Early Morning Sunday Market

Last sunday I found myself walking among a huge crowded informal market ; so full of goods of all kind and so full of people that I was sometimes even more concentrated on putting my feet in an empty zone rather than on the place itself. Luckily I had my numeric third eye with me - aka my photo camera. So I shot the market every 20 seconds to be sure I would not miss anything.
An infinity of little shops blossomed as I walked through the place. Mountains of fabric, piles of books, cutlery, collections of collections, old cameras, gramophones... If the heat was not so unbearable I could have spent the whole day exploring all the stocks. Actually a lot more than a day would be necessary.
Admiring handicraft products, I started to see in them not just cute little wooden boxes or cautious metal work, but the same gestures repeated over and over again by craftsmen for ages. I saw the tremendous traditional knowledge and figured that such a patrimony has been influencing and shaping India way before occidentals put their feet on this land.
As a designer in the making that is something I want to work with, preserving this heritage, adapting the new environment and lifestyles to the past ones, as a tribute to these ancient gestures. Or I would die with them in a museum.

Pottery of Ganesha

We waited the bus to go at Maganahalli .

Ganesha statue's was drying under tarpaulin. The big statue could to weigh up 70kg 

 He made statues of Ganesha.

For the festival of Ganesha they made more two thousands statues. After this statues throw in the water.

If you don't throw the statue, you could poor all long year.

 The others objets, they made it. Two money box.

Other things, for the oil lamp.

 A statue is tranforming in furniture to put down the mobile phone above.

I have not more photos, because the battery of my camera discharged.

Life of women in a pottery village near Bangalore

Here a short video suming up the impressions about the lifestyle of women after our visit to the pottery village in the suburbs of Bangalore.

Hope you enjoy it!

Let's have a look.

Come back 1 week ago. We were in this little village next to Yelahanka where we met some people, we saw some landscapes and of course we discovered how these famous Ganesh statutes are built. 

I am going to talk about people, about how they work, about how they live. It was now, the best moment to take the most beautiful photographs.

Their posture, their look, their smile, their clothes. This is the Indian tradition I like photographing.

I was looking this man mixing the ground to create the little Ganesh, or this man creating something in the metal: handicraft, here we are. 

As Hélène said, this is one of the important points we’d like to discover in India, and this is this point I would like to show you through my photographs.

2 States

My first thought when I started to read Chetan Bhagat´s novel "2 States: The story of my marriage",  was "Oh no, this is going to be a bollywood writen version of an imposible romance story like Romeo and Juliet or Twilight".

But its easy and quick narration made me continue the reading and I understood that under its simple plot there was many information about how that differences between states inside India, and more specifically between north and south, work in the reallity. Going through this book you get to know better the traditions, origins and value systems of two of the different indian communities, Punjabis and Tamilians. It teaches you about their different dressing codes, gastronomies, traditions, weddings, priorities in life... Also it discovers a bit more about how arranged marriage works and the importance for each community to be able to choose the person who with their succesor will get married, basically to make sure the correct heritage of each community´s identity.

Before coming to India I was surprised about how could a country nowadays still keep a system based on such strong differences (casts, tribes, classes, communities, religions...).

But now, after walking in the streets and analyzing the way people act and interact, even if I personally still don´t accept such a discriminatory system, I kind of start understanding why people keeps such a strong pertenance feeling for a specific group. In a city like Bangalore where more than 8 million people cohabit, you have the feeling of being lost in the crowd constantly, of not being important, of being another one more. And that´s the reason why I think that they keep attached to a certain community. The smaller group gives you an identity, a feeling of pertenance, of being part of something, of being known between your own people, of not being lost. And keeping the differences with the other communities only reinforces the inner union  of the group.

The book is also encouraging because even the cast/class system still has a big strenght, it inspires the new generations to think above all these barriers and work towards their freedom of choise for their own future.

About Handicraft in India

As many of my classmates, I have chosen this 2 year transcultural program in India so as to learn as much as possible about handicraft and social design, always keeping in mind environmental issues.

After only one day a the Design Innovation & Craft Ressource Center (DICRC) in Ahmedabad, here are yet a couple of things I want to share with you on those subjects. Hope you will enjoy it.

