my nerdiness

Yahoo Mail
After the test i took to measure my nerdiness, this is the message i got:

Overall, you scored as follows:



23% scored higher (more nerdy), and
77% scored lower (less nerdy).

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

Mid-Level Nerd. Wow, it takes a lot of hard nerdy practice to reach this level.

A Praise sals

It was my second appraisal which i have faced at my work place , though the second looked better then the first one. but i dont know how is it going to affect my salary hike

Below is the letter which i got from my boss this year (it looks good aye...)

Dear Dharmesh Tripathi,

I recognize your contribution during the performance year 2005 and we look forward for your continued success at IBM.

Based on your self evaluation, customer’s assessment and overall results, I recognize you with rating of 2 (solid contributor).

You have demonstrated strengths in the following areas and I commend you for the same and wish you to capitalize on these for mutual benefit of yourself and IBM:

Quick learner
Good customer focus
Adopting to new changes
Working beyond the call of duty
Good knowledge on Portal billing application

Specific areas for improvement are:

Improve on presentation and communication skills.
Contribution to project and organizational initiatives.

In 2006, I foresee you taking more responsibilities and focusing on your areas for improvement.
Your skills and the experience that you have acquired are of utmost importance to IBM.


I am just waititng for the material benefits , which i shall get from this appraisal.

Rules for would-be winners of wars and life in general

This aint any S*** bro !!

I am writing these rules to win after doing a lot of analysis.


Rules for would-be winners of wars and life in general


1.)Know Thy Enemy, Know Thyself (Then Pick Your Spots)

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."

2.) Lie and Spy (or You're Sure to Die)
"There are no areas in which one does not employ spies."

3.) Consider the Ocean (or Even the River)
"A military force has no constant formation, as water has no constant shape."
Translation: be flexible, be creative, and take whatever advantage or opportunity your enemy gives you.
"Changing and adapting according to the opponent, is called a genius"

4.) Take Care of #1 (and the Rest Takes Care of Itself)
"Being unconquerable lies with yourself; being conquerable lies with the enemy."

5.)Win Fast (or Don't Fight)
"It is never beneficial to a nation to have a military operation continue for a long time."

Why does the Filipinos dislike India?

Yahoo Mail
One of the most inportant factors to get correct Polling Resiults is the selection of the sample , ( an what i personally feel is there is nno polling result in this wolrd can be 100 % accurate ) . You can never get the Correct analysis , because you don't know mindset, ethinicity,cultural background, their knowledge on the subject in question being polled , hence no one can assure True results.
A new BBC World poll says that people in the Philippines, South Korea, France, Finland and Brazil think India is a negative influence on the world (via Style Station).
Pakistan was not polled( Any way it is known what the polling result would be if it voted). On the other hand, Iran, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, the UK and Russia rate India highly. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the African countries polled are most neutral about India, while Sri Lanka and India are most neutral about the U.S.

Though India’s global profile has grown significantly over the last year, it fails to elicit strong feelings…
The exceptions are two Muslim countries with positive views: Iran (71% positive) and Afghanistan (59% positive).
The only country with widespread negative views is the Philippines (57% negative). Notably, India’s small neighbor Sri Lanka has a
mere 4 percent reporting negative views and a robust 49 percent expressing a positive one.

Europeans are divided about India. At the positive end of the spectrum is Great Britain (49% positive, 30% negative)
and Russia (47% positive, 10% negative), while at the other end are France and Finland—both being 27 percent positive and 44 percent negative.
The US leans slightly positively (39% positive, 35% negative).

India has the strange distinction of being most loved by the most hated, Iran. Forty-three percent of the Indians polled seemed only lukewarm about their own country:

Interestingly, Indians themselves are the most tepid or modest in their self-estimates. While in most countries a large majority
give their country a positive rating, among Indians only 47 percent give India a positive rating, but only 10 percent give it a negative rating. [Link]

The Philippines and Brazil are economic competitors of India. The others are more puzzling: South Korea is an economic partner,
France has long-standing cultural ties to India, and the Finns might enjoy the weather

Globally, the most disliked countries are Iran, the U.S. and Russia. The African countries polled and some where the U.S. assisted against political repression
(Poland, Afghanistan) are the most appreciative of the U.S.

Hinduism , how differently it developed in other parts of the world.

Hinduism , how differently it developed in other parts of the world.

I was surprised to meet to meet Hindu people here in New Zealand , who have migrated in here from the neighbouring country of FIJI in recent years. Hindus in FIJI , were brought into the country from Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Western Bihar , the Bjoj Puri Belt in India , to work here as sugar plantation workers in and around late 19th century. Similarly , they were also taken to Suriname and Guyana.

The Indian subcontinent has not been the only source of major Hindu migrations in the last 50 yeah. Hundreds of thousands of Hindus have emigrated from the former British colonies of Trinidad and Guyana to America and England and from the former Dutch colony of Suriname to Holland. These communities, whose forefathers left India 150 years ago, have unique elements today, some the result of colonial policies, others customs preserved intact from the mid-19th century India of their ancestors. Hinduism Today Trinidad correspondent Anil Mahabir visited the region, meeting with religious leaders and lay Hindus. Here is his engaging report on the countries similarities and differences.

The day I arrived in Guyana, I traveled 45 miles by speedboat from one bank of the Essequibo River to the next. For the first time in my fife, I was standing on one side of a river unable to see the other side.

My whole country of Trinidad, in fact, would fit inside this river, only slightly overlapping the banks. We don’t have rivers back home, just streams, canals and ditches. Rivers aside, there was much that was similar to Trinidad-every Hindu home flies the jhandi flags in front, the Ramayana is the main text, the Deities and festivals are the same, the food is the same. The similarities are, in part, because of common origins in India, but also seemed to have been shaped by a shared Caribbean experience.

I was most struck by the temple culture of both countries. Wherever I went, I found simply-built temples that exhibited a most compelling beauty. I had not felt this way about the temples in my own homeland. Obviously the Guyanese and Surinamese take great pride in’ their temple buildings.

Despite the fact that Guyana and Suriname sit side-by-side, their histories are vastly different. Guyana was colonized by the British, Suriname by the Dutch. The obvious result of this was that Guyanese learned to speak English, while Surinamese learned Dutch. The colonial policy of each country was also very different with regard to religion. The Dutch pursued a “hands off’ attitude as far as the culture of the Hindus was concerned. In Guyana, explained Swami Aksharananda of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and Vishwa Hindu Parishad of Guyana, “The British sought to interfere, control and convert the Hindus and Muslims. Many missionaries were brought to Guyana to evangelize the Indian population and to destroy their language and culture. That is why Hindi has persisted in Suriname and not in Guyana.” This is the same tactic the British used in India. “During the colonial period,” Pundit Reepu Daman Persaud, head of the Dharmic Sabha and Guyana’s Minister of Agriculture (ministeragric@sdnp.org.gy), told me, “the Hindus were forced to convert to get jobs in the public service, even if they did not want to. Many who converted continued to be Hindus within the private confines of their homes.”

Devanand Jokhoe (jofanick@sr.net), an economist in Suriname, explained, “Conversion was not an official policy of the Dutch as it was of the British in Guyana. Hindus were not forced to convert as a prerequisite to get jobs. That is why less than five percent of all Indians living in Suriname are Christians. Some non-Indians can also speak Hindi, for example, the Javanese and Blacks who live in Indian villages.”

Suriname, who’s 121,500 Hindus comprise 27% of the population, is the only country in the Western Hemisphere where all the Indians speak Hindi. That this is so after so many years away from India-is amazing. In neighboring Guyana, where 238,000 Hindus form 34% of the population, it is the opposite. Almost no one speaks Hindi. Everyone speaks English. This is a perfect example of the differences in colonial rule between the British and the Dutch. The British sought to destroy everything Indian and Hindu, while the Dutch allowed it to flourish. So, from the youngest toddler to the oldest nani, the Suriname Hindus all speak Hindi.

I was struck by the divisions among Hindus in Guyana. There were people whom I met who did not want me to speak to others, and even went out of their way to prevent me from doing so. Perhaps this is related to the overall pessimism of the Guyanese. Even the very wealthy talk of migrating. Even so, paradoxically, most seem quite happy and go about their daily routines with smiles on their faces. They were also very hospitable to me. The country’s president himself, Bharrat Jagdeo, loaned me a car and driver to tour the capital. Where else would that happen?

In Suriname, my lack of any fluency in Hindi hindered a smooth rapport with several in the country, especially among those who spoke little English. Unfortunately, this included most of the pundits, and I found myself relying upon intellectuals, businessmen and others for information.

The first Hindus: It is generally agreed in both countries that it was India’s poorest who emigrated to the West. They were inclined to leave the India of the mid-19th century because of famine, drought and poverty. The first Indians arrived in Guyana on May 5, 1838. Pundit Reepu Persaud pointed out that these were the first to bring Hinduism to the Americas, not Swami Vivekananda. The first shipload of Indians to Suriname arrived June 5, 1873. Trinidad’s first group came in 1845. Slavery was abolished in Suriname in 1863 and in Guyana in 1834. Freed slaves refused to continue working the sugar plantations. Several nationalities were brought as indentured servants to replace them, but only the Indians adapted well to the harsh tropical climate.

The Indians came from Eastern Uttar Pradesh and Western Bihar, an area known as Bhojpuri’s Belt-Bhojpuri being a regional dialect of Hindi. Most were farmers, though a few Brahmins also came, even though this was against the policy of the British, who considered the more educated Brahmins as potential trouble makers. Perhaps ten percent returned to India from Guyana after their contracts were fulfilled, but later almost none did so. Pundit Persaud said his parents went back to India in 1930 and then returned to Trinidad. He said, “The West Indies was generally recognized as a place better to live than India.”

Between 1873 and 1916, 34,000 Indians came to Suriname. Nearly 23,000 stayed. As in Guyana, after an initial group which returned to India, hardly anyone left. If they did it was to go to Holland, as is the case today, according to historians Hassan Khan and Sandew Hira.

It is believed the ratio of migrants was 100 men to 20 women, creating enormous social problems. According to Swami Aksharananda, “Indian men forged unions with black women, not marriages.” I could not find out what became of the descendants of those unions, whether they were in the Black or the Indian communities of today.

The early years: The plantation system had a dramatic effect on Hinduism. People were not allowed to move from one plantation to another. They were sequestered and had to get passes to leave in any event, plantation work left very little time for anything else. According to Swami Aksharananda, “Only Sunday was left to the Hindus to practice Hinduism. Indeed, Hinduism became a kind of Sunday thing in the early days in Guyana.” The legacy of this is the popularity of Sunday morning temple worship in this part of the world.

During indentureship, there were tremendous efforts by the Hindus to assert themselves as Hindus. This was so even though the colonial policy of the British in Guyana was to crush Hinduism at all costs and Christianize “the heathens.”

