How do we celebrate Holi?

Because Holi is about the playful celebration of good over evil and the beginning of spring, there are many different fun celebrations that adults and kids enjoy on this day.

Often, new clothes are also bought for the family- nearly everyone wears white or light colored clothes on Holi. Men like to wear white ‘Kurtas’ while ladies prefer to wear white saris, or ‘Salwar Khameez,’ on 'Holi'.

Shops sell colored powders called “Gulal”, and shops are flooded with shoppers and those passing by.

Then, during the day, mothers let their children go out on the streets to indulge in the splashing of colored waters and throwing colored powders.  It’s a literal rainbow on earth.

One thing that is very attractive about this festival is the spirit of the people who celebrate the occasion.

Whether they are young or old, all the people are lost in the moment, having fun throwing colors at each other. Even water balloons would be thrown at each other.

When they splash colored water on people passing by, it is common for those passing by to get involved in the color games themselves.

On Holi, dances and folk songs are also important features in the festival.  Ask your parents- what happened during their favorite/best Holi?

Last night, we just worked with a new group coupon site, and we are looking forward to having all our listeners who are not in the DC area be able to benefit!  Can't share the details just yet, but I will soon! 

In the meanwhile, we are at the http://www.hifestival.com/ site and we are excited!  Again, 10000+ people and we are ready!  Bring your kids, bring your stories, bring your fun loving selves for a cultural day out! Here are the details:
Saturday, October 22 and Sunday October 23

Time; 12-9pm, and 12-7pm respectively
Location: Robinson Secondary School Field House, 5035 Sideburn Road, Fairfax, VA 22032

As an aside, I added the press release for Bedtime Kahani!  Good times are here, and we are excited for what is coming!

Introducing Bedtime Kahani, a Modern Approach to Storytelling from India and Boosting Children’s Self Esteem

 Smita Lal, entrepreneur and author has created a new audio storytelling website, Bedtime Kahani.  Bedtime Kahani shares children’s stories from India in a new and imaginative way.  The stories are playful yet educational with strong female and male characters. Children learn respect, compassion, generosity and equality in these delightful tales.

Bedtime Kahani stories boost self-esteem, oral comprehension and imagination while teaching kids about diversity and celebrating different cultures.   The first album, Bedtime Kahani, Volume 1 is focused on traditional stories from India with a modern twist.  The Ramayana, and the Holi Festival Collection are relatable snapshots of Indian culture for kids in the US. 

The Bedtime Kahani Ramayana is the ideal gift giving audio for Diwali.  The story comes to life with sound effects added to Ram and Sita’s exile and journey back home to Ayodhya.  It relates the original Ramayana with texts from the Vishnu Purana in a modern way that children understand.

Studies have consistently provided data that children watching television erodes creativity and problem solving skills.  However, listening to stories continues to provide positive benefits for children.  A study conducted by Disney/Pixar World of Cars revealed that children love storytelling more than video games or television shows and that it helped them go to sleep better.  "The results of our research confirm the traditional activity of storytelling continues to be a powerful learning and emotional resource in children's lives," said child psychologist Richard Woolfson, who led the study commissioned by Disney/Pixar World of Cars.

Bedtime Kahani provides children’s storytelling for better car rides, restaurant trips, grown-up parties and bedtime.  The three albums are available online at www.bedtimekahani.com. Connect with us at Bedtime Kahani on Facebook, Twitter and our website!

Smita Lal is a life coach, author and entrepreneur.  She teaches children’s creativity classes and enjoys storytelling and public speaking, particularly on the rights of girls and creating a fun learning environment.  She has numerous years of experience teaching kids, and is a member of the National Storytelling Network.  Smita Lal researches and writes each story to teach leadership values to kids and maintains an authentic voice of Indian/ international culture.  She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and the Heinz School of Public Policy with several years of consulting and sales.  She lives in the DC area with her husband.

Before I get back to working- or is it playing with kids, I have a few more minutes to share this weekend!  We had our first tradeshow!  I was nervous at first, but then all my nervousness turned into excitement. 

We had a blast! Especially me, since I like to talk. A lot.  Yes, there's the truth.  I love public speaking.  Inspiration and dreams run through my blood and body daily.  As does teamwork. Just ask my family and friends. 

There we were, with me shoving my awesome husband and sister out of the way, "No, don't worry guys, let me explain, I've got it handled."  "Bedtime Kahani is blah blah blah..." and "haha, don't worry, my voice sounds better in the children's story recordings.." and "Did you know, I am the creator of Bedtime Kahani, author and teller of children's stories from around the world?"  It was a great moment for me-- I mean, us!

