunal, the Maharaja of Travancore, was also a composer of some eminence.

Padam
It is a ‘lighter’ composition. The mood is one of erotic lyricism both in text & music. Padams are slower in tempo than Javoli.

LITERATURE OF SOUTHERN INDIA

 Kannad Literature: Kannad is one of the important parts of Indian literature and even during the fifth century, it was considered well developed. It is very close to the Sanskrit. During the 10th century, Pampa, Ranna and Panna were the three chief architects of this language. In the 13th century, Shabada ManiDarpan, a Kannad grammar was composed by Kashiraj. Nagvarma II produced Vastukosh which is combination of both, Sanskrit and Kannad.

 A revolutionary change in the Kannad literature was brought by Basveshwar who contributed a lot in prose writing which was also adopted by Telugu. The Kannad Bharat of Kumar Vayas also became very popular. Lakshmeesh and Shanker Dev are the other popular authors. The tradition of modernity in Kannad literature started in 1850.

The prominent authors of the cultural Renaissance period were B.M. Shri Kantya, M. Govinda Pandey, K.V. Puttama and D.R. Bandre

Puttama and Bandre have been awarded Gyanpith award. Girish Karnad is the famous dramatist of this phase. The fiction Sanskar of U.R. Anantmurthi has also bagged Gyanpith award.

Konkani Literature: Konkani is very close to Marathi and Hindi. The Portuguese impact may be easily traced in most of the literary work of Konkani. Father Jokim The Mirando, a Portuguese is the greatest poet of the Konkani. In the 18th century, he wrote Riglojesu Bholantam, a rebirth story of Jesus Christ. Another Portuguese author wrote Papyansee Kaserthiti (Protector of Sinners). The modern phase in the Konkani started in 19th century during which Shomaya Goyambay, B. Barker, R.B. Pandit and Sar Desai were the chief authors. The prominent Konkani novelists are Reginaldo, Fernandese, M. Sar Desai and B.J.P. Saldhana.

Tamil Literature: It is the language of Dravida family, the origin of which may be traced around 500 B.C. It is very ancient as well as modern. At the primary stage Tolkapiyam, a grammar was published. This period (500 B.C -200 B.C.) is known as the Sangam Period. Poddituppanu and Ettatu are the other major works. During this period, most of the literary works followed either the theme of war or love. Tirukural of Tiruvallure is still very popular.

As far as devotional literary work is concerned, the Ramayana of Kamban got wide popularity like Ramcharitamanasa of Tulsidas. Manimekhale and Shilappadikaram are the other prominent epics. The Shavism and Vaishnavism theme may be tracedd in the works of Nayanar and Alwar respectively. The Tamil devotional songs also consist of the works of Jainism, Buddhism, Christian and Muslim literary tradition. Umru Puluor has composed 500 verses on the life of Hajrat Mohammad.

The trends of modernisation, patriotism and consciousness in Tamil literature started with the works of Subrahamanyam Bharti. He inspired thousands of youths through his literary works. The other prominent novelists are Rajan Ayyar, Madhavaiya, Pudumaipitan, K.P. Rajgopalan and Kalki Krishnamurthi. The chief architects of prose composition are Jayakanthan, Neela Podamnabhan, Sunderamswami, Indira Parthsarthi etc.

Telugu Literature: The origin of this language is traced in the 11th century. It is also a language of Dravida family and largely influenced by the Sanskrit language. The period between 11th to 15th century is considered as the period of translation. In the 16th century. The poet, Srinath emerged who composed Shreengar Naishadham which was widely acclaimed.

Gona Ganna Reddy is considered as the Tulsidas of Telugu. His Rangnath Ramayana became very popular. Patana, Tikkanna and Gauranna were the other religious poets. The period of 16th and 17th centuries is considered as the golden age in the Telugu literature. Manucharitra, Poddadana and Amukta Malyada of Krishnadev Rai became very popular during this phase. 19th century is considered as the period of Renaissance in Telugu literature. Vireshlingam Pantlu (1818-1919) composed his literary works against the social evils. His novel Rajshekhar Charitamu is considered as the modern great literary o work of modern times.  

