INDIA IS MY COUNTRY and all Indians are my brothers and sistersall Indians are familiar with this oath taken in schools. But only in Gujarat, it is taken seriously. For, all Gujarati men and women have their names suffixed with bhai (brother) and ben (sister), respectively. At times, even couples married or otherwise-call each other bhai and ben! We have a funny bone and know how to take a joke. We do not take much offense at the exaggerated and stereotypical portrayal in Hindi movies or serials; we just laugh at it. In mainstream Gujarati plays and movies, comedy is considered a safe and sure-shot formula.
We also know how to laugh at ourselves. Popular humorist Sairam Dave made a cracking observation: "We are a community that doesn't want heaven or hell after death. We just want the contract for a shop on the road connecting both! We are such a funny bunch that we always toast the soft bread and soften the hard toast by soaking it in hot tea or coffee!"
Denne historien er fra August 20, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
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Denne historien er fra August 20, 2023-utgaven av THE WEEK India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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What Will It Take To Clean Up Delhi Air?
IT IS ASKED, year after year, why Delhi’s air remains unbreathable despite several interventions to reduce pollution.
Trump and the crisis of liberalism
Although Donald Trump's election to a non-consecutive second term to the US presidency is not unprecedented—Grover Cleveland had done it in 1893—it is nevertheless a watershed moment.
Men eye the woman's purse
A couple of months ago, I chanced upon a young 20-something man at my gym walking out with a women’s sling bag.
When trees hold hands
A filmmaker explores the human-nature connect through the living root bridges
Ms Gee & Gen Z
The vibrant Anuja Chauhan and her daughter Nayantara on the generational gap in romance writing
Vikram Seth-a suitable man
Our golden boy of literature was the star attraction at the recent Shillong Literary Festival in mysterious Meghalaya.
Superman bites the dust
When my granddaughter Kim was about three, I often took her to play in a nearby park.
OLD MAN AND THE SEA
Meet G. Govinda Menon, the 102-year-old engineer who had a key role in surveying the Vizhinjam coast in the 1940s, assessing its potential for an international port
Managing volatility: smarter equity choices in uncertain markets
THE INDIAN STOCK MARKET has delivered a strong 11 per cent CAGR over the past decade, with positive returns for eight straight years.
Investing in actively managed low-volatility portfolios keeps risks at bay
AFTER A ROARING bull market over the past year, equity markets in the recent months have gone into a correction mode as FIIs go on a selling spree. Volatility has risen and investment returns are hurt.
