Author: Samyama

Pritika Krishnakumar, a Bharatanrityam Dancer Based in Bangalore, Tells Us About Pursuing This Traditional Craft

Published by Samyama

Pritika Krishnakumar is a Bharatanrityam dancer based in Bangalore. Currently training under the acclaimed Radha Kalpa dance company, this graceful dancer knew Bharatanatyam was her passion at the age of 4.  On usual days, she is training and honing her craft. She says, “there’s a lot that goes into making a dance performance look effortlessly beautiful. Hours of training and learning. I enjoy the process and hope that people can see through all the hard work.” Know more this flawlessly talented girl journey as we chat with her.  Hello Pritika! At Roots and Leisure we value strong cultural connections. So, when we heard about your mastery in a traditional artform, we were very excited to chat with you! Thank you for being here. Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi! My name is Pritika Krishnakumar. I’m a 27-year-old, Bharatanatyam dancer based in Bangalore. I was born and raised in Mumbai and I started training in this classical art when I was just 7. I began under the tutelage of Guru Dr Jayashree Rajagopalan (Vijji Akka), …

Anukrti Upadhyay, a Writer from Mumbai, Talks About Her New books, Bhaunri and Daura

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Anukrti Upadhyay, a writer based in Mumbai, sits and talks to us about her recent English novellas, published by HarperCollins. Her twin books, Daura and Bhaunri, have received acclaim for the fresh storytelling and their ability to transport you into a whole new world in the midst of the Rajasthani desert. Hailing from an academic background, this author has always been around stories, which inspired her to weave her own stories and share them with the world. Currently, she is working on various writing projects and her job simultaneously. We spoke to this inspiring woman about her books and the inspiration about them.  Hello Anukrti! It’s exciting to have you here today. Please introduce yourself to our readers.  I am Anukrti Upadhyay and I am a writer. I have post-graduate degrees in Management and Literature, and a graduate degree in Law. I also wrote a doctoral thesis in Hindi Literature.  Today, I write fiction and poetry in both English and Hindi. A collection of my Hindi short stories, titled Japani Sarai, was published by Rajpal …

“Pottery Can Teach You a Lot About Life” – Akshaya Salin, Owner of Pottery Studio ‘The Burrow’, From Ahmedabad

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Akshaya Salin was on her way to become a civil engineer when fate steered her into taking up pottery for her post-grad. She fell in love with how the calming yet exciting process of pottery truly is! Based in Ahmedabad now, she owns a small atelier named ‘The Burrow’ and works her heart out as a full-time ceramic artist. Hey Akshaya! Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi, I’m Akshaya Salin! I’m 26-years-old and based in Ahmedabad. I’m a Malayali settled in Ahmedabad. I did my undergrad in civil engineering and then moved on to working in environmental education for a bit. During this time I randomly came across pottery and my interest was sparked. I was then led to work on a post-grad course in ceramic and glass design at IICD, Jaipur. This experience officially began my path in ceramic design. I continued my journey by working at Claystation, Bangalore. It’s been a year since I have moved back to Ahmedabad and started my own small atelier ‘The Burrow’.  What types of mediums do …

Kavya Madappa from Bangalore, an Eco-warrior Creating Tree-free Paper at Bluecat paper

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Kavya Madappa is from a hill station in Karnataka, Coorg. Growing up, she was always surrounded with nature – hills, rivers and fresh air. Her love for nature has inspired many of her ideas and revelations, one of them being Bluecat Paper – a venture that makes and sells tree-less paper. It uses various by-products and textile wastes like linen, flax, hemp, coffee husk, mulberry bark, and banana fiber to make creative products like notebooks, coasters and more.  With over 650 products, a few installations and an exhibition in Dubai, she has become an eco-warrior! We were amazed to know about her venture and how she is giving her best to make the world a better place! Scroll down to read our chat with her.  Hey Kavya, thank you for taking some time out to chat with us. Please introduce yourself to our readers!  Hi! My name is Kavya Madappa, I’m 41-year-old. I live in Bangalore even though I am originally from Coorg, Karnataka. My hometown is known as the Scotland of India, with green …

“My Art Brings Me Closer To Myself” – Nandini Nair, an Artist and IRS Officer From Chennai

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Nandini Nair is an artist and IRS officer based out of Chennai. She began painting early on and found her solace in art. “I love the process more than the output – exploring myself through art has always elevated my spirits,” says Nandini. Her art is an exploration of herself, of women and of people around her.  Recently she showcased 50 of her artworks in an exhibition titled ‘Small Talk’ which took her 1 year to complete. With her work, she hopes to inspire people to delve a little deeper and connect with their true selves. Get to know her better as we chat with her about art and the inspiration behind it.  Hello Nandini! Firstly, a big congrats for your solo exhibition. Please introduce yourself to our readers. I am Nandini Nair, a visual artist based out of Chennai. I was born and raised in Cochin city, Kerala. I went to school and did my undergrad and post graduation in Economics I usually work with a variety of mediums including watercolour, pen and ink, …

Recipe of Bhindi ‘Ambil Khatta’ from Western Odisha, by Food Blogger Priyanka Panda

