Rhythm Riders - world of tabla, indian music and dance

As Rhythm Riders continues to grow, there have been lots of changes happening, including a makeover of our electronic presence. We've launched our newly-designed website. Please check it out at www.rrmproductions.com. It'll give you more information about the wonderful people I work with and the amazing environment of music that I am blessed to be apart of.

Tabla Ecstasy and Jindidi chale Canada

In October, I returned back to Canada to welcome the Rhythm Riders family to my birthplace. The leaves had started to change colours in preparation for their arrival, ready to display the beauty of autumn and the wind had picked up to give them a cold Canadian welcome I suppose.

It was a busy, super successful and fun-filled trip. I got to show everyone the place I called home for so many years. Most members of Tabla Ecstasy were in Toronto for the first time. In the months before the trip, I, along with those who had been to Toronto, had been preparing a list of things that we had to do. We crammed in as much as possible in the limited time between rehearsals and shows. The reactions were exactly as anticipated. It was a joy to share so much in those few days. Watching them take everything in made me appreciate the common sights and sounds I often take for granted.

On the music side, the trip was a HUGE success. All the audiences were left spellbound and appreciated the artists with standing ovations. We had a great mix in the audiences we performed for - from true listeners of Indian classical music/dance to completely untrained ears, who had come to show out of intrigue - and the response was overwhelming. New connections were forged and the concert organizers all offered their support for future tours. On the personal front, people from my community got an even better idea of what I am aiming for as they heard Tabla Ecstasy and began to understand the level of tabla playing that I am striving for in order to turn professional (and of course through Guruji they see what is possible even beyond that). Jindidi impressed as always with her wonderful Kathak performances.

The tour had been planned for months, but it went by in a flash. There were many lessons, great fun, tons of memories and of course, lots of pictures. I got a new DSLR right before the tour and managed to get some great shots of the concerts. The tour would not have been possible without the support of a lot of people and I especially have to give a huge thank you to my family and family friends for going out of their way to make this trip special for everyone. When seeing everyone in action, particularly my parents, I am reminded time and time again that my own drive to help others was instilled in me through their example.

Colours of Light

As I prepare to make a rangoli outside my apartment to welcome in the New Year tomorrow, I remember a Diwali from three years ago that I will never forget.

Happy Diwali and Saal Mubarakh!

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It was Diwali. During the five days, women draw beautiful images outside their homes with coloured sand, rice and grains (called rangolis) to decorate their homes and welcome the new year and visitors.

Over the few months that I had spent volunteering, I continually was awed from the wonderful rangolis that a colleague of mine created for various occasions. His work always brighten the space they are in and the people that see them. Inspired by their beauty, I decided try my hand at rangolis. These beautiful works of art would be a wonderful way to express my gratitude to the many people who have showered me with their love and affection. As is the experience of many NRI volunteers in India, I felt humbled and immensely indebted to the many caring souls that went out of their way to make me feel at home in Ahmedabad, a place miles away from my birthplace in North America.

Arming myself with bags of coloured sand, I first practiced outside the volunteer home where I was staying. After a few tries, I felt confident in my work. As I made my way from home to home, I could not contain my cheer. As I spread the sand, I silently gave my thanks to each individual and prayed that the new year brought new hope and prosperity to each. At every home, the children would crowd around welcoming me with their smiles and watching intently as each rangoli unfolded. Each then added their own touch to the final piece and we created a colourful display full of love and good wishes.

Such a simple thing brought so much joy to all. The small grains of sand became colours of light and were the perfect way to celebrate Diwali and welcome the new year.

Power of One

In a previous post, I wrote about one of the two steps needed to preserve Indian classical music, which was to cultivate an audience. I wanted to share an experience or realization I had last year that reminded me again that one person does have the power to change things.

In Oct 2008, I returned to Canada for the first time in over 2 years.

A lot had changed in those two years. When I had left, I had left with the intention to return in a year or two to start a master/phD program in Environmental Engineering. Alas, life had taken me through twists and turns and I was returning with a new goal in mind, something I could have never fathomed - to become a professional classical tabla player.

