Word: indianism
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Vikram Seth had a problem. The Calcutta-born, London-based author had exploded onto the literary scene in 1986 with The Golden Gate, a novel in verse set in California. His 1993 Indian saga A Suitable Boy - at nearly 1,400 pages the longest work of fiction in English since the 18th century - sold a million copies in Britain alone. Then came some poems, an opera libretto and ? nothing. "You don't know exactly what to write about next," Seth's mother, visiting from India, told him in 1994. "Why don't you write about him?" She was referring...
Anoushka Shankar Rise With a Grammy nomination in 2003, sitar prodigy Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi, has already made her mark on Indian classical music. For her fourth album, Shankar has allowed Midival Punditz's Gaurav Raina, acting as producer, to jettison the traditional sound of her earlier work in favor of something altogether less orthodox, just as her father teamed up with Beatle George Harrison a generation ago. The album's anchor remains Shankar's dreamy sitar, but it also draws on electronica, jazz, rock, and African rhythms. Best track: the mesmerizing...
...Midival Punditz Midival Times The names Gaurav Raina and Tapan Raj aren't as familiar as their sound, which combines electronica with Indian music. On their second album, Midival Times, the duo probe deeper into the classics with the help of stars like Ustad Sultan Khan and tabla supremo Zakir Hussain. The production is still as clean as computer code and the tracks retain a dance feel, but they are more measured and the beats are as likely to be hammered out by hand as manufactured on a synthesizer. The languid Raanjhan is the definitive track here. Saathi, featuring...
...other end of the price spectrum is Jamavar at the Leela Palace Hotel (theleela.com). The flagship restaurant of the Leela hotel group is opulently designed with chandeliers and exquisite Jamavar shawls. The focus is on North Indian and tandoori items, and thankfully most dishes follow traditional recipes, without any fusion deviations. Kebabs and koftas are beautifully done, the spiced lobster neerulli (that is, made with onions) is a specialty, and the biriyanis are outstanding...
...When in Bangalore you have to try a dosa or an idli, the breakfast staples of southern Indians. Dosas are thin crepes made with a rice-and-lentil batter. The same batter is used to make steamed white dumplings called idlis. Both are served with coconut chutney and spicy sambhar (lentil gruel). Most of the restaurants specializing in these dishes are spartan but clean, and a really satisfying meal can be had for a song. The standouts include the Mavalli Tiffin Room, tel: (91 80) 2222 0022, a Bangalore institution, and Dosa Stop, tel: (91 80) 2526 6467. The latter...