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Writings and Readings Blog

Madhu Bazaz Wangu

Conversations with Mindful Writers: Lori M. Jones, A Stellar Woman

Posted on January 14, 2016
in Meditation
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In March 2011, when the Mindful Writers Group (North) met for the first time, Lori was one of the five participants. She is the only one from that meeting who continues to participate and occasionally lead the group of twenty writers. Since that March, Lori has become an award-winning author of women's & children's fiction. Her first children's book, RILEY'S HEART MACHINE, was released in 2012, followed by CONFETTI THE CROC in 2014. Mother of two young daughters, Lori’s younger daughter's heart defect was the inspiration behind Riley's Heart Machine. Her debut novel, RENAISSANCE OF THE HEART has won the SILVER medal by READERS' FAVORITES in women's fiction. Her second novel, LATE FOR FATE, is forthcoming in 2016. Lori is on the national Board of Directors for the Children's Heart Foundation and...

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Welcoming 2016 With Three Thals!

Posted on January 4, 2016
in Being in Nature
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Dear Readers and Friends, Happy New Year with these 'Thals' (Platters) of Blessings! May 2016 be filled with warmth of the family, joy in day-to-day life and adventure of life opening up to you! Many of you, who saw our family thal posted on various social media, wanted to know the meaning of the things placed in the bowls and on rice. Here is an excerpt from my forthcoming novel, "THE IMMIGRANT WIFE: A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY (April 2016) that explains the significance of these items. Christmas Day turned out to be better than Shanti could have imagined. She had prepared flavorful dishes for her family and they had savored them. They had exchanged gifts and had seen, done, and learned a million things in the new country. She hoped her resilience would...

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Days Thirteen, Fourteen & Fifteen: Old Delhi and New Delhi

Posted on December 31, 2015
in Being in Nature
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Old Delhi and New Delhi Circa 1200-Present The two-week trip to South India with my husband Manoj, and our daughter’s in-laws, Drs. Young Woo Choi and Young Soon Choi was an unforgettable experience. This is the last post about our site seeing in Old Delhi and New Delhi. Delhi is replete with Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain monuments but out of them all, Mughal monuments are outstanding. Qutab Minar is the tallest brick tower in the world. Located in New Delhi, the 240 feet high tapering tower is 47 feet in diameter at the base and 9 feet at the peak. The Qutab Complex includes Emperor Asoka’s iron pillar, two tombs, a gateway and a madrassa. Qutub-ud-Din Aibak, the founder of the Delhi Sultanate, built it in 1200 in red sandstone and white marble. Inside...

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Days Eleven and Twelve: White Taj and Red Fort

Posted on December 30, 2015
in Being in Nature
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Prior to seeing Taj Mahal for the first time, I had imagined it from seeing it in photographs. When I finally looked it in three dimensions the monument was more magnificent than how I had imagined! Yet, this time, my fourth, it looked more spectacular from far and more impressive in details. Taj Mahal means ‘crown of palaces’ and is located on the bank of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra. When I visit Taj Mahal I also visit Agra Fort. About two miles northeast of Taj, the Fort is an equally powerful architectural marvel. While the former was built by Shah Jahan (1592-1666) latter was built by his grandfather Emperor Akbar (1542-1605). Shah Jahan’s reign is considered the golden period of Mughal architecture. However, many of the structure made during...

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Days Nine & Ten: House Boats and Spices

Posted on December 20, 2015
in Being in Nature
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Called the ‘Venice of the East,’ the natural beauty of Alappuzha (or Alleppy), can be experienced only by being there. I can merely share the pictures of luxurious and leisurely day we spent in a houseboat cruising through its picture-perfect canals, backwaters, lagoons and the beaches of Arabian Sea. Watching the houses on the land between the sea and network of rivers flowing into it was the most delightful experience. Thirty-nine miles south of Alleppy is 39 Kochi—an important spice-trading center. At present whole spices such as cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and cardamom are exported throughout the world. Known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, some still call it by its Anglicized name, Cochin. This picture perfect town was the center of Portuguese administration in India until they moved it to Goa...

