Meet Pallavi Singh
:
If you are an expat in Delhi, one of your first survival tasks is to pick up a little bit of Hindi, at least “rickshaw Hindi”. A very Humbling experience. Even just “rickshaw” Hindi.
I first met Pallavi when I attempted learning Hindi in group classes offered to teachers and community members at the American Embassy School.
She quickly became my cultural interpreter for all things India: the Caste system; arranged marriages vs. love marriages; the life of a Delhiite. She served as my guide to local Delhi cafes and favorite hangouts, including the original India Coffee House and traditional snack places around Connaught Square, some that predate India’s independence. She accompanied my visiting family members on shopping expeditions in Chandni Chowk, INA market, and other daunting local favorites, helping with the necessary haggling process.
Pallavi is keenly aware that expats experience a fraction of what Delhi is all about, and that without a native’s perspective, they (we) may only scratch the surface of the depth that is incredible India.
Old Delhi is one of those areas that can be especially intimidating to many foreigners, with its narrow streets, quivering rickshaws, ubiquitous monkeys, loud hawkers, persistent touts, and belligerent hustlers.
At the same time, that part of Delhi offers a treasure trove of culture and heritage that Pallavi aims to make accessible to expats, and it is for that purpose that she organized a curated evening at the recently renovated Kathika Cultural Center Havali.
The evening began at a meeting point where cars dropped us off to meet David, a representative from the Kathika Cultural Center, who connected us with our complementary rickshaw rides to the Haveli. Pallavi received us there, along with the staff and founder of the center, Mr. Atul Khanna. After some time to connect with Pallavi’s other fellow students, 23 in all, we were given a tour of the Haveli. In pure Kathika (storyteller) fashion, Mr. Khanna related different anecdotes about the place and the objects therein. Many photos hung on the walls from the historic Mahatta and company Photographers, established in 1915. Rajasthani Jaali (latticework) pieces adorned the walls, served as partitions, and hung from ceilings. Japanese Majolica tiles hugged columns and the flooring was restored to give it a period feel. (Meet Mr. Atul Khanna in the next post).
After the tour, we were treated to a music and dance show.
Rauf Mohd on the Sarangi and Kamleshwar Prasad on the Tabla.
Sree Bandyopadhyay presented dances in Kathak style, one of them a traditional song in praise of Krishna as the sweetest - “Madhuram, Madhuram”.
The evening ended with a dinner, handpicked by Pallavi, from specific places in Old Delhi that specialize in each item served. The gulab Jamun was the best I’ve had so far! (And I’ve had MANY).
The presenter from the cultural center introduced Pallavi with the following words that sum up her passions and expertise:
“Pallavi Singh is a Hindi language trainer at core. But really, she is much more than that. She is a “Delhi and Culture aficionado” who has a knack for identifying and discussing cultural components with an ingenuity. Having traveled extensively nationally and internationally and worked with people from all across the globe; she is a “desi-preneur” at heart – teaching, curating walks, exploring, studying, launching businesses ranging from food products to sari lines. Pallavi has been in touch with Kathika since almost half a year (shortly after its launch) and we’re very happy to be collaborating with her on the first of many more events we shall be curating together.”
Videos about Pallavi
If you have succeeded in learning Hindi, here is a 45 minute Guftagoo with Pallavi that highlights her linguistic pedagogy. Even if you can’t follow the Hindi, you will get the gist of the video content about this talented and passionate professional. Here is a TED Talk Pallavi gave in English on how language serves as a tool for social inclusion entitled Breaking The Language Barrier. Here is another Video that follows the evolution of her career - warning: Only watch it if you are not from Mumbai :)
Comments
Post a Comment