The Curious Case of Chand Baori

Honestly, I didn't even know this place existed till a colleague shared a Wikipedia link. We virtually discovered this site as we were hunting for some sight-seeing options for an upcoming kick-off meeting in Jaipur.
I clicked on the link and there it was - Chand Baori, the beauty in its full splendor. A structure so Magnifique yet not known to many.

Chand Baori

To those uninitiated like me (and I know that would mean many) Chand Baori is a step-well tucked 95 km away from the city of Jaipur. It is quietly ensconced in the village of Abhaneri which used to be called as Abha Nagri (city of brightness) in the Dausa district of Rajasthan state in India.

As the pictures of Chand Baori steadily downloaded on my laptop screen,  I went into a state of wide-eyed stupor (if there is an expression like that). Like an excited kid, I jumped from one web link to another wanting to source more details about this hidden wonder. And by the end of this virtual journey, I was left dizzy looking at the geometrical patterns formed by 3500 steps in this deep well. If this place could look so intriguing in pictures, wonder how fascinating it would be in person.
And that's how my friends, Chand Baori became part of our itinerary under the ''Free Time'' scheduled on the third and last day of our stay in Jaipur.

Constructed in 800 AD, Chand Baori has 13 stories and 100 feet depth with perfect symmetrical narrow steps enveloped around it. It was built by the King named Chanda or Chandra of the Nikhumbha dynasty. As is apparent, the step-well was named after the King who built it. By the way, Baori or Baodi means well.

Handful of tourists walking around the well

One of the largest step-wells in the world, Chand Baori was built to conserve water and provide a respite from the intense heat. It was a community gathering place for locals as well as royals. The temperature is known to drop by 4-5 degrees as you walk to the bottom of the well. The steps surround the well on three sides while the fourth side has a set of pavilions built one atop another.

The well area has been cordoned off with a iron railing and one cannot go down its steps. Apparently, there was an accident and since then the entry to go down the steps has been restricted. Rightly so, as I cannot imagine anyone maneuvering through these steep narrow steps without feeling dizzy. Except of course for Bruce Wayne, alter ego of Bat Man who was shown to have used these steps to walk up in a scene in the Christopher Nolan film, The Dark Knight Rises.

The fourth side which had rooms for the royalty

The neatly stacked steps, the precise geometrical patterns, the sculptures surrounding the well, the depth, the architectural expertise, the mathematical genius and the logic behind building this well built a long time ago, in 800 AD. Truly mind-boggling!

How could such a jaw-dropping beauty as old as 1200 years, not be known to many? I wondered! Such a rare beauty much older than the Taj Mahal (by a cool 800 years) and Khajuraho temples (by 150 years) sadly lies obscure and hidden when it should be getting UNESCO recognition and busloads of visitors.
Visitors, it gets but largely foreigners and not many Indians.

The irony is, though the entrance says ASI (The Archaeological Survey of India) recognizes it as a heritage monument, there is no entrance fee charged to get in. Would you believe!
Also, to me it looked like the local villagers seem to double up as makeshift gate-keepers of this hidden gem.
To make things even more curious, there is not a single detailed informative board to explain the history of the monument.

It appears as though ASI has attempted to retrieve some of the intricate sculptures here but somehow I felt that this place deserved a much better treatment.

As a marketing professional, I could not help drawing parallels with the basic foundation of the Marketing Mix. I realized that though the Product (monument) is great what we clearly lack is the other 3 Ps. Promotion (and Packaging), Price (Value) and Place (Infrastructure/Amenities) in the 4 Ps of Marketing. And that's sadly true for many of the great historical structures and monuments around India.

