Holiday Vacay Round-up: New Year in New Delhi

23 Dec 2012 to 07 Jan 2013

This is a part of the Holiday Vacay Round-up Series. For Goa, the Christmas destination, click here.

After spending Christmas in Goa with co-vols Sue and Rosie, and her twin Penny and Pen's BF Tom, and my friend Leah and fellow CouchSurfer Sumin (who were both hosted by my former CS host Warren), I proceeded to New Delhi, where I'll celebrate the coming of 2013 with fellow Filipinos and VSO volunteers! Plus the wedding of Minrose and Shishir (which provided an opportunity for us to wear sarees!) and Rajie and Pras' housewarming party!

Holiday Vacay Round-up: Christmas in Goa

23 Dec 2012 to 8 Jan 2013

WOW. I was gone for a really long time! Now that the Christmas and New Year holiday vacation is over, it made me realize how loooooong I have been travelling. So far, this is the longest on my record - 17 days! There are also many firsts and records in this journey that took me back to Goa in the West, then to the freezing Delhi in the north before I moved further northwest into a more freezing Amritsar (Punjab) and to the relatively pleasanter weather of Jaipur (Rajasthan) in the northwest/central India.

Here's an account of the Goa episode:

Sequernim Beach, Candolim, Goa (north)

VSO India International Volunteer Day Celebrations

6-9 December 2012

YEY! VSO India celebrated the International Volunteer Day (IVD) through a series of events and activities in Delhi. It's a day to honor all the international volunteers all around the globe. As part of the celebrations, in-country volunteers based in States outside Delhi were called back to re-unite with Delhi-based volunteers for a day of fun and stress-free sessions of games and reflections.

(some) VSO India in-country volunteers and Country Office Staff

Penguin Books' Spring Fair (aka Learning About Contemporary Indian Literature)

March 24, 2012

After coming back from the Akshardham Temple, I decided to make good on my plan to check out Penguin Book's Spring Fair that was happening at the nearby India Habitat Center. This is in line with Penguin Books India's 25-year anniversary celebration.

The night's event was a reading, something like a competition in a way. The winner of the "reading competition" gets the shot at becoming Penguin Books India's next big thing!

Ugadi Festival - Curtain Call and After Party

March 23, 2012

So, as if the dance performances were not a treat enough for us, we got invited to the after performance dinner too! But before that, photo opp first with Abhinaya, Seetha ji, and Mr. Nagajothy.

Photo opp! Kevin's not in photo since he was the one who took this.
(Abhinaya found my dupatta/scarf pretty. Explained that I wore it for
the occasion. Design had the Apsaras, the traditional dancers of Cambodia)

Ugadi Festival - Brindavani Thillana

March 23, 2012

For the finale, the group performed the famous Brindavani Thillana.

The opening pose. The most dramatic entrance of the night!

Brindavani Thillana explores the technical side of Kuchipudi that involves only the Nritta or pure dance of Kuchipudi.

I wonder what kind of discipline is required to be able to dance like these graceful Nritas!

Ugadi Festival - Adivo

March 23, 2012

This is a kirtanam by Annamayya. Despite the rigorous religious period he lived in, he was the first from his time to oppose superstitions and caste differences in his poetry and he mainly composed songs that were spiritual.

The formations look like the real statues of deities

Ugadi Festival - Shivashtakam

March 23, 2012

Shivashtakam is a set of eight verses written by the greatest Hindu philosopher Adi Sankaracharya. This is a vigorous dance that brings out many karanas or the athletic side of classical dance that has been mentioned in the Natya Sastra.

This is the solo performance of Abhinaya. I could swear, Seetha ji was looking at her very closely
during the performance. hehehe. Oh well. No worries. She was like a celestial dancer!

Ugadi Festival - Gajavadana Beduve

March 23, 2012

Gajavadana Beduve starts with the dancers going in a circular pattern on the stage.