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Our guest contributor today is a 25-year-old food blogger Priyanka Panda from Sambalpur, Odisha. She runs a food blog on Instagram called ‘Treasure of Food’, to help spread her Odia culture through culinary experiences and recipes. With us today, she shares her favourite comfort food called Ambil. She has grown up eating this delicious bhindi (okra) and curd-based recipe. This dish is particularly famous in Western Odisha. There are more than a hundred versions of ‘Ambil Khatta’! Today, we are going to cook Priyanka’s personal favourite version which is made with Bhindi or Bhendi (okra), ‘Bhendi Ambil Khatta’. “This dish does require a bit of attention to get the taste and consistency right but my grandma has helped me perfect it, so i’ll be sharing all the added tips as well.” ~ Priyanka. Ingredients: (serves 4, prep time – 10 minutes) 8-10 pieces of Bhindis or okras 2-3 tomatoes – diced 1/2 a cup of curd 2-3 tbsp of besan or chickpea flour 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/4 tsp red chilli powder 2 tbsp of vegetable …

#FACES | The Vibrant Spirit of The Sikh Hola Mohalla Festival in Punjab by Gursimran Singh

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“Hola Mohalla, also called Hola, is a Sikh festival which falls in the month of March (usually). Celebrated widely around the world, it was started by the tenth Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, as a gathering of Sikhs for military exercises and mock battles on the day following the festival of Holi. Even today it reminds the people of valour and defence preparedness. On this three-day festival, mock battles are held followed by music and poetry competitions. The Nihang Singhs (armed Sikh warriors – members of the Sikh army that was founded by Guru Govind Singh) carry on the martial tradition with mock battles and displays of swordsmanship and horse riding. They perform daring feats, such as Gatka (mock encounters), tent pegging, bareback horse riding and standing erect on two speeding horses. The festival takes place in the city of Ananadpur Sahib in Rupnagar (Ropar), it usually stretches out to a week as everyone loves to camp out and fully immerse themselves in the palpable energy. The event concludes on the day of Hola Mohalla (third …

Meet Rachel Lopez of ‘The Greater Bombay’ – an Instagram Account that Curates Quirky Ceiling Designs Inside Taxis

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While most people go about their day in a flurry, forgetting to ‘stop and smell the roses’, Rachel Lopez is one observant journalist with a heart inclined towards the arts! Everywhere she goes, she ‘looks up’ — especially when she takes a taxi! A journalist based out of Mumbai, Rachel started a personal project called ‘The Greater Bombay’ where she takes photos of the quirky ceilings of taxis. This project has made thousands notice another side of Mumbai! Her collection of photos is ever-expanding with some crazy ceiling designs, from Gabbar Singh to strawberries! We caught up with her to chat about her project and more. Tap on the link in bio and below!  Hello! Rachel, we are happy to have you! Please tell our readers a bit about yourself. My name is Rachel Lopez, I’m 37-years-old and I’m a journalist with the Hindustan Times. I have been in Mumbai for all of my life and today I use this familiarity for my work.  At Hindustan Times, I cover features, edit, do a weekly column …

‘Books Are Our Favorite Companions’ – Malvika and Mallika, Founders Of ‘The Reading Twins’ From Mumbai

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Hailing from Mumbai, twins Malvika and Mallika Mahidhar, share a great passion for reading and writing. Malvika is a teacher, while Mallika is pursuing law and the two also run their passion project called ‘The Reading Twins’. Their blog is a personal journal of everything they read and also a heaven for book lovers. Growing up in a house full of books, they’ve been reading books all their lives. Reading is their primary place of comfort. Grab a cup of coffee as we have an intriguing conversation with these two fascinating women! Hello, Malvika and Mallika! We are excited to have you. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Malvika: I am Malvika. I’m currently a faculty member at a design college in Mumbai. I’m also a writer and am currently working on my first manuscript! Apart from that, I am a self-taught watercolor and acrylic artist.   Mallika: I am Mallika, a reader and a lawyer who loves postcards, clouds and cats. What inspired you two to start your own book blog? We always wanted …

#Recipe | Drumstick And Raw Mango Curry By Lubna Karim From Guntur, Andhra Pradesh

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Lubna Karim from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, started her own food blog ‘Yummy Food’ to journal the recipes she created. Looking at the brilliant response she got from readers, she went on to devote herself full-time into creating recipes, food styling and food photography.  To kick start our weekend, Lubna brings to us one of her most personal recipes. It’s a traditional Andhra recipe made with fresh seasonal ingredients — Drumstick and Raw Mango Curry or Sojni ki Munagakaya Mamidikaya Pulusu. This recipe was passed down from her mother-in-law, whom she bonds over cooking!  Authentic Andhra Cuisine is usually vegetarian/vegan and known for its combination of tanginess and spices. The raw green mangoes available in Andhra during summers have that special sharp-flavour which, when absorbed by the drumstick, tastes extremely delicious. INGREDIENTS: 3 drumsticks (munagakaya), peeled and cut into 3” inch long even pieces 1 onion, finely sliced ½ medium sized raw mango (mamidikaya), peeled and cut into cubes 2 green chilies cut into half 1 tbsp red chili powder ½ tbsp turmeric powder ¼ tbsp …