KOCHI: Anyone who wants a taste of Kerala’s traditional culture should pay a visit to the ‘Greenix Village’ at Fort Kochi. This four-year-old village organises mock weddings for foreigners where they get a chance to wear the customary ‘set’ sari and mundu, followed by a sumptuous sadhya, with varieties of payasam and other goodies. The village also organises performances in Kalaripayattu, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Theyyam, Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi, and concludes with a fusion performance.

Art enthusiasts can see the elaborate makeup being put on a Kathakali artist. He is seated on a paaya (grass mat).“The artist, an expert himself, paints his own face, while a chuttikuthal (a white mask attached to the jawline) is put up by a makeup man,” says Sadanam Mohankumar,a Kathakali performer.
Meanwhile, for those who have no idea of these art forms, a peep into the cultural museum would enable them to understand the Navarasas and the 24 Mudras.

Along the stone corridors there are paintings by Onyx Paulose, an artist from Mattancherry. Another interesting place is the Kalari Square. Fenced on all sides, it is 40’ long, and 21’ wide. The Kalari player enters through a wooden entrance called the Kalari Kavadam. It is considered a sacred place. Mithulesh R K, a Kalari performer for the past three years in the village, says, “All movements has their origin in birds and animals. It? starts with basic exercises, followed by the cane stick fight and the use of sharp weapons like daggers, urumi, swords, and shields.”

Theyyam, a colourful performance, has its origin in ‘Kaliyattam’ a dance practiced by the tribal community of North Kerala. You can also see performances like Koodiyattam, a temple opera, and Mudiyettu, a ritualistic dance drama based on the Puranic story of Darikavadham.

Tourists can also experience a herbal touch at ‘Thatva’, an Ayurvedic spa. Shopping at its curios shop and munching snacks at its restaurant are the other delights. T V Appu who makes pots, and K N Manoharan and V S Gopi who make bamboo articles charm their guests with their talents. Many films and advertisements have been shot here, the latest being a scene for the song ‘Mazhaneer Thullikal’ for the Malayalam movie, ‘Beautiful’.

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The 70-year-old Canadian Cree musician says her indigenous people - one of the largest First Nations cultures in North America - and Aboriginals share a strong, unwavering sense of place. "The notion of land as place is vital for anyone who has become landless by virtue of exploitation," she says. "Europeans talk of going home to the 'old country'. Well, for indigenous people, this is the old country. All we've got. And often what we've got is nothing. "We share many tragedies but we also share a lot of positives when we're together."

The musician, famous for writing the Academy Award-winning song Up Where We Belong (from the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman), touched down in Queensland this week ahead of her performances at the Dreaming and Woodford Folk festivals in the Sunshine Coast hinterland.This year marks the first time the Dreaming festival, an international celebration of indigenous music, arts and culture, has been staged as part of the larger Woodford event.

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This special carnival rivals Spain’s La Tamatina with parades using blood red oranges as ammunition. Binche is a small mining town south of Brussels but it is renowned the world over for its carnival, which was recognised by UNESCO as ‘Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ in 2003. Slated for the third week in February, it is not to be missed.

2. The Edinburgh International Book Festival
Edinburgh is seen by many as the world centre for literary activities. After all, it is the first UNESCO City of Literature and the book festival held each year in August is the highlight, as it brings together close to 750 writers from across the world. Together with its counterparts, the International Festival, the Jazz Festival, the Fringe, the Art Festival, the Film Festival and the Edinburgh Mela, the Edinburgh International Book Festival forms what is now widely regarded as one of the largest arts festivals in the world.

3. Kochi-Muziris Biennale
This event will be India’s largest contemporary public art event. It will display some of the best artwork by international artists ranging from film installation to painting sculpture, new media and performance art. The event is aimed at recreating the cultural legacy of the modern day Kochi and its mythical predecessor — the ancient port Muziris.

4. Big Dance 2012
This biennial festival, touted to be the world’s largest dance festival, will feature nine days of dance in unusual spaces throughout the UK  showcasing the diversity of dance styles in the capital and across the country. It will take place from July 7 to 15, and includes a seven-week countdown period starting May 18 as part of London 2012 Festival.

5. The London 2012 Cultural Olympiad
The cultural Olympiad was started three years ago with the aim to involve as many people as possible in the 2012 London Olympics. It is the largest cultural celebration in the history of the modern Olympic and Paralympic Movements.

