Tulshibaug

That day, Tulshibaug was a stroke of luck. We set out with our cameras early morning after finishing the Mandai shoot. Though I have been to this market umpteen times, I’ve never noticed the small details which now are hidden and lost amidst concrete buildings, huge banners and street vendors. The buzz starts early in the morning and continues till late at night; the economical slowdown doesn't seem to have affected this part of the world. Perched in the centre of Tulshibaug is a Ram Mandir which was a pleasant surprise to us. The beautiful texture of the wood was resplendent in the morning sun.

Devotees streamed in as it was one of the most important days of year -Kartiki Ekadashi. But the serenity was undisturbed...I really thanked people for that! Those who have been to Tulshibaug and Ram Mandir have surely seen those utensil shops around both (I am unable to figure out as to why is this THE strategic place to sell kitchen utensils? Can anyone take a shot at this please?) Since we were early we could actually get slightly long shots of the 'Kalas'.

After our photo shoot we were strolling around; that’s when we noticed a signboard 'Nagar Khana' towards the north gate and a gentleman curiously looking at us through the window. We were unsure of what to do next but the greed to know more drove us towards his place.

 We were greeted with a very warm welcome by the Lonkars - a family of musicians and artists carrying the tradition of 'Sanai Chowghada' for five generations from 1762 for every major religious event. We spent a long time chatting with Mr. Suresh Lonkar and his two daughters Dhanashri and Komal who are studying fine arts. We wondered how they managed to keep this tradition alive and sincerely hope they carry it on in future too. It certainly takes lot of effort and swimming against the tide and a kind of stubborn perseverance to do something like this when the returns are negligible or none at all. The Lonkars are such heros who contribute to the rich tradition quietly and are content to do so. Their beautiful smiles say it all.

The discovery of the day was the beautiful tile painting hidden behind 'Vitthal Mandir' where geese reside now. The colors are so fresh and the faces so emotive...this depicts a 'Ram Panchyat' the five Panch being Ram, Laxman, Garuda, Narad and Tumbharu. That was quite a lot for the day wasn't it?