I pretty much laughed and chatted my way through the day, and soon we realized I had no voice.  And that my family and friends are ridiculously good at sales and talking too.  There should be a photo of me in the gallery just drinking tea while these kahuna bears (is that even real?) took over. 

So this is my thanks.  Thank you to all of you who came to see us and to those who tried us out.  Thank you so much family for loving and supporting Bedtime Kahani.  And most of all, thanks to me.  I am the team. (heh, heh..)

Diwali Mela 2011 Fairfax in two weeks!

Hmmm, what could you be doing this Saturday?  Cutting toenails? That's what I'd do typically ;), but this weekend, I am following Ellen Degeneres's advice and I am going to stop waiting and start procrastinating now!  By the time I'm done procrastinating, it'll be Saturday and I'll be ready to get in my pickup and go to the Diwali Mela.. ok, it's a German car, but it's got good pickup! haaa, get it, good pickup?  So now you have your pick me up from my Bedtime Kahani blog!


Okay, back to the point: this Saturday is the Diwali Mela, or New Years festival celebration at the Redskins Field in Landover, MD. We, Bedtime Kahani (what if BK gets so big we refer to ourselves in 3rd person!) expect 10,000+ people to attend!  

Here are the details: 
FedExField: HOME OF THE WASHINGTON REDSKINS 
1600 FedEx Way, Landover, MD 20785 
Saturday, October 8, 2011 12 Noon - 10 PM; Fireworks at 8PM  
 www.DCUnitedTemples.Org 
 Admission $5 per person, Students with ID & Seniors (65+) $2, Children under 5 free, Ample Free Parking! 
Shree Ganesh & Devi Lakshmi Pooja, Bhangra and Rass Garba 
Grand Cultural Programs and Spectacular Fireworks 
http://www.dcunitedtemples.org/ut/forms/Octoberflyer.pdf
I get to do some of my favorite things: comb my hair and dance.  ok, maybe not, but I DO get to have fun, hang out with kids and families, play our favorite children's stories from India, and give away prizes!!!!!  iTunes cards, candy, and a lot of fun!  This is my special invite to have you come and visit.  I can't wait to see you!    Procrastinate now, and see you there!

Taken From: http://www.diwalifestival.org/tradition-of-diwali-pooja.html
Tradition of Diwali PoojaThe literal meaning of 'Diwali' in Sanskrit is 'a row of lamps'. The most popular tradition of Diwali is filling little clay lamps with oil and wick and lighting them in rows all over the house. Even today, the tradition projects the rich and glorious past of our country and teaches us to uphold the true values of life.

Diwali has many legends and religious accounts associated with it. Lights and diyas are lit to signifying the driving away of darkness and ignorance, as well as the awakening of the light within ourselves. It is the perfect time for family gatherings, foods, celebrations and pooja. Goddess Laxmi plays a major role in this festival, as do Ram and Sita. This autumn festival is a five-days celebration, of which each one has its own significance.

People renovate and decorate their houses and business places. Entrances are made colorful with lovely traditional motifs of Rangoli designs to welcome Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity. To indicate her long awaited arrival, small footprints are drawn with rice flour and vermilion powder (kumkum) all over the houses. Lamps are kept burning all through the nights.

In order to welcome Goddess Laxmi, the house is kept clean and rangoli is drawn at the doorstep. A pandit is consulted for the best time of puja. The general things needed for a diwali puja are silver and gold coins, suparis, uncooked Rice, paan leaves, kumkum for applying tilak, mithaai (Indian sweets), camphor, agarbattis (incense sticks), dry fruit (almonds, cashews), flower petals and Lakshmi-Ganesh icon.

The pooja ritual is performed in the evening when tiny diyas of clay are lit to drive away the shadows of evil spirits. Bhajans are sung in praise of the goddess and sweets are offered to her. Diwali puja consists of a combined pooja of five deities: Ganesha is worshipped at the beginning of every auspicious act as Vighnaharta; Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped in her three forms Mahalakshmi,the goddess of wealth and money, Mahasaraswati, the goddess of books and learning and Mahakali. People also worship 'Kuber'- the treasurer of the gods.

I had a great weekend.  It is great fun to hang out with friends.  Ani and I had the chance to spend some time with Tee, a great friend of many years.  As we were catching up, she said, " You are in a really good place.  What are you doing that gets you there?"  

It was a great question. I am in one of the best periods of my life.  What is creating this fire, this fuel?  I shared,"I listen to powerfully uplifting stories.  These stories inspire me to write fun, positive stories."

