Fulbright India Update

Here are some Diwali snaps. Sudip (commonly known as Bongo) is on the left and George is on the right. They're in the same college.  

This is rangoli - a design that people paint on their floors during Diwali festival time. See the two footprints in the center? Those represent Laxmi's feet - goddess of wealth. They're inviting her into the house. All doors are left open for her. People also burn diyas (small oil lamps) and fire crackers and sparklers. It's crazy! 

Here's my guruji and her daughter Malu on the right. Superna on the left was her maid for a while but now at the tender age of 17, her mother has called her to get married, so she's gone. 

Shubie (Shubhangi) is the youngest of my guruji's 2 daughters. 

Here's Malu (Shivangi), my guruji's 9-year-old daughter. 

Lovely painted Jaipur elephants. My entire family (minus Kaleem who is in Japan) rode one of these huge creatures up to the Amer Fort in Jaipur. 

Here's my guruji Sarita Pathak Yajurvedi. This was during her sister's wedding in Dwarka (suburb of Delhi). See the huge nose hoop!! 

This is an older photo - Seema took me to this NGO called Kutumb that teaches street kids in the evenings. They were having a huge soccer tournament and we went to help out. 

Here's me interviewing Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan at his brother's house. 

Abby and I recently bought guitars on a spontaneous urge and Shahan has been teaching us the basics... 

Anumita and Som getting hitched! Som was my first guruji in Chicago in 2000 when I began learning Hindustani classical singing. 

See my lovely lehnga. That's Romit in black. He left recently on a navy ship for a shift of about 14 months. 

I partook during Anumita's mehndi ceremony(known in the U.S. as henna)  

Shahan and I were posing for a local modeling agency... 

Seema and Abby are two of my closest friends here and they make frequent visits to my flat... it's like an eternal sleep-over. 

Here I am before my debut singing performance in Kerala. 

I had a lovely time in Meerut with Waseem uncle and family. They even had a birthday cake for me! 

Here are Waseem uncle and Fariya, his daughter, in Meerut. 

Me and my tanpura. Actually my guruji let me borrow hers. I'll be buying one soon though and then I'll worry about how to get it home... 

Saritaji, my guru. 

This lehnga is looking very nice on my sister Yasi. She's standing on my front stairs. You can see the view I get from the fourth floor! 

I made everyone sit in cycle rickshaws as we rode down Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi. We saw the Red Fort as well as the Jama Masjid. 

Qaseem uncle's family gifted Dad a beautiful kurta. 

Here are all the boys together at Qaseem uncle's house in Jamia Millia University area. Qaseem uncle and his wife and youngest son Abdur Rahim live in Saudi Arabia, as well as his daughter and son-in-law Aleem (next to Qaseem uncle here). But the two other boys are attending university in Australia. Lucky for us their yearly month-long Delhi vacation coincided with my family's visit. 

I'm sitting next to Rana, Qaseem uncle's wife. Mom is next, then cousin Roheena who is my same age but has been married for 2 years! And of course, Yasi.