Jay Marathe's website I am back in London. My mobile number is +44 7547 295 183

During 2010/11 I went on a creative and charitable journey across India for a year, including Kerala, the central plains, the great north way and the mountains near Tibet. I did a little book-writing, worked on a film script, had some spiritual and meditative experiences, and worked for several charities. Here is my journal: NOV-DEC JAN-FEB MAR-APR MAY-JUN JUL-AUG SEP-OCT-NOV CHARITIES Journey begins Italy Amalfi coast Arriving Mumbai Grandma turns 90 Golden temple Decadence in Goa Doorstep school The gangster Life as a monk Family wedding Kerala paradise Kochi orphans Village living Hermit's lunch Colour festival Sacred forests Barefoot College Catching snakes Season of mangos Mountain railway Summer capital Tibet in exile Buddhist meditation Beauty of Kashmir On location Wedding talks Monsoon beaches Eco wildlife Freedom struggle Wildlife corridors Ear wax remover Sex workers Wild tigers Slum relocation Autumnal London Street schools Better Adoption Wildlife & forests Tribal healthcare Clean mountains Sex worker rights Earlier posts       Charities       London: End of a journey UK, Tue 8 Nov I return to the little wooden coffee shop on Monmouth Street that marked the start of my journey. This is where I first tasted the delicious freedom that opened up a world of experiences. I have been on an incredible journey, both external and internal. London continues its relentless march around me. London, crossroads of the world, with its abundance of opportunities, events, festivals, dance and music. London with its new ideas and its street fashion. Centre of opportunity for investors, film-makers, designers, writers and food-lovers. I have returned to my roots, slipped back into my old slot. Yet, somehow, everything has changed . . Autumnal England UK, Wed 2 Nov I return to England in the winter. I have left the heat, the warmth, the madness, the overwhelming presence of people and traffic and noise, the smells, tastes, colours and feelings of India. I experience first the loss of everything that surrounded me in India. Everything is clean, ordered, cold, and very very quiet. In London, everyone wears black. Then, slowly, one by one, the qualities of where I have come reveal themselves. The friends, the opportunities, the culture and richness of England. Mumbai: The best bar in the world Maharashtra, Mon 31 Oct Buzzing Mumbai, an Indian city with a great nighlife. I sit with my parents at what just might be the best bar in the world. Can't tell you where it is, of course. But I could take you there. . . Mumbai: Slum redevelopment Maharashtra, Sat 29 Oct Sunita bai used to live in a small tin hut on the banks of a filthy river in Juhu. In monsoons the black waters would reach inside her house creating dangerous conditions. But she was close to an abundance of jobs as a maid and cook in the flats of Mumbai. Then, her slum was cleared by the municipal corporation. Each resident was offered a new flat or financial compensation. She likes the flat she has been given in Dahisar, but it is a one hour commute to the places where she can get work. The new accomodation looks attractive compared to her previous room. But is Mumbai creating the lower class ghettos of the future, just as we saw with the soul-less concrete towers of council housing in the London of the 1960s? Photos: (1) Sunitabai works as a maid and cook in affluent areas close to the slum where she used to live. (2) Slums look rickety and dirty, but house hard-working families and businesses that can't afford Mumbai's sky-high rents (3) Slum redevelopment projects result in citizens being moved to densely populated concrete flats often hours from where they used to live. A tribute to incredible India Wed 26 Oct 2011 My year in India is coming to an end. I will be travelling to Mumbai on 27th October and onwards to London on 1st November. This photo album is a tribute to the incredible beauty and warmth of India . . Full photo set: Incredible India! Tadoba: Clearing plastic waste near the jungle Maharashtra, Fri 21 Oct The place where we stay is a building site for a new hotel close to the wild buffer zone. Animals cross the fields at night. But, as in much of India, the site is littered with plastic waste. India is unbelievably beautiful but also horribly dirty. Can we make a difference? At night, I show the workers a presentation on the beauty of India and the impact of plastic waste. We make a commitment to build an environmentally friendly resort. Next afternoon, workers join in to create designated litter areas and clear the site of plastic ! Photos: (1) Dusk. Cooking dinner on a wood fire. The mood is right, the moment is right. I show some slides with pictures of incredible India and how the environment is impacted by plastic waste. We jointly commit to making a difference. (2) Next morning, workers unite to clear the site of waste. (3) Work done, we dance around one of designated litter spots ! Tadoba: On tiger's tail Maharashtra, Thu 20 Oct I stay with my Nagpur friend Shashank on a 20ft high wooden platform above the jungles of Tadoba. Facilities