Over the previous year, family and friends had gotten pieces of information with regards to my career change and it didn't make a lot of sense to many. The reality was that I come from a community that does not have a large majority of Indian classical music listeners. While cliched, it was true, generally Gujaratis are more enthusiastic about folk music than classical music. In fact, a lot of people in our family friend circle did not even know who Zakir Hussain was, who is considered to be one of the most well-known Indian classical musicians and tabla players of our time. In this scenario, it was understandably difficult to find many who understood what I was doing or why I was doing. But, I must also include here that even though they didn't understand, they were be as supportive as possible.

The trip to Canada was important in many ways. It was a chance to explain firsthand what I was doing and why I was doing it.

A few months before I came to Toronto, I had performed my first solo, after 9 months of training, at Rhythm Riders' annual Guru Purnima function. Of course, I have lots of work to do, but it was nonetheless an important milestone for me. Soon after the performance, my tabla solo video was posted to Youtube as most of the people who wanted to see it were not in Ahmedabad for the performance. The outpouring of support and encouragement was incredible and hugely motivating, but it was only one step.

By the time I came to Canada, most had seen the video or heard of it. For many, watching my solo was the first time they had listened to a classical tabla performance. People were really impressed and asking about when if I would be performing concerts in Toronto during the trip. While the enthusiasm was incredible, it was midguided in the sense many understood what was very much an amateur performance to be one that could be quickly developed into one that could be put on a professional stage.

As I would explain how I had many years to go, I began to realize the wonderful opportunity I had in front of me. The reality was that many who watched my solo, watched it not because it was a tabla performance and they were interested in tabla, but they watched it because of me. They wanted to see what I was doing and were being supportive of my endeavours. Now I have the opportunity to open up the world of Indian classical music or atleast tabla playing to them.

I don't expect that everyone is going to turn into an Indian classical music lover, but I do know that many will grow in their understanding of the music. As they follow my progress, as they watch me grow from solo to solo, they too will begin to discern on some level the differences between amateur and immediate, advanced and professional. Through my personal journey, I have the chance to change the world around me in some small way.

The epitaph on an Anglican bishop's tombstone is very appropriate here:

When I was child, there was no limitation in my mind. I dreamt to change the world.

The more I grew up and tried to wise, I realized impossible to change it. And I decided to reduce my dream even a little and change my own country only but It was still impossible.

When I would an old man, in the last effort , I tried to change my own family. They were close to me. Unfortunately They ignored me.

And when I was dying, I realized (maybe for the first time) if I changed my self long time ago, I influenced my family by my examples and they’re supporting me, maybe could make my country be a better future and who knows, I could change the world.

My Tabla Solo Performance at Guru Purnima

Thank you thank you thank you for all the support, love and encouragement. Here is installment number 2 of my tabla journey (this is a year after my first solo). I played a pure Delhi Gharana solo.

Astrological Charts (Kundali) - Meaningless or to be Heeded?

A friend and I were recently talking about marriage and philosophy, etc and of course the inevitable question came up. Its a question I've been asked a lot. It makes its way into conversations about dating, marriage, arranged marriage, etc. Do I believe in matching kundalis (vedic birth charts)?

For many years, my answer was along the lines of Yes, I'll consider the matching because I've seen too many relationships between people with mismatched kundalis fail. I didn't really have a great reason why to believe or not to believe and since I had seen the power of spiritual practices firsthand in my life, I chose to give consideration to kundali matching.

Now I have more concrete reasons to consider matching vedic birth charts. Many might not be aware, but my Guru (Pandit Divyang Vakil) is not only a maestro of tabla and a brilliant tabla teacher, but also a spiritual healer and guru. His vast expertise is a treasure chest for me and my questions.

Guruji uses many different tools in his spiritual healing including vedic astrology, face reading, palm reading, vastu, tantra, numerology, occult powers, etc. He has stacks of vedic birth charts of his students that he uses, so who better to ask about vedic astrology.

Here is my understanding in a nutshell.

