Happy Birthday Abba | Happy Dasara

 My dearest abba (grandpa) turned 80 today!! A very Happy birthday to him!

 

(last years snap with abba, mom dad and brother:)

 and wishes for Dasara! (Saraswati pooja @ home today:)

May the good triumph over the evil!

Hello Hyderabad

I was in Hyderabad recently for a photoshoot. And after a two day hectic schedule, I directed myself towards Mangartai to get some pearl earrings. Loved these natural shaped ones! 

Saturday Special: Full Wood House, Smit

Smit, is a small village about 15-20 km from Shillong. Well known for it's traditional Nongkrem Dance, Smit has beautifully preserved the Khasi culture and traditions.
Smit, till today follows a king-ship rule. The King is called the "Syiem" here. Today Morning, I had a chance to visit the Syiem's house. And being a Syiem's house, it is indeed very special...It is a huge, full wood- thatched house without any metal nails. Is'nt it interesting?!! Walls and floor made of oak and pine wood, with a thatched roof and roof windows for light, the house has a complete cane and bamboo furniture. Plus the floor coverings are also of woven cane and bamboo. Pleasant in summers and warm in winters!!
Well, believe me, the summers here are more chilled than the winters of Mumbai. But also, people say that, the warmth here has increased in past few years... the global warming shows its effects everywhere! :|

Coming back to the Syeim's house...
Here are few pictures I captured. Pardon me for the extra bad quality of pictures. (It was a cloudy and rainy morning!)
Thatched houses generally have a low ceiling and a narrow entrance. But this being a king's house, everything here is king size!
The pegs used are all wooden. It is a belief that devils and ghosts are always killed by wooden weaponry, hence using wooden pegs keeps the house safe and away from evil spirits. Also, Meghalaya is an earthquake prone area. The wooden pegs help keep the joinery more intact than the iron nails.
To get to the house, you have to drive through a boulevard fenced by conical pine trees on both sides. It is a beautiful place and Smit is one of the coolest places in Meghalaya!

Co-blogger meet: Neha Gandhi of Matsya

Many a times, I do click the "I'm attending" button, on events received on FB, and hardly attend any! But today, I made it a point to attend the event at the Farmer's market in Bandra where Neha Gandhi of Matsya Crafts was exhibiting her "eco" products.
Sharing some pictures of Neha's exhibit here...
Mostly from Kachchh, the products included beautiful ajrak printed bags, hand embroidered pouches, hand painted wall decor and terracotta lamps, decorative danglers and much more. All handcrafted and awesomely finished!
Here is Neha interacting with a customer...
And here is "me" with Neha :)
What inspires me is Neha's unbound level of energy and her involvement and dedication towards Indian crafts and crafts-people!
Links to Matsya Crafts here and here.
Some more pictures of the Farmer's Market "eco" exhibition follow...

Relationship Status: Married

Married to Mahesh Jagtap. Mahesh is a fine artist. He works on paintings, sculptures and installations. I will feature his work soon and keep featuring him in some or the other way! He is currently working on his web portfolio and me too. We house in Kandivali- western suburb of Mumbai. Having stayed in south Mumbai all this while, we are liking the suburban way! It is peaceful! After setting up the house, getting into a routine and simple decor happening all the time, we will soon catch up with work-stuff!

Sharing a glimpse of our simple Marathi wedding...

...delicious yumm food followed...

Photographs by Prashant Chavan and Aniket Waingankar