Funnily, I also realized how much little information was available on the world wide web about this fascinating architectural marvel. Besides the raving blog posts by tourists who have visited this place earlier not much official information was forthcoming. Even the Rajasthan Tourism website does not say much about this hidden wonder except for a short paragraph and a wonderfully photo-shopped image of the Chand Baori. That's it!
Can't believe! Chk this out! http://tourism.rajasthan.gov.in/30/chand-baori

Restoration work of many sculptures done by ASI  lies in this long corridor near the well

Someone who is proud of her country's heritage, history and culture, (like millions of Indians) I wish Chand Baori and many such monuments of architectural and historical significance across India get much more attention and conservation efforts than they have received so far. And I am not even talking about the infrastructure and amenities available (or rather unavailable) at such wondrous places.
Truly, Chand Baori is one of the oldest and deepest step-wells in India, and it deserves to be on the tourist map and itinerary of anyone who visits Rajasthan and Jaipur. It needs to be talked about, written about, promoted and well-preserved. A monument as old as this with no entrance fee does not forebode well for its long, sustainable, and healthy existence.

In this case specifically, I could not fathom how this step-well has survived for so long in spite of the borderline ''step-motherly'' treatment (no pun intended).

And then it occurred to me.

Right next to Chand Baori is a 9th-10th-century temple dedicated to Harshat Mata, goddess of joy and happiness for the whole village. The only constant companion (it appears) who has provided good cheer and stood by this heritage monument for centuries has been this Goddess temple.

The part of me which believes in divine interventions and mystic connections seems to have finally unraveled the curious case of Chand Baori's long survival.

Or at least I would like to believe so! (Until logic prevails)

Harshat Mata Temple - Goddess of Joy and Happiness

(Final note - Chand Baori is just a case in point. I must say it stands off better than quite a few long-lost architectural and historical wonders strewn across India. There are many marvels which are hidden and crying for attention. This blog post is to draw attention to all those magical and historical monuments which have not got their due respect and recognition.)

Getting To The He(art) Of The Matter | Musings Of A Marketer

January 2017
It is a Friday evening, and here I am sitting in the cozy dining area of the Kulkarni's residence, discussing with them how to spend my tomorrow, i.e., a Saturday morning exploring Philadelphia. Among the many options, they are suggesting is a visit to the Barnes Foundation, home to one of the world's most magnificent collections of paintings by Renoir, Matisee, Picasso, Van Gogh and many other iconic painters. A strong recommendation by both the husband and wife. For someone who does not have an artistic bent of mind, nor a single artist bone, my first thought is, ''Museum...blah. How boring!''. (I know my friends will forgive me for sharing this here!)

Thankfully, the voices in our heads do not come with a sound amplifier. 

I conveniently filter out that option and show my eagerness to hear about other exciting alternatives from them. 

After much deliberation, the eagerness and enthusiasm of Kulkarni's coupled with the curious keeda inside me, get the better of the art-skeptic side of me. By the end of the discussion, I have decided to visit the Barnes Museum after all. Just FYI, this was the same me, who, while on holiday in Amsterdam a couple of years ago had walked passed the Van Gogh museum on many occasions without even casting a second glance at it.
The same me was now ready to spend almost half a day in an Art Museum. 

Change of he(art)!

October 2017 (Nine months later)
Here I am, sitting at home on a Saturday morning, lending the final brush strokes to Farmhouse in Provence, which is my sixth feeble attempt to ape Van Gogh's iconic oil painting. Nine months back if you had asked me to draw or paint, I would have brushed it off as a joke. And much worse, if I were asked to replicate the famous art pieces of Van Gogh (pronounced as Van Go), the situation would be close to painting myself into a corner (metaphorically, of course!).

Honestly, I counted myself among the artistically challenged who would be happy to pat their own back for drawing an exact ''round'' circle at the first attempt. And today, I am sitting at my desk with five paintings in watercolors (albeit, extremely rudimentary versions) safely tucked inside the drawer. This neophyte is now finishing off the sixth from Van Gogh's repertoire in nine short months. 
All this was a huge revelation not just for me but also for all those who knew about my artistic ability (or rather the lack of it). 

