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Five years ago I wrote about the Dadar Flower Market, in Mumbai. It is tucked under the bridge next to the Dadar train Station, and like alien slime, oozes into adjoining alleys and walkways, filling every doorway and cranny. So jam-packed, my cousin cautioned, “don’t put your hand in your pocket, coz it will go in someone else’s pocket!” Aaargh! Only in Mumbai!

See my other Flower Seller posts:

But it IS an experience! Not just for colorful flowers, but to see up close how the poor make a living. And be bothered! Yes, I get bothered seeing young girls selling flowers for a living, when they should be in school! Politicians mouth big speeches about expensive projects to eradicate poverty. The money ends up in their Swiss accounts, while the poor fester near open sewers.

I want to be bothered! It is far easier, NOT to go; NOT to see. Stay home, play with Meera, take a nap, go to a nice restaurant for frothy coffee. You and I; we need to be nudged from our comfort zones; we need to wade through muck and see how the poor work and live. We need to be offended; get mad at impotent politicians. We need to be bothered. YOU need to be bothered.

As I edge my way through the crowds; my heart races and I’m in a zone. The din of the market is white noise, sharpening my thoughts and focus; I ignore the rotten ooze creeping in my sandals and in between my toes, impervious to odors of rot, the shoves and jostling. I don’t hear the screams and curses; I don’t feel the feet stepping on mine; of sweat soaked bodies pressed to mine as they slither ahead; a wet elbow crazes my cheek. I resist the temptation to pull my handkerchief and wipe my face. I smile.

I am mesmerized by the beauty here! See this beautiful girl above selling roses. She’s not more than 12 years old, but dressed in a saree and tending this stall, while she should be sitting in a class room, in a clean dress, or playing with friends. She’ll never know that luxury.

Admire the beautiful roses. Trapped in this life, waiting to bloom in your nice home.
roses dadar flowers market

They are so used to this. THIS is their life. This family was all smiles.

The yellow tarp casts an eerie glow.
Dadar Flower Market

Marigolds and other flowers sold here by weight.
Dadar Flower Market

Champae, super fragrant variant of the plumeria. One of my favorites. These were sold by the number, Rs 5 for each! Champae are Michelia champaca, thanks to Maya and Namrata
Champae Dadar Flower Market

This girl had the only Neel kamal (blue lotus) in the market. She stood in the blazing sun, but kept cool under the umbrella, while patiently helping each find the best. Rs 50 for a dozen.
Dadar Flower Market blue lotus

This beautiful woman observed my antics with a piercing gaze. She was too tired to smile.
Dadar Flower Market

On neighboring sidewalks this duo realized they were being photographed and the younger was all giggles.
Dadar Flower Market

When you work on sidewalks, you live on sidewalks. And that is where you feed the baby. Mumbai Meri Jaan, anyone!
Dadar Flower Market

But there is a God! All flowers here are woven with the starting end looped around the big toe. Yes, all flowers which end on the head of God, start the day at the dusty, tired feet of the working poor.
Dadar Flower Market

Each garland we brought was woven on the toes of these poor women! At home, we’ll sprinkle a few drops of water and then these flower decorate Ganapati during puja! After puja, we receive a small portion of these garlands as prasad – a sacred gift from the Gods, which we will treasure.

Fitting isn’t it? That which was woven on the feet of the poor, ends up on the most sacred of Gods. There is a God! And you know where to find her.
Dadar Flower Market

Dadar Flower Market

Air Meera


Meera just loves to be tossed in the air (of course, never leaving my hands). She is all giggles and never wants me to stop.


m&m: Meera was wearing this beautiful, brown silk dress. Shared this yesterday on Twitter and Facebook.


More Meera!

Each evening when we take Meera for a walk, we stop by the Poornima Juice Center on Colaba Causeway, for their freshly squeezed ganna ras (sugarcane juice) – see video. At 8 rupees (16 cents, US) a glass, it is a steal! Meera greedily gulps the ganna ras too! As a baby, this was the first juice we gave her.

Go over See this photo essay on making jaggery from sugarcane juice, in rural karnataka.

This pic is from last November, when Pakistani terrorists struck havoc in Colaba. Then this store (right across the main street from Leopold Cafe) stayed closed during the curfew. When it re-opened, I was one of the early customers and this kid was happy to serve me. Such small family businesses were hurt most by the terror strikes and associated curfew.
Sugarcane juice Colaba Causeway Ganna Ras


Other Videos: Video: Making Puran Polis

Diwali 2009

On this festive occasion of Deepavali,
May the Gods grace you and your loved ones
with
Peace, Good Health and Success!

Happy Deepavali!
Meera, M & A


Previous Greetings:

When in Mumbai, we attended a puja at my aunt’s place in Jogeshwari. There we enjoyed a delicious south india lunch, served on banana leaves. Freshly made, warm puran polis, dribbled with home-made tuup (clarified butter), was one of many desserts. The catering crew were making it in the back. Enjoy the video!

puran poli sanzori konkani foodsAnd see this older post, where I describe how our extended family comes together to make Sanzori, a variant of the puran poli. So much fun.

