Yoga, Dinner and A Movie

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Episode 4

The Rains of Ranchipur: Maharani’s Palace Chat: Standing Mountain Pose

The Rains of Ranchipur

Get on board and don’t forget to  pack your umbrella because we’re heading off to India where a lot of rain is  expected in The Rains of Ranchipur. In the movie, made somewhere in the early  1950’s, we find ourselves aboard a train with a stellar cast of characters.  Michael Rennie as Lord Esketh, the noble but financially deficient husband; Lana  Turner, as his cold, indifferent glamour queen wife, Lady Esketh. With that  combination there is big karma, indeed! They are traveling to the palace of the  Maharani of Ranchipur, who is a very charming yet shrewd woman, who likes to  sneak cigarettes and gamble a bit too. Her shrewdness is partnered with good  sense! Sir Richard Burton plays the part of the mysterious man, who has a  “rendezvous with destiny”. He is the exotically turbaned Dr. Safti. Naturally,  Lana Turner is attracted to him and the attraction is mutual sparking off a  dangerous romantic affair. Lana gets the boot from the Maharani for her less  than stellar behavior, but other cast members offer delightful bits of enjoyment  in Fred McMurry, playing the disillusioned engineer out in India, who learns  that there is more to himself left than what he thinks he has lost. Mother Nature has a lesson for each of these characters with unrelenting monsoon rain. 

Remember I said to pack those umbrellas! The monsoon has begun, not only in the  weather at Ranchipur, but in the lives of the colorful characters. Add to that  Cholera and death defying mudslides! You’ll need a terrific dish to eat while  watching the twists and turns in this karmic screen event.

Something to crunch  to relieve the tension evoked while watching. Afterwards, you’ll need a good  stabilizing Yoga pose for bringing you back to civilization. The film footage of  me striking this great Yoga pose in the palace unfortunately never made it to  the final cut, but you can perform it yourself and feel like a Maharaja or a  Maharani anyway.

Maharani’s Palace Chat For Two ( A Chat is a crunchy,  tasty snack!)

by Srimati Bela Banerjee

Bela says that you don’t  have to contort yourself into any kind of serious Yoga pose in order to make  this dish, which is a delicious and nutritious snack she created just for us to  watch the Rains of Ranchipur. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 medium  potatoes, boiled, peeled and cubed. (don’t over cook)

1 16 oz can chick peas,  rinsed and drained

8 oz of plain yogurt

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup  chopped mint or parsley

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 T lemon juice

1 cup of  Rice Krispies, Chinese noodles, or broken potato chips (we use the baked  variety) salt and pepper to taste

Mix the Yogurt with a little salt  and 1/2 T. of the lemon juice and taste for flavor. Add more lemon juice if  tartness is needed.

In a 2 quart bowl place the potatoes, then the chick  peas, then the tomatoes and onion in layers. Top with Yogurt mixture and the  mint or parsley and your preferred crunchy ingredient.

Serve at room  temperature in front of the TV. Not even the Maharani of Ranchipur got to eat  like this. I know, I was there!

Tadasana: Standing Mountain  Pose

This is, perhaps, the most forgotten pose of all. Because it is so  simple.

It is very unassuming and yet is the very core of all Yoga stance  training and body aligning work since all movement should arise from it. It  helps to root you to the ground, aligns the spine and centers your gravity. It does this by standing absolutely still. Stand with your feet a few inches apart,  hands down at your sides lightly touching your outer thighs. Make sure that your  back is straight and your hips are not tilted backwards. Your shoulders are down  and slightly allowed to relax forward, yet the upper spine is erect. Now take a  few deep breaths as if breathing up from the soles of your feet and draw the  breath up to the top of your head. Do this for a few minutes the next time you  feel very scattered or fatigue sets in. You’ll feel more focused and energized.  This is also great to do if you’re sitting too long watching old movies, if that  were possible.

Click HERE to read the previous episode of Yoga, Dinner and A Movie.

Excerpts from Yoga, Dinner and a Movie will appear  weekly. For those who prefer not to wait for the whole book, please visit  Amazon.com where you can purchase it in its  entirety.