AAW #163

A show by the king of comedy Johnny Lever is coming to Ahmedabad. Look out for a play inspired by a short story of Manto and an exhibition of paintings made by mothers of Ahmedabad together with their children. Know about more such creative events happening in Ahmedabad with our 163rd Art Weekly. 

If you are in a mood for complete entertainment and laughter this week, do not miss the king of comedy Johnny Lever, who is coming to Ahmedabad. Else, take a look at a solo comedy act by an engineer who grew up to become a stand-up comedian. Theatre-goers can look forward to the play Toba Tek Singh, inspired by Saadat Hasan Manto’s short story of the same name, which is sure to be an inspirational event. Gaur Farmaiye, a play containing four sub-stories, is also a must-watch.

The book club of the British Library remembers American author Ursula K Le Guin, who passed away earlier this year, in its literature gathering. Culture enthusiasts would also be keen on joining in for a unique heritage walk in the coming days, which will be taking connoisseurs to a restored Gujarati Haveli in the Walled City. Art lovers of the city, meanwhile, can visit the LD Museum to look at original Indian miniature paintings, or head towards a unique exhibition of Mother & Child that houses paintings made by mothers of Ahmedabad, together with their children.

An energetic lecture by Immigration Lawyer Prashant Ajmera will help you enhance your business personality this week. An upcoming flea market at Options, meanwhile, can satiate the shopaholic streak in you!

17th-century Jain saint, philosopher, hymnist and poet Anandghan is the inspirational icon for our 163rd edition of Ahmedabad Art Weekly. The monk’s life and death are still the subject of much debate owing to lack of historical information. Written during the era of the Bhakti movement, his literature consists of a mix of three vernacular languages – Gujarati, Rajasthani and Braj. Mahatma Gandhi once quoted his hymn in his book of prayers, “One may say, Rama, Rahman, Krishna or Shiva, then.” Anandghan wrote the anthology of hymns Anandghan Bahattari, which is said to have verses with different ragas, with some drawn from legendary poets like Kabir and Surdas. His non-sectarian poems are about inner spirituality and are popular in cultures besides Jainism too.