So why am I sharing this with you? '
Well, for starters, this post is not about ''showing off'' a wannabe dabbler's interpretations of Van Gogh nor her newfound interest.
This post is about how a change in human behaviors occurs. Yes, you got that right! Nothing to do with the art or painting.

As I looked back on the last nine months, I wondered how I got the initiative to take up painting when there was not a single iota of interest in the field of art. So here I am trying to deconstruct it here, lest the learning fades into oblivion.

Musings of a Marketer who stumbled on an interesting human behavior model
As part of the regular internet reads on marketing management and human behavior I had in the recent past stumbled upon The Fogg Behavior Model (FBM). A fascinating model that helps to understand how a change in human behaviors occurs. It helps in creating Persuasive Design and useful for UX designers or marketers or for anyone who is interested in studying human behavior.  

It explains how three elements viz. Motivation, Ability, and Trigger must converge at the same moment for a behavior to occur. When a targeted action does not happen, it means at least one of those three elements is missing. 

I thought let me understand this theory to understand the change in my behavior more clearly. In my case, the difference in behavior was the apparent fact that I had taken up watercolor painting with a zeal like never before. And as I mentioned earlier, painting never occurred to me anytime in the three decades of life that had passed... the phase which came after school (where drawing meant a mandatory homework). Even in those days, the assignments were outsourced to the sister or mom. As is apparent, I did not consider myself artistically inclined at all. 

So how come this penchant for watercolor painting now!

What were the three elements as per The Fogg Behavior Model (FBM), i.e., Trigger, Motivation and Ability that made this change in my behavior?

After much mulling over, I concluded that my Motivation was the immense pleasure of doing a challenging activity which was new to me, and to prove myself that even this can be done. And in the whole process, creating my versions of Van Gogh paintings (yes, no other painter, only Van Gogh). 

The Trigger was my visit to the Barnes Foundation and hearing and knowing in detail Van Gogh's moving life story** for the first time. 

What was left was the element of Ability. 
FBM elaborates that ability is nothing but six elements of simplicity. 

1. Time - Does it require little time or a lot of time?
2. Money - Does it require less money or lot of money?
3. Physical Effort - Does it require less physical effort or is it exhausting?
4. Brain Cycles (Mental Effort) - Is it less mentally fatiguing or more challenging?
5. Social Deviance - is it socially acceptable or isn’t?
6. Non-Routine - Is it routine or isn't?

If it requires little time, less money, less physical effort, less mentally fatiguing, is socially acceptable and is a routine activity, then it gives you complete ability to change behavior with motivation and trigger also being present.

In all the six cases that I decided to create my interpretation of Van Gogh's paintings, motivation and trigger was always there, time was the only element which was a variable factor and in short supply. Rest of the five elements were not an issue at all.
So when time was available, it increased my ability to pick up the brush and get those six paintings done.

FBM also shows that motivation and ability can be traded off (e.g., if motivation is very high, ability can be low) for behavior change to happen. If you have a strong motivation, you can overcome the lack of your abilities and still create a change in behavior with a trigger.

Now just apply this model to anything in life and one can create a positive change in behavior just by ensuring that the three elements of motivation, ability, and trigger are present at the same time.

As a marketer, I think this is a fantastic model for persuasion and creating a change in the behavior of the customer to purchase your product or service. 

Firstly, it is a useful model in the age of disruption and instant online purchases where all of us are perpetually living in a world of persuasion.
Also, a relevant model in times when a marketer's enemy is not just it's competitive product but even the customer's fragmented attention. 

So given these circumstances, how can we as marketers encourage our target audience to take the desired action?
First, check whether the six elements of simplicity are being addressed to increase his/her ability to take necessary action. 
Second, check how we can influence his/her motivation by using the appropriate core motivators (in the diagram above - pleasure/pain, hope/fear, acceptance/rejection) and putting them into force. 
And the finally Trigger element. How do we wisely use Google analytics, do contextual brand promotions or re-marketing at the right time (when customer is motivated and also able to perform the behavior) to produce the target behavior.