“The policy of the Dutch in Suriname was more relaxed.” says Anoop Ramadhin. “Hindus were more at liberty there to practice there religion. There were no forced conversions,” he continued. “The Dutch separated the various groups from one another and allowed them to live in their own villages. That is why today you have Black, Indian and Javanese villages. Even the Bush Negroes are set apart.”

HVP Bronkhurst, a Euro-Asian missionary and writer says, “Hindu pundits in Guyana would go from home to home getting people to gather and sing the Ramayana.” The Gita became a major text. People would gather at nights. This was how they were able to maintain their religion. The only thing which kept them going was the memory of Rama and Hanuman. Similarly, in Suriname the Ramayana reigned supreme.

Later, Guyanese-born Hindus took up the cause of Hinduism. One of those early pioneers was Dr. J.B. Singh, who is credited with heightening Hindu consciousness, setting up Hindu organizations and fighting for the cremation rights of Hindus. In fact, he was the first Hindu to be cremated in Guyana, in 1956. Prior to that, Hindus had to be buried, even though this was very contrary to the Hindu faith.

Swami Purnananda came directly from Bengal in India in the mid-20th century. He established Bharat Sevashram Sangha, which is today called the Guyana Sevashram Sangha and run by Guyanese-born Swami Vidyanand. Swami Purnananda popularized the “Hare Rama, Hare Krishna” mantra. He printed a small book called Aum Hindutvam, which was the first catechism or question-and-answer booklet for Hindus in Guyana. He developed mantras for different occasions and popularized havan service (the fire ceremony). The present-day Guyana Sevashram Sangha is unique among organizations here. It is the only institution in the Caribbean which has produced its own swami. It is the only institution which trains young men to become bramacharis. It offers free medical services to all groups in society

The Surinamese I met did not seem to have quite the same keen sense of history as the Guyanese. In general they said it was the elders and the pundits who kept Hinduism alive in the early days. More recently, the name of Nanan Panday, leader of the Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha of Suriname, is mentioned as the key personality. “He has been at the helm of Hindu leadership for 40 years,” says Anoop Ramadhin. The names of Pundit Haldhar Mathuraprasad and T Soerdjbaille, leader of the Gayatri Mandir, have also been mentioned as playing key roles in the Hindu community of Suriname.

Conversion: Swami aksharananda is firm on this question: “Conversion is very high. In fact, conversion in Guyana is defined as ‘conversion from Hinduism to Christianity,’ nothing else. The Muslims hardly ever convert. The Christians do not convert. It is only the Hindus who are coaxed into dispensing with their religion.” At the beginning of the 2oth century, he says, “about one percent of the Indian population was Christians, now it is about 15%-a 15-fold increase in one century. The Pentecostals are doing the most conversions.”

Pundit Reepu Daman Persaud agreed, “The Pentecostals are studying the demography of the country. They attack rural areas where they believe the Hindus are more vulnerable, illiterate or weak. Since we have found out the strategy, the Dharmic Sabha is going into the same areas and combating their anti-Hindu propaganda.”

I met Parmanand Samlal, who visits the homes of converted Hindus and gets them to reconvert to Hinduism. I had never heard of such a program before. He said he has achieved four re-converts for the year 2000 so far. He is a member of the Dharmic Sabha and a “worshiper,” as he put it, of Pundit Reepu. Pundit Reepu is highly respected in Guyana as one who has always stood for the Indians and Hindus, even in difficult political times, whenever abandoned Guyana for better circumstances, though easily available to him in another country.

Dirgopal Mangal, says conversion is on the decrease. He told me of Blacks in Guyana who attend Hindu temples, giving the example of “Minister Collymore, who attends the temple every Sunday morning in Parika.”

Suriname is different. Radjen Koemar-singh of Suriname (radjenk@hotmail.com) told me there is some conversion from Hinduism but not much, due to the binding factor of Hindi. Accountant Anoop Ramadhin agreed, “Conversion from Hinduism in Suriname is less than one percent. Some Javanese are also Hindus.”

Schoolteacher Algoe Harrynarain said, “The Christian churches in Suriname pay poor Hindus to convert. They have funding from abroad. They are well organized. The Hindus do not have such funding.” He said the Jehovah Witnesses pay a salary to Hindus to convert to Christianity.

While conversion exists in both countries, it is not on a large scale, and meets active resistance from Hindus, even with their limited resources. In my entire visit, I did not meet a single Christian Indian, and I think this says a lot about the situation.

Intermarriage: As in Trinidad and Tobago, intermarriage between Hindu and Muslim Indians is very common in Guyana, constituting perhaps eight percent of all weddings. Black/Indian marriages are rare. Hindu activist Bharat Kissoon estimates that in six out of every ten Guyanese Hindu/Muslim marriages, the wedding follows the Islamic line. The result of the unions are combined names such as Kishore Mohammed (a Hindu), Salisha Singh (a Muslim) and Anil Khan- Such names are also common in Trinidad. Suriname is much different, and while I could not find any official statistics, intermarriage was obviously rare.

Hindu activists in Guyana say that intermarriage has been on the increase over the past ten years. Normally both parties are allowed to keep and practice their faiths, though some Hindu girls convert to Islam. It is very rare to see a Muslim in such a union convert to Hinduism. Hindu and Muslim leaders are silent on these unions for fear of possibly rocking the boat or destroying whatever Indian unity exists. Politicians dare not speak of it either.

Country politics: The prevailing view is that, culturally, Guyana is at it lowest ebb since Independence was granted in 1966. The “oppressive” reign of the Peoples’ National Congress PNC, the party of the Blacks, and what one person called its ethnic “insensitivity to Indian culture” is seen by most Hindus as one of the principal reasons why the Indian culture is undeveloped.

Another reason is the constant stream of emigration from Guyana to other parts of the world. “Migration took our best people,” says Pundit Persaud. “Our best artists, dancers, singers, musicians left for greener pastures because they simply could not make a living producing Indian culture in a country where the political directorate was hostile to Indian culture,” says one activist who declined to give his name.

Swami Aksharananda said, “The national culture in Guyana is often portrayed as a Black and Creole culture which neglects or deliberately shuns the Indian output. The present majority Indian government is often accused of being an ‘Indian government.’ [That is, partial to Indians.] They are afraid to develop Indian culture, afraid of being called racist. This is not my perception, but that of most Guyanese. Indian culture gets little funding. The National Dance School is a Black dance school, for example.” I was told that Guyana does not have a single all Indian radio or TV station.

There is more optimism and enthusiasm for things Hindu in Suriname. Indian musician Radjen Koemarsingh noted, “There is an Indian cultural center, seven radio stations with an all-Indian format and four television stations exclusively devoted to Indian programming.” Hindi is taught in some schools as an official language.

Schoolteacher Algoe Harrynarain commented, “Yes, emigration has hurt us, but there is a cultural revival right now. In any case because we all speak Hindi here, the situation is different to that of Guyana. It is difficult for the culture to be lost.”

Emigration is even more a factor here. Some 250,000 Surinamese now live in Holland, compared to just 450,000 in Suriname itself-making this country one of the most sparsely populated in the world. A dismal economic situation continues to motivate people to leave. I even met teachers and businessmen with stable jobs who were still anxious to migrate if they got the chance.

Hindu home life: Most Hindu homes in both countries have a small shrine or prayer house located at the front of the home. Like the houses, these will vary in nature and appearance, depending on the wealth of the owner. There is also a jhandi or flag hoisted on bamboo next to the shrine or by itself, as with one I saw in a rice field.

The main daily observance in both countries is the pouring of water early in the morning. Water from a brass pot is used to bathe a Siva Lingam located at the base of the jhandi. Some Hindus also chant bhajans and meditate afterwards. Those who are free from employment may go to the temple on a daily basis. One day a week is set aside for haven, or fire worship ceremony, and fasting from salt and meat. At least once a year, most Hindus will try to have a grand puja or Ramayana Yagna, an event where the entire community is invited to participate. The biggest festivals of the year are Diwali and Phagwa (Holi) in both countries. Lesser festivals include Ram Navami, Sivaratri and Karthik Nahan.

The main Deity in both countries is Hanuman, because of the conquering role he played in the Ramayana and His popularity in the Bhojpuri Belt, whence came most of the original Hindu immigrants. Other Deities include Siva, Durga, Kali and Ganesha.

There would seem to be more vegetarians in Suriname than in Guyana. Estimates are that about 10% of Hindus in Suriname are vegetarians. Less than five percent of Hindus in Guyana are vegetarians. They are mainly the pundits and the swamis and the spiritual leaders. However, Dr Satish Prakash of the Araya Samaj says that vegetarians among his group in Guyana are as much as 35%. Bi4t overall it is not popular. One activist told me, “When Lord Rama was in exile in the jungle with Sita, according to the Ramayana, were they not eating meat to survive 14 years? And if Lord Rama could eat meat, why can’t I?” I conducted a brief poll out of curiosity and I found that most Hindus I talked to in both countries do not know what ahimsa is, or that it is an integral part of Hinduism. Nonviolence remains an esoteric, opaque, Gandhian concept, not taught by the leaders or drummed in by the pundits. Little or no reference is made by anyone to the Vedas as the source of Hinduism, or the Upanishads or even the Mahabharata, except for the Bhagavad Gita. The Ramayana, as in Trinidad, is the main text.

As is unfortunately the case among too many Hindus, priest-bashing is common in both Suriname and Guyana. Many I met said the priests were “not up with the times,” “too concerned with ritual” and other complaints similar to what is heard in Trinidad. There are some legitimate concerns because of the emigration of some of the best pundits to other countries. This has broken up the traditional father-to-son training system, and now some become pundits without being properly trained.

Suicide in Guyana: Many people I talked to in Guyana expressed concern about the high rate of suicide among the Hindu community and the fact that virtually no one is doing anything to address the problem from a Hindu angle. Suicide is not a major problem, among Surinamese Hindus. Dr. Vivekanand Brijmohan, a forensic pathologist in the Berbice district, said the suicide rate among Hindus in Guyana is “alarming.” In one three-year period in Berbice, there were 197 suicides, 160 of them Indian males, mainly Hindus. Brijmohan said, “It is a cultural thing. Hindus are more strict in the household than the blacks. Certain Indians have a longing for freedom, to go out at night, etc. Some of them do not get that freedom due to their strict Hindu upbringing. If makes them dissatisfied with life, depressed. Alcoholism and marijuana addiction is another cause of suicide.”

Swami Aksharananda runs AYUPSA: a National Centre for Suicide Prevention. He sponsors a national health program which attempts to eradicate the prevalence of suicide among the Hindu community. He does this by holding seminars, making press releases and going into the villages for direct contact with the Hindu people, particularly the youths.