Malayalam Literature: The primary Malayalam literary tradition consists of three streams of thought in its composition. The first is the Pach Malayam stream, which consists of folk song and folk story. The second is the Tamil stream, during which the Ramayana like composition were composed and third is the Sanskritic stream, during which refined literary compositions were composed.

In the 15th century, Krishnagatha was composed by Cherushasheri Nambudri. The second known author of this century was Eshutchan who composed, Adhayatam Ramayana, Bhartam and Bhagvatam. The poetic works, Kottaakara of Ramnattam, Bakbadham Kalkeybadham of Kotayantu Tapuran, Nalcharitam of Unayani Variyar etc. are also became popular.

GLIMPSES OF LITERATURE OF NORTHER INDIA

Dogri Literature: Recently, the Dogri language has adopted the Devnagari script by replacing Takri. It is generally spoken in Himachal I Pradesh and Jammu. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit and Pahari Dogra languages. Manchand, Gambhir Rai, Devi Dutta and Ganga Ram were the famous poet from 16th to 19th century. The first prose writing in the Dogri was started with the translation of Rajauli.

In 1818, the Christian Missionary published the Old Testament in Dogri. In the modern time, Hardutta Shashtri and Deeni Bhai Pant are the two great poets. Ved Rahi is famous as a novelist in Dogri while Narendra Khajuria is known as a prose writer.

Kashmiri Literature: The Kashmiri language and literature is greatly influenced by the Farsi and Sanskrit. The famous Brihat Katha Manjri of Sanskrit is entirely written in Kashmiri. The first literary works in Kashmiri is Tantrasar of Abhinav Gupta which was composed during the 11th century. The famous poetess Laldodha opted the theme of feminism in her writing.
The modern phase in Kashmiri literature started when a large number of Urdu poets used to start writing in Kashmiri. Prominent among them are Mahjur, Kaulam, Akhatar Moinuddin, Mohammad Amin Kamil and Ali Mohammad

Punjabi Literature: The Punjabi language independently came into existence in the 11th century onwards. It is largely influenced by Persian, Arabic and Vedic literary traditions. Baba Fareed is assumed as the first poet of Punjabi. Besides Baba Fareed, Amir, Khusro composed War in Punjabi in 13th century.

The Punjabi literary tradition followed the gurukool tradition right from Guru Nanak (1469) to the death of Guru Govind Singh (1708). This period is considered as the Golden period or age during which the Gurumukhi script was adopted by Punjabi. During this phase, a large number of mystic and religious compositions were created and the Aadi Granth came into its final form.

In 1800, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shree Madbhagwat Gita, Puranas and Upanishads were translated into Punjabi. In 1852, Bible was translated into Punjabi. The first Punjabi newspaper ‘Khalsa Samachar’ was published from Amritser in 1854. Some of the prominent and modern Punjabi authors are/were Amrita Pritam, Ajit Kaur, Mahendra Singh Sarna (poet) Gur Baksh Singh, Harcharan Singh (Dramatist) etc. Amrita Pritam got Gyanpith award.

Maithili Literature: Maithili is chiefly spoken in the Mithilanchal region of Bihar. It is the second State language of Bihar. During the 8th century, Maithili was passing through its primary stage of development. Its origin may be traced in the ancient Buddha and Sanskrit literature. In the 14th century, Jyotishwar enriched the literature in a wholestic way. His work Dhurt Samagam is very popular in Maithili. Vidyapati was another founding father of Maithili. He was the court poet of Mithilanchal under King Shiv Narayan. His poetic works and songs are full of devotion to the God Shiva.
He opted the theme of love, beauty and separation for his literary work. He is also very popular in Hindi and Bengali. In the 20th century, Hari Mohan Jha, Mayanand Mishra, Baba Nagarjun, Ramanand Renu etc. contributed in the field of prose writing. The Graduate Putauh and Kanyadan of Hari Mohan Jha are very popular