In conclusion, I can say that this model is great to understand more clearly about human behavior, why we are not able to achieve intended outcomes, how we can channel our energies more effectively and how it can be used for persuading users to make the target behavior.

If interested, more details on the model can be found here 
http://www.mebook.se/images/page_file/38/Fogg%20Behavior%20Model.pdf 

**Story of Vincent Van Gogh (in brief)
Vincent van Gogh is considered the greatest Dutch painter after Rembrandt, although he remained poor and virtually unknown throughout his life. Vincent Willem van Gogh (March 30, 1853 to July 29, 1890) was a post-impressionist painter whose work, notable for its beauty, emotion, and color, highly influenced 20th-century art. He struggled with mental illness, and remained poor and virtually unknown throughout his life. Van Gogh died in France at age 37 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Though he completed more than 2,100 works, consisting of 860 oil paintings and more than 1,300 watercolors, drawings and sketches, he sold only one painting in his lifetime. Several of his paintings now rank among the most expensive in the world; "Irises" sold for a record $53.9 million, and his "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" sold for $82.5 million. A few of Van Gogh’s most well-known artworks include: The Starry Night, Sunflowers and Self-portraits. (Source: https://www.biography.com)

And here are my six humble attempts to recreate Van Gogh's master pieces and the reason I wrote the blog on behavior change.

Terrace and Observation Deck at the Moulin de Blute-Fin, Montmartre, early 1887

The Bedroom, 1889

Houses and Figure (1890)

Houses at Auvers, 1890

La Mousme, 1888

Farmhouse in Provence (1888)

Yoga and the Art of Project Management

A funny thing happened in our Yoga class today. After an intense hour of maneuvering through Tadasana, Trikonasana, Virabhadrasana (all Yoga postures/asanas) and what have you, it was time for all to do the Shavasana. For the uninitiated, Shavasan is the pause mode in Yoga before you finally wind up your session. It is lying down on your back with eyes closed and focusing on slow and gentle breathing. Though it seems to be the easiest, I must tell you; it is the most difficult of all poses.

It is resting the body for five to ten (or more) minutes in a corpse like pose. However, for some newbies (sometimes even regulars) what typically happens is exactly the opposite. Though their body is in rested state, it is the mind that keeps wandering from one thought to another. While for other beginners it is something else. Like it happened today morning.

Initially, it was a faint sound of a deep breath, and then slowly and gradually it grew into a loud sonorous sound. It was a reverberation of someone snoring just a few meters away. An elderly gentleman instead of counting his breath had moved to counting sheep that too quite effortlessly. A sense of déjà vu along with a faint smile crept upon me as I lay there motionless on the floor with my eyes closed. And in that exact moment, as contrary, as it may sound, I had an eye-opening moment. I could not help but think of the many uncanny similarities between Yoga and Project Management. The two topics are completely divergent but yet so similar.

So, before my willowy thoughts could have me in twists just like in Yoga, I have decided to pour them out here in a blog post.

For a yoga enthusiast who works for a non-profit organization for the advocacy of project management profession, here are the ten reasons why I think both these two seemingly unrelated disciplines are quite alike.

1. Both exist since time immemorial
Yoga’s origin is rooted in India, and it has existed since thousands of years ago. We all know that! Modern project management may have been born in the western world and that too in the past century but project management as a discipline has been present since the existence of Mohenjo-Daro (one of the world's earliest major cities), Great Pyramids of Giza and Great Wall of China. 

Mohenjo-Daro civilzation

The Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt

The Great Wall of China

2. Global and Agnostic in nature
Though Yoga originated in India, it is not Hindu in nature. Likewise, modern project management is not a western world concept. Both are globally accepted, used and practiced. While one is religion agnostic, the other is industry agnostic. There will be different methodologies and new variations, but the principles remain same.