Ancient Indian civilization has given us a plethora of tools to provide guidance and help us make informed decisions. Everything is connected to each other (think butterfly effect) in some form or another, but the vast intricacies can be too much for us to comprehend. Each methodolgy serves as a guide. Sadly today, like with many traditional arts, there are many with minimal or no knowledge masquerading as experts who have at some point tarnished the image of effeciency of these methods.

Kundalis are a highly specific science, a person's kundali is very particular to the person. It is based on the birth time, birth place and name of the person. Small inaccuracies in birth time (on the order or 1o minutes) can change a kundali. (The debate over what time is needed - ie when the head appears or whole body is out is another topic).

A person's kundali tells you about the influence of planterary movement on a person's life. It gives various details about a person, including details about their personality, high and low points in their life, etc. The kundali itself is very scientific (and computer generated nowadays) and is incomprehendible to the common man as its speaks of planets, their locations and more. So results that you get from getting a kundali made are highly depended upon the interpretation of the chart. This is where the master is set apart from the amateur.

A common use of kundalis is to see good and bad periods in a person's life. I'm sure that there are times that you have felt that nothing is going right, no matter how hard you try. It is likely that your kundali would reveal that you were passing through a negative period (and there are different types), in which it would be difficult to see the fruits of one's actions.

By knowing these kinds of details, a person can make more informed decisions. For example, if the above period was occurring in one's life, it does not make sense to start a new venture at that point. It would be better to wait the few weeks or months for period to change.

Generally, when two people's kundalis are matched, they are paired together for over 30 different criteria. Each criteria gives a positive or negative result. A range of positive results is considered a good match. A perfect score is not a good match.

As a kundali also can provide an overview of the graph of a person's life, one can also examine how much trials/tribulations a potential spouse will face.

Like I said before, a kundali is only a GUIDE or indicator, not the final word, which is what many interpret it to be. The accuracy of a kundali is very much dependent upon the details used to make it, its maker and interpreter.

In general, after living in India, my respect for traditional arts (and sadness at its erosion and impending loss) has grown. Vedic astrology is one of the many that can be put in this list. It most definitely has its value and I don't think it can be passed off as a meaningless belief. It is a tool that has been created by extremely intelligent people to help man make better decisions. It should not be followed blindly, but without a doubt has value.

Would I consider matching janmakshars before marriage? Without a doubt, yes.

Would I heed the advice from the matching? That shall be a matter of circumstance.

Intuition/ Creativity

Yesterday Guruji was teaching us about what intuition is or the source of creativity and a wonderful line from his lecture has stuck with me.

The cosmic energy whispers to you in the silence between two thoughts.

Preserving Indian Classical Music Part 1: Creating an Audience

One concern that I have seen come up regularly is the about the future of Indian classical music. As maestros pass on, there is a growing lack of artists who can be compared to their Ustads. I won't tackle the question of why Indian classical music is dying, but rather will look at what can be done to ensure that it is preserved. The answer I believe is two-pronged. Musicians have to be cultivated and just as important, audience have to be cultivated. For the music to continue, there is must be people who can produce it and those who shall appreciate it and listen to it.

Audiences are most definitely changing. Only 20-30 years ago, a music concert by one artist could very easily be 3-4 hours long. Today in a span of a 2 hour concert, two to three artists will perform solos. Guruji often speaks of concerts that began at 8pm and ended in the wee hours of the morning. No one would move, let alone get up to get water or use the restroom during a concert, that was the level of involvement of the listens.

To listen to Indian classical music requires training. I am a perfect example of that. When I first began learning tabla, I knew VERY little about Indian classical music. When we would gather for music listening sessions with Guruji, the other students would be completely engrossed, reacting to taans and the way an artist render a raga, while none of the nuances were registering for me. I would catch myself zoning out and I'll admit it - falling asleep. Even within a year that has changed. I still don't know all the nuances and don't expect to understand them all in a year, but my comprehension is increasing. I am beginning to appreciate the music and the artistry of the musician more; and I'm not falling asleep. That is called training. I am being trained to listen to Indian classical music. As musicians would say (translated) - m y ears are opening.