Here is Shilpa’s (Aayis Recipes) excellent recipe for puran poli (also called Obbattu).

And another recipe for Puran Poli from Sailu’s Kitchen.


See Other Video: Video: Making Ganna Ras – Sugarcane Juice

A global partnership for children, including the WHO and UNICEF, report that annually, 4 million babies die within the first 30 days of birth. Why are 4 million babies dying? Concise 2 and 1/2 page article. The common causes are infection, birth asphyxia and premature (including low birth weight) births. Premature and low-weight babies are particularly susceptible to hypothermia and need to be kept warm.

In the well-off world, such babies are placed in expensive incubators (costing upwards of $10,000), while vital signs are monitored and stabilized. In much of the developing world such luxuries do not exist and babies continue to die off. Multinational medical device companies are quick to donate expensive equipment to far off locales. Consider that in places where infant mortality is very high, there is likely no electricity to power incubators and no trained personnel to operate them. Most of the equipment is completely useless and gathers dust.

This lack of understanding local constrainsts leads me to believe that most expensive equipment donations are made primarily for tax right-offs and a way to showcase social responsibility to shareholders. But thankfully, social entrepreneurs in small teams are continuing efforts to develop baby incubators for the developing world.


Here is a creative solution by EmbraceGlobal: A sleeping bag-like device with an add-on warming pouch. It does not require electricity, is portable and costs $25. At that price, they are near disposable and can go home with the baby. Most likely, parents don’t have anything nicer to put the baby to sleep in.

A Neonatologist I spoke to voiced concern that for critical babies, it is important to be able to see the chest of the baby rise and fall as it breathes. I think this can be addressed by a zipper (or velcro) on the sides of the bag. These will also make it easier to get the baby in and out of the bag, and provide ventilation.

I think $25 is still a steep price for essentially a wrap-around quilt. If folks can build a laptop for $100, then such a sleeping bag should not cost more than $1! Yes, One dollar!

Any of you have ideas for modifying the designs to address local needs? Can this be made of locally sourced materials? How about involving micro-finance based women’s groups to fabricate/assemble them locally? This could improve their livelihood as well. Perhaps this may trigger other solutions in the local populations.

Make it for $1! Any takers?

swine flu Mumbai face masks
No, he was not trying to hijack the BEST bus in Mumbai; he was terrified about the nasty virus causing swine flu!

But that makeshift mask in a crowded bus surely got me panicky. Should I be around Mumbai using public transportation, where the buses and trains are stuffed tighter than, … than, … mumbaikars in buses and trains? And when I had Meera with me?

During my August visit to Mumbai, everyone was in full “epidemic” mode. Even at the Airport! Before reaching immigration, we filled out personal history forms and the overworked health workers simply waved us on. I hope you feel reassured.

Headlines in city newspapers screamed at every cough and sniffle. The Mumbai city council finally ordered schools, colleges, tuition classes and many govt offices closed for 3 days. Private companies gave employees furlough to work from home! And this was supposed to be my vacation. We all came through fine, and a renewed interest in Ayurvedic attempts to strengthen the immune response. Continue Reading »

Pick a Random Number

Give me a random number between 1 – 10. That’s it! In the poll on left, pick the first number you think of.

This is part of a small study to see if there is an inherent bias in the selection of numbers. Ideally, with a large number of respondents, we should see that all numbers are equally represented. Is that what the data shows? Lets wait till we get a decent number of responses (~500 +) and see what the data tells us. Come back and revisit in a few weeks.

Please use the “Share This” link on the poll and post to your Facebook page. More responses, better the results.


NB: For those who noticed, the poll program did not permit “0″ as a response, thus using “10″ as a stand in.

Meera Tai

Meera in a saree

From a few months ago; I took Meera to my barber shop and got her a ‘boy-cut’. A relief during Mumbai’s summer. Now its growing back to “juttu” form!
Continue Reading »

Ganesh Chaturthi 2009

Ganesh Chaturthi (or Ganapati Chovati as we Konkanis call it) is THE celebration in our extended family home in Mumbai. During the five days of Ganapati, all pujas are performed as prescribed in the Puranas, including recitations from the Vedas. After a busy five days, the murthy is consigned to the seas (visarjan), leaving us all melancholy. Even Meera was puzzled that beautiful “Ganapati Bappa” was missing. He’ll be back next year, Meera! And so will we all.

See an earlier post for a brief background on Ganapati.


The murthy is brought home, the day before. In this first pic, Ganapati has only been kept in place. During the first puja, the murthy is dressed with flowers and with the recitation of chants, sanctified with the divine presence.
Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganapati, Aarti, Ganapati Aarti
(click for larger image)

During aarti on the last (5th) day.
Ganesh Chaturthi, Ganapati, Aarti, Ganapati Aarti


Visiting the Sarvajanik (public) Ganapatis:
Continue Reading »

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