First of all this great and full of ressources blog, written by Prof. M P Ranjan : http://design-for-india.blogspot.in/

and then this quote, extracted from Crafts Atlas of India, by Jaya Jaitly

"It is almost impossible to encapsulate the entire landscape of craft in India for two reasons : one is the sheer vastness of it, and the second is its fluidity. The essential nature of craft skills lies in its ability to metamorphose, be enlarged, disappear or re-appear, according to changing circumstances and multifarious processes that touch upon this area of human resource."

Handicraft: Finishing Ganesha and fixing Krishna

We took the local bus and landed in a village, where the traditional potter families are these days working on crafting Ganeshas of different sizes for Ganesh Chathurti, the colourful Hindu festival, celebrated on the occasion of  Lord Ganesha's birthday. Ganesha, who is believed to bestow his presence on earth for all his devotees in the duration of this festival is the son of Shiva and his wife Parvati,  It is the day Shiva declared his son Ganesha, the god with the elephant head, as superior to all the gods. Ganesha is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel.

Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the installation of these Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures mandapas  in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions. The mandapas are decorated with lights, etc. or are theme based decorations, which depict religious themes or current events. After that all figures are dispersed into a water body, accompanied by prayers and singing. Only then, Ganesha will bring luck!

Painting the clay figures is mostly the job of women. The government has set up rules to use specific natural colors to protect the water bodies, but nobody is following these regulations. So the figures once put into the lakes are causing ecological damage.

Marion is sketching the design of the idol.

For about 4 month a year the tradtional pot production stops for the preparation of the Ganesha festival.

The potter and his family are excited and happy to explain their craft to us, the foreigners.

Fixing Krishna

There is another beautiful workshop in the village. The craftsman works traditionally using an alloy of five metals — copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc for the casting of religious idols.

"Metal holds an important position in both religious and everyday life for the Indian people. The Silpastrastras (art text about metal working) goes into great detail about the composition of alloys used to cast both sacred icons and mundane utensils. Panchaloha (an alloy of five metals — copper, gold, silver, lead, and zinc) is widely used to cast icons and idols for worship because of its auspicious nature.
Metal working is deeply infused with religion. In fact, before an artisan even begins a project he prays for guidance to Tvastram, the son of Visvakarma, who worked with copper, brass, and other metal alloys. Even in the household, metals have religious significance, from icons in the family temples to cooking utensils. Hindu religion forbids the use of copper for cooking; thus in a Hindu kitchen we could find primarily brass tools, whereas a Muslim kitchen would boast mainly tinned copper." (Quote from the website of the Museum of Anthropology, Missiouri, http://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/minigalleries/lostwax/intro.shtml)

In the way back home...

It was 9pm after a long day of 6 hours in the foreign registration office (our famous FRRO) and some desperate furniture searching in Commercial Street to find the basic stuff for our newly acquired appartment. We were in our way back home in an auto full of stuff and it was taking longer than expected since the driver had to stop to fill the tank and not to be smashed by a train. We were slowly advancing in the everyday traffic jam when suddenly all the vehicles stopped. We tried to see what was going on but we couldn´t see much through the cars, but we could listen to some drum music coming from the front. Around 50 metres in front of us the street was closed for the traffic and there was a crowd walking with some kind of big structure decorated with colourful flowers and textiles bove their heads.

Unwittingly a smile came to my face, because, in front of so many people, cheerful music and colours, we obviously were being witnesses of an indian festivity or party. Our auto driver decided to ignore the fact that the street was closed and continued to drive to the crowd and music. We didn´t stop him because our curiosity won our common sense of following the rules, and anyway, any driver in India follows any traffic rules. 

We finally arrived next to the flowered structure. We started seeking for any religious figure inside of it to know what was all this going about when we suddenly realized that that was not a joyfull festivity but a funeral!!

The structure was a very ornamental bed inside which the corpse of a man was lying down. A cloth was covering all his body except his pale face which everyone around him was touching I guess for blessing him. I looked puzzled down to the crowd and noticed the distribution of the crowd of this hindu funeral. Men were walking in the very front while they fired firecrackers and flares. They were followed by a kind of "batucada" that played the lively drum music mentioned before. Just after some men were raising the funeral bed with the deceased man. And last, behind everything, the women.

When we passed the crowd the auto driver accelerated the rikshaw so we couldn´t see much more but the mixed fillings were inside me. I had been smiling expecting a happy festivity because from my "occidental" point of view a funeral has to be a sober, sad and grey happening and not such a pyrotechnic-colourful-musical spectacle. But that only makes me realize how little I still know about the cultural diversity of India and how much I still have to learn to get to forget the stereotypes I brought with me from Europe. And only makes me even more excited about the non-stop learning 2-year period we have in front.