Sanskrit Literature: The origin of Sanskrit language is traced during the 1500 B.C. to 1200 B.C. Earlier the literary works of Sanskrit were orally transmitted from generation to generation or from teachers to disciples. The Ashathadhayi of Panini, Ramayana of Valmiki, Mahabharata of Vyas etc. were composed during the fifth century B.C. Around 1000 B.C. Gita was composed. Brihatkathamanjari of Kshemendra was also composed during this period. The Pancha-Tantra of Vishnu Sharma, Budhacharitra of Ashwaghosh and Bodhimatiakavya of Saurdanand are other famous works of this period. Meghdutam, Kumarsambhav and Raghuvansham of Kalidas are still very popular. His famous drama, Abhigyan Shakuntalam got world-wide recognition. Malvikagnimitra and Vikramorvshiyam are the other famous dramas of Kalidas.

Kalidas

Ashwaghosh and Bhas started the dramatical composition in Sanskrit. Pratiyogandharayan and Pratibhanatkam are very popular dramas of Bhas. Later on, Shudrak is known for his Mrikshakatikam. Vishakhadutta, Harsh, Bhavbhuti, Bodhayan and Rajshekhar were the other prominent dramatists.

The Arthashastra of Kautilya reveals a lot of facts about the administration, society, economy and polity of the Mauryan period. The ancient book on Ayurveda such as Rasraj Mahodadhi, Charakshamhita, Yog Ratnakar etc. were composed in Sanskrit. Algebra of Aryabhatta and “Lilawati” of Bhashkaracharya were also composed in Sanskrit.

Urdu Literature: Urdu has Farsi script and it has close relationship with Hindi. In fact, Urdu is a form of Hindi. The literary trends of Urdu may be traced in the 13th century especially in the Muslim courts and administration. Urdu poems have forms such as Maslan, Masnavi, Gazal, Kasida, Marsia, Rekhta and Najam. The prominent authors of Southern Urdu are Sheikh Ganjus Elm, Khawaja Banda Namaj, Mukini and Ahmed Aziz. Mizajul Aashikeen of Banda Namaj Namaj is still recited in a very voracious tone.

In 17th century, Mullah Vajhi composed Kutub Mustari and Anayokti Sabras. The trend of Gazal writing was started by Amir Khusro, Vali, Kutub Shah etc.
The credit of starting the trend of modernism in Urdu goes to Sir Saiyad Ahmad Khan who widened its scope by infusing socialism and naturalism in it. Mirza Galib, Mir Hasan and Khawaja Mir also contributed a lot. The Gul-i-Nagma of Raghupati Sahay Firak Gorakhpuri got Gyanpith award. Prem Chandra, Najeer Ahmad etc are the prominent prose writers. The popular dramatists are Banarsi, Talib Hasan and Lakhnavi. In 1990, Aag Ka Daria of Kurtul-in- Haider got Gyanpith award.

Hindi Literature: According to Acharya Ram Chandra Shukla, the entire history of the Hindi literature may be understood by dividing it into the three major phases. The first is called Virgatha or “Aadikal” (1050-1375) during which the composition of court poets became very popular. Some of the best compositions are Prithiviraj Raso, Parimal Raso, Hamir Raso, Beesaldev Raso etc. Chandbardai, Sridhar and Madhukar were the popular poets.

The second phase or period is known as “Bhakti Kal” (1375-1700) during which most of the literary works were composed in devotion or respect to God especially Ram and Krishna. Sakhi, Sabad and Rasal of Kabir are still alive. Dadu, Raidas, Nanak, Maluk etc. were the prominent authors. Ramcharitramanas, Vinay Patrika, Kavitawali and Hanumanbahu etc of Tulsidas are popularly known works.

The third phase is known as “Ritikal” (1700¬1900). By this time, the Hindi literary tradition became very matured and ornamental literary composition had already made its departure along with romanticism. Ramachandrika of Kesavdas became very popular. Bihari, Jaswant, Padmakar etc. were the prominent poets of this time.