Another example of audience education can be given in a geographical context. Kolkatta is considered the heart of Indian classical music. The toughest and most discerning audience is found in this city. Amdavadis is comparison don't quite live up to the mark. What might appeal to the music audience here and having them show their appreciation might not invoke the same reaction in Kolkatta as the expectations are higher. Kolkatta audiences are more trained. This is not surprising as the city is and has been home to many high quality musicians.

Training an audience will not happen on its own. It requires a concerted effort and is a valuable endeavour. If audiences are not trained to distinguish poor from mediocre, good from excellent, the artist has one less reason to push themselves to become better and better at their art (where this is the correct thought process or not is a different topic). When you gain widespread appeal for subpar or mediorce work, the market incentive to do better disappears.

The question then arises of how? Well, its not easy. Getting someone who only listens to modern Bollywood music (which can be quite poor in musicality) to listen to an alaap of Bhairavi is not going to happen overnight. But in small amounts, an appreciation can be created. One can say that today's well-done fusion that incorporates Indian classical music is one way of training in small doses, but it has to continue from there.

One way that Guruji has tried to tackle this issue is through his contemporary tabla ensembles, which we call "tabla fusion". Why tabla fusion because tabla traditionally is not performed as group so the presentation style is different. Also, the compositions, which are all his own, are made keeping a mainstream audience in mind. So you have all the facets of tabla playing that will make the common man give appreciation. BUT at the same, the essence of all the compositions is classical tabla playing. The intricacy and difficulty of the compositions is such that only his senior disciples can play them. The nuances of classical tabla playing are all intact. The presentation style though is such that even a person who will run at the name of a tabla solo concert will be asking when the next ensemble performance is. It is after all, 2 -5 tabla players playing super fast pieces in complete synchronization. Imagine the power of 5 tabla players playing dha at one time. (If you don't want to image, watch the video of his latest tabla ensemble - Tabla Ecstasy). His ensembles have performed all over and its a common response to see people inspired to learn tabla or come to tabla performances afterwards.

So how can audiences be created? By education, by exposure to this music. Its as simple as one person encouraging their friends and family to come to a show, giving them music to listen to. More concerts, more workshops, more access.

The benefit of the virtual world is that it has made it easier to find music, there are videos all over youtube, etc; but it has to be filtered. Again, poor should not be passed off as good. How can you tell? By building your personal database (mentally) by listening to more and more stuff and hopefully having a more educated ear to guide you. As you listen to more, your references grow and hopefully your discerning abilities as well. But ultimately, I think you do need a guide to this world of music to educate you about it.

A concerted effort has to be made to bring and keep Indian classical music in the forefront of society's music preferences. If the audience demands it, high quality Indian classical music can continue for a long time.

Indian Classical Music Listeners India vs Abroad

An interesting observation from some interactions this month. If you ask a group of Indian youth how many listen to Indian classical music, you won't get many positive responses. When I posed this question to some groups of NRI volunteers, the 70 - 80% of the people were familiar with it and listened to it. That is really encouraging and great to know.

Weeklong Indian Music Workshop in India!

Its a common thing to hear that people are interested in Indian music, want to understand it a but better, but don't have the time to dedicate themselves to a full study of it. Here's a great program for those interested in learning about Indian music. If you are already practice Indian music, its a way to deepen your understanding, learn from Guruji (Pandit Divyang Vakil), work with the world fusion group Taan and Rushi and jam with musicians from around the world for a week!

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Intrigued by Indian Music?

Want to learn how use Indian rhythm and melodies?

Explore the vast world of Indian music in India

Rhythm Riders invites you to

1 Week Indian Music Workshop in India

Dec 20 - 27, 2009 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

*Experience India through its music

*Explore Indian music, from its classical and folk to its contemporary forms

*Nightly jam sessions and concerts

*Learn to adapt Indian Music to your own music and instrument

*Special workshops on Indian percussion

*Special lectures with Tabla Guru Pandit Divyang Vakil

Final Concert Performance with World Fusion Group Taan

Open to musicians from around the world

instrumentalists and vocalists of all music genres welcome

Fees cover teaching, accomodations, local transportation, food and events.