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Day Eight: Kathakali in Kovalam, Kerela

Posted on December 17, 2015
in Being in Nature
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We spent an unforgettable day at the beach and the town of Kovalam--walked on the beach, savored unfamiliar tasty dishes, watched a Kathakali performance with a view of Arabian Sea in the background. In Malayalam language Kovalam means a grove of coconut trees. The place offers picturesque sights of the coconut trees on land and near water. In the early seventies, hippies on their way to Ceylon, came to this town in throngs transforming a casual fishing village into one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Kathakali is the classical Malayalam dance-drama noted for its stylized make-up in brilliant basic colors, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well-defined body postures. The graceful movements are accompanied by singing, drums and percussions. This style of dance-drama originated in Kerala in the 17th century. Over the years, it has developed...

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Day Seven: Green Coconuts & Kovalam Beach

Posted on December 11, 2015
in Being in Nature
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An excerpt from my novel, The Immigrant Wife: A Spiritual Journey (Forthcoming March/April 2016) The two friends gathered their materials in their shoulder bags, and then walked toward the beach. From far they spotted green coconut vendor. The thought of cool coconut juice made Shanti’s mouth water. They selected two coconuts and handed them to the seller. As he was slicing off the thick outer skin of the fruit, Shanti said, “A productive day! Wouldn’t you agree, Hema?” “I agree! You are good company to go sketching with.” The vendor handed the fruit to Hema. She put a creamy, slippery slice in her mouth and sucked in its sweet, milky juice through a straw. “Ahhhhhh . . . so soothing, satisfying!” She licked her lips. “Hard to explain such sensations,” Shanti said, waiting for her turn to...

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Day Six: Iridescent Dawn and Palace Complex

Posted on December 8, 2015
in Being in Nature
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Kanyakumari, Southernmost Tip of Indian Peninsula, Tamil Nadu Kanyakumari (Old Cape Comorin) is a popular tourist destination. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come here to watch sunrise from its smooth-rocky beach. When we arrived it was dark. The sky was overcast with heavy black clouds. We waited patiently. Then iridescent orange shimmered from behind the clouds at the horizon. The moments of shimmering gold still resonate in my memory. Slowly, distant landscape emerged: a 95 feet high statue of Thiruvalluvar standing atop a 38 feet pedestal. Its 133 feet represent 133 chapters in the Tamil scripture, Thirukkural. Next to the statue stood the Swami Vivekananda’s Memorial on a rock. He is believed to have meditated on the rock and attained enlightenment. Padmanabhapuram Palace, Tamil Nadu In the afternoon we drove to, Padmanabhapuram Palace located...

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Day Five: Jellybeans and Temple Towers

Posted on December 5, 2015
in Being in Nature
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In the temples of South India, the dominant architectural feature is gopura, (gateway towers)  that mark four directions in the enclosure wall built around the main temple. Gopuras of   Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tamil Nadu and Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai are painted in brilliant jellybean colors that shimmer under the tropical sunlight and dominate the landscape for miles. The basement of the gopuras is constructed of stone but their multiple tiers are made with brick and plaster that minimizes the weight of the superstructure. A barrel like structure called sala caps each gopura. Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, Tamil Nadu The main structure of Ranganathaswamy Temple culminates in a gold pinnacle. Surrounded by seven concentric walls, each wall has four gopuras facing the four directions. The farthest from the gold-topped sanctum sanctorum is largest in size. Sari Shops, restaurants, and flower...

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A Hymn in Granite & A Golden Sphere: DAY FOUR

Posted on November 29, 2015
in Being in Nature
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DAY FOUR Heavy rain was pouring when we reached Brhadeshwara Temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, a UNESCO world Heritage Site. Behind the veil of shower the commanding grandeur of this granite monument allured me, like an eloquent hymn in stone. An expression of the wealth, glory, and artistic sensibility and expression of the emperor Rajaraja 1 (King of Kings) of Chola Kingdom, it took seven years to build. (1003-1010 AD. The temple complex is considered the foremost architectural creations produced in the world prior to the twentieth century. The central temple including its subsidiary shrines and gateways (gopuras) are testimony to the greatness of Rajaraja 1. Preceding the temple are two gateways. The temple tower is the highest reaching 216 ft (66 m). A bulbous structure at the top is carved out of a single...

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