Jailhouse preacher: Bharat Kissoon is a Hindu activist and retired economist who ministers to the Hindu inmates in the Georgetown prison every Sunday. He told me, “I was drawn to this work because of the particular case of a Hindu prisoner in Trinidad, Dole Chadee, who was hanged last year. The day before he was hanged he longed for a pundit to do his final rites. He could not find any Hindu who was willing to go. to the prison and, therefore, he had no choice but to resort to a Christian pastor.”

There is a famous story here, that of Salim Yaseen, a condemned prisoner who was about to he hanged on the 12th of September 1999. He allegedly told Bharat that before leaving he wanted to hear the Hanuman Chalesa, a traditional scripture in praise of Lord Hanuman. He got his wish, and he was not hanged due to a legal loophole. Now, according to Bharat, “all prisoners want to hear the Hanuman Chalesa.”

Connections with India: The Surinamese I spoke with said they don’t think that Hindus ‘in India even know there are Hindus living in Suriname. They could not recall any visit by a major Hindu leader, nor recount any significant assistance received from India in any way.

A few swamis have come to Guyana. Early ones, such as Swami Chinmayananda and Rishi Ram, came in the 1960s and helped develop Hinduism. But those coming today, said Pundit Persaud, “do not stay and assist us in developing Hinduism. They come to talk about yoga and meditation only.” In Trinidad, travel agencies often advertise “journey back to your roots” programs to India. In Guyana and Suriname there are greater economic restraints, and those who, have the money to travel use it to emigrate.

The future: Both countries have suffered from the chronic brain drain and seem to be perpetually entangled in the politics of racial and religious division. Both countries are relatively poor, but the people do not want to be labeled as such. They feel ashamed when people from the outside boldly come to, visit, analyze and recommend solutions for their assumedly insufficient social and economic existence. They are content with living very simple lives, not caring whether or not they have a cell phone or a computer. Dharma dictates daily how they should act. The jhandis flying proudly before every Hindu home, rich or poor, are their own statement of identity. From cower roaming the roads freely in Guyana, to pundits walking miles to puja service, I believe Hinduism, though simple, will never die in this part of South America

Singapore changi

I happened to be spend one day at the Singapore Changi Airport on 27th august 2005, after i was returning to india from my first international trip.

The planning behind Changi is exceptional by airport standards, nothing is really very far from anywhere, there are electric people carriers
(walkways) scattered everywhere and in each direction. The shopping facilities are better than some shopping malls, the toilets clean,
and accommodating, and many different food and beverage outlets ensure that you never go hungry. If there is one airport in the world
where you do not mind being stranded for a few hours than Changi would be many peoples first option.

Changi is presently split into two terminals (1 and 2), with arrivals and departures on two separate levels, arrivals being the lower
and departures the upper level. The terminals are connected by people carriers so you can walk between them if you so desired,
this would take approximately 25 minutes, or you can use the miniature train service that runs from 6 am to midnight every day.

The real enjoyment of Changi comes after you have passed through immigration, before immigration however there
are also numerous food and beverage outlets, such as Burger King, Delifrance, and a few restaurants serving Asian and International dishes.
After immigration though you have an amazing assortment of Duty Free shops, high quality airport lounges, some food and beverage outlets
from fast food to food court style cuisine, some nice pubs, and in Terminal two even some entertaining amusement style parks themed
along Science and such.

Terminal 1 is the older of the two terminals, but still offers you almost identical 'activities' as the newer terminal 2.
There are computer slots, where you can plug in your laptop and connect to the internet using your own account
free of charge for as long as you like. Two book shops with an excellent assortment of books, four electronic shops selling everything from televisions,
digital cameras to your basic battery, jewellery shops, watch shops, a post office, a silver shop, exchange counters,
and of course the standard perfume, alcohol and tobacco shops, and even a small supermarket. This may surprise many people but the Duty Free prices for tobacco are one of the cheapest in the world here, for example a carton of 400 Dunhill International Reds will cost you roughly 29 Singapore Dollars which is just over 10 pounds sterling, compared to 13 pounds sterling at London Heathrow for only 200 !! The alcohol is also very well priced, especially compared to other Asian airports, so make sure that you check your Duty Free allowance of the country that you are travelling to and make the most of it. You cannot buy cigarettes on the way into Singapore though, only on the way out, in fact it is officially illegal to bring cigarettes into Singapore that were bought anywhere. If caught you may well be fined.

The airport lounges at Terminal 1 are all on the second level, and are all of pretty good quality. For smokers though there is only one place
to puff away (by law) and believe me the Singapore airport police do not fall for the 'Oh I didn't know sir' routine so don't even risk it.
The smoking rooms are both internal and external, allowing you to breathe in airplane fuel, instead of just nicotine. There is only one smoking room,
although it is very large in each terminal, and they are situated pretty much straight in the middle and against the airport side wall.
As mentioned you can sit and smoke outside and inside, but there is always pretty much enough room, either way.
One tip about the Thai Airways lounge, if you have difficulties connecting to the internet while you are in the lounge, and the computer
says that you do not have a dial tone, then just before you click the 'connect' button on your computer lift up the telephone handset,
and put it on the desk. This should work.

If you are arriving at Singapore Airport, the procedure is the same as at any other airport, immigration, baggage claim and customs.
The only major difference from most airports and something that I personally believe to be a big mistake is that when you arrive at
he baggage reclaim/customs area the screens between you and the waiting crowds of friends and relatives,
waiting to greet the incoming are transparent. This means that you can see your friends and loved ones,
as you wait for the baggage so the excitement of turning the corner and seeing them is all but lost as you tend to get all excited waving and smiling,
and then 10 minutes later when your baggage still has not come out, the smiling and waving is a lot less enthusiastic.
It also means that if customs do want to search your bags then they do it pretty much in front of the awaiting crowd ! Make sure you pack clean underwear !

Once you are through, you have the choice of buses, taxis, and private limousines.
Taxis are very regular, and well organised. The taxi queue at terminal one however has TWO ends to it,
well in actual fact there are two queues that face each other. It is often worth remembering this, as more often than not one queue will be very busy,
and the other relatively quiet, it is always worth checking which of the queues is the longest, before standing in line.
A taxi from the airport will charge you a 3$ surcharge, and if you take the taxi between midnight and 6 in the morning there will be the 3$ plus a 50% surcharge
on the fare. Taxis also charge extra for peak hours, CBD, and ERP, but all these charges are outlined on an official form in the taxi that explains the charges.

Sweet as Bro !!!

Sweet as Bro!!! That’s a Kiwi phrase for something which means something like Sweet as a Brother.


I haven't been able to write in a while because the internet at the apartments has been expensive. Right now I am in the city of Auckland again which is situated on the tip of North Island, New Zealand. Anyway, things are going really well. Last Friday I jumped on a Kiwi Experience bus. My pass wass from Auckland to Christchurch, but the bus is a neat way to get around the country because it does not go on a direct route, it zigzags all over the place. On Friday I went to Cathedral Cove on the east coast of the country where I was treated to beautiful views of the ocean. I had spent the night in a small town called Whitianga (pronounced Fitianga) and stayed at this really small hostel that had clearly been converted from a house. That night I Int out to the local pub where they were showing rugby match and I ended up talking to locals the entire night, it was a lot of fun. The next morning I headed to Rotorua which is situated around a bunch of thermal activity, geysers and the like. That night a group of us went to a Maori concert and hangi. They danced, sang, and preformed an extended version of the Haka for us and then I ate a meal that had been cooked underground, it was quite delicious. The next morning I went to the thermal fields in Rotorua and then proceeded on to Waitomo which is famous for the underground caves they have there. On Sunday morning I went through the caves on an intertube which was fun, but frightening at parts because of the proximity of my head to the ceiling of the cave. I then headed onward to Taupo. Yesterday I went on the Tongariro crossing, a 10 mile trek across volcanos and craters. Mt. Tongariro is Mt. Doom from Lord of the Rings. The views from the top Ire amazing, it is hard to put it into words. Today I went skydiving from 12,000ft which is one of the best things I have ever done. It was really scary, but so worth it, I want to do it again. On the bus there are a bunch of really fun people. There are two girls I have been hanging out with the most because they are also travelling alone. One is called Laura and she is from Ireland and the other is Isabel and she is from Germany. They are both great company and we are now kind of travelling together, in a way. Everyone on the bus has created this bond and some of us are leaving tomorrow while some are staying and it is kind of sad. The scenery everywhere is beautiful and there are a lot of sheep and also a lot of cows. Well, I am still trying to figure out a way to put pictures on this site, I promise I will get some up as soon as possible. I tried on this computer I am on now, but it didn't work for some reason. Anyway, tomorrow I am off to River Valley and then abck to auckland. I will try and write again when I make it to Auckland where I will make another attempt at the pictures.

are IQ tests fair measure of a person's intellectual capacity

Yesterday, I took an online IQ test, with Trickle Inc, and got a score of 131, which they declared as a respectable score, which falls into the top 5 percent of top scores.
Intelligence Quotient, though being defined as a ratio of a person’s intellectual age to his chronological age, what I believe is that it also depends a lot on a person’s upbringing his culture and his social environment.

If a question like the following one is asked in an aptitude test:
Runner: marathon
a.) envoy: embassy
b.) Martyr: massacre
c.) Oarsmen: regatta
d.) Referee: tournament
e.) Horse: stable

The correct answer for this is C, and is more likely to be answered correctly by the upper class children (predominantly white) because they are more inclined to know the definition of regatta.
Many different factors, such as where you grow up, what kind of school you attend, and how much school you attend contribute substantially to the development of intelligences. However, it is yet not very clear me what those factors are, or how they work.
And, now it is widely agreed that IQ tests do not accurately reflect all forms of intelligence.

Obviously, cultural knowledge, creativity, wisdom, common sense and social sensitivity though not measured in IQ tests; certainly contribute to a person’s intelligence.

As per my understanding, experience and environment influence a lot of a person’s intelligence – and that intelligence is the composite of many different talents and abilities which continue to improve over time.

Soon i am going to write the experience of my stay at singapore , and the changi airport. Ciao

Indian IT juggernaut

Like, any great story, the story of the Information Technology (IT) boom in India runs at many levels. Its impact on the Indian industry and the economy is dramatic. And this is story is even more gripping at the social level.
It has impacted lives (or lifestyles to be more specific) or several middle class Indians and their families. This has given hope to millions of others that they can change their economic and social in their own lifetimes, which would have been a distant dream, say may be 15 to 20 years ago in India, where the youth had a very few choices like may be clearing some public services or Administrative services examination, if he had any such kind of a dream. Hence this has been a turning point both for the society in India and the Indian It industry.
These Indian youths (not excluding myself called the software professionals), who have joined the IT bandwagon, have started earning on an average 10 to 15 grand’s per month , a very respectable amount to earn and spend for a college pass out in India.
Also, kudos to some great Indian IT entrepreneurs like Narayan Murthy and Nandan Nilekanni of Infosys, Mr. Azim Premji of Wipro technologies and many more (I hope names keep on adding to this list), who have set such a good example that the Indian youth have realized that this is one field, where one can excel if one puts his brains and hard work, and the youth in India is really putting efforts for this.
Most of the students coming out from some good B schools in the country have started playing this corporate game of entrepreneurship and have come out with flying colors.
As of now the prospects of the Indian IT industry looks bright because of the high-quality deliverables and intelligent IT labour available at cheaper prices and it has already started attracting attentions of one narrow aspect of the world called
"the west" , and most of them have started their software development centers in India employing the Indian software professionals ( am too employed by one such firm)
All I can say is that , hope this trend keeps growing as IT is the only source of my bread and butter these days ;-) .
Ciao

Festival again...