The tradition of modernity in Hindu started in the late 19th century. In 1826 Udant Martand, a Hindi weekly was started. Bhartendu Harishchandra wrote Premchandrika and Satya Harischandra (drama) which became very popular. Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi started Sarswatipatrika in 1930. In the field of novel writing, Devki nandan Khatri, Srinivas Das and Prem Chandra contributed a lot. Jayshankar Prasad, Bhagwati Charan Verma and Vrindawan Lal Verma are known figures. Maha Devi Verma, Nirala and Prasad were the prominent mystic (Chhayavadi) poets.

Origin & Development of Indian Painting

The origin of Indian painting goes back to 8000 years and an account of its development is inextricably meshed with the development of Indian civilization. But the culmination of Indian frescoes can be seen at Ajanta, where from the second century B.C., wall painting continued to be made until the fifth century.

There is no definite evidence of painting during the Indus Valley Civilization, but the design and decoration of earthen pots reveal that the art of painting was not entirely unknown. Painting was unknown during the Mauryan period also.

Indian painting reached a high level of achievement in the Gupta period at Ajanta and Bagh where entire settlements of rock-cut caves were decorated with figures of men and women. Some of them, like the famous painting of the Bodhisattva, are graceful and yet pensive, as of pondering the cycle of birth and death.

When the Gupta Empire declined, its style of art underwent several distinct changes, which art historians have classified into three phases. In the 7th to 8th century, which constitutes the first phase, the styles did not change very visibly. Painting activity seems to have shifted at this time from Ajanta caves to the neighbouring caves at Ellora. During the second phase, artists painted scenes from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. The third phase, which date to the 13th to 16th centuries, creativity in art was replaced by excellence of craftsmanship.

It was during this period that the earliest book illustrations developed. Buddhist scriptures such as the Pranjaparamita preserved on palm leaf manuscripts were now illustrated for the first time with miniatures in flat, bright hues of red and blue outlined in black. The Pala rulers of Eastern India, who came to power in the 9th century, encouraged this form of art, and so did royal patrons in other parts of India

The Muslim ruler of South India followed the Persian tradition of art and painting, which was novel in itself.

After the decline of Mughal painting, a large number of painters took shelter in Patna and developed a novel style or school of painting by combining the Mughal and British style and giving it a local touch. It consists of small painting which is generally made on the paper and elephants teeth. The theme is generally related to the daily life style of the common people. Some of the important painting of this school are; carpenter showing the wood, a fisher-woman selling the fish, Iron-smith, Goldsmith, peasant ploughing the field etc. Radha Mohan was the greatest painter of this school.

Modern Painting: Indian artists today are experimenting with a variety of images and materials in an attempt to express the multiplicity of Indian life. Artists, such as M.F. Hussain and Krishen Khanna employ symbols and techniques from the past and the present to express the universality of the human experience in the forms and images of India.

M F HUSSAIN

S.H. Quazi’s paintings have hallucinogenic optical qualities. R.S. Gill and Jaswant Singh’s paintings bear the traits of surrealism. Picking up Freudian resonances in the sexual suggestions of imagery is the domain of G.R. Santosh.

Geometric abstracts are drawn by Viswanadhan. Satish Gujral is both, a painter and muralist in modern style. The paintings of F.N.De Souza illustrate Goan Christian traditions & culture.

Prominent painter Shobha Singh’s favourite is canvas oil painting. SH Raza pays attention on things that make up the figurative part of painting. He, however, prefers landscapes. Several modern techniques have been developed in order to glorify modern Indian paintings.

There are a few newly admitted dimensions in the field of painting.

Computer Painting: With the help of modern technology and software, the painter, now, uses to make complex design in variegated colours which replaces the traditional methods of designing. It is rather efficient and less time-taking.

Tantra style: K.C.S. Panniker is the founding father of this style; His painting reveals the unique supernatural power and structural presentation of witches or Ghosts. It was started some 30 years ago.

Revivalist Style: This style was developed by E W Hevel along with Abanindra Nath Tagore in 1896. Abanindra Nath Tagore originally followed the Mughal style and later on combined it with the Japanese style which is now known as the Bengal or Revivalist style,

Present here is the list of some of the famous painters of India.