Maddalen Gil

The art of the indian head nod

Yes or No ? That is the question.

I always considered our gesture to say yes and no universal. But in India, beyond the language borders, you can find also the body language borders. Indian people use a special gesture, they nodd their head from side to side giving a funny way to their answer.

Yes, Maybe, of course, I will see tomorow, why not, no problem, probably no? It could be one of these expression or an other.

Firstly, this head movement appears more to an uncontrollable tic than an answer. After a few days, observing their eyes, their mouth, the answer is clearer.

For european people it seems difficult to learn this movement.Between our yes and our no adding a little dance to fluidify your gesture and you should nodd like an indian person in three or four months.

So, it's time to me to practising in front of a mirror in my privacy home the indian head wiggle.

STOMACH DISEASE.

Don’ t worry, this article will not be illustrated.

 I decided to share this nice moment with you because it seems to me important to evoke this passage of the journey, about which nobody want to speak, where we are sick. This passage where we feel so alone, far from family, far from the comfort of which we are used to taking advantage (when I say comfort, I say  clean toilet  with double thickness paper). This moment when you repeat " BUT WHYYYYYY? What the fuck I’m doing here? " The worst, it’s that you are warned, it’s not as if it was new, if the doctor prescribed you 10 boxes of anti-diarrheic, it’s not for nothing.

But even if we try to hide it and to forget it, this moment is crucial. AND EVERYBODY PASSES THERE! NO. EXCEPTION! We could assimilar it as a rite of learning, a hazing, as if India said to us: " aha, you wanted to come, you feel as an Indian at the end of three days by eating in this small "typical" restaurant? You are going to savour it your full masala chicken!" Or more philosophically: " respect your body, your body will respect you!". That's India for me now: take care and everything gonna be alright!

Then, to you, the novice, who plans to come to visit this amazing country soon:
 

Think well before coming! (you’ll not regret at all)

Seeing India Being Indian

How do we begin to ask the right questions about India?

Even for me as an Indian, to hazard a sentence that tries to sum up India is something I do with reluctance.

I cannot fairly define the "India I know" because there is nothing I can compare it with - so on what basis would I be defining it?

My classmates looked at me with curious troubled eyes when we were talking about the abuses and killings of women WRT dowry today, and I couldn't reassure them that it is something that I am completely safe from without sounding like I'm getting ahead of myself. My parents are pretty liberal, except when they're not. I've never been stalked or followed, except for that one time.
Nothing is true about safety in India; everything is a matter of a labyrinthine chance. To say I've never been at risk would be silly, but to say that I have is to blame my parents or teachers or watchmen or someone else perfectly good-willed for not doing their job of protecting me. And they're not to blame.

Perhaps one thing that perhaps will always work for me as an Indian is keeping each person's best interests at heart and to make sure to strike a personal connection with them. I've noticed that nobody is likely to hurt you if they truly consider you their friend. Trust is a deeper currency, and being able to rely on each other is all people seek in this otherwise structureless chockablock chaos that is our "system". People are the only system here.

Well, even if that's not true (in the spirit that every definition's of opposite is also true, as Tharoor said), we learn to live with the risks, laugh at the dangers, make sardonic comments on the rape statistics or the female ratio, and we (as women) get by.

Since there is no other life we have known, there is no reason to feel sorry for oneself.

OH look - I've done exactly what I set out not to do. I've tried to sum up India.

Provide urban spaces that enable exchanges and breaks in the Indian’s everyday life.

After observing one typical street in Yelahanka (the interactions, the uses, and habits that were present in it) we have decided to work on the public spaces, focusing on the break moments in an Indian’s everyday life.

So as to fit with the real needs of Yelahanka citizens, we went through the town to ask them some questions. Each time we asked about their work or social position then paying attention to their resting day and how they spend their holiday time. To finish the survey we asked people in which place - in Yelahanka or out of the town - they prefer to go and why.

We noticed that most of people do not have a lot of holiday time and when they do, they prefer to stay at home or go to the park. They usually mentioned the need of calm against the very noisy environment of their working days. Some mentioned that they prefer to go outside of Yelahanka because they do not feel safe and find it dirty.