6. The Hornbill Festival
Named after the hornbill, which has a prominent position in folklore, the festival is organised in the first week of December by the government of Nagaland to promote its cultural heritage. Nagaland is known as the land of festivals as each tribe celebrates its own festival with dedication and passion. The week-long colourful extravaganza is known for showcasing the best of traditional arts, crafts, medicines and food.

7. The Adelaide Festival of Arts
Held annually smack in the middle of the warm South Australian autumn (March 2 to 18), the Adelaide Festival is Australia’s largest multi-arts festival. With a focus on the contemporary, each Adelaide Festival programme features the best in opera, theatre, dance, music, cabaret, new media events, literature, the visual arts, master classes, forums and a purpose-built late night club.

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Every country has its own custom. People of different nations are recognized by their culture. India is a powerhouse catering to almost all the leading global companies of the world. And has abundant talent with a steady supply of talented software engineers, Doctors and paramedicals. India has most high qualified professionals in the world. English and Hindi are the main official languages in India. It is a rich country with great culture, traditions and has been known to have wonderful dresses and costumes. Western and Indian cultures are diametrically opposed. The reason for this is that western culture is based on the principles of MATERIALISM, whereas Indian culture is based on the tenets and principles of SPIRITUALISM. Materialism stands for worldly possessions, wealth, canons of economics, material gains, fame  etc., whereas spiritualism stands for moral values, ethics, scruples, virtues and the power to distinguish between right and wrong, between good and evil, between correct and incorrect etc.

Majority of Indian women wear traditional costumes and they look so graceful and glorious. Indian men and women have always loved to dress up in their traditional costumes, attires and accessories during festivals and other occasions which are an integral part of Indian life. In India the family is the most important institution that has survived through the ages. Family is the foundation stone of society which modifies individual behaviors and cultivates tolerance, patience, respect for others, love and affection, dedication, care and sacrifice.

 Most Indians have sharp observational skills and note fine details. Likewise, nonverbal messages and signals, such as facial expressions, gestures, or different tones of voice, are easily perceived. Indians tend to convey and perceive ideas and feelings through behavior. The Indian culture is unique and has its own values. Indians are very much family oriented  While the children in the US are brought up to live an independent life, the children in India are not brought up in that way. In Indian culture, there is respect for the elders and it is they who make decisions. But in American culture, each individual makes his own decisions.

 Indian culture treats guests as god and serves them and takes care of them as if they are a part and parcel of the family itself. Even though we don't have anything to eat, the guests are never left hungry and are always looked after by the members of the family. We Indians have a great Hospitality. Children are expected to listen, respect, and obey their parents. We are deeply rooted our rich values and good morals within our hearts, mind, body and soul which we receive from our culture.

 It is plain that God wants most of our flesh covered. The Bible informs us that Adam and Eve had on no covering, and after they sinned, they were ashamed. I don't think they were ashamed together, but they were afraid that God would see them, for they hid together from God. We are told to dress modestly (I Timothy 2:9). The Indian women do not expose their bodies like western countries. Indian women can wear whatever she pleases in the presence of her husband .But when she goes out with a family and children's or relatives and friends  she covers her entire body  and dress modestly and not exposing her body like western countries. Why because God himself told women to cover their body or nakedness. God has made women distinctly feminine and we should be so happy and grateful that He has done so. It is believed that Revealing indecent clothes is an attempt to draw attention to yourself in a sexual way that begins to reveal your "nakedness that will cause others to "lust" or "commit adultery" even in their imagination.

 Indian women dress in humble purity, a true submission, shamefacedness and sobriety that's why Indian women are different compared to other women in other counties of the world. Women have a moral obligation to avoid enticing men with immodest apparel. Dressing modestly is a gift from God and Indian women are gifted with it. If a woman dresses with dignity and carries herself with grace, most men will approach that woman with respect and honor. If a woman dresses immodestly like western women, a man will often view her as a sexual object. Women who stay at home and guide the house are often labeled as being "slaves, weak or dependent in western world. For Indian women family and children's are important that her career. If she has to pick one she chooses family. Even though some of the women work in India their children's are watched over by immediate family members of elders in the family.