The Shravana or the monsoon month carries all hues and shades of nature and emotions. Religiously speaking Shravan
is a pious month and full moon of this all-important month is considered to be a very holy day.
It is celebrated in different ways for different reasons almost throughout the country.

For the siblings it is the eternal tie of love, for Brahmins the day to take the pledge of Brahmanik rites
and for those who depend sea and monsoon, it is the beginning of the new season.

Indian festivals are based on the weather changes and their significance in the lives of people,
but they do have a story to support the celebrations. The rich Indian Mythology provides a religious
reason to celebrate the day in a specific way. Many epics are related to the day and the origin of Raksha Bandhan.
The festival finds a mention in most of the epics and its origin can be traced back to the mythological Pouranik times.

The legend in the Bhavishya Puran

The legend refers to a war between the Gods and the Demons. The demon King Brutra was advancing
and the Gods lead by lord Indra, were on verge of defeat. The king of Gods, Indra approached
Guru Brihaspati to find a solution to the situation. Brihaspati asked Indra to tie a sacred thread on his wrist,
powered by the sacred mantras on the Shravan Purnima. Lord Indra's Queen Sachi also called Indrani,
empowered the thread and tied it on to his hand on the decided day. The power of the sacred thread called Raksha
helped the Gods to victory.

In the history ,Alexander The Great and King Puru ,the oldest reference to the festival of rakhi goes back to 300 B.C. at the time when Alexander invaded India.
It is said that the great conqueror, King Alexander of Macedonia was shaken by the fury of the Indian king Puru
in his first attempt. Upset by this, Alexander's wife, who had heard of the Rakhi festival, approached King Puru.
King Puru accepted her as his sister and when the opportunity came during the war, he refrained from Alexander.
Since, as King Puru has been mentioned here , i would add one more magnificent trait of his, though Alexander the
Great defeated the Indian King Puru, the Indian King was determined not to loose his dignity. Despite being a prisoner
he demanded that Alexander should treat him like a King treats another King.

In the Epics, as per the Hindu mythology, Raksha Bandhan finds a mention in Mahabharata when Lord Krishna advised Yudhishthir
to perform the ceremony to protect himself and the army from the dangers of the war.
It is said that Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas tied rakhi to her grandson Abhimanyu
and Draupadi to lord Krishna.

The Significance -though now it is considered as a brother and sister festival, it was not always so.
There have been examples in history where in rakhi has just been a raksha or protection.
It could be tied by wife, a daughter or mother. The Rishis tied rakhi to the people who came seeking their blessings.
The sages tied the sacred thread to themselves to safe guard them from the evil. It is by all means the 'Papa Todak,
Punya Pradayak Parva' or the day that bestows boons and end all sins as it is mentioned in the scriptures.

Rakhi for many centuries encompassed the warmth shared between the siblings but now it goes way beyond it.
Some tie rakhi to neighbors and close friends signifying a peaceful co-existence of every individual.
Congregations like Rakhi Utsavs, popularized by Rabindranath Tagore, promote the feeling of unity and a
commitment to all members of society to protect each other and encourage a harmonious Social life.

The day has a deeper perspective in today's scenario. The occasion holds for a life long pledge to practice moral,
spiritual and cultural values. The values and the sentiments attached to the rituals of this festival are worth inculcating
by the whole human race, the sentiments of harmony and peaceful coexistence.

Raksha Bandhan assumes all forms of Raksha or protection, of righteousness and destroyer of all sin.
The rakhi tying ritual has become so much a part of the families that come what may brothers and sisters try
to reach out to each other on this particular day bringing back the oneness of the family, binding the family together
in an emotional bond.

The tradition of thread tying still continues. It is a gesture of goodwill.

SnowPlanet - The Skiing Center , Auckland

I had been to SNOW PLANET , the skiing center located at Silverdale, Albany, near Auckland, this weekend, along with my Kiwi office mates,
Well it’s was organised by IBM ( or may be Vodafone ), as part of continuing to build the relationships between the Operational Support Teams in Vodafone NZ and IBM.

Snowplanet is New Zealand’s first and only all-year indoor snow resort where Aucklanders and tourists alike can experience the thrill of snowsports
and atmosphere of a snow village close to Auckland. Snowplanet’s giant snow hall features 50 centimetres of real powder snow, three lifts,
a terrain park for snowboarders and separate learner area, for a fun day out irrespective of Auckland’s weather.

The Mountain View Restaurant & Bar with panoramic views onto the snow hall, snowsport shop, rental centre and Snow Academy complement
the excitement in the snow to offer an unforgettable day out, unlike any currently available in New Zealand!

Skiers of all levels can find a challenge at the 200 metre long slope with different levels of steepness to suit various skill levels.
The steepest part at the top of the slope is over 25% steep (e.g. 1 metre vertical for every four metres horizontal) and offers even advanced skiers
an exciting thrill. The lower parts of the slope are less steep and provide beginning skiers with a suitable gradient to improve their techniques.

The snowhall is over 40 metres wide, or 35% wider than most other snowdomes allowing skiers to do wide carving turns and
get the most out of the latest carving skis offered in the rental centre, definitely not for novices like me :-) . Snowplanet also offers freestyle skiers an exciting
fun park with a big jump and a number of rails. Don’t worry if you have forgotten your gears, because the rental department offers the latest Rossignol skis
And boots for those who don’t bring their own gear (all included in the entry charges).

Beginners, like me who can’t take the risks of diving from heights to depths, have to take some lessons, and snow planet provides a safe place for beginners...
Snowplanet is the perfect place to get introduced to the exciting world of snowsports. A fenced-off learner area at the lower part of the slope
offers a safe environment to have a first snow experience. This learner area is serviced by a special ’’skimat’’ learner lift, making the first day on the snow a breeze.

The Snow Academy offers a range of courses and private lessons for all levels that will enable learners to acquire and improve skills and confidence.
In fact, we offer ’’first time packs’’ including slope access, 1-hour lesson and rental equipment from only $39! After flexing your muscles (and is my case,
after breaking my tendons and ligaments.) on the chilling snow, one can have some hot stuff in the attached bar.

So, if by any chance, you are in Auckland, don’t forget to visit this place.

This one i had put on Mouthshut

This review , I had put up on MOUTHSHUT.COM
and got some good and funny comments .
I thought this could be a hot and burning topic to put as a review on MS as we see this concerned topic of review, in our day - to - day on MS.
Yep, bulls eye reader, u got it right, and this one is on what is one of the greatest arts Humans have ever achieved.

The dictionary meaning of Plagiarism is "the act of passing off as one's own; the ideas or writings of another."
"Work" includes "original ideas, strategies, and research," art, graphics, computer programs, music, and other creative expression.
The work may consist of writing, charts, pictures, graphs, diagrams, data, websites, or other communication or recording media, and may include "sentences, phrases, and innovative terminology," formatting, or other representations.

If you plagiarize, you are cheating yourself. You don't learn to write out your thoughts in your own words, and you don't get specific feedback geared to
your individual needs and skills. Plagiarizing a paper is like sending a friend to practice tennis for you - you'll never score an ace yourself!

But contrary to this, I do have an opinion that,
Nothing in this world is original, and everything is a copy. Original is nothing, but a misrepresentation of copy :)).

But most of the world the world says "plagiarism" isn’t a good thing, even the MS website have stated this thing on the webpage “tips for writing reviews”.

Some even say that if you plagiarize, you are cheating yourself. You don't learn to write out your thoughts in your own words, and you don't get specific feedback
geared to your individual needs and skills. Plagiarizing a paper is like sending a friend to practice tennis for you - you'll never score an ace yourself!
Plagiarism is dishonest because it misrepresents the work of another as your own.

Hey, well, but most of the things if done perfectly by people is also sometimes termed as an art /skill. That’s why; I think Plagiarism should also be called as an art
, and kudos to the Plagiarists definitely are artists (Kudos to them).

And i do agree with these artists to some extent. If Michael Jordan can hit a fade away jump shot better than you can and Miles Davis could play a better blues than you do on the trumpet than why not learn from them and take their ideas, which are far better than ours.

And recognising, a work as a work of plagiarism, is also a challenging job, i appreciate the MS team for this that put the members on flag, who are plagiarists.

Let me give my readers, some tips on how to identify a plagiarist's review:-

"
Here’s an UNACCEPTABLE paraphrase that is plagiarism:

The increase of industry, the growth of cities, and the explosion of the population were three large factors of nineteenth century America.
As steam-driven companies became more visible in the eastern part of the country, they changed farm hands into factory workers and provided jobs
for the large wave of immigrants. With industry came the growth of large cities like Fall River where the Bordens lived which turned into centres of commerce
and trade as well as production.

What makes this passage plagiarism?

The preceding passage is considered plagiarism for two reasons:

the writer has only changed around a few words and phrases, or changed the order of the original’s sentences.
the writer has failed to cite a source for any of the ideas or facts.

Here’s an ACCEPTABLE paraphrase:

Fall River, where the Borden family lived, was typical of north-eastern industrial cities of the nineteenth century. Steam-powered production had shifted labour from agriculture to manufacturing, and as immigrants arrived in the US, they found work in these new factories. As a result, populations grew, and large urban areas arose. Fall River was one of these manufacturing and commercial centres (Williams 1).

Why is this passage acceptable?

This is acceptable paraphrasing because the writer:

Accurately relays the information in the original
Uses her own words.
Lets her reader know the source of her information.
"

I hope my readers of this review might get some help at least on identifying if any review they read is a work of plagiarism, and report it to MS, as soon as possible.

But, one to last, plagiarism is a chimera. There are no original ideas left anyway, and all we are doing is manipulating sets of symbols.
Such philosophical positions notwithstanding, plagiarism is a reality if you don't cite the sources and as far as it is accepted by the world as an "original". It's that simple. ;)

Orange Street’s distinctive sound is a combination of heavy rap-rock, Indian classical & traditional Dhol shot through an electronica bed.

This band is based in New Delhi , India.
Their music can broadly be classified as Electronic Rock Fusion, Orange Street meld rock guitars, drums and an electronica bedrock with a variety of
ethnic Indian percussion (dholak, dhupli etc.) and Indian classical vocals.