**Airfare not included**

Register by Sept 30th, 2009.

Contact Rhythm Riders at manager@rrmproductions.com
or call (201) 467 4431

For information on Rhythm Riders, visit www.rrmproductions.com

A Small story about a Small Action creating Small Change

One nice thing about the location about my flat is that it is 2 min walking distance away from a MORE grocery store. This is very convenient when I randomly remember that I need something.

I generally go to MORE from home, so I take bags with me, which which I can bring home my groceries or if its small enough, stuff the things into my fairly large purse (whose size I actually chose for this purpose).

When you go to MORE, like any other grocery store, the cashier or his assistance automatically starts to put things in plastic bag. The first few times, I got strange looks and had to repeat myself when I would ask that they not put my groceries in plastic bags (and I don't think that was because they didn't understand my Gujarati accent). Over the course of a couple trips, I kept getting the same cashier, who asked me the third time he rang up my bill why I didn't take their bags. I quickly explained how plastic bags are bad for the environment, cause cancer and cow deaths and he seemed to appreciate the information. When I was about to leave, he stops me and asks, "Mam, can you fill out our comment form?"

I look and the form and am about to tell him that I needed to go, when he interjects my thoughts and adds, "I think you should share why you didn't want to take a plastic carrying bag."

I look at the form and again, my mind tells me that there is no point. But then figure what the heck, there is no harm. I quickly fill out the form stating that MORE should discourage stop providing plastic bags or encourage customers to bring their own bag (by potentially providing a financial incentive like stores in N. America do) as that will show that the company cares about environment, which is good for the company's image (I had to pitch it in corporate terms). I had the cashier the form and proceed home.

After that day, whenever the cashier rang up by bill, he never gave me a plastic bag. Through my small action, one other person learnt about the dangers of plastic bags.

An even bigger surprise came a month or two later. I walked into MORE after a long time and noticed a new sign on their announcement board behind the cashier and near the vegetables. It read:
PLEASE MINIMIZE THE USE OF PLASTIC BAGS.

MORE has not stopped giving plastic bags, but it atleast had taken one step in the right direction. Who said that you can't be the change?

Serving Music

The world needs two things: correct knowledge and true music. - Guruji (Pandit Divyang Vakil)

When I first changed paths and decided to follow the music route versus continuing with volunteering and doing water and sanitation, a lot of questions and confusion arose in the minds of many. After all, the "purpose" of doing volunteer work or water and sanitation in the developing world is easy to figure out. Its noble, its for the greater good. Easy to understand, hard to argue against its value. But now here I was - pursuing Indian classical music seriously, that too at a late age (like ballet, generally you begin ICM or indian classical music at a young age). Compared to the engineering degree and lofty goal of building toilets around the world, somehow putting that aside and training to become a professional tabla player did not quite stack up in the minds of many.

But there is a purpose, a higher purpose, if you want to call it that. Music is completely intertwined with universe and its source. Indian classical music was not a spontaneous creation, but a well-understood and thought out development. I don't believe stories of Tansen and Bilaskhan are mere folklore, they speak of the true depth and power of the music. Music moderates society, it keeps things in balance. That isn't hard to believe. They are countless who listen to music to relax. Good music, true music has kept the world in check. Look at society over time and how it has degraded and compare it to its music and its degradation, you'll find a strong parallel.

Music is and can be a saving force. So long as true music is alive, there is some force that is working to balance the negative. What is the higher purpose of what I doing? I am trying to serve that music.

Guru Poornima 2009

Last night was a super duper success. The hall was jam packed. We had people who stood outside the doors for 20 minutes before some space was created for them to come in. There were students sitting on the stage, people in all the aisles. It was nuts. The energy in the room was incredible. So many people from all over the country and world came together to celebrate the person who has had such a profound impact on their lives and our family and friends join in our celebration to witness the talent that he has nourished and cultivated. From one of Guruji's first students from 30 years ago to a student who just began learning at Rhythm Riders two weeks ago, three decades of students were present at the occasion. I am so happy that I had a chance to be apart of it.