 The Western practice of kissing or hugging anyone is form of greeting anyone. In most of Europe, Canada and United states it is normal to see people holding hands or kissing in public or hugging in public. In India we greet people by shaking handshands and Indians consider that lip kissing outside the families is bad as mouth is the place where one can pass contagious disease through mouth and saliva. It is regarded as unclean also because of people bad habits such as smoking, drinking liquor etc. In India smoking is banned.Kissing or smooching in public is popular in West but not considered very well in India. Love and affection in Indian tradition is considered sacred, holy, sanctified something which if you express publicly, diminishes in its value. Expressing love should be deep in our hearts not just like a habitual thing like western world. We Indians truly value a kiss, and maintain its importance by reserving some privacy for it. It's not about tradition or culture it is just the basic decency and respect. We believe that Animals kiss and display affection in public but it's not necessary for a human to be that way. It is not a gesture to show in public like animals. India preaches is to confine all intimate relationships within closed doors. In India, the Supreme Court of India has described Public display Affection to be in bad taste and an unacceptable act, which may be considered an act of public nuisance, and sometimes leading to conviction and/or fine from the involved parties. Affection is a private and intimate affair. Its public display is a reflection of immaturity and insensitivity of the partners towards each other.

 Unless you happen to be in 'Westernized Indian' circles or in the company of people in the glamour industry such as models and beauty queens Kissing and Hugging   is common as some of the Indians adopt from western countries when they live in western countries. I am an Indian Christian living in western country still I strongly follow my great Indian culture. I will never adopt western lifestyle. We Indians do have great morals and we maintain descent dignity. We don't want to adopt western standard of living. When western people questions Indians about why they shake hands , why they don't kiss or hug etc., why don't they expose their body like western women etc? Because Like how other countries can't adopt Indians morals, we cant adopt western morals because our culture is very sacred and has great valve. True love need not be displayed with a public smooch or public hugging it is understood. Westernized emotions are public and ours is private. Our hugging and kissing is limited only to our spouses and family members. It is not a gesture to show in public. India preaches is to confine all intimate relationships within closed doors.

 You cannot blindly import values from one society and impose on another society. Assuming if some country will allow nudity, kissing or smooching in public loosing its essence and valve, why we Indians do need to adopt that just because its common in other country.

Humanity, Kindness, Helping each other, Generosity, Hospitality and sharing are greatly valued in our culture. Right from our early days of childhood we are taught of Good morals. Most of Indians freely exchange property and food with the neighbors and friends also with strangers.

 Indian culture treats guests as god and serves them and takes care of them as if they are a part and parcel of the family itself. Even though we don't have anything to eat, the guests are never left hungry and are always looked after by the members of the family. Elders and the respect for elders is a major component in Indian culture. Elders are the driving force for any family and hence the love and respect for elders comes from within and is not artificial. Indian culture tells us to multiply and distribute joy and happiness and share sadness and pain. The arranged marriage is another practice that illustrates the importance Indians place on the family. A majority of marriages in India are arranged by families and several people are involved in the decision-making process. We don't do dating, and end up in confused relationships as In Indian society premarital sex is considered as sin. Most of us people live pure for our spouses. Westernized counties they date, they love each other, without marrying they live each other like married spouses and finally most of them end up in divorces and again remarriage. Western living life style is considered as sin in our country. We don't remarry; we have one spouse for entire life and live happily in our families by true submission and devotion.

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“Kindred Spirits: Native American Influences on 20th Century Art” at the Peter Blum Gallery in SoHo closes out the New York gallery year with a great group show. This superb yet fraught exhibition creates a vortex of history, visual culture, language and ideas that is both heartbreaking and exhilarating. It seems almost impossible to straighten out, but that may be what makes it so valuable.

At the heart of the show is a shatteringly beautiful array of American Indian material, most of it from the Southwest, in which organic and geometric forms mingle effortlessly and with great variety. There are chalky white Mimbres burial bowls, one with an image of a bird catching a fish as it stands on its own elongated beak, and Navajo chief’s blankets, whose combinations of bold and fine bands and patterns in red, black and white seem to capture the very electricity of life.

There are Panamint, Western Apache and Yavapai baskets punctuated with the alert silhouettes of horned animals and stepped, radiating lines suggestive of lightning; Arapaho ledger drawings and a Lakota Sioux box made of hide and decorated with a vivid accordionlike arrangement of reds, yellows, blues and greens. There are Zia, Zuni and Acoma earthenware pots whose decorations — variously geometric, zoomorphic, floral and calligraphic — simply dazzle, and a Navajo drawing for a sand painting and a weaving based on one, dominated by swastikas achieved by adding semi-abstract, postlike figures to the four arms of large plus signs.