3. While Yoga is the union of Body, Mind, and Soul, Project Management is bringing together technical skills, leadership, and business management skills
It is a misconception that Yoga is only about getting into pretzel knots, doing head stands or mind-boggling postures. It is actually about achieving balance in physical, mental and spiritual health. Yoga does not end when you get off the yoga mat and step out of the class. It is a holistic journey. Besides our postures, it is about watching our breath; it is about meditation, control over our thoughts and focusing on total well-being.
The same way Project management is not just about technical skills and knowing how to use tools and templates. It is also important to have leadership skills and business intelligence. In today’s increasingly complex and competitive global marketplace it is imperative for a project manager to have a business bent of mind to get the bigger picture and understand how each project fits into the entire strategic journey of his/her organization. In project management parlance it is called as the ideal skill set or the Talent Triangle.

                       

4. Mastery over both needs practice and discipline
Both should regularly be practiced and with a disciplined approach to have mastery over them. It is not something which can be done one day and forgotten the next day. If I miss a few yoga classes, my yoga teacher does not teach me new asanas until I revisit and practice what was already taught in previous classes. I have to start from scratch, get the foundation postures right and then only move ahead to the new posture. So is the case with project management, one must keep abreast of the new techniques, practices, and methodologies especially in this fast-changing dynamic world while at the same time being in touch with the discipline on a day to day basis.

5. Processes, Rules and Structure

Both have an entire body of knowledge dedicated to them. There are step by step procedures; there are certain rules on why, when, where, and how to follow them. So also there is a framework for Yoga as well as Project Management which tells you the WHAT aspect of both disciplines.

6. Principles of Yoga and Knowledge Areas of Project Management

Just as Yoga has ten principles, project management has ten principles which are critical to understand.

Ten Yoga Principles	Ten Project Management Principles
Non-violence	Projects are unique and a temporary endeavor meant to achieve an objective
Truthfulness	Code of Ethics
Righteousness	Project Charter to decide what will comprise in that project
Wisdom	Consider technical as well as soft skills while forming project team
Simplicity	Risks and complexity in projects will always be there. Have a backup plan.
Worship of the spiritual goal	Cost, Time and Quality are co-dependent
Sacrifice the ego	Cannot underestimate the importance of managing stakeholders
Self-discipline	Follow processes
Reading	Keep abreast of latest technology, trends and techniques
Contentment	Celebrate success or achievement of important milestones

7. In both, we can use tools to facilitate the whole exercise but success eventually depends on the practitioner

In Yoga, you are provided tools to facilitate a difficult stretch or to get the correct posture especially if you are a beginner. So also in project management, there are tools and templates to assist a project manager in planning or executing his/her project. All said and done; it is up to each practitioner how well they make use of the available tools to achieve their goal.

8. It is a slow and steady journey

In Yoga and Project Management one can’t expect instant results. It is unlike an allopathy medicine or a pill which can provide a quick cure or remedy. It is a gradual process and for its effects to show it takes time. It could be weeks and sometimes many months, but the effects are far-reaching. 

9. Stable and yet flexible and agile.

Both disciplines teach its practitioners how to be stable when required and at the same time prepare them for any change. 
In Yoga, there are certain situations which require you to be steady and relaxed, viz. meditation process and then there are other areas where one is expected to be agile and flexible.
In the current VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) world, it is essential that project managers understand the importance of being flexible, agile and adaptable. These are the characteristics which we should nurture within us if we have to progress in these ever-changing times.

10. Shavaasan and Closing Process

Shavasana is considered trivial by the uninformed yoga practitioners and hence not seriously practiced at the end of a yoga session. Many tend to skip out early as they have not understood the full benefits of this asana. The objective is to relax the body and mind so that you may fully assimilate the benefits of your asana practice. Likewise, same is the case with the Closing Process in project management. It is not considered as important as other processes in project management. Shavasana and Closing Stage – both which are meant to be a culmination of the venture as a whole, provide the same benefits.