are minimal - bathe at a handpump, go to toilet in the fields .Post monsoon, the jungles are lush green and the grasses high - it will be hard to see many animals in the greenery. But we strike lucky and follow a tigress at walking pace for half a kilometre . . . Photos: (1) We sleep on a 20ft high wooden platform to stay safe from wild animals at night. (2) A sambar deer is alert, ears turned in the direction of danger (3) Magnificent, breathtaking. A tigress pads before of us, marking her territory. Females only mark territory when they are pregnant. Nagpur: Improving conditions for sex workers Maharashtra, Tue 18 Oct Nagpur's red light district dates back to the dancing girls of the Bhosla king. For nine years, Rambhau Ingole led a society for the protection of sex workers, often surrounding the police station with teams of sex workers demanding rights and protection. His tales are rich with insider knowledge. Today, Rambhau runs a hostel providing a family upbringing and education for 38 children of sex workers. I also meet a foreign charity that campaigns to rescue minors forced into prostitution. Where minors are found, the charity provides details to the police and carries out joint raids. Then, they follow the case for as long as it takes until prosecution of the brothel owner. In addition, they provide a lifelong commitment to the wellbeing and rehabilitation of the girl. Rescue, Restoration, Justice. Their next raid will take place in Nagpur in a couple of days . . . Photos: Many sex workers start young against their will, and come from backgrounds of poverty or from communities where girls are dedicated to the goddess Yellama. (Pictures are from third parties. For reasons of safety, I did not take my own pictures in the area). Nagpur: Scouting film locations Maharashtra, Mon 10 Oct A black vehicle pulls up to a dusty town square. A film crew gets out and starts scoping the site for light, angles and setting. Director and writer Tejas V Deoskar is producing a Nagpur based story that promises to make it big. I travel around with the crew scouting locations and making useful movie contacts. Photos: (1) LIGHTS: Check levels. This new indoor facility could work for some of the scenes. (2) CAMERA: Think space. Where will the actors be placed? We imagine the scene with hundreds of extras. (3) ACTION: Exit stage right. Can this square be the setting for the formative experiences of our heros? Nagpur: Gowinda of the caste of ear-wax removers Maharashtra, Tue 4 Oct I go to Kamptee near Nagpur in search of the ancient creed of ear-wax removers. Gowinda Nadé sits me down in a hovel, and tells me the story of his lineage. A splash of dettol, a few drops of ayurvedic oil, a little bit of washing and scraping and, hey presto, I can hear him clearly now ! Photos: (1) Gowinda lives in a small room with a few members of his family (2) His box of tricks doesn't look too hygienic (3) The community gathers round in curiosity. Hairdressing salons of India Maharashtra, Sun 2 Oct I am spending the month of October in Nagpur. It's time to appreciate the simple things. A cloth awning, a tin shed, an old rusting bicycle. Hairdressing salons are resourceful, colourful and a rich part of India's landscape. Jain temples of Muktagiri Maharashtra, Thu 29 Sep Muktagiri is a picture of abundant nature with its forested valley and high waterfall. I walk with my uncle to the top of the falls, passing dozens of temples in white against the lush green backdrop. Photos: (1) Complex of temples before the falls. (2) The way to the next temple. (3) A school trip. Historical professions of Nagpur Maharashtra, Fri 23 Sep Of the numerous crafts and trades recorded in the Nagpur census of 1826, many are alive and well on the streets of Nagpur today. Photos: (1) The trader of antiques (2) The teller of fortunes (3) The wandering medecine man (4) Wrestlers of the Bhosla king History of Nagpur Maharashtra, Wed 21 Sep I visit well known writer, historian and former head of the history department, Dr. B.R.Andharé to uncover a little of Nagpur's history. Photos: (1) Dr. Andharé digs into the archives to reveal the history of Nagpur city. (2) The sun sets over Shivaji, the great maratha hero. (3) A set of circular playing cards for the lesser known game of 'Ganjifa' from the royal Bhoslé court. The game features suits for the ten avatars of Vishnu. Here you can find such delights as the six of turtles, the seven of fish and the ace of dwarves (waman-purush). Goa with cousins Goa, Sun 11 Sep A group of eight come to join the fun in Goa for a weekend. Cousins from my mothers side with their families. A weekend of swimming, paddling in the sea and Goan culture. Parambikulam: Protecting wildlife corridors Kerala, Mon 5 Sep I am back at the Parambikulam wildlife reserve, learning about the protection of wildlife corridors across the rich forested expanses of the Western ghats. Photos: (1) We stay at a tree-top hut on the banks of watering hole. (2) Wild elephants. (3) A serpent eagle. Alleppey: Boating the Kerala back-waters Kerala, Sat 3 Sep We take a canoe for a day along the back-waters. A fisherman casts his net. A