Dispersed around these extraordinary works is a varied mass of material — books, prints and photographs and the work of modern and contemporary artists — that attests to several generations of contact between indigenous peoples and government forces, sympathetic observers, trained scholars and aesthetic “kindred spirits.” Hand-colored aquatint engravings by the German artist Karl Bodmer from around 1840 depict Indians hunting bison. Edward Curtis’s turn-of-the-20th-century photographs of weary, wise-looking Indian chiefs give a hint of lost lands, lives and traditions (as do their words, quoted in the show’s excellent catalog). Canyon de Chelly in Arizona is captured in a photograph by Adam Clark Vroman in 1900 and in another by Ansel Adams from around 1947.

As for 20th-century art, Georgia O’Keeffe is represented by a small abstraction, in which a field of blue is divided by a jagged span of black that suggests a horizon line, a flock of birds and a Navajo weaving. Two marvelous drawings from the 1940s by Jackson Pollock suggest his awareness of Indian sand painting and rock petroglyphs. “Arizona Rouge,” a small painting on wood from 1955 by Max Ernst, captures something of the essential abstractness of the Southwestern landscape, as do works by Agnes Martin. The Swiss artist Helmut Federle pays tribute to Navajo weavings with small works in gouache and oil.

More originally, Josef Albers layers together planes of color into reverberating distillations of adobe architecture that also suggest ghostly, distended masks. There is also a video by Bruce Nauman, “Setting a Good Corner (Allegory and Metaphor),” which shows him, working alone, setting three fence posts. In this context his actions suggest an austere and arduous ritual, and the posts evoke abbreviated totems.

One of the most affecting works is one of the tiniest: Paul Strand’s “Ranchos de Taos, Church, New Mexico,” an exquisite vintage photograph from 1931 in which the adobe architecture, a small symphony of graduated grays, has the delicate solidity of flesh. It looks great next to the Ernst, and some of its organic earthiness is bodied forth in a miniature sculpture of a pueblo by Charles Simonds that nestles in a nearby corner upside down, as if protected from gravity by the gods.

The modern and contemporary art in the show struggles to hold its own against the Indian objects. It seems hopelessly romantic to say that it lacks their spiritual connection to nature, although that may be an issue. More urgently, the 20th-century works seem plagued by a kind of physical deficiency, a failure to integrate motif and material into a seamless whole. In the Native American works this integration is always in force, although it is understandably most intense in the woven blankets and baskets, where there is no distinction between image and process, or art and craft, or front and back. The weaving forms a completely efficient, irreducible whole: figure and ground are one and visible to the same degree from both sides. In a seemingly monochromatic Hopi weaving from around 1875, the power of the work comes not just from subtle shifts among tones of black, brown and deep blue, but also from weaving techniques that set off diamond-pattern borders against a field of diagonal twill.

While much of the work by non-Indian artists lacks this kind of physical integrity, Nicholas Galanin, the Alaskan Tlinglit artist who works in various Conceptual Art modes, does muster some of it by wittily appropriating the rock-art technique especially favored by the Native Americans of the Southwest. Into the sidewalk in front of the gallery he has incised the silhouette of a small horned animal like those found on several objects inside, as well as the word “Indians” rendered in the distinctive script used by the Cleveland baseball team, but without the Indian caricature of the logo. Redolent of tattoos and graffiti, these works bring the fuel-efficient unity posed by the Native American works in this show squarely into the present.

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Just because you don't meet your potential dates in person initially, this does not mean that there are not rules for online dating. Internet dating etiquette matters just as much in the online world as it does offline.

If you observe online dating rules and guidelines, you will have a much better chance at finding a partner or meeting new friends. Many people prefer to go out on a date with someone who has a nice personality and mild demeanor. You should always observe proper behavior whether in an online or face-to-face date if you want people to like you. Here are some important dos and don'ts that every user of online dating websites should know.

DO be honest. Never lie about anything about yourself. Don't be tempted to deduct a few pounds from your weight or add inches to your height. You do not have to be too blunt about it and say that you are fat and short. You can say that you are chubby and just plainly state your height. If you are honest this will give you the best chance of finding someone who is compatible with the real you.

