Video: Approaching Kumta

Arun Shanbhag — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 02:26:00 +0000

cross-posted from my post here.

Those who have ridden the Konkan Railway can attest, the emerald green fields and the rural countryside is mesmerizing. I think of an early retirement in a village, a small house and running a school.

To share the genesis of this madness, I recorded the view. Here is a 67 second snippet, as the train crossed the Aghanashini River and approached the Kumta Train station. I recorded this from the doorway with my flip video, amidst the rain and rumbling of the train. Enjoy and tell me what you think.

Music: Mere Desh Ka Salaam, Shobha Gurtu.

Note: Move your mouse out of the video frame, to lose the black border.

Browse some of My posts on Kumta:

On the Konkan Railway

Filed under: Karnataka, Kumta, Travel, Video Tagged: Konkan, konkan Railway, Konkani, Kumta

Video: Weaving Jaaii Flowers

Arun Shanbhag — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:43:45 +0000

cross-posted from my post here.

During recent travels, I was visiting relatives in Honavar, Karnataka – a sleepy coastal town south of Kumta (see google map below). I had stopped by a family store to add money to my pre-paid cell phone. There, this older gentleman was weaving these delicate pink buds called jaaii-che kaLo. These buds only sprout after the monsoon rains (June – August), have a delicate fragrance and are highly sought after during the festival season in July-September. It was a simple, yet mesmerizingly beautiful weave and he agreed to let me record it on my flip video.

Based on a series of questions I ask him (on camera, in Konkani), he shows us a portion of the woven braid. All those buds will yield about 10 feet of braid and take him an hour to weave. Notice the thread, it is actually a fiber pulled from the bark of the banana tree and kept soaked in water. Very eco-friendly.

These braids will be sold in the marketplace (see Kumta marketplace) and usually end up in temples or family shrines. Women also use to decorate (and perfume) their hair. The market rate for these braids is about Rs50-Rs100/ft ($1-$2/ft), but can be significantly higher during the festival season. The beauty of the braids is in the buds; and once they bloom, the braids are considered done.

Here you see such Jaaii-kaLe braids offered to the Nag Devata at a small shrine in Kumta.

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Filed under: Flowers, Honavar, Karnataka, Konkani, Kumta, Video Tagged: Flowers, Honavar, Konkan, Konkani, Kumta, Rural India

Konkani Kesari » Video

Video: Approaching Kumta

Video: Weaving Jaaii Flowers