So this morning, when I was writing a list of appreciation, which often spawns into the creation of a story or funny tale, I thought.  "Why don't I share this?  I'd like to blog more regularly, and I don't have the habit.  But I do have the very consistent habit of writing lists of positive aspects (Thank you Abraham-Hicks!) and I enjoy it. I could blog my appreciation!"

I have just finished writing the children's version of the Ramayana! It's deliciously awesome to put the computer down and know you finished a draft of something you care about so much.  Let me share some insights to my research and thought to this upcoming CD.

The Ramayana is the longest epic poem in history. It is the story of Ram and Sita, incarnates of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi on earth.  They come to earth to restore balance to earth between good and evil. The long and short of it is that Lord Vishnu knew that his two of his own disciples would become his enemies three times on earth and that they would become so powerful that he would have to become human to fight them (refer to Bhagavath Purana).  The story of Ram and Sita is one of these times that the enemy came down to earth.  Lord Vishnu takes form as Ram and Goddess Lakshmi takes form as Sita to destroy Ravana, a raksha king who uncontrollably desired more power.   

Ram was King Dashratha's eldest son, and intended to take the throne at his father's request.  However, one of King' Dashratha's wives asked King Dashratha for a promise to have Ram exiled for 14 years, and to have her son take the throne.  This promise destroys the king, but he asks Ram to step down and Ram decides to abide by this promise.  Ram, Lakshman, his best friend and brother and Ram's wife Sita all leave court and take a vow to live in exile for 14 years.  During their exile, the three encounter many adventures.  The most famous story is the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana, where Ram saves Sita from Ravana, kills Ravana, and Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and their new friend, Hanuman all return to Ayodhya, victorious.  In fact, the battle between Ravana and Ram is the basis for the Hindu Dussera festival, and the return home to Ayodhya is the reason we celebrate Diwali, the Indian new year.  This is the short version; the details are in the CD :)

This story is shared mainly from the perspective of several male characters.  While this was likely common for most stories from ancient times, I find this common in Bollywood, historical stories, and even trickled down from my experiences of college art performances and songs.  

I did some Kindle, iBooks and Nook research today.  It was overwhelming and amusing- as 5 years ago those brands/names did not exist!  And for kids today, they are a part of normal life. 

Anyway, I am writing away, having created two album and working on the third, wondering if I should try the self-publishing route, or the traditional publishing route.  With so many choices it's easily overwhelming.  And so I did what anyone would do- looked to see what my colleagues are doing.  Which had me segue, and hence the title of this blog.

I started reading and listening to samples of children's stories from India.  Now, having grown up with Amar Chitra Katha comic books, (which, if you have not experience, they are a treat, sort of like having Double-Stuff Oreos) I am excited to see them available in many formats.  I also see Karadi Tales, a formidable effort from India that I am enjoying. These are great creations for kids from India, reflecting an Indian experience from India.

However, I have not found works that reflect how I experienced childhood or wanted to experience childhood as an Indian American.  And as a child, I remember one big dream- to be perfect.  Much of Indian children's literature reinforces the idea of the perfect, well-behaved child, which felt stressful to me.  I felt like there was a great chasm between my dream and myself after reading some of these characters.  


It's fun to create characters that are human and relatable.  Kids that enjoy traditions or tolerate them and share different views of the same festival, family, relationships.  I like creating works that leave kids happy.

This is the first post for BK.  I love writing stories, particularly fun and fun loving stories for people.  I like writing about kids in the US growing up and having both an Indian and American culture to address. And it feels good to share stories that feel good.  I often find that writers and authors of Indian culture and content find the need to share the negative, or the "what we must do" to succeed as a culture, when the success in my eyes is assured.  

When I see friends and families and their success, it typically happens when they love what they do and was not very difficult at all. Even in the effort they take, there is a pleasure for their work.  This is a value that I appreciate and want children to learn, particularly in these days where they get immersed in being a software architect, engineer, or doctor and must pass numerous tests to do so.

Some of my favorite fiction works are from Jane Austen, Georgette Heyer and tons of fairytales and folktales.  I am in love with inspirational stories and do enjoy a good Bollywood movie (though I don't get to see them very often.)  Lastly, reading business books and inspirational books are my juice: Four Hour Workweek, Think and Grow Rich, and Ask and It's Given being some of my favorites.

I hope you enjoy these stories from India that I have researched for kids.  Right now I am working on a Diwali album, and I am going to rework one track on the Holi album as well.  I loved being a part of other cultures and celebrating Christmas and Thanksgiving- it's exciting to add festivals from India to the mix.