As a matter of fact, we would like to provide spaces where social mixing, calm, exchange and cleanness are coming together. We would bring spaces marking a refreshing transition between crowded spaces and residential areas.

We observed that such spaces are present in luxury residences, often around sports or children games areas. Furthermore, we noticed that gathering places are often in spaces in which people can see each other and look at the activities passing by. We often find food and drink shops around.
That is why we intend to focus on existing activities and needs so as to gather people in a dedicated area and develop extra uses aiming at citizen’s well being.

 Red spaces: potencial public place in Yelahanka.

Solen, Clémence, Hélène, Marion and Paul

The other side of Bangalore

Hey guys, don't you think we have got enough noise, pollution and crowded places? I don't know for you, but I was fed up with that. So I decided to move and explore another part of Bangalore: its countryside. It is a deserted place, while it is at least as beautiful as Bangalore downtown.

I quickly checked on Google Maps before leaving, just to notice where would be some nice place for me to see. I spotted a big lake close to the East of Doddaballapur Road, and some green area at the North of it. I was enough for me, knowing that I could easily come back home, check another place, and go for a second trip if the first one wasn't enough. So I left, with my bag containing only my camera, a book, a notebook and pens, all what I need to have some good time into the wild.While walking towards the lake, I crossed a kind of little village. Whereas it seemed to be quite poor, it was very pleasant to see: there were many houses, all colored and mixed, and many activity in the street. Many people were doing many unknown things, such as shopping, talking, resting, working, crossing the road and obviously, looking at me. A hundred meters further I reached the lake, or what people left of it. It looks like it has been emptied, and some work is currently done down there. Anyway, there were nothing left for me, so I didn't spent much time on it. As soon as I arrived, two guys drinking beer in a car called me, and ask me what I was doing in such a place. I guess they don't often see white people in such a non-touristic area. They directly offered me some beer, which I declined and told them instead that I was looking for a nice green place. After I kindly thanked them for their help, I followed the path they indicated me.

I arrived then in a field, with no greenery but small bushes. At first sight it looked completely deserted, with no track of human being, nor of its constructions. I decided to explore it quietly, trying to see what kind of animals live here. What a surprise it was to distinguish a building clamped between bushes! In fact it was not really a building, but an abandoned construction site. I haven't been able to figure out what it was supposed to be build for, since it didn't have anything specific, only walls, doors and windows. The only uncommon part I saw was a kind of open-air well, at least 15 meters deep and 8 meters wide. Without any railing, of course. While examining it, I saw another abandoned construction site, few distance away. On my way to reach it, my path crossed that of a prey bird, hunting high in the sky, also some huge centipedes and several ant-hills.

This second building was so different from the previous one. There were many little houses, which formed a big square with nothing inside. It could have been a market, excepted that all these houses were turned to the outside. A second mystery for me. And now comes the third one: one beer for anybody who can tell me which character is pictured below. I took the photograph in this same building, apparently used buy random people to party.

It took me about one hour and a half to go back home, since I chose not to use twice the same path. So I visited some other villages, and I went much further than expected. What a surprise, when I checked on my laptop where I have been, to discover these big circles around the buildings:

Crop circles? I didn't know aliens were in India too... Anyway, I will probably have to go back over there to figure out what kind of place it that. Unless I find somewhere else more interesting to explore in the meantime. If you want to join me, you are welcome ;).

The traffic jungle

These are our first’s steps in the chaotic Indian’s traffic.

I try to explain to myself the rules “ordering” it before it appears to me as common.
First, you have to know that Indian roads are not as wisely ordered into two quiet roads as our French ones. I think they are quite following the Tetris game rules; thereby the aim is to put a maximum of cars on the streets’ widthwise, being inserted in each available place.
For example, 1m free space between two buses would make a perfect place for a rickshaw (typical Indian taxis).

Then, there is the noise, the horn ones. They are so used that we don’t really know anymore where they come from… But I think there might be a sense: 1 toot = I’m here! , 1 long and insistent toot = I’m comiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing! Get out of my way!

Concerning the rickshaw drivers, they seems to have an in-sensor which enables them to know if someone comes from their right or left hand without needing to turn their head or looking in the rearview mirror. Anyway, I’m totally impressed by their skill.

But the most essential and vital to survive in that jungle is probably the perfect braking control. The supreme base of the Indian’s traffic.