DON'T discriminate. When you write your online profile make sure you don't say something discriminatory such as "No Asians" or "No old people"." If you only want to meet a certain type of people, you do not have to be discriminating about it. You can write something like I prefer to meet Americans who are the same age as me." This would not make Asians and old people feel left out.

DO be polite. These days, it is very rare to find polite people online, especially among young internet users. However, it is important to be polite especially if it is your first meeting. Don't feel that you have to be too formal. Just do not say rude things that could offend the feelings of the other person. This is especially true if you are communicating with people who come from different countries and have different culture.

DON'T start talking about sex on your first date. Topics about sex will come later but in your first few conversations, refrain from mentioning the topic. In the first place, you should not join a dating website for the sole purpose of wanting to have sex with someone. Talk about wholesome topics like hobbies, interests, occupation, and so on.

DO listen attentively. It is important to pay attention to what the other person is saying. You do not want to come across as a self-centered jerk who wants nothing but to have someone listen to him talk about himself.

Internet dating etiquette is something that you should learn more about before you decide to contact someone from your dating website. If you follow these guidelines you have a better chance of having a successful relationship online.

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Ministers from around the world will gather in Edinburgh next August to debate the power and profile of culture in forging and fostering international relationships.Ministers of Culture from nations attending the 2012 Olympic Games will be welcomed to the first ever International Culture Summit on August 13 & 14, during the world-renowned Edinburgh Festivals.The Summit is a collaboration between the Scottish Government, the UK Government, the Edinburgh International Festival and the British Council. It will bring together Culture Ministers with prominent artists, thinkers and others involved in developing and implementing cultural policy.

Scottish Government Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “In bringing together overseas Ministers in Edinburgh, the Summit offers an unprecedented opportunity to discuss the use and value of the arts, culture and the creative industries, and their role in encouraging dialogue among nations.”It will allow Culture Ministers to share ideas, and solutions to challenges that we all face. It will also provide a fantastic showcase for Scotland’s rich creativity and culture against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Festivals.”UK Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said: “I am really pleased the UK and Scottish Governments will be hosting this exciting conference. It provides a wonderful opportunity for fellow Culture Ministers from around the world to come together and focus on the benefits of culture and the role it can play in improving dialogue.”Set against the backdrop of the Edinburgh International Festival, this conference makes an excellent addition to the programme of events being put on by the UK around the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”Jonathan Mills, Director of the Edinburgh International Festival, said: “The Edinburgh International Festival is delighted to contribute to international cultural discourse, and in particular to bring the viewpoint of artists to that discourse.

This event offers an opportunity for international partners and policy makers to observe at first hand the world class platform offered to their artists and companies by Edinburgh’s festivals. It will also be an opportunity to forge new relationships.”Lloyd Anderson, Director of British Council Scotland, said: “The British Council is delighted to be the partner of the Scottish Government, DCMS and EIF for this event. As culture is increasingly recognised as an important tool in building long-term relationships and trust between nations – and hence in building prosperity and peace – it is timely that Ministers of Culture will be invited to attend a summit for an exchange of knowledge and ideas on this topic. We look forward to lively debate at the world’s first ever Culture Ministers’ summit in Edinburgh next year.”The conference theme will be ‘Culture as an International Dialogue’. The programme is being devised around three strategic strands:The role of the arts and culture in deepening and broadening our understanding of the complex relationships between cultures and nationsSustaining private and public support for cultureFuture skills for the creative industries and the role of technologyThe venue and detailed programme for the Summit will be announced in due course.

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“We’re not criminals, get us out of here,” appealed Yudi from behind bars. Yudi and 63 punk members were detained by the city police of Banda Aceh for allegedly having made a false proposal in order to stage a punk rock concert in Banda Aceh on Dec. 10.

The performance at Taman Budaya Aceh, titled “Aceh for the Punk: A Music Parade and Fundraiser for Orphanages”, was also attended by punk followers from various parts of Indonesia including Jakarta, Bekasi, Lampung, Jambi, Pekanbaru and Batam.

“We organized the concert with the positive aim of fund-raising and we got licenses from the police and Ulema Consultative Assembly. We didn’t have a booze and drug party as charged by the police,” said Yudi. He claimed to have planned the program long before to help raise awareness in Banda Aceh of the positive things his punk community could offer.