The first benefit being observation. Yoga and Project Management both help you to reflect, introspect and observe all that has happened, how it has affected us and helped gain a better perspective. Both are excellent stages for honest observation. The second benefit being clarity. It helps us to rationalize our thoughts, feel lighter, be more focused and get ready for what lays ahead. For e.g. in project management, one creates a ‘’Lessons learned’’ document in the closing process stage. This paper is highly essential before moving on to the next project. It is created so that we don’t repeat the same mistakes of the past and document the project learnings for consumption of others.


Last but not the least, according to me, yoga and project management are life skills and their benefits are extensive and far-reaching which can be reaped for generations together. And more so, if they are taught when young, they can be of immense help to the young students. While Yoga contributes to instilling a sense of discipline in an individual and helps channelize spiritual growth, project management benefits can be reaped not just by a person or society or organization but even by the nation as a whole.
I sincerely urge schools and colleges to look at these two knowledge areas and disciplines as a must-have for students as well as teachers.
Likewise, I sincerely urge the state and central government to regularize and institutionalize Yoga and Project Management discipline in school/colleges and industry respectively.
In fact, as a nation, if there are concerted efforts to institutionalize these two disciplines and we invest in training, skilling, and certification, we have the potential to become the richest in human resources and even the biggest exporter of yoga/project management talent to countries around the world.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author completely and do not necessarily reflect the position or thoughts of the organization the author is employed with.

A Visit to a Market and a Museum in Philadelphia

In January this year, I visited Philly (Philadelphia) for the 6th time in maybe as many years.

Like in the past, I was here not as a tourist but on work.

However, not all my trips have I been fortunate to stay in the heart of this grand city. As my official visits are typically in and around the suburbs, my coming to the city has been rather rare. Moreover, most of these trips are just about week-long; a short duration, given the number of hours one spends flying into the US and nursing the jet lag syndrome.

But this time, I got lucky! Though the stay was just little over a week, the meetings were scheduled in a hotel right on Broad Street which is like the city center and to add to that I had one whole weekend to myself.

Broad Street with City Hall right up front

One of the many murals in Philadelphia

I usually try to explore the city I visit during free time, either on foot or using local transport. And savor the unique experiences it has to offer. Some of the moments are captured in below photos.

For instance, on my last visit here, I had a chance to soak in a rather spooky experience. I did the tour of Eastern State Penitentiary which was once upon a time the most famous and expensive prison in the world. Within its high walls, it held many of America's notorious criminals such as Al Capone. The prison closed in 1969; however, it remains a U.S. National Historic Landmark. It is now open to the public as a museum with walking tours. It was a rather unnerving experience as I walked along the dark prison cells with the audio set perched on my ears. It felt as if the walls that have been mute spectators to many gruesome sights in the past were trying to whisper their long-held secrets in my ears. That's when I wished I was not alone on this tour. Walking in the alleys between the rows of eerie looking prison cells seemed like trudging along a long dark, never ending road in the middle of a sultry night. And then, the animated voice over and the mysterious background music pouring through the earphones accentuated even further the degree of heebie-jeebies I was already feeling inside my stomach. Boy that was indeed a unique experience!

So this time as well, like in the past, I was ready to explore yet another fascinating facet of this eclectic city. And who better to ask for recommendations than my friends Sarvesh and Priscilla who have been residents here for many years now.

Over a dinner and many conversations, the two places which were strongly suggested by them were the Reading Terminal Market and The Barnes Foundation Museum.

A Market and Museum?! (I said to myself)

Though I love going to places which locals would, I was not thinking of these two at all. More so an art museum!

I don’t have a single brush stroke worth wielding in the arsenal of my ten stubby fingers (unlike my sister). Also, the last drawing or painting I drew seemed like a lifetime ago. And though I appreciate art, I would rather see it in a live expression such as plays, musical performances or movies.

