Alpana mentioned to me that Lakshmi uses very common Hindi words which often sound jarring. I realised then that I had to improve my Hindi. When I was in the Jodo Gyan store, I saw this story book -- Koel ka Sitar -- by Ashok Chakdradhar. I knew Chakradhar was a contemporary poet and the book caught my eye. The whole book was in verse but it was a story with beautiful illustrations. The first page was in pastel shades and 3/4 of the double spread was covered with a tree's branches. A Koel and a Hoopoe were sitting on it.
I decided to buy the book even though it looked like complicated poetry for Lakshmi. I was trying to read it one day when Jasmeet dropped in. We read it together and she explained the words in the book that I could not understand. We loved reading it together. I decided that I must read it for Lakshmi. We actually managed to read the whole book one night at bed-time. She has got the whole story but has not begun to appreciate the words and the poetry yet. She however has looked at all the illustrations carefully. She told me "She did not like it when the Sitar was open-mouthed".
The book ends with all the stringed instruments in India. So this gives us an opportunity to look at all of them and hear them as well. I too will know the sound of these instruments and the maestros who play them.
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Mom and I actually looked up the instruments we listened to Sarin Marna -- a Pakistani Ektara player who was a wandering mendicant. What amazing music he created with just one string.
We listened to Annapurna Devi on Surbahar -- that was divine
Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt on the Indian Slide Guitar
Pandit Ravishankar on the Sitar
I decided to buy the book even though it looked like complicated poetry for Lakshmi. I was trying to read it one day when Jasmeet dropped in. We read it together and she explained the words in the book that I could not understand. We loved reading it together. I decided that I must read it for Lakshmi. We actually managed to read the whole book one night at bed-time. She has got the whole story but has not begun to appreciate the words and the poetry yet. She however has looked at all the illustrations carefully. She told me "She did not like it when the Sitar was open-mouthed".
The book ends with all the stringed instruments in India. So this gives us an opportunity to look at all of them and hear them as well. I too will know the sound of these instruments and the maestros who play them.
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Mom and I actually looked up the instruments we listened to Sarin Marna -- a Pakistani Ektara player who was a wandering mendicant. What amazing music he created with just one string.
We listened to Annapurna Devi on Surbahar -- that was divine
Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt on the Indian Slide Guitar
Pandit Ravishankar on the Sitar
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