I got a chance to start off the evening with a pure Delhi gharana solo and it went quite well. Then of course, the professionals took the stage. Tabla Triveni - Guruji's American group tabla ensemble did a fantastic job. 17 year old Rahul Shrimali blew the audience away with his Ajrada tabla solo (to give you a sense of the difficulty in playing this gharana's compositons - there is a saying amongst the maestros that if a crazy dog bites you, only then will you think to play Ajrada). The tabla trio, specially created for the occasion, of Nishant Mehta, Kaumil Shah (aka Khakra) and Sahil was fantastic with Nishant playing only Guruji's compositions, Sahil playing pure Punjab and Kaumil playing compositions from Guruji, Ajrada, Delhi and Punjab.

Thank you to everyone who honoured our invitation and graced the occasion with their presence. Thank you to all my friends, family and supporters who were there in spirit cheering me on and have supported me through my journey.

Lots of pictures and videos to come.

I bow down to my teachers

To the universe - the Param Guru that has been guiding my footsteps as I walk along the path of life. Thank you for all the hints, for being so persistent even when I was stubborn and giving me signs time and time again, for being so patient, for taking care of me and watching over me and for leading me to my Guru in human form. Grant me the ability to always have the awareness and humility to listen and the courage to follow the markers on the road and fulfil my purpose.

To Guruji - Thank you for your patience, for your faith in me, your love, guidance and support. There really aren't enough words. I pray that I become a more worthy student of yours with every passing day.

Everyone who my life's thread has been connected you. Each person, each experience has led to where I am and will continue to help shape the person I become. Reflection allows you to see where the road curved and how one experience prepared you for something else down the road. With deep gratitude, I thank you for being in my life, for your support, your love, your encouragement and the challenges that we have faced together. Thank you for teaching me.

Power of Sadhna

An experience from a few months back:

There are places where you go and can feel something different. Often these places become points of pilgrimage. They are places that have become charged with the intensity and heat of someone(s)' penance. Karl Marx' chair in the library when he would sit for hours and hours is such a place or places of pilgrimage, be it Mecca or Kailash are other examples.

There is such a place in Ahmedabad, a room that I have spent time in many times, but recently I got a chance to really experience the magic of the room first hand. I had some time to kill and instead of coming back later, Guruji told me to practice in the room. It was the first time I was alone with tabla in the room. Time flew by without me even realizing, one hour became two. Two came close to three when Guruji told me that I would be needed in 20 minutes. This was was perfect because I would finish three hours then. Three hours passed and was not called. Practice was going really well and even though it had been 3 continuous hours, I was not tired. In fact, at this point, my mind was getting tired, but my body and hands were still in form. So I decided to stay put and another 45 minutes later, I was called out. If I had not been called, I could have continued to practice! For the first time, I had spent nearly 4 hours in continuous solo practice without getting up, without breaks, and without having my hands compelling me to stop. It was amazing.

When I came out and shared my experiences, the others just smiled. Its the magic room they said as they have said many times before. Its the room where Guruji and Latifbhai would have long and intense practice sessions, its the room where ustads who came to visit Guruji would teach and interact with Guruji's students when he used to run tabla classes from home and most important of all - it was the room that had become charged by Guruji's sadhana as its the place where Guruji himself conducted the majority of his practice over the course of many many years. It is the magic room.

Countdown to Guru Purnima 2009

So the countdown has begun. Guests from abroad start arriving in a few days. Daily rehearsals have started. I had my FIRST rehearsal with a lehra player a few days back and it went quite well, which was very encouraging. There is a long list of things to do before it all begins, but it will surely get done and I know that next week is just going to go by in a flash.