This formation was repeated several times

According to Indian theatrical tradition, the Ashtadikpalakaas, the eight gods of directions, is prayed to in order to calm and pacify them.

Ugadi Festival - Vani Ki Vandanam

March 23, 2012

Vani Ki Vandanam is an invocatory dance in which the dancers welcome the audience to watch the Nritya Pradarsanam or dance performance of the evening.

First Pose

Ugadi Festival - Ceremonies and Explanatory Notes

 March 23, 2012

Our Hindi teacher, Seetha ji, also happens to be a dance guru. Actually, that's her real profession. She teaches classical South Indian dance. This is also how, on a fateful Friday night, we got invited to the celebration of Ugadi, Tamil New Year, at Delhi Tamil Sangam.

Lighting the Ceremonial Torch

VSO Party for March 2012 Volunteers

March 21, 2012

It's not a welcome or a farewell but it is a party, nonetheless!

Bouganvilla at Delhi spring time

VSO India threw a party for the new batch of volunteers, US! The party was held on the rooftop of the VSO building and you can probably tell by our attire and body languages that it is freakin cold!

Shiver! :p

Love Intoxication Exhibit at India Habitat Center

March 17, 2012

So, after the Jazz Festival, we headed to our home base area, Lodhi Colony. We stopped at the India Habitat Center as Julie (or was it Chris) wanted to withdraw some money before heading for dinner. So, while they do that, me and Kevin went for the on-going art exhibition (free to enter!) dubbed Love Intoxication.

Delhi 2nd Jazz Fest at Nehru Park

March 17, 2012

So, after all that tomb-raiding, you'd think we probably have no more energy left in our body. Well, yeah. Maybe. But, since we already planned to head out with Chris and Kevin, Julie and I managed to muster enough energy. It's a Jazz Festival and it's free entertainment! What more will you ask for?

Lights lead the way to the event venue within Nehru Park

Holi Ke Geet (Holi song and dance celebration)

March 8, 2012

More Holi celebration at the India Habitat Center through another round of performances from Dr. Sangeeta Gaur. Dubbed as "Holi Ke Geet", the band played several traditional Indian music from melancholic-sounding to really clap-worthy upbeat ones.

Holi, Holi -- it's so Jolly!

March 8, 2012

We started to have colors on our faces and clothes at the India Gate. It was just weird that you know, Indian boys and also Indian families would like to have pictures with me and the others. And when I asked the boys why, the first time they asked to have the photo taken, they just said they wanted it. And we're like, oh, ok!

It was also nice coz the boys asked if we;d like to "play" Holi before actually putting dye powder stuff on our faces. I'm like, yeah sure!

The Essence of Holi

March 7, 2012

This was also the first time I've seen Indian dances, except for the ones performed by Rajie during PfC which may or may not count. (Peace babe!) 

Dance Performers for the Night

This was a peacock dance performed by a man and three women. At the end of the dance, they had a pyramid (as in cheerleading) formation and the guy on top spun around this basin that's filled with yellow-orange petals. Awesome! :)

After this dance, the next one I think was the one with the dancers throwing flower petals (as in piles of it) amongst themselves and the audience. Before the performance, the announcer/emcee was narrating (in English!) that people should celebrate the Holi festival and its colors in a natural way (as in flowers). Since in this day and age, chemical coloring agents are easily available, it is important for people to be reminded that the colors ultimately came from nature and that this should be honored. Or something like that. :)

Pre-Holi Party at the India Habitat Center

March 7, 2012

In the Occasion of the Holi Festival

Can you see the color match from the previous photo? Our neighboring Habitat Center hosted an event full of music (free) and food on the occasion of the Holi Festival. Thanks to Alan for discovering the event while he's looking for a bank.



It was actually a nice way of enjoying Indian music and dances. The performer on the stage is Dr. Sajeeta Gaur, who is apparently famous based on the paparazzi-type attention she got after getting off the stage.

After Sajeeta, another goup of singers and dancers followed. Here's a clip of one of their performances:

Another performance is in the next post!