The Druplicon Tours India
We couldn't be more excited to bring DrupalCon to India: it's a unique and colorful nation with many amazing cultures. Though the Con itself will be held in Mumbai, we strongly recommend that anyone traveling to India for DrupalCon take the time to tour some of the many fascinating regions of India.
How much does India have to offer? Our friends at Niswey illustrated the Druplicon on a tour of the country, experiencing four unique cultures that India has to offer. Here's the comic, and you can see more information on each frame below.
Drupal Anna: Mind It! This frame represents the Druplicon in southern India, and he's wearing a lungi below his shirt. In the backdrop, there are coconut trees and a beach, which can be seen only in the southern states. Anna is a word people in the southern states (Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and so on) use to call out an elder brother or just to address a random person. The phrase "Mind it" is an expression made popular by the famous movie star Shah Rukh Khan, when he played a cameo of a south Indian star. "Mind It!" means: "You better get that, because I'm the boss." This is the attitude with which South Indian stars are often depicted in the movies.
(Want to know more about the southern states? You can watch the Lungi Dance, a fun song made as a tribute to Rajnikanth, one of the most famous southern movie stars and a cultural icon. You'll learn some cool dance moves, too!)
Drupal Paaji: Chak De Phatte! This frame represents the culture of Northern India, mainly Punjab and Delhi. He is doing Bhangra, a dance form most popular in the states of Northern India. Paaji is another word for a brother in Delhi and Punjab. In the backdrop, there are mustard fields, a common sight in the northern states. Chak de Phatte is an expression used in excitement or at celebrations in the region.
Drupal Dada: Khoob Bhaalo! Drupal Dada (another word for brother) is shown as a person from Eastern India. He wearing kurta and dhoti, traditional attire of people from East Indian states. In the background, there is a yellow cab and a tram, common public transports, and the white building is Victoria Memorial, a landmark in Kolkata, the most populous city in Eastern India. Khoob Bhaalo (in Bengali, a regional language) means "very good" and is famous among people across India.
Drupal Bhai: Jhakaas! Drupal Bhai represents Mumbai, the city where DrupalCon Asia will be held, and the most popular city in Western India. The Mumbai Drupal Bhai (or brother) is dressed like a flamboyant movie fan, because Mumbai is also the city of Bollywood, one of the biggest movie industries of the world. In the background, you'll find Gateway of India, a landmark in Mumbai. The word Jhakaas is an expression for anything that is fantastic. It is made popular by a movie star Anil Kapoor, the actor who played the game show host in Slumdog Millionaire.
Hopefully, you've explored India a bit through the Druplicon's journey. Regardless of whether you go on a tour of your own, we hope to see you in Mumbai this February!
The Drupal Association has partnered with Niswey, an India-based marketing firm, to provide marketing materials for DrupalCon Asia. Every few weeks, we'll be sharing the blogs and comic strips that our Niswey friends have created in anticipation of the convention.