1995’s “Great Indian Rock” project organized by the only music magazine “RSJ” at the time brought Orange Street to the attention of the audiences
and the music community in India. By 2002 they won the Great Indian Rock competition and made sufficient noise about their presence.
This consolidated their reputation for ground breaking new sound and uplifting live sets.

They started off in 1995 at New Delhi when singer Anirban Chakraborty teamed up with guitarist Saibal Basu, at the time when, to make original music
was yet to be “considered” and was largely overlooked by the country obsessed with anything “not Indian”.
Succumbing to what Anirban says “Life takes over”, the band had undergone several line-up changes till 2002 which had seen them working
with guitarist Gautam Chima, DJ Jayant, drummer Ashwani Verma and bassist Neel. By this time, the band had already toured across India and Sri Lanka
with two albums under their belt. “Drive Carefully for Our Shake” was released with RSJ records in 2000 and “Candywalk” was released nationally by Magnasound India
Records in 2002. Songs from this album were used in the award winning feature film called “Everybody Says Im Fine”, directed by Rahul Bose
who is also an established actor of Bollywood film industry in India.

A major change happened in October 2003 when Anirban, the driving force behind Orange Street decided to completely revamp the band including the sound.
Thus getting together some very talented musicians, Orange Street evolved with a ground breaking sound which is the first of its kind in their country.
The demo “DHARMA” saw this outstanding collaboration of the new line-up with guitarist Donny, drummer Ashwin Andrew, bassist Dara,
Hindustani classical singer Imran Khan and the Dhol player Parveen Sethi.

This was followed by an extensive tour to Europe and Scandinavia in the summer of 2004. The band played some major festivals
like “Peace and Love”, “Slottsfjell”, “Sundance Music Fetsival” and “Little Chili” across Sweden, Norway, Estonia and UK.
The concerts were a resounding success, Orange Street performing alongside top bands and artists like Motorhead,
Trilok Gurtu, Timbuktu, Hanoi Rocks and Nizami Brothers. During the tour both Imran Khan and Anirban were invited by Swedish producer Johanne
to record for a world music album that was to feature Manu Chao. Anirban also met up with the popular British Asian band, Asian Dub Foundation in London.

It was really an inspiring trip which has had a major influence on Orange Street’s outlook on music. The band has been writing ever since and spends a lot of time
discussing and following music from different parts of the world. Guitarist Donny is also a part time DJ who spins occasionally in clubs. Orange Street’s forceful
presence seems to be breaking new grounds defying many stereotypes of the Indian musicians.
In February 2005, Donny and Ashwin played with bassist John Myung of the mega band Dream Theatre. As they now say, they were truly “humbled” by the
experience.
Orange Street is currently concentrating on a full length album taking off from their demo “DHARMA” and preparing for the second tour to Scandinavia and Europe
starting in this summer of 2005.

indian rock bands

Over the years, because of Internet, I have discovered a lot of Indian acts that are just superb. Its amazing to find an Indian act which you didn't know before, only to be bedazzled further by their superb music.

On this page, I am trying to create a directory of all such acts. I also have tried to put some information apart from the link to their websites. I personally like Indian Fusion genre than the other genres. Within India, there are numerous new groups springing up every day which experiment with all genres of music and, most of the times are able to blend (fuse) it with the music of the land brilliantly. Such acts are discovered best at music promotional events such as Vasantahabba.

So go ahead, soak yourself in the music of these artistes!! (A lot of these artistes' music is available FREE at www.mp3.com )

Indian Firang (Firang: adj, slang Foreign) Pop

Tabla Girl

Tina TablaGirl at TinaWorld

Based: New Jersey

Dr. Bombay

An Indian-Danish-Swedish Act. (Belongs to the new Indian-Scandanvian pop music genre!)

The Sugandh Family (It's Your Life...Star In it...B R E A T H E...move to and be moved by music)

Geeta, Kanhaiya, and Seema.

Genre: Ghazals. Endearing fluency in Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Gujrati and Sindhi.

Based: LA, California.

Sanjeev and Manish

East Indian melodies and rhythms with a contemporary texture of western sounds.

Debut Album Nazariya. See Details/Buy it here

Genre: Pop.

Based: Seattle, USA.

Hemina Shah

Main site (redirects to here)

A popular live performer.

MP3 at her site.

Contact: hemina@worldoperator.com . Phone: +1-905-827-8124

Based: London.

Eastern Illusion - Live Band Entertainment

"The 'hottest' band in the UK as well as US and Canada, which provide a whole new exciting style of Live Indian Entertainment. Young, talented and stunning artists and performers make this group a vibrant and energetic band and guaranty to spice up any event, anywhere in the world! They are the classiest group in town and are known for their high standard performers and breathtaking performances!"

Based: UK/Canada.

Mistry Music

Started by Jay Mistry in year 2000.

Music, Singers and Musicians, Tabla and Sitar, Dhol Players, DJs, Lagna Geet & Background Music, Wedding Services, Photography, Mandaps, Indoor/Outdoor Decorations, Floral Decorations, Back Drops and Beauticians.

Have performed at over 500 weddings and parties in the past 4 years.

Based: UK.

Telephone: + 44 (0)7958 408801
Email: info@mistrymusic.com

Sameera

UK based Asian female singer.

featured on Apache Indian's album "REAL PEOPLE".

Contact: info@sameera.co.uk Phone: Tel 0121-422-3337 or 07966-395306

Based: UK.

Strings

A London based live Indian music band, popular live performer.

Based: London.

Contact:

email: kiran@strings-band.com Kiran: +44 7957 190 680, Anuradha: +44 956 579 391

Audio Detour

Song samples here

Based: Kansas, USA

Saroj Gupta NAIDAX

Based: UK

naidax@naidax.com, Mobile (UK) : (0)7968 561 263 . ZestZone Details : www.zestzone.net/contact.htm

Bhangra Aerobics Masala Dance & Fitness

Sarina Jain's Masala Bhangra Workout

Based: US

Masala Dance & Fitness, Inc., P.O. Box 906, Yorba Linda, CA 92885-0906
Tel: 949-737-6882, Fax: 949-856-2053, info@masaladance.com

Bojango Poonj

Started in 1995 at the Indian Cultural Show in Rutgers University. They focus on representing the true spirit of the song as it was originally recorded, while infusing it with a sense of humor and light-heartedness.

Pranay "Pintu" Maisuria. Drums, Percussion, Backup vocals Pintu is also a trader in Manhattan
Gautam Malhotra. Lead Vocals, Guitar Gautam is also a medical resident at UMDNJ.
Shabbar Danish. Lead Guitar Shabbar is also a neurosurgical resident at Univ of Penn.
Sanjay Malieckal. Bass Guitar Sanjay is also a pharmaceutical consultant for Aventis, NJ
Mahua "Little Mo" Ghosh. Lead Vocals Little Mo is also doing post-grad Psychology in Manhattan

Based: US

BojangoPoonj@yahoogroups.com

Neelam Blue Diamond (click on Artistes)

Alternative Site

Any style of music worldwide including Bollywood playback singing. Learned classical Indian music at London's Bharitya Vidya Bhavan, and had vocal training in opera by Jane Humphrey (AKA Jane Bolam) at the Blackheath Conservatoire of Music.

Based: London

Email: nberry AT ntlworld dot com

Trickbaby

Saira Hussain - vocals
Steve Ager - guitar/bass/keyboards/programming
Jeevan Rihal - Harmonium/keyboards/bv's
Vikaash Sankadecha - tabla/percussion
Emre Rramazanoglu - drums/percussion

An East/West soundclash, Saira cites influences from modern dance music through to Bollywood movie classics. It is this unique blend of inspiration, and contemporary use of classic Indian instruments alongside modern production values that provide the basis of the Trickbaby sound.

Based: UK

Contact: steve@chachaman.co.uk

Sanxe Loveji

Desi Remixes.

Based: San Francisco

Email: lovejishq@yahoo.com , Ph: 4155735696



Indian Fusion

Nitin Sawhney : V2 music

Spiritual themes combined with Indian Classical, Flamenco, Rap, Drum n' Bass, Samba

Based: U.K.

+ dj Cheb i Sabbah +

An Algerian born DJ, composed with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan etc; Lot of fusion music in Indian Spiritual realm.

A good review on him.

Based: Probably SF, USA.

Trilok Gurtu

World Music,BHANGRA ELECTRONICA to juju soul, Afro-Asian funk to raga-pop

Son of Shobha Gurtu, a classical singing star.

Based: Oxfordshire, U.K

Taufiq Qureshi

A Percussion Specialist

Youngest son of the legendary tabla maestro Ustad Allahrakha and brother of the World famous tabla wizard Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Based: Bombay? (He actually performed at IIMB culfest on Jan 18, 2003)

Jai Uttal

A disciple of Ustaad Ali Akbar Khan.

pioneer in the world music community. His eclectic east-meets-west sound has put his music at the forefront of the world fusion movement.

Based: NY

Stephen Day

Sarod player

Through this inspiration he weaves the intricacies of Western harmony with the depth of Eastern melody and rhythm. He is a recognized composer, producer, instrumentalist, vocalist and teacher, proficient in classical guitar, sarod, vocals and drums. He works in multiple genres, including Western classical, Indian classical, jazz, folk, and rock music.

Stephen's music features in Formula 51, a movie starring Samuel Jackson and Robert Carlyle.

Based: Vancouver, Canada?

Ganesh and Kumaresh

Two brothers Kumaresh and Ganesh with fine musical lineage blend seamlessly Indian classical with westen music.

I saw them perform at Vasantahabba 2002.

Ganesh and Kumaresh have many albums to their credit:
> > Violin duet - AVM Audio
> > - sangeetha
> > - Inreco
> > - Gita
> > Manoranjani
> > Swar Utsav 2002
> > Utsav
> > Shantham
> > Colours of india

Based: Chennai, India.

Also: Brahmma.com: Music,Chennai Music,Indian Music,fusion,Jazz,Indian fusion,creative music,Music bands group,Carnatic Music in India,world music

MIDIval PunditZ

The PunditZ re-Present the Asian spirit with their music. Mainly studio musicians, the two have become
popular for the raw energy in their music and their radical DJ-sets at Cyber Mehfils.

Based: New Delhi, India.

Massive Vibrations

About the worldwide South Asian electronic Music Movement / Global News,Music,Events,Art,Film,Trends,Fashion and Lifestyle!

Yahoo Group

Blog

ConFusion home - Celtic melodies and Indian raagas

The band came together in 1997 in Berkeley, California.

Into Hindustani Classical Music and Celtic Music

Based: California?