“So far our group has been regarded as the scum of society with no purpose in life. We’ve always been chased by the city police and sharia police for what they describe as disturbing public order,” added Yudi. The untidy appearance of punkers has created the public image that links the punk community with crime and un-sharia morality.

“Our community is not against sharia law, but we think if sharia still imposes discrimination against certain groups in society, it means it’s not yet properly implemented and it’s a form of hypocrisy,” Yudi pointed out.

Yudi’s assertion that the event was meant for orphanages failed to prevent the Banda Aceh city police from capturing the 64 punkers in the concert venue, as the license request was deemed different from the aim of the show.

“They claimed to be an Acehnese community that would perform for [charitable] fund-raising purposes, so the police and ulema issued the permits,” said Aceh regional police chief Insp. Gen. Iskandar Hasan.

Iskandar added that the police had been tricked by the Aceh punk group. When the arrest was conducted, according to Iskandar, the police also discovered liquor and drugs believed to have been consumed by the punk youths. “It’s one of our reasons for their detention,” he said.

After being held for several days, the police finally sent the punk fans to the State Police School in Seulawah Valley, Aceh Besar, some 60 kilometers east of Banda Aceh.

“We’re educating them there for 10 days to change their mind-set and direct their purpose in social life,” said Iskandar. Before their move to Seulawah Valley, male punkers were shaved bald to rid them of their typical Mohawk hairstyle and all of them were immersed in a pool as part of a traditional purification practice. “Why are we forced to be shaved? It violates my right as a citizen to choose my personal appearance,” protested Wawan, one of the punk members.

But Wawan and his peers could do nothing when several policemen cut off their hair. Some female punkers were even sobbing as they had their hair cut by policewomen. “My parents have never treated me like this. For me it’s an inhuman act,” said Nanda tearfully. Punk youths have been an annoyance to the Banda Aceh city administration for some time.

Their behavior, including drawing graffiti on walls, is considered to be harmful to public interest. They are also considered a disgrace to sharia as most punk girls don’t wear headscarves and punk boys have tattoos on their bodies.

“In Islam, women should wear headscarves and men must not have tattoos, because they won’t be able to perform mandatory prayers with their tattoos,” said Banda Aceh Deputy Mayor Illiza Sa’aduddin Djamal. For this reason, Banda Aceh city police and sharia police have frequently raided punk hangouts.

“Banda Aceh must be free and rid of punk members and the like. We don’t allow such groups to defile our environment and degrade the sharia we’re upholding,” maintained Illiza.

The way the Aceh government and police attempt to reform punkers has invited criticism by Aceh legal expert Saifuddin Bantasyam. In his view, punkers are not big criminals, drug addicts, gamblers or drunkards.

The public can distinguish between crime, offense and juvenile delinquency. “In my opinion, it’s very strange if they’re treated like Mafiosi, big embezzlers or drug traffickers. Never forget that any mistake in responding to their behavior can ruin their future,” warned Saifuddin.

The detention of punkers without adherence to proper procedures, according to Saifuddin, translates into a violation of citizens’ rights and is thus a breach of law. If some of them are under age, Saifuddin added, the government and society should also abide by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, particularly in treating children involved in legal problems.

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Russian culture is gripping Morjim. Locals are learning Russian and many can even carry out a conversation. Advertising boards, computer key pads at cybercafes, restaurant menus are in Russian. Shack owners, shop owners, taxi drivers, massage parlours trying to cash in on the growing Russian clientele are giving Russian names to their business.

Russian capitalism could damage the culture of Vitthaldas vaddo. Names of places are already being changed. Morjim is Moscow beach. Some locals object to the presence of Russians, specifically to their rudeness, nudity, and crime. Temwado, a meeting point for locals, is losing its character. The sudden appearance of scantily dressed tourists is making it almost impossible for locals to visit with their families.

"They don't bother adhering to laws, they parks their bikes and cars in the middle of the road, after 2am they pass by shouting loudly giving us sleepless nights," said Prashant Harmalkar. There are also fears that narcotic trade goes on. TOI investigations revealed that a hotel run by Russians is actively involved in narcotics and prostitution. "If they write 'drugs are available here' in Russian on signboards who will realize? No one will be in a position to take action and drugs will be openly sold. It may be happening already," said Babaji Shetgaonkar.