pond heron hunts. Children run to school along the banks of the canal. A cormorant dries his wings. Alleppey: Tropical Paradise Kerala, Fri 2 Sep I travel with a friend to the tropical paradise of Alleppey on the waters of Wembanad Lake. Beauty is all around us. Photos: (1) Krishna plays the flute on a lotus pool. (2) The ornate tables of a café on the banks of Wembanad lake. (3) Shiva at a small waterside temple. Goa: India's second great freedom struggle Goa, Thu 25 Aug Corruption, the ugly rot at the heart of India's system. Anti-corruption campaigner Anna Hazaré has stirred a nationwide series of protests in support of a strong and independent anti-corruption body. The people are fed up, the politicians aren't keen to change. It's India's second great freedom struggle. I join the campaign at Madgao. Photos: (1) A proud citizen wears an Anna Hazare cap outside a fruit stall. (2) A young boy in Anna dress leads the protest march in Madgao. (2) Campaigners gather outside the headquarters of the Madgao municipal corporation. Parambikulam: Eco-aware wildlife reserve Kerala, Tue 16 Aug The Parambikulam wildlife reserve provides jobs and incomes to local tribal families so they benefit from carefully managed eco-tourism and are incentivised to prevent poaching and preserve wildlife. Photos: (1) A tribal lady runs a teashop where tourists stop just before boating. (2) Bananas at the local grocery store (3) A boatman paddles a bamboo raft on the beautifully serene Parambikulam lake Goa in the monsoon Goa, Fri 12 Aug The sweeping sands of Cavelossim Beach. Great storm clouds gather, whipping up the waves. We run to a fisherman's hut for shelter. Tropical rain for ten minutes, then calm returns. Photos: Cavelossim Beach Goa: The Benaulim Resort Goa, Wed 10 Aug Off season in the beach state of Goa. I settle down for a month of book writing. My first week is in a luxury resort, courtesy of a generous uncle who is a member. Photos: (1) Motorcycle taxis ply the streets of Madgao (2) & (3) Royal Palms Resort, Benaulim Nagpur: Gather thoughts Maharastra, Wed 27 Jul I am resting in Nagpur before the next trip. Photos: (1) At the Uttam haircutting salon, I take a haircut with refreshing head, shoulder and neck massage. Total cost £1.10 (2) A signboard predicts my future (3) I get my Aadhar identity card at a makeshift local centre. On a massively distributed scale, one billion indians are voluntarily queuing up across the country to have their iris scan, fingerprints and details taken for the new universal ID. Amrawti: The wedding talks Maharashtra, Sat 23 Jul Cousin Adhiraj will get married to Utpala ! I travel up to Amrawti with mum and an aunt to represent the family at the wedding talks. It's a 'love' marriage - the bride and groom met and agreed it themselves. Utpala took some months to gather courage and tell her mother about this romance. Then, everything went quiet as mother took a while to come round. And now a breakthrough - Utpala, her parents and aunt are coming by overnight bus from Puné to meet the groom's parents. Look, here they are now . . . Photos: (1) The wedding talks take place over a warm snack of flaked rice. How many guests will each party bring? Venues? Which senior relatives will be given gifts as a mark of honour and respect? How much gold will the bride come with? Which gold ornaments will the groom's family provide? (2) Grandma charms the bride's parents. (3) And it is agreed. Utpala is annointed before a purifying flame of ghee. On location: Rural Rajasthan Rajasthan, Sun 17 Jul The script team moves to the villages of the Rajasthan hills. Brooding monsoon weather creates an atmospheric backdrop for the second act. Photos: (1) The day begins with yoga on the terrace surrounded by forest and mountains (2) Dark clouds gather on the hills around Silised Lake (3) What ideas will we find in the cupboard today ? On location: Rural Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh, Thu 14 Jul The script team moves to rural India, staying with a boisterous and characterful joint family in a simple village among fields of barley. Wierd and wonderful things happen to us. It is almost as if the movie is writing itself ! Photos: (1) EXTERIOR. COURTYARD. DAY. Strangers arrive in the village, arousing much curiosity. (2) INTERIOR. TEMPLE. DAY. Seeking solace, our heroine sits alone by the village temple. (3) Seated on cots outside the temple, two script-writers work on their Macbooks. On location: Urban New Delhi Delhi, Sun 10 Jul I am working on a movie script ! Two professional script writers are helping me, one from Europe and one from India. Both are here with me now, experiencing first hand the type of locations in the story - urban and rural. First stop: New Delhi Photos: (1) EXTERIOR. SECRETARIAT. DAY. An old ministerial car pulls out of North Block. The wheels of power are in motion. (2) EXTERIOR. JANTAR MANTAR. DAY. Pensive, our hero sits down, his silhouette framed by the striking monuments. (3) INTERIOR. ITALIAN CAFE. NIGHT. A chance encounter. Two characters hatch an idea. NOV-DEC JAN-FEB MAR-APR MAY-JUN JUL-AUG SEP-OCT-NOV CHARITIES Earlier posts       Charities