Mindia Devi Klein Homepage

an Award Winning Musician, Composer and Educator. She Performs On These Instruments:
a) BANSURI: Classical bamboo flute of India
b) SILVER FLUTE
c) BALINESE GAMELAN: Bamboo,Bronze & Wood Tuned Percussion Vocals

Ensemble is called: Ancient Future

Based: USA

Shanti Shanti - World fusion music based on Sanskrit chanting with Indian pop influences

Two young sisters Andrea & Sara Forman blend western pop with chanting in Sanskrit (name Shanti meaning peace itself comes from Sanskrit).

Based: Nevada, USA

YELLOW BELL Music

Artistes: Richard Brookens. Studied Bansuri and Tabla at the Ali Akbar College of Indian Music in San Rafael, California.

Amit Chatterjee, Russell Feingold,Michael Moses, Abbey Rader,Nicole Yarling, Joe Zeytoonian,Barbara Sloan

Genre: World music. Mainly instrumental, sounds of varied cultures - India, China, Africa, and New Zealand, among others.

Based:

Ahimsa WorldMusic

Testimonial by Anantha Narayan, a fan:

Includes 3 Indian and 2 German musicians to create electrifying fusion music comparable to the legends Shakti (Zakir and John McLaughlin).

A.S. Shankar - Ghatam, Matthias Müller - Guitar, S. Radhakrishna - Violin, Armit Metz - Bass, R. Yogaraja - Tabla/Perc

Based: Pentling, Germany and Chennai/India.

Karsh Kale :: online

Classically educated in tabla, schooled in drums and a fiend for electronics, Kale has infused these worlds so well separation seems impossible.

Based: Gloucester, MA?

Bhakti - Limitless Music

Featuring tender folk and soft pop vocals, this satisfying debut by singer/songwriter Bhakti is inspirational and classy.

Based: ?

Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Sacred chants and mantras of the Gaudiya Vaisnava tradition. His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is the principal exponent of Vaisnava Krsna-conscious thought and spiritual practice in the Western world.

Based: Vrindavan, UP, India.

Yogeshwara

Inspired by the intriguing sounds from Ireland, the Middle East, India and beyond.

Based: Munich, Bavaria. Germany

Prabhu Music: An artistes Collective

Shastro: Italy-born multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.

Anugama Main site: Maui, Hawaii based, Born in Cologne, Germany, Healing music, Multi-instrumentalist .

Prem Joshua Main site: Born to a musical family in Germany, World music.

Manish Vyas

Santoor player.

World Fusion/ New Age music.

Part of a band consisting of Prem Joshua, Tanmayo, Hina Sarojini.

contact: manishtabla@hotmail.com

Sandeep Praval

World Music Multi-Percussionist

E-mail: music@sandeepraval.com
Tel: + 44 (0)7956 576 239

Nana

It is unique in that she has succeeded in creating a captivating style that combines her love of Greek music and culture with music influences from India, Native America, Central Europe and Australia. She builds upona vast array of musical and songwriting influences from Ralph Towner to Dead Can Dance, from Joni Mitchell to Vilayat Khan.

Based: USA.

Innertemple Music

Fusion of jazz, soul, hip-hop, new age, jungle, East Indian, African and other world sounds.

Artist: Thara

Based: NY, USA

Related Sites: http://www.globalsoulmusic.com/ & http://www.shaktisite.com/

Deva Premal and Miten

Graced by ancient mantras, rich harmonies, and sensual rhythms, Deva Premal and Miten's music explores the essence of love, devotion, and consciousness.

Based: USA

Felix Maria Woschek

His music embraces the spiritual tradition of Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, and its sounds of devotion and gratitude lead to the place where it is possible for God and Man to meet - to the heart.

Based: ?

Bodhi Music

BODHI RECORDS is a record label dedicated to working in the area of indigenous music.The label will source out and record musicians that fall into this broad category and provide a platform that will bring them closer to audiences world wide.

2c,raag durbar,
45, sterling road,
nungambakkam,
chennai- 600 034
tamil nadu
india.
phone : 91- 44- 2821 4840
91- 44- 2822 5967
Telefax : 91- 44- 2827 1288
email : info@bodhimuzzik.com

Satsonic

A BLISS-RIDE through the Modern, the Ancient, the Electric, and the Vedic. From the heart of India and the streets of New York City...

Based: USA

Ranga Pae

A World Fusion Blend of Japanese, East Indian, & Indonesian instruments with jazz and pop music.

Based: USA

Exsentrix

Amalgamation of two worlds: a new era of Bhangra Pop.

Based: Vancouver, Canada

Badmarsh and Shri

It's not Asian Underground, just quality dance music made by two innovative producers from different backgrounds.

Based: London.

Related links: http://www.outcaste.com/ , DJ Badmarsh, Shri (1), Shri (2)

Krishna - The Fusion Band

Combination of all the three styles of music known in India ie. Hindustani, Carnatic and Western
music.

Based: Bangalore, India

Sandhya Sanjana

Sandhya Sanjana is a female Indian vocalist who integrates Indian classical vocals with jazz and world music.

Based: Amsterdam/London

Time Travil Homepage: Music = Love

Indobeat ensemble, fusing the musical styles of Indian Classical, Jazz/Funk, Qawwali, Afro-Cuban/Brazillian, and Techno/Trance.

Hindustani Jazz Improvisation.

Based: NY/Boston/Kolkata

IndoFunk

Indofunk blends Indian classical and hip-hop music with straight-up American funk and dance beats to create a new take on funky music.

Based: NY, USA

Bikram Singh

Bhangra Pop/Fusion.

Based: NY, USA

Vani - Raga Rock

Raga Rock is a genre of music which is a mixture of Indian and American influences. This description may sound like the usual round of fusion, but it is not. Most of what is called fusion today is heavily influenced by modern jazz. Although we are not maligning modern jazz, it does tend to be obscure and inaccessible. The resulting fusion is often even more difficult to relate to.
Raga Rock is a very accessible genre which traces its roots back to the 1960s. Artists such as the "Beatles" and the "Incredible String Band" all produced some fine raga rock. A classic example is Norwegian Wood by the "Beatles".

Based: Houston, Texas.

Bluefield Arts

Inspired by the music of the Middle East, Ireland, India and Pakistan.

Tapan Group

Mainly Classical music but also involved in Fusion.

Based: Spain

Nadaka

Contemporary Indian and World Music; an indigenised guitar.

Based: Auroville, India

The Brown Indian Band

Indian classical/jazz Fusion.

Based: Mumbai

Another site http://www.hullocheck.com/

Jazzy Joe

Jazzy Joe is the toast of the jazz scene in Mumbai and one of the most popular jazz musicians in India today.

Based: Mumbai.

Bombay Black

began as a totally different kind of band, called The Screaming Santas, a hard melodic 'eighties'-style rock band that played Christmas music

Based: Italy??

Angel AV

Angel Audio Video is a music publishing company that strives to capture the essence of Goa and bring it to the audience.

Based: Goa, India.

Oriental Blues

Indo-Jazz Fusion.

US: Manojit Paul and Paromita Paul

manojit@yahoo.com

503-533-0977(Porland -Oregon)

India: Tarun Majumder

tarun@orientalblues.com

tarunx@vsnl.com

Ph-913331020501

Oriental Express

Latin, Latin Jazz band. The music ranges from original compositions to Latin and Jazz standards, contemporary jazz to jazz rock.

Saw them at Zero G (the Resto-bar) on a Sunday Night. Fantastic band.

Monojit Datta- monojit_datta@123india.com Phone: 2174289

Mainak Nagchowdhury- maniac_bassist_2000@yahoo.com

Sumit Bhattacharya- allbluesnjazz@yahoo.com Phone: 3377317

Monojit Datta
74/1 A.J.C Bose Road
Calcutta- 700 016

Garaj Mahal

Four world-class musicians, each with their own flair for improvisation and spiritual passion

Leeway's Home Grown Music Network
PO Box 340
Mebane NC 27302

Telephone:

919 563 4923
919 563 2319 fax

info@garajmahal.net

Oliver Rajamani

The music portrays the migration of the Roma (Gypsies) from their homeland in India into the Middle East into Europe beginning from the year 1000. Rajamani also keeps alive a vanishing folk music art form rarely heard outside of its region in Southern India and also extremely ancient namely, "Naiyandi".

Based: Austin, Texas

KingOfPearls@OliverRajamani.com

John Wubbenhorst / Facing East

Bansuri (Flute) master (Flautist) John Wubbenhorst. Master of both the Bansuri (bamboo flute) and Western flute.

Has recorded with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.

Two albums: "Facing East" and "Bansuri Dreams".

Based: USA.

3017 James Street
Fairfax, VA 22031
Phone: (301) 346-0789

facingeastmusic@yahoo.com

Prasanna

Testimonial by Anantha Narayan, a fan:
He plays Carnatic music on an unmodified guitar, and its just excellent. He plays traditional Carnatic songs, jazz and fusion on guitar. His music is also available on Music India Online.
Latin, Latin Jazz band. The music ranges from original compositions to Latin and Jazz standards, contemporary jazz to jazz rock.

Based: Boston, USA/ Chennai, India

Email : prasannafeedback@yahoo.com, tsaharaprod@pi.be

Shiva Sound System

DOUBLE D P (DumDum Project)!

DumDum Project

NEW YORK
LMGI
200 Bowery
4th Floor Suite E
New York, NY 10013
http://www.laskargroup.com/

MANAGING DIRECTOR
Kushal Khan
phone: 347.672.8002
kushal.khan@laskargroup.com

PUBLIC RELATIONS
Mike Davis
mike.davis@laskargroup.com
UK CONTACT
Buzz-erk Music
Niraj Chag
info@buzz-erk.com

ASIA CONTACT
Cavone Management
Sean Dinsmore
cavone@dumdumproject.com

The Unseen Guest

Wedding traditional Indian instruments with Western song-writing and guitar, and covering it with rich vocal harmonies, they apply this basic idea to songs that come from every end of the spectrum - sounding sometimes like a mix of American folk blues and Carnatic music, sometimes like a Parisian taking on Nick Drake, at others like Buena Vista by way of Mumbai.

Based: Ireland.

The Unseen Guest
Declan Murray
15 Glenwood,
Bray,
Co. Wicklow, Ireland.

Email : unseenguest@jma.ie

Jazz Goa

formed by a group of musicians and music lovers to promote jazz in and out of Goa.

Armando Gonsalves
Gonsalves Mansion,
Behind Campal Hotel,
Panjim, Goa - 403001
INDIA.

Mob.: 9822487818
E-mail: jazzgoa@yahoo.com (old email ID: armandogoa AT Yahoo co in)

Orange Street

Their music can broadly be classified as Electronic Rock Fusion, Orange Street meld rock guitars, drums and an electronica bedrock with a variety of ethnic Indian percussion (dholak, dhupli etc.) and Indian classical vocals.