An art museum, well….yawn! Or so I thought.

And a farmer’s market. How different can a market be from any other I had already been to? It will have the same vegetables, fruits (may be bigger in size given that it was in the US), meats and desserts and the usual stuff.

However, these two places felt like seemingly inviting proposition as my thoughts for a few seconds sauntered back to the prison tour etched firmly in my mind.

I finally decided to explore these two innocuous options much recommended by the Kulkarnis!

That's how you see my friends, a Market and a Museum became part of my itinerary on this trip. And the explorer in me is glad that they happened!

Reading Terminal Market

As soon as I entered through one of the entrances of this huge expanse of an indoor market, the kaleidoscope of myriad sights and smells immediately activated my olfactory system into overdrive. 

The delectably bright colors of fruits and veggies, the rich aromas of steaming hot preparations, the varieties of meat, the delicious bakery items, the lip smacking snacks on display, the mouth-watering desserts, all put my sensory organs in a state of disarray. I was pulled in all directions and looked like a headless chicken moving in circles. A seemingly easy walk towards the left aisle would get thwarted by an overpowering delectable sight in the right aisle. And so this inner confusion as to what seemed more appetizing, eventually made me look a mendicant who had not seen food for days. The timing of my visit also made my situation a little weak. It was inching towards lunch time, I had been walking the past one hour, and my last meal was almost 4 hours earlier.

The local delicacies here were mostly available in meat form like the Philly Cheesesteak, but I could choose from a plethora of other exotic cuisines such as the Middle Eastern, Greek, Chinese, Asian, Mexican and yes, Indian too.

I finally settled on Mexican Enchiladas and a Greek Spanakopita with a glass of chilled fresh fruit juice to calm down the rumbling noise in my empty stomach which was now audible to the lady standing next to me. At least her expression said so!

After deftly wiping off the last few remnants on the plate, I was more than geared up to explore the other visual delights the market had to offer. Those that had escaped me so far in the thronging crowd at noon. As the lunch hour dissipated into an afternoon, the hungry flash mob of a few moments ago also evaporated into thin air. That’s when more shops and stalls which were earlier swamped with visitors and customers suddenly made themselves visible to me.

Located on the Arch Street and established in 1892, it is the nation’s oldest continuously operating farmers’ market. This year (2017) the Reading Terminal Market turns 125 years old, and it's still going strong.

The Reading (pronounced as Reding) Terminal Market houses more than 80 different merchants, three of which are descendants of original stand holders from when it opened more than 110 years ago. Right in the middle portion of the market are common places to sit with tables jostling for space. As you finally find a place to sit, one can be assured of elbow grazing as you eat, and more so during peak hours. Also, a variety of small sit-down eateries are scattered throughout the market.

There is so much to explore, that when you visit, be sure to allot plenty of time to stroll through this vast bazaar. You can browse not just fresh farm produce but a lot of interesting items ranging from hand-made imported crafts, American quilts, soul food, freshly cut flowers, cookbooks, kitchen knick-knacks and expertly prepared foods ranging from cannoli and soft pretzels to gourmet South Asian and organic vegetarian cuisine and more.

At the end of it, all I can say is that my visit to Reading Terminal Market was worth every moment as it satiated my desire to explore new sights, smells and gastronomical experiences like never before.

 

Barnes Foundation Museum

It was founded in 1922 by Albert Barnes, a scientist and an entrepreneur, who developed and marketed Argyrol, an antiseptic silver compound which prevented blindness in infants. Barnes then went into business for himself in 1908, and the A. C. Barnes Company flourished thanks to Argyrol's popularity. 

The fortune earned from this medicine’s global distribution allowed Barnes to realize his ideals and create the Barnes Foundation, an institution established “to promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts.”

This building located on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Center City Philadelphia was a good 15-20 minute walk from my hotel. It was 21st January, a day after Donald Trump was inaugurated as the President of United States of America and what a day it was!