The year has flown by, I can't believe that its already been a year since I played my first tabla solo. Every year the program has something special about it. Of course this year its the fact that we are celebrating Guruji's 30th year of teaching tabla. It's been an incredible journey for him so far and its great to be apart of it all as we pay tribute to all the work that he has done. Really, you can't find a better tabla guru. Guruji is completely dedicated to providing the best taalim (training) possible to create a new generation of highly trained and skilled tabla players. The fact that he gave up his own performing career for his students stands as a testament to his commitment. Everyone from his own gurus to fellow maestros and society as a whole has witnessed the exceptional quality of his teaching. He has not had it easy and has made his life on his own terms with his determination and passion for music and knowledge. This year's Guru Purnima is another milestone of what are to be many more milestones and I am so honoured that Guruji has chosen me to be apart of it all and given me a chance to play a solo on that special day.

Walking the Streets of Ahmedabad

Today, after a long time, I walked the streets of Ahmedabad.

It's been nearly 3 years that I have lived in the city. Like any other outsider, when I first got here, I didn't know my way around. I relied on others to take me around. But slowly, I found my geographical bearings. I came to know the city through her buses, her chugadas (shuttle rickshaws) and with my own feet. I have traveled the city a lot, taking new streets and expecting intersections, but found out from a series of wrong turns that the city followed the meander of the river and in fact was more like a half-circle. I have come to know some areas better than Amdavadis.

Today after a long time, I took to the street again. I sought to be alone. One would expect that I could find this in the isolation of my flat, but that was not the case. I found isolation in the noise of the streets. The focus became the few feet in front of me, the noise of the street dimmed away and I could hear my thoughts clearly.

As I walked, I recalled a philosophy / spiritual lecture that Guruji one gave where he spoke of tirth dhams or places of pilgrimage. People go to these places to be alone, which seems ironic as these places are very crowded. Yet the reality is that within the chaos of Kumbh, the crowds at Badrinath, the people at Mecca, one finds isolation. The crowds give way to solitude.

So the noise of the street faded away as I walked the familiar streets of Ahmedabad. My troubled mind calmed. In the bustle of the streets, I found my solitude as I walked the streets of Ahmedabad once more.

WIshing you the best!

As I sit here in India, I send out a prayer and thoughts full of love to two dear people - Rahul and Asha who are taking their first steps together as a married couple today. They are two inspiring people and film-makers, who are using their creativity and media to spread goodness in the world and uplift the underpriviledged. It's a pleasure to know them and I look forward to seeing all the things they come up with in the future.

Some examples of their work:
- Asha helped found INSPIRE - short term service trips to India that give participants a chance to experience India in a whole new way as they visit organizations all over the country, participating in service projects in slums, working on an organic farm and more. What's more, this year INSPIRE went gift-economy!
- Both of them headed a pilot project in Ahmedabad which I got to see firsthand called Lok Darshan - a weekly video broadcast of news and stories created by the community for the community
- Both of them spent time in Orissa working with Gram Vikas creating these amazing films on the work that they do, not only is the video inspiring, but their experiences there were incredible
- Rahul has created wonderful videos on many topics, including a fantastic project he worked on to bring together children from Pakistan and India called Friends without Borders, his videos posted on his youtube channel and stories about them on his blog

Aum - The Primordial Sound

Yesterday, the topic of Guruji's spiritual lecture was the primordial sound Aum. I have heard that description of Aum before - the primordial sound, but the first time I really understood this name was when I heard Guruji speak on Aum. I think of the great things about hearing Guruji speak is that because he has such a breadth of knowledge, he easily shows how one topic is inter-related with others. Aum was related to topics such as creation, absolute reality (Brahma), music, naad (sound), chakras, the different states of the soul and how the mind works.

I have heard he speak on this topic before, but each time, something new is revealed and previous information is digested more thoroughly, so his talks are never a bore.

A fellow disciple of Guruji really described him very aptly in saying that Guruji is a walking encyclopedia. I am reminded of my good fortune to be his student all the time and that feeling is always more prevalent when hearing him share his gyan (knowledge).

Things in Harmony

This morning started beautifully. I woke up hearing the call of birds which was following in matching rhythm by alarm a minute later.