Anirban Chakraborty
K-1/75 First Floor
Chittaranjan Park
New Delhi 110019
INDIA

Telephone: +91-9811651024
E-mail: upload@orangestreet.net

BabuKishan (aka Krishnendu Das)

Babu is a music designer, singer, and author renowned in India for his work in both the recording and film industries. He plays a variety of music combining new age, and world fusion, with traditional folk music in authentic Bengali Baul style..

Babukishan's photogallery ay Webshots

Based: West Bengal (Kolkata?)

E-mail: babukishan@yahoo.com

Mathew Joseph

Composer, lyricist, singer and guitarist, Mathew Joseph is from the coastal state of Kerala in the south west of India. A practicing physician for nearly twenty years, with a keen interest in Complimentary and Alternative Medicine, he now lives and works in Bermuda with his wife Sophie and sons Mathew and Mammen.

Mathew's recent re-union with multi-instrumentalist Oliver Rajamani and reggae virtuoso David Estes have resulted in a delightful celebration of sound and a refreshing journey of the spirit.

His album Firefly (at CDbaby).

Based: Bermuda.

E-mail: mathewjosepht@logic.bm

Wynne Paris

Worldbeat musician and producer.

Indian music and kirtan performer

Based: ?

E-mail: WynneParis@aol.com

Manjari

Based: Melbourne, Australia

Sri Lankan born Manjari's eclectic sound is inspired by her eastern heritage and from her upbringing in South Africa where she was exposed to gospel and tribal music.

Asian Dub Foundation

Asian Dub Foundation are 21st century MIDI warriors.

Started off in 1993 at London based organisation Community Music.

Debut album 'Facts and Fictions' (Nation Records) came out in 1995.

Sonik Gurus

Sonik Gurus exist at the meeting point of ancient, contemporary and futuristic music. With their MULTI - TONE UK Urban club sound they fuse Asian, Black and White styles like no other band creating their own distinctive sound. Their music has its roots in the clubs of London, the streets of Asia and the dancehalls of Jamaica. Sonik Gurus bring live Leftfield Fusion to the dancefloor, cutting up Eastern Classical styles and Folk beats with every genre from Ragga, Dub, Funk to Hip Hop, Breakbeat, Drum 'n Bass… and much more.

Sonik Gurus are London-based producers Ash Chandola and Ranvir Verma

Nominated at BRAMA 2005 - The British Asian Music Awards

AFJO: Asian Jazz Festival Organization

Also look at Jazz Festival

Office Mirah Hati C5/55 Permata Hijau, Jakarta 12210,Indonesia
info@ajfo.com



Indian Rock Bands

Ocean Blues

Alternate Site

Cutting an album in 3rd quarter of 2005.

I am Ocean Blues' Outstation band manager. Contact me for any gigs.

Music: Hindrock (Hindi Rock / IndiRock).

"Formed by Nairrit Das on 2nd July 2000. The formation of this band was indeed a difficult task for Nairrit as he had to fight many odds to found OCEAN BLUES. However the name of this band was SENTINELS previously which has a very amusing story behind it. I.E when we went for our first show, we were prepared on all sense but what we forgot was to give a name to our band. When being asked about our band's name we glared at each other as none of us knew what to say. At that time Avik Majumdar our base singer shouted we are the SENTINELS. When we went off stage we asked him from where he had got the name. He told us he saw a SENTINELS security car passing by. We carried on with this name for two years where we performed five times it was on 27th September 2003 our band became THE OCEAN BLUES given by our school teacher Mrs. Tapati Singhi (Info-Center Head, Birla Vidya Niketan). Our last performances were at Durgotsab G.K.II and Nabapalli Puja Samity which was a major hit with a mass audience of 4,000 people enjoying it. We felt very proud to be the Sailors of the OCEAN BLUES. We have with us Mr. Uday Mukherjee, who is a very highly qualified doctor commonly known as 'Ranga' in the band is the Rock Music Advisor for OCEAN BLUES.'

Band:

1) Nairrit Das

2) Ritwick Das
3) Ronojoy Sircar

Based: Delhi

Contact: oceanbluesgroup2000@yahoo.co.in

Gigpad.com - Join the Bandwagon!

With up-to-date info on gigs, the most comprehensive site on Indian Rock scene!

Unwind Center

Unwind Center a non-profit organization, today has become a National Icon in the field of Music.

Birthplace of India’s Mega Music melting pot - JRO (July Rock Out), the Unwind Awards, the Unwind School of Music, Live 1o1, and the ‘Underground’.

Chateau De 'ampa
110, Nelson Manickam Road, Aminjikarai,

Chennai-600029, India
Telephone
91-44 -55274472; 91-44 -55274352; 91-44 -55484352; 91-44 -55379572
info@unwindcenter.com

# 280, 10th Cross, Wilson Garden

Bangalore -27

Ph: 55336309, mobile: 9886626962

Parkirama

Since 8 years and over 200 live commercial concerts.

Their song "but it rained" has been selected for the "Official ICC Cricket World Cup" Music Album.

Saw them perform at IIMB culfest on Jan 19, 2003, and Feb 1, 2004.

Based: New Delhi

Indian Ocean

The band does not want to brand their music. And their listeners and music critics agree that a new sound has evolved, one that combines basic Indian rhythms and classical folk structures with jazz, rock, reggae. (Was scheduled to watch them perform at 6am at Vasantahabba 2004, but I had to leave just before their performance as the girls with me had the night (?) curfew).

Based: New Delhi

The Offical Indus Creed Home Page

Euphoria - The Official Band Site

The need to name genres of music probably got them the classification HINDROCK. They happened to become a premium HINDROCK band.

Saw them perform at IIMB culfest, 2002.

Based: New Delhi

Home Page of Cusp

Formed in November 1996 in Bombay India with the intention of making original music derived from varied influences.

:::: Moksha's Official Site ::::

Formed in a coffee shop in November, 1995, Moksha was the only Asian band to be featured on an Iron Maiden tribute album, which was released by a UK based recording company called Energie Records.

:::: Moksha's Older Site? ::::

Welcome to the Antaragni Web

Evolving a unique blend of Indian Classical, Folk and Western styles of music, in a short span of 2 odd years ‘Antaragni’, a 3-member band, has carved a niche for itself in the Bangalore-Mysore music scene.

Saw them at Vasantahabba 2002.

Thermal and a Quarter (TAAQ)

Formed in 1996. Origin of name: four musicians drunk on mirth coined Thermal And A Quarter after the ethnicity of the band members - three Mals (Malayalees) and one Nor-Mal.

One full-blooded concept album, Jupiter Café

BRUCE LEE MANI (Guitars, Vocals), RAJEEV RAJAGOPAL (Drums, Percussion), RZHUDE (Bass, Vocals), RAJESH MEHAR (Vocals, Guitar Tech), UMESH PN (Sound, Bass Tech), GURUDARSHAN SOMAYAJI (Drum Tech, PR), LEO DAVID (Security, Transport), BIJOY VENUGOPAL (Website, Online Communications) and PG SANTOSH (Financial and Strategic Alliances)

Based: Bangalore.

Contact:

Thermal And A Quarter

#323, 7th B Main, IV Block Koramangala,

Bangalore 34.

Ph: 98453 84297, 98440 64488

E-mail: taaq@lycos.com , taaq@mailcity.com

Oliver Sean

World Music that rocks! The Oliver Sean Band fuses Rock with Indian Tablas & Dance Music.

Album: Darna Chod Do

Oliver Sean : Lead Vocals, All Guitars
Prakash Naik : Tablas, Classical Flute
Franco Fernandes : Keyboards, Samplers
Lloyd Godinho : DJ, Rapping, Scatting, Flute

Based: Goa/London

email: oliver@oliversean.com

Krosswindz

..the fusion, the meeting, the head-on collision of the Sirocco with the Loo, the mistral with the typhoon and the tempest and the gentle sea breeze and all its sensual overtones permeating through....

Another Krosswindz site

Some of their mp3

Based: Kolkata.

Goldspot

They have blended Brit-rock with American rock to come up with music approximately in between Jeff Buckley and U2. The group has crafted dulcet melodies into a fevered soundscape that fuses lush arrangements characteristic of the Brit-rock movement with the sense of urgency found in contemporary American rock..

Based: USA.

Eclipse

Started by Clarence High School Students

Based: Bangalore

Clockwork Orange

A group of four. Female lead vocals.

Started: 2001

Based: Bangalore

Vikshepa

Started by engineering buddies

Based: South India

The Music Magazine -- India's first and finest music e-zine

JAM FESTIVALS

Less focused than Gigpad.com. Seems to focus on teeny boppers.

Hypnos Reviews

Reviews of albums, demos, singles, or any sort of release and live shows. Also, interviews and columns.

Run by Toto, out of Bangalore

Zebediah Plush

Blending various musical influences, Zebediah Plush’s style varies from song to song, voyaging between classic rock and psychedelia with the ease of a progressive rock band.

Arfaaz on drums and vocals, Anand on guitars and vocals, Avijit Michael on keyboards, Anindita on bass, Hari on vocals and Guru, band manager.

zebediahplush@hotmail.com
Arfaaz: 98454 34793
Hari : 98861 67256

Drumming World

Info on Indian Rock Bands & General Rock/Drumming Scenario in India. Info on individual Drummers.

Site run out ofPune.

Contact:

randhir@expressionsindia.com
9422015363, 9890254185

Sister site: IndianRockBands

Prayag Chimes

IndiRock.

MP3 at Soundclick

Contact:pgohain@yahoo.com

Based: Mumbai

Aurko

IndiRock to Bengali folk to Bhangra.

Based: Bangalore

NO -9 100 ft. Ring Road, 4th Cross,3rd Phase, Banashankari III Stage, Bangalore - 560085 India

91 80 2679 1643, 91 98860 49507, 91 98450 15600

email : info@aurko.com, aurko2002@hotmail.com

Aurko_fanclub Yahoo! Group

Chandrabindoo

A pioneering Bangla/Bengali Folk Rock band.

Based: Kolkata

AE-35 Salt Lake City, Kolkata, WB 700064, India

91 80 2679 1643, 91 98860 49507, 91 98450 15600

email : upal@chandrabindoo.com , anindya@chandrabindoo.com , dron@chandrabindoo.com , query-info@chandrabindoo.com , sumi@chandrabindoo.com

Strange Brew

From Indian, Classical to Pop to Rock to Fusion to Jazz come together what could the concoction be called but "STRANGE BREW".

Released album: Just Brewed.

Based: Pune

email : strangebrew_rediffmail.com

Sthir

Sthir is a Desi Rock band based in San Jose, CA, USA
Guitars - Rupinder
Keyboards - Sanjiv

Based: San Jose, USA

email : sthir@sthir.org

Them Clones

Desi Rock band.