All through the entire distance that I walked towards the Barnes Foundation building, there were myriad of women armed with banners, sign-holders, headbands and wearing T-Shirts with messages proclaiming women’s rights and also many denouncing the new President. There were women of different colors, young and old, many walking and some in wheelchairs, some shouting slogans while others were fiercely pumping their fists in the air, some taking selfies and rest were vehemently charging their way down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. And it was down that road towards the Art Museum where the Marchers were to assemble. Apparently, as many as 20,000 people were to attend this Women’s March as part of a “sister march” to the Women’s March taking place the same day in Washington, DC.

So it was all happening right here in Philadelphia!

And here I was, a mute passer-by, observing the parade of intense emotions while walking on an altogether different mission. This ‘’sister’s’’ mission was to march towards her destination and reach on time so that she gets at least half a day to spend inside the Barnes Foundation museum. I had read on the website that the galleries being small, there was a limit to the number of people who can be in the Collection Gallery at any one time and entrance is staggered. Walk-up tickets are not always available. So you see my urgency was insurmountable. It was my only chance to visit the Museum on this trip as next day I was flying out back home. I was hoping that I was allowed in for the time slot I was aiming for.

Thankfully, this sister got lucky!

Mission accomplished. I entered the gallery at 2 pm. And now this ignoramus could spend the rest of the afternoon (3 hours before closing) peacefully soaking in the Art which she was not exposed to, yet. Also, try to understand why the art aficionados out there made such a big fuss over the collection by Albert Barnes.

A brochure gave me a perspective of the value of the foundation. The building which is a 12,000-square-foot gallery space holds one of the finest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modern paintings. More than 3,000 masterpieces, including 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos, 16 Modiglianis, and 7 Van Goghs, plus lots of other priceless art objects are present here.

And all this is estimated to be a whopping $25 billion! (as per the sources on the web)

My limited knowledge of arts made me Google the relevance and importance of ‘’Post-impressionist’’ era as this word kept popping up when I was reading about Barnes Foundation. It said that Post-Impressionist was the movement which started in the 1880s (right up to 1914) and which ushered in an era during which paintings crossed over from its traditional role as a window onto the world and instead became a window into the artist's mind and soul.

Rejecting interest in depicting the observed world, the artists in this era instead looked to their memories and emotions to connect with the viewer on a deeper level.

Now that’s something that fascinated me as each artist’s work would be unique given his own experiences, moods and perspectives he was brought up with.

"Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye...It also includes the inner pictures of the soul." Edvard Munch

However, of all the painters, what struck a chord with me was the story of Vincent van Gogh.

Vincent van Gogh, one of the most well-known post-impressionist artists, was born in Groot-Zundert, Holland in 1853. During his brief career, he did not experience much success; he sold only one painting, lived in poverty, malnourished and overworked.

Van Gogh's finest works were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more focused on brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and the interplay of form and line.

In spite of his lack of success during his lifetime, Van Gogh’s legacy lives on having left a lasting impact on the world of art. Van Gogh is now viewed as one of the most influential artists who helped set the foundations for modern art.

As mentioned earlier, there are only seven paintings of van Gogh in the Museum. However, I could not help being moved by his story, and I ended up with a postcard collection book of all popular van Gogh paintings as a souvenir of this visit. Since the Museum does not allow visitors to take pictures (and rightly so), this memento will serve as my only recollection of this visit besides the many vivid images already stored in my memory.

I didn’t realize how the three hours at the museum just flew by as I moved from one gallery to another, trying to understand the work, compare the work of one artist with another. This novice was completely in awe of the work that was on display. It was like peeping into window of the souls of the artists.

Not that I understand much about the art of painting, however watching these art displays exposed me to yet another side of life I never knew existed. Indeed an exclusive experience that will stay with me forever!

Here are a couple of paintings I drew after I came back to India. These are copies from a collection of postcards (Van Gogh paintings) I had bought from the Barnes Museum.