(1) Jamini Roy: He adopted European style and oil painting. In the field of painting, he revived the folk art and tradition by giving it a picturesque description in his painting. He produced masterpieces in murals, miniatures and portraits.

(2) Nand-lal Bose: Mythological stories, historical events and the real life situation are the chief themes of his painting. His painting is known for the use of simple colour and bold line. His masterpieces are ‘Uma’s Tapasya’, ‘Pranam’, ‘Shiva’, ‘Parvati’, ‘Gopini’ and ‘Spring’.

(3) A.K. Haldar: The chief characteristic of his painting is to show the beauty and harmony of poetical composition. His design of painting is very ornamental in nature and painted with extreme precisions. In this way, he introduced novelty in the field of painting.

(4) Abanindra Nath Tagore: He has discovered the traditional Indian art and culture in his painting. His painting elegantly depicts the feeling and emotion of the Indian people or Indian-ness. Thus, the narration of philosophy and Impulse is the main theme of his painting. He is known for his famous picture, “Shah Jahan Looking at the Taj’.

(5) Amrita Shergil: She was the youngest and first Asian, who was elected associate of Grand Salon for her famous painting ‘Conversation’ (1934). Her best painting consists of ‘Siesta’, ‘Hillside’, ‘Elephants’, ‘Bathing in Green Pool’ and “The Nudes’.

(6) Sharda Ukil: Imagination and idealistic conception are the two important components of his painting. He also worked on historical themes against the historical background. In a series of picture, he has depicted the life of the Buddha.

SCHOOLS OF PAINTING IN INDIA: Past & Present

Mughal Paintings: The new style developed in the court of Akbar, who successfully blended Hindu and Islamic elements to create the style that we now call Mughal, in architecture, art and administration. Akbar established workshops or Karkhanas for painters at his court at Fatehpur Sikri, near Agra. Under the guidance of a Persian artist, Mir Sayyid Ali, and a talented calligrapher named Abdus Salam, about a hundred promising young artist were trained in the art of miniature painting and calligraphy.

Mughal miniatures defy traditional Western classification. They are not always on paper. Not all of them are of a standard size. In fact, some of them are far from miniature in size, being as large as English watercolours. And, not all of them were made as illustrations for books. Some are loose individual paintings gathered in albums called Muraqqa. Among these are the Hindu epic, the "Mahabharata", which became known as the "Hamzanama" or the story of the Great War. It was illustrated with about 1400 paintings on coarse cotton cloth. Among other manuscripts written and illustrated under his direction were the baburnama, or the Memoir of Babur, and the akbarnama.

The paintings done in Akbar’s time established new patterns of art. If Akbar established a new idiom in the field of painting, his son Jahangir brought, it to fruitation, for the miniatures produced under his patronage are the best of those in the Mughal style. Jahangir had an interest in fauna and flora that led to a large number of lovely paintings of animals, birds and plants being done.            

Rajput Paintings: It was prevalent in Rajputana, Bundelkhand and Punjab-Himalya region. It is an aristocratic folk art appealing to all classes alike. It illustrates every phase of medieval Hindi literature and its theme cannot be understood without a thorough knowledge of the Indian epics, Krishna Lila literature, music and erotics. One of the oldest Rajput paintings has Krishna Lila and lyrical theme.

‘I’anjore school: This school of painting imbibed the culture and style of various conquering rulers. Tanjore paintings on wood were commissioned by patrons whose wealth decided the quality of art work on gold leaf or gems. The artists were Kshatriyas of the Raje community, for whom art was a ritual expression rather than a creative one.
The common themes for Tanjore paintings are the ones, portraying Krishna or the coronation of Rama, called the Rampattabhishekam. The Navnita Krishna, or Krishna holding a ball of butter, is an often-repeated theme, as is the Darbar Krishna, Radha Krishna or Krishna with Rukmini and Satyabhama. Other 11 popular themes are the Sreeranganatha or sleeping Vishnu, Gajalakshmi and Vishnu with his consort Bhudevi and Sridevi.