Based: Delhi

Sledge

Sledge emerged from the fires and evoked the soul of rock from its grave and restored it to its glory. The journey began in June 1998 when a head banging group of five decided it was time to resurrect rock from the grave, to begin the ritual they started jamming in a haunted house (an old government school)

8-3-978/5, Srinagar Colony,
Hyderabad-500073,
A.P, ( INDIA )

Phone: 9849144400(Anjani), 9246581724 (Suman ), 9849221850 ( Karna )
E-Mail: sledgeindia@yahoo.com

Pralay

Pralay is the first ever Indian rock band to be considered for a Grammy Nominee in the world music category, for their debut Urban Reality.

Based: Mumbai

feedback@pralay.net, contact@pralay.net

Cassini's Division

Cassini’s Division got together in the summer of 2001 to make their own brand of modern rock music.

FD 243 Sector III
Salt Lake City
Calcutta 700091
Tel: +91 33 2321 8604
Mobile: +0 98305 83435
Mobile: +0 98310 34773
Tel: +91 33 2442 2835

email: omega@cassinisdivision.com

HFT: High Fucking Time

The brand of Music is exploratory and of "The Moment". Drawing from various genres of music,the band tries to create an easy conversation among the three instruments that ranges from the lyrical to the chaotic taking you through a pretty wide range of dynamics.

HFT
c/o Prospect Inc.
Plot no.3
Kehar Singh Estate,
Said-ul-ajaib,
New Delhi-110030
India
phone number: +91 (0)11-51671030/51671031
e mail: isheeta@prospectinc.net

Vinapra

Take the pride of being the only Hindi-Rock band on the south side.

Based: Bangalore

Vinapra's first Hindi rock album should be released in a couple of months. One of their songs has been selected for a compilation album for the "Tsunami releif" with artists like Ustad Zakhir Hussain, Shankar Mahadeven etc.

Natraj: 98860-40063, natraj AT vinapra.com

Fstars

Are an Asian-Indian Band: Punjabi, Malayali & Mixed (German-Indian).

Sing in English primarily and are akin to any Modern Rock band on the airwaves or bandwidth.

Use only the basics of Rock & Roll: Guitar, Bass, Drums.

Based: ?

band@fstars.com, stmusic@hotmail.com

Total Mukti

"Total Mukti is a concept and band by Shankar and Saikat. We work with musicians located at different places in the world and record our music by jamming and recording over the internet."
Sing in English primarily and are akin to any Modern Rock band on the airwaves or bandwidth.

Based: Bangalore

contact@totalmukti.com , or call at +91-9880536801


Indian Classical Music/Dance

Welcome to Carnatic.com

A site by S. Sowmya & K. N. Shashikiran (Concept & Content) & Ramanathan N. Iyer (Editor)

S. Sowmya & K. N. Shashikiran are pioneering young musicians who authored the world's first encyclopedic CD-ROM on Carnatic music titled Nadanubhava

Carnatica The Best of Carnatic Music and Related Subjects

A portal for South Indian Classical music (Carnatic Music)

Carnatic Sangeetham

Carnatic Music

Started in 1998 as the brainchild of Sowmya and Shashikiran, the pioneering young musicians who authored the world's first encyclopedic CD-ROM on Carnatic music titled Nadanubhava, Carnatica is now a global organization involved in various activities aimed at promoting and propagating Carnatic music worldwide. The Carnatica group is comprised of:

Run by : S. Sowmya & K. N. Shashikiran Editor: Ramanathan N. Iyer

Sangeet Natak Akademi

The National Academy of Music, Dance and Drama

SRUTI-India Carnatic Music,india dance & music magazine

India's leading music & dance magazine.

Narthaki

Your Gateway to All Indian Classical Dances!!

Sangeet Bhuvan

Dedicated to Hemanta Mukhopadhyay - the Legendary Singer

A Good source for Bengali (and Hindi) songs.

Shruthilaya-Carnatic Music, A Divine Art Form

Kala Vasudevan
5155 Harbury Lane
Suwanee, GA 30024
Phone:6787146851
Email :info@shruthilaya.us

STEM Dance Theatre

Headed by Madhu Nataraj Heri (Director) and Brinda S Jacob (Associate Director).

Madhu Nataraj - Heri (director),
STEM Dance Theatre
No. 37, 17th Cross, Malleswaram,
Bangalore 560 055, India
Ph: 0091-80-3348645, 3360869, Fax: 0091-80-3360869
Email: madhunheri@yahoo.com / stemdt@yahoo.com

Ranga Shankara

An auditorium meant for Indian classical performances.

Bangalore based initiative from Arundhati Nag.

Rajika Puri

Flamenco Natyam, a blend of Flamenco with Bharata Natyam

Pandit Brij Bhushan Goswami

Grandson of "Pt Amol Chand Goswami", a well known haveli singer of temple tradition, Barsana.Dagar Vani.

Based: New Delhi

Dr.Chandrakant Sardeshmukh

Recognized as "a sheer prodigy" at the age of eight by Pandit Ravi Shankar, he was immediately accepted as a student by the Sitar maestro.

Based: Pune, India?

Visalakshi Nityanand On Line

Son of Trivandrum.Sri.R.S.Mani, the Carnatic Music Guru.

Sahil Jagtiani

A management graduate, Sahil's associated with the Art Of Living all over India and recently released his debut album 'Avataran'

Based: Bangalore

Kohinoor Langa Group

Music from the Rajasthan Desert Nomads.

Welcome to the site of Odissi Dance

A site dedicated to propagation, awareness and information about Odissi Dance, an Indian classical dance form from the state of Orissa.

Welcome to SifyCarnaticMusic.Com - The destination for music lovers on the Net

A site dedicated to Carnatic Music by Sify, an Indian ISP

Aditi Mangaldas : Kathak dance exponent: empanelled artiste of the ICCR

She is regarded as one of the leading dancers in both the traditional and contemporary idiom and has performed in major cities of the world. She is the artistic director and principal dancer of the Drishtik Dance Foundation.

I saw her perform at Vasantahabba 2002 and I could only say this to her: "I never believed that one can give an art-form such an appeal before I saw you perform. I totally loved your performance and have become a fan for life."

Based: New Delhi.

National Institute of Kathak Dance

Kathak Kendra (National Institute of Kathak Dance, constituent unit of the Sangeet Natak Akademi)

Bahawalpur House, Bhagwan Das Road, ND 110 001.

Ph: 2338-8681 , 23385065

Some details on Kathak courses offered here at rediff and at education4india.

Chandra and David's Indian Dance Links

A husband-and-wife team who are involved in Indian Music.

Based: Houston, Texas.

Kalyan Pathak

Versatile Drummer & Percussionist of Global Scope

A composer, musician, drummer and percussionist reflecting a journey through multi-cultural life experiences in his music and vision.

kalyan@kalyanpathak.com , sales@kalyanpathak.com
1677 Scott Street, Glendale Heights, IL, 60139, USA
Phone in USA: 630-221-1296 or Cell 630-667-6479

Shankara Foundation

A project by renowned classical dancer Ms Rashmi Gopi Hegde. Fantastic ambience, regular classical performances by renowned, upcoming classical dancers, fusion groups etc. And a lovely circular restaurant decorated with fantastic lanterns to complement the wonderful experience.

Located: Kanakpura road, Bangalore.

Another project by Ms Rashmi Gopi Hegde is called Rudraksha, this too located on Kanakpura road.

Guruskool Music - A Bangalore based organization dedicated to the promotion of classical music.

World Fusion Band Esperanto: Saw them perform and met them at Shankara Foundation, May 2003. Details at my blog.

Sunday Jam - Freedomjam.net

Freedom Jam is a space for musicians and other creative artistes to reach their audience. Organisors regularly set up the show and invite artistes to perform. The audience comes in for free and artists perform for free.- Freedom Jam, no bread. Freedom Jam is biased towards original material. All styles of music from classical to contemporary are welcome.

Freedom Jam in Bangalore is on the 14th of august every year . The Sunday Jams are on the first Sunday of every month. This has happened regularly since august 1996 when India started celebrating its 50th year of freedom.

Freedom jam started in Pondy since 2003 and is around October 30th when the union territory got 'de facto' freedom from French rule

Freedom jam debuted in Goa on 18th/19th dec 2004 - again the date when the Portugese rule ended.

CONTACT: freedomjams@yahoo.com

Suswaralaya College of Music

offers Carnatic music education in percussion, vocal and other instruments. The college lays special emphasis on graduating music students to the fine nuances of stage performance.

KALALAYA An Institution of Fine Arts and school

Kala Iyer, residing in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 30 years, is the Founder/ Director of KALALAYA, an Institution of Fine Arts and school in Fremont , California , dedicated to teaching Carnatic Vocal lessons at all levels.

Kalalaya
512 Revival Terrace
Fremont , CA 94536 , USA
Telephone: (510) 796-5252
Facsimile: (510) 794-4937
E-mail: kalaiyer1@yahoo.com

Fireflies Ashram

Fireflies is an inclusive secular Ashram open to all spiritual traditions concerned with personal growth, social engagement and environmental action.

Indian Classical Arts Home Page: N.S.Sundar

Sirish Kumar

Percussionist (Tabla)

Born in Tanzania and brought up in Uganda, SIRISHKUMAR was taught music by his late father, Pandit Bhagwanji Bharadwaj (ragi), who in turn learnt from the great singer Pandit Omkarnath and Master Vasant Harmonium player.

43 Ruskin Gardens
Kenton, Harrow
Middlesex, HA3 9PY
M : 07956 392 548
T : 020 8621 1323
E : tabla@sirishkumar.com

Ninaad Records, a music publishing house.

Padmanabha Bapu N.

Sector - 26 , Plot - 316.
Near Ganesh Talab.
Pradhikaran Nigdi.
Pune - 411 044.
Maharashtra . INDIA.
Call on : - + 91 98901 35226. - + 91 20 27 65 10 19.

V . R . Kulkarni Compound.
Fort Harihar - 577 601.
Karnataka . INDIA.
Call on : - + 91 98458 88672. : - + 91 8192 24 44 13
E - mail : eeee8@rediffmail.com , ooofff@rediffmail.com

Diptesh Bhattacharya

Young Sarod player from Kolkata.

19/2, D.N. Chatterjee St.
Belghoria, Calcutta - 700 056
West Bengal,India
Phone: +91-33-25533896, Email: babsarode@rediffmail.com, Fax: +91-33-28450418 (attn. Babua, 9 am - 1 pm & 5 pm - 10 pm)

Mandolin Raghavendra

Carnatical Instrumental Musician (Mandolin).

He has lived in USA and performed at many parts of Globe.

Apart from being a gifted musician, he is also an IT professional and till today he has worked in some of the Top IT companies like Satyam Computers, Wipro Infotech, Infosys Technologies and Hughes.

raganidhi@mandolinraghavendra.com , mandolinraghavendra@yahoo.com

Jitendra Gore

The Young Maestro of Samvadini plays Indian Classical music on Harmonium!