Archive for November, 2017
Wisdom through Saint Kabir’s Couplets Posted by Nitya on Nov 21, 2017
Kabir Das was a poet-saint संत-कवी (sant-kavi) who lived in approximately 15th century १५वीं सदी (pandhravi sadi) India. You can read more about him here. His poetry/couplets are famously known as दोहे (dohe; singular: दोहा doha) , and were written to dispense simple wisdom in vernacular Hindi, which widely appealed to the local folk. In addition to using uncomplicated language सरल…
Upendranath Ashk: Rebel, Misfit, Iconoclast (Part 3) Posted by Rachael on Nov 16, 2017
Namaste/नमस्ते, aadaab/आदाब/آداب, and welcome back to my blog series on the notorious Hindi-Urdu writer, Upendranath Ashk/उपेन्द्रनाथ अश्क/اپندرناتھ اشک! If you haven’t yet read parts 1 and 2, you may want to do so before delving into this third and final part. After his third marriage to fan and fellow writer, Kaushalya Devi, Ashk soon sought…
Faiz Ahmed Faiz: The Dawn of Freedom Posted by Rachael on Nov 11, 2017
This week, I’ll discuss another major writer in the Hindi-Urdu literary world: Faiz Ahmed Faiz (फ़ैज़ अहमद फ़ैज़). Faiz (1911-1984) was an intellectual who is known mostly for his poetry, which is often revolutionary in tenor. Today, he is considered one of the finest writers in the Hindi-Urdu literary sphere. He wrote mainly in Urdu…
Garam Masala: The Wonderful Indian Spice Mix Posted by Nitya on Nov 10, 2017
Garam masala गरम मसाला is a versatile spice mix that can be used to add zest to a variety of dishes in Indian cooking. While proportions and nuances vary from region प्रांत (praant) to region and chef to chef, the basic ingredients remain the same. गरम मसाला can be used by itself or in tandem with other…