24 August,2024 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Pic/Atul Kamble
We snapped state-level volleyball player Madhura Vichare during a practice session while we were on our rounds of Shivaji Park.
When Mumbai-born opera singer and Zoroastrian priest Ervad Frazan Kotwal, 31, got a call from Pune calligraphist Perin Pudumjee Coyaji asking if he'd record 1,001 names of Ahura Mazda in his rich baritone as an accompaniment to her new prayer book, the project resonated deeply with him. It intertwined his spiritual roots with his training and passion for opera, he says.
Kotwal says learning the pronunciation and intonation for each of Ahura Mazda's names was much like learning an operatic role
The soloist, now based in Stuttgart, Germany, flew down to Mumbai in January to prepare. "Although I had never read Avestan, the ancient language in which the names [of Ahura Mazda] are written, I was determined to learn. Dr Er Rooyintan Peer, an inspiring figure in Avestan studies, guided me through the pronunciations. I recorded each name on my phone. Once back in Germany, each day, I focused on 100 names, meticulously reciting them. This process was akin to learning an operatic role, requiring immense attention to detail and the nuances of each vowel and consonant. That's how I felt that my expertise in both fields came to the rescue," recalls the singer, who has been welcomed as a soloist in Germany, Czech Republic, the UK and in New York, US, performing lead roles such as the Count in The Marriage of Figaro.
Er Frazan Kotwal
He returned to the city in May to record the clip. Calling the process "intense yet rewarding", he adds, "I not only learned to pronounce the names but also discovered how I wanted to chant them, ensuring that each name reflected its meaning and did not sound monotonous. I hope listeners can perceive the subtle differences in intonation and the interpretation I aim to convey. I feel that's what makes this one-of-a-kind recording special." Kotwal's recording is available as a free audio accompaniment with the second edition of Perin Pudumjee Coyaji's Avestan calligraphy art book, The Zarathushtrian 1001 names of Ahura Mazda.
In a time of strife and deep divides across the world, we like it when countries band together. In celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child October 11, the British High Commission is offering Indian women aged 18 to 23 an opportunity to step into the shoes of one of the UK's top diplomats for a day. There is a "High Commissioner for a Day" competition which invites young women from India to showcase their leadership potential on a global platform.
If that piques your interest and you tick all the other boxes, submit a one-minute video responding to the question: âHow can the UK and India collaborate on technology to benefit future generations?' Share the video on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn tagging @UKinIndia and using the hashtag #DayOfTheGirl.
The deadline for submissions is September 4, 2024. Lindy Cameron, British High Commissioner to India says, "The landmark UK-India Technology Security Initiative agreed between our countries sets out a bold new approach for how we will work together. The UK pioneered the discovery of graphene, and is leading the way
in AI. India's tech innovations are similarly changing the world." Hear, hear.
For more information, get clicking: www.gov.uk/government/people/lindy-cameron.
Raj Singh Dungarpur being greeted by Australian pace legend Dennis Lillee at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1981. Pic courtesy/ Sportsweek's World of Cricket
India will undertake their 14th Test tour of Australia in November and for the first time the Indians will travel there with the satisfaction of having won both of the last two series Down Under for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. This is a mighty achievement and indicates that India is doing most things right with their cricket. The selection aspect is critical and it's to be seen if Ajit Agarkar & Co get it right for the 2024-25 series. Along with the many former chief selectors over the years, the late Raj Singh Dungarpur would have also been extremely proud of India having this kind of edge over Australia. In his lifetime, India didn't win a series there, but now it's two in a row (2018-19 and 2020-21). "I am an optimist and have faith in Indian cricket," he once said. India will need his level of optimism even as Aussies like Ricky Ponting have already started predicting an India loss.
Sisters Kamakshi and Vishala Khurana are taking their music workshops around the city on a bus. The Sound Space on Wheels aims to bring a chance to learn Indian classical music to the different bastis of Mumbai. The idea behind launching The Sound Space on Wheels was simple: give musical access to children from different communities. It all started after the Khurana sisters realised that online classes during the COVID-19 lockdown only saw sign-ups from kids who belonged to lower income homes.. It was soon clear to them that kids residing in slums did not have the luxury to explore music as a form of expression. After gathering funds, the sisters began classes on the bus.
Girls who have begun to wait for The Sound Space on Wheels bus to arrive in their neighbourhood
"This way, the kids don't have to travel for a class. The music classes become a space for the kids to express themselves. It's a social and emotional interaction and expression," says Kamakshi. Speaking on whether kids are interested in learning Indian classical music, Kamakshi adds, "These children don't have any art exposure. This becomes a space for them to thrive. It's not a class where they have much to study in the academic sense, so they are naturally interested." Having started classes on wheels only a few weeks ago, the Khurana sisters haven't faced any challenges so far. But, they say they will need continued funding to sustain the effort.