Uncommon themes are subjects like Markandaya, Dasavatar, Ashtadipala or the secular company school portraits and Sikh themes using the Tanjore technique. Painting is generally made on wood. Meena Muthaih of Chennai is the chief architect of this school. The chief exponents of the Tanjore Painting were Munmadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, E.W. Havell, A K. Haldar, Sharda Ukil, Amrita Shergil, Jamini Roy.

Mysore paintings: are on hand made papers and less heavy and ornate than their Tanjore counterparts. The colour schemes are typical, with frequent use of red and green, and no sharp contrast with gold work, if it is used at all. There is a greater emphasis on fine lines and delicate detail, especially on corner scroll designs, clothing and other decorative elements. The figures are not heavy, and have delicate oval faces and regular features. There is also no gem setting and glass embellishment. Most of  the theme of the painting is religious and meant for worship, portraiture is more common than in the Tanjore Style.

Mithila Painting: In the Ramayana, Tulsidas gives an elaborate description of how the entire Mithila region of Bihar was decorated for the marriage of Sita with Ram. The decorations consisted chiefly of vivid murals depicting mythological personages, deities of the Hindu pantheon and the flora and fauna of the region.
This art of painting, an established tradition even then, has survived to this day, passed down for centuries from every Maithili (resident of Mithila) mother to her daughter. Today, these ceremonial decorations are popularly identified as Madhubani paintings.

The fold paintings of Mithila or Madhubani are the exclusive monopoly of women artists. This is a communal activity and one in which young girls are allowed to assist. This enables them to learn early to draw and paint-skills which are put to the test when, as grow-up women, they are expected to present the kohbar-a picture used as a marriage proposal, to a man of their choice. Heavily charged with tantric symbolism in its basic design and composition, a kohbar depicts a pictorial intercourse using the lingam (phallus) and yoni (vulva) symbols. Not only can this fresco be seen on every bedroom wall in Mithila but the first kohbars in a courtship are used to wrap various gifts. The other central themes of Madhubani Paintings are: Vishnu, Krishna, Kali, Durga, Parvati, Lakshmi, Sam and flora and fauna of the region. Sita Devi of this school has been awarded “Padma Bhushan".

Pahari Painting: As its name suggest, this sort of painting is mainly confined to the hilly, terrain of India especially Jammu, Nurpur, Kullu, Garhwal, Kangra etc. Depiction of love in different form and style is the central theme of this painting. Its miniatures chiefly portrays the boy hood pranks of Krishna and his cowherd companions with Radha. This style originally developed in the state of Basohli of Raja Kripal Singh (1678-1694) Extensive sets, each comprising more than a hundred miniatures, were prepared Rasamanjari, the Bhagavata Purana, the Gita Govinda, the Baramasa and Ragamale themes.

Rajasthani Painting: The Rajasthani painting chiefly consists of the Marwar, Kishangarh, Jaipur, Bundi and Kota styles. The Marwar of Jodhpur style shows very bold type of expression with broad, which is fish eyes in human faces and highly stylish and similar to the Mughal style. The prominent architect of Kishangarh Painting are Raja Samant Singh (1748-64) and Nihal Chandra. Nihal Chandra developed an extraordinarily "mannerist" style which exaggerated the slender curves and almond eye on his figures.

The facial type, though idealized, is extremely lyrical in its beauty content. The most popular subjects of this painting are the loves of Krishna and Radha. The Jaipur Style flourished during the reign of Swami Pratap Singh (1778-1803) which was a period of general lawlessness and insecurity, and laxity of morals and immense luxury. Therefore, it gave rise to new approach to religion for easing of the conscience. The painting reflects the Raslila of Krishna. The Bundi painting began to concentrate on court scenes under Rao Chattar Sal and Bhao Singh and many scenes of nobler, lover and ladies in palaces were produced throughout the Seventeenth and Eighteenth centuries.