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The landscape of the Hingol National Park in Balochistan, Pakistan?s largest national park is otherworldly. The tur quoise and azure-hued Hingol River snakes through the expanse of white sands, tumbleweed and craggy sandstone peaks. It is only fitting, then, that nestled deep within the park is a spiritual sanctuary, the famed Hinglaj Mandir, known in the vernacular as Nani Mandir, one of the holiest Hindu sites of worship in the country.

As one approaches Nani Mandir, the beige and sepia tones of the park?s scenery are suddenly interrupted by flashes of colour: orange, golden yellow, amber. Thousands of strips of coloured cloth ? the mannats of Hindu devotees ? flutter in the breeze, announcing the entrance to the mandir. These are the relics of the thousands of pilgrims who visit the site each year to pay homage to the devi Sati.

According to tradition, Nani Mandir is one of the holiest shakti peeth (sites of cosmic power) of Hinduism. To calm down an entranced Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu is believed to have carved Sati?s body into dozens of pieces and spread them across the subcontinent. Mythology states that the head landed at Hinglaj.The short trek up to the mandir, however, betrays little of the turmoil of the originating myth. The mystical silence that pervades the national park endures on the track to Nani Mandir along which visitors enjoy the sparse view of rocky peaks and the serenity of little pools of water ? runoffs from the Hingol River ? in which fish playfully dart around.

Just before the main mandir itself, an explosion of coloured flags reveal a smaller temple adorned with statues of Hindu gods. Nearby, a pile of ashes and charred wood betray a recent wedding ceremony. Many Hindu couples based in Sindh and Balochistan travel to Nani Mandir to complete the mandatory seven encirclements of the Agni, or Sacred Fire.

Arriving at the mandir, which is cradled in a small cave within one of the sandy mountains, one is greeted by Maharaj Gopal, the poojari, or caretaker of the temple. He warmly invites visitors to sit down in the mandir?s cool shade and then announces, ?You are now seated in the only temple in this region that was born of a natural formation, and it?s probably over 200,000 years old.? As if on cue, a group of young, male devotees seated at the entrance of the mandir beat on a dhol and begin performing a bhajan ? the drum beats echo off the surrounding peaks to eerie effect.

In Gopal?s telling of the myth behind Nani Mandir, the goddess Hinglaj becomes a beautiful woman, who descended from the seven skies to woo a cruel prince who used to rule over Hingol and urge him to become more benevolent. ?The prince saw Nani ma and instantly fell in love,? recounts Gopal. ?But as soon as he reached for her, she turned to stone. On losing his beloved, the prince begged for forgiveness. On hearing his pleas, Nani ma became animated again, only to tell the prince that a ruler who inflicted pain and oppression on his people was in no position to seek forgiveness. At that point, the prince repented and forever changed his ways.? Gopal?s tales about Nani Mandir are also a living homage to the centuries of peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Muslims. ?This site is even more holy because Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai came here hundreds of years ago,? he says. According to legend, the Sufi saint travelled to Hingol to pay his respects to the goddess Hinglaj. ?Bhit Shah raised a bowl of kheer to the goddess?s lips and enticed her to drink, and suddenly, after centuries, the goddess became animate again!?

But it is not only legend that excites Gopal. He speaks eloquently and passionately about the historical and cultural significance of the temple and the role it can play in strengthening relations between Hindus and Muslims as well as India and Pakistan on a diplomatic level. Jaswant Singh made the pilgrimage out to Hinglaj in 2006. Gopal therefore points out that a government plan to dam the Hingol River is inane. ?s soon as they dam the river, this ancient mandir will forever be flooded,? he complains. ?How do you explain the value of a temple to some low-level government employees? Why can?t they dam the river a few hundred kilometres further up or downstream?? Gopal?s concerns about the planned dam are not the only indication that the mandir exists very much in the present. The walk up to the shrine is marred ? some would say enlivened ? by graffiti in praise of Nani ma and stencilled images of bhangra icons and pop stars like Sukhbir. One guesses these are the work of the young men clad in T-shirts and jeans who linger at the mandir?s entrance. Their biggest complaint is that there is no mobile phone connectivity in Hingol National Park. ?We like to spend time here, but how long can you go without getting reception?? asks one.

Between devis and dams, mobile phones and mannats, Hinglaj Mandir is one of the few sites at which Islam meets Hinduism, the past fuses with the present and it becomes difficult to distinguish between truth and tradition. For that reason, one hopes it endures for centuries to come.

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