Christmas times in Lucknow

Salaam my friends!

The last week has been full of work, with the thesis and Urdu studies and also we have celebrated Christmas!

Christmas is also celebrated in India of course, millions of Christians live here but also the commercialized version of Christmas is celebrated, like anywhere in the world.

We have watched great Urdu movies about colonialism and partition. We first saw Shatranj ke Khilari (the chessplayers) which is about the last Nawab and the role he had in the first war of independence against the British. The other one was Garam Hawa, which is about the struggles of a Muslim family after Partition in 1947 and the problems they face as a marginalized minority.

Really great movies!

We have been doing fieldwork in village communities about village politics and representation. This was truly rewarding. Since me and Beatrice had to celebrate the holiday alone we made our own version of a Swedish "Julbord" (Christmas food) which consisted of Lucknowi kababs which was delicious as usual!

Christmas is about chaning traditions right? I mean it was originally a pagan festival and Jesus is not even born in the winter time. 

We also did visit a Hindu temple, which is not just any ordinary Hindu temple but it was built by Muslims in the Nawabi period, a true example of Lucknow Tehzib or "tolerant culture"!

We also visited the Lucknow book fair which was very fun! And a lot of discounts on awesome books! 

Now it is only two days till New Years and after that we go to Hyderabad for fieldwork for a week! Really look forward for it! The food, the heat, the culture!