LITERATURE OF EASTERN  INDIA

Assamese Literature: Though the origin of Assamese language may be traced in the 7th century, its literary tradition started in the 13th century with the advent of Shanker Dev (1449-1568) who composed creative drama, epic and songs. In the field of prose, Bhattdev contributed a lot during the 16th century. In modern time, the British and Bengali influence may be traced. In 1873, Bible was translated in Assamese. The age of renaissance was started with the publication of Janaki Patrika which was edited jointly by Chandra Kumar Agrawal (1858-1938), Lakshmi Nath Bejbarua (1867-1938) and Hem Chandra Goswami.

The tradition of fiction or novel writing was started in 19th century by Padnath Gohai Barua and Rajnikant Bardolai. Some of the famous novelists of this phase are Dandinath Kalit, Devchandra Talukdar, Beena Barua who are still remembered. In the field of prose, Virendra Bhattacharya (1924-1997) bagged prestigious Gyanpith award. In the year 2000, Indira Goswami was given the Gyanpith award.
 
Bengali Literature: During the primary stage of its development, the Bengali literature followed the Nath School of thought and romanticism of Radha-Krishna. In the 14th century, Chandidas composed about thousands of words related to Radha-Krishna. Kirtivas Ramayan was composed in the 15th century by Kirtivas Ojha which is as popular as the Ramcharitamanasa of Tulsidas.
 
The tradition of modernity in Indian languages emerged first in Bengali literature because the British first came there and infused English with the Bengali. William Kaire translated Bible into the Bengali and also contributed in the composition of English-Bengali dictionary. The epic star, Michael Madhusudan, composed the famous epic Meghnad Badha on the line of Homer, Dante and Virgil.
 
Bankim Chandra is known for his Durgesh Nandini, Anand-math, Vish Vriksha etc., while Sharat Chandra is still remembered for his Charitrahin, Srikanta, and Badi Didi etc. The Bengali literature got international recognition when Gitanjali of Rabindranath Tagore was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913. The Pather Panchali of Vibhuti Bhushan Bandopadhaya and Ganadevta of Tarashanker Bandopadhaya were the other historical works.

Oriya Literature: Oriya is basically originated from the Magadhi dialect and it is very close to the Assamese. During the 13th and 14th centuries, the entire literary tradition was greatly influenced by the Buddhism and Bhakti (devotional) tradition and philosophy of Hinduism. Sharla Das, Balram Das, Jagnnath Das, Yashwant Das etc. contributed a lot to this devotional and cultic tradition. They were also influenced by Jaydev and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Fakir Mohan Seriapati is considered as the modern and popular architect of Oriya literature. He is known for his novel Galp-Salp and Chaman Aatha Gumba.
The epic Mahayatra of Radhanath Rath is widely popular. In 1993, Sitakant Mahapatra was awarded Gyanpith award. In the year 2000, the novelist, Manoj Das was awarded with Saraswati award for his novel, Amritfal.

Manipuri Literature: Manipuri is a language of Tibet-Berma family and particularly spoken in some eastern states. The literature is greatly influenced by the folk literary tradition. Some of the popular prose works in Manipuri are:
Tumil Kavya (10th century), Nikotinkhot Fambal Kab (l6th century), Letawak Lekhol and Pantoibi Khomyd (17th century). Hija Harao is an epic of ornamental style. RamNo-Gaya is another popular work based on the death of Ram. The tradition of modernity in Manipuri literature made its departure right from the works, "Kamal Singh Kale Pare".

Nepali Literature: Nepali is the language of Indo-European family and it follows Devnagari script. It is also very close to Hindi, Maithili and Bengali. In the 18th century, Nepalese literature came in light with the publication of the works of Subnand Das, Shalai Ballav Aryan and Udayanand. Sanskrit works were generally translated into Nepali. Gita was .also translated. The Adhyatam Ramayana of Bengali was translated in the 19th century by Bhanubhakt. Krishna Charitra, the first epic in Nepali, was composed by Vasant Sharma. In the 20th century, Mitrasen, Moti Ram Bhatt, Lekhnath and Balkrishna Sharma contributed a lot in the field of prose writing. Some popular novelists are Pratiman Lama, Rudraraj Pandey, Shiv Kumar Rai, Subhas Ghising etc. Balkrishna Sharma and Aryali are the popular dramatist.