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Sharing sacred moments, through a one minute film, entitled, ‘Togetherness.’ This intimate offering is my celebration of childhood friendships, unhindered creativity, and soulful sisterhoods, all over the world.
About the film:
Today, on the 23rd of January 2019, I celebrate the birthday of my dear childhood friend, Sudnya Shroff, through this one minute film. This is a medley of precious moments woven together in playfulness and love, as we leisurely wander about in God’s beautiful garden. The music that you hear in the background, ‘Lara’s theme,’ from the film, Doctor Zhivago, is a melody that I would have her play to me on her piano, again and again, way before we became teenagers. In the film, you will also pass by one of Sudnya’s large paintings, entitled, “Soul Sisters”. This painting now hangs in our home, and it also happens to be her celebration of the two of us.
{‘Togetherness’ ~ Photographs & Filmed by Kaarthikeyan Kirubhakaran}
चंद्रभागा 🌙 Chandrabhaga
She is monsoons, spring, autumn,
and a quiet snowfall …
She is beauty, passion, compassion
with moist, clear, playful,
and sparkling eyes …
7th September 2018
29th August 2018
20th August 2018
20th August 2018
19th August 2018
7th August 2018
7th August 2018
Monsoon hill climbs in Maharashtra, gift unexpected encounters with beautiful mountain people, and inspire me to sketch and paint. This sketch is of ‘Chandrabhaga’. A shepherdess who I chanced upon on my afternoon walks on a hill under the shade of grey monsoon clouds, while vast fields of tender green grass and unexpected pools of water, lured me with their colours and shimmers. She embodies the spirit of a river in full swell ~ untamed, yet calm, curious and vivacious, free spirited and attentive. She moves through the green pastures with poise, grace, and elegance. She gave me permission to film her. I went ballistic with my camera, trying to catch her spirit in a photograph. She softly asked me with curious and clear eyes, “What do you do with these photos?” I responded, “I want to capture this moment in my memory, and sometimes I make paintings too. If I make one, I’ll bring it along to show it to you.” She smiled. We conversed for a long time in the noon hours. She told me about her daily routine. Her long climbs with her herd of goats, without a water bottle/phone/hat, just her long wooden stick, and her thick woollen blanket. She spoke about her goats, their behaviour, her life under the wide open skies, her community, and their campsite at the base of these hills …
Its been more than a week, since she plays on my mind. Today, was a day when my being fills with peace and inspiration. I feel the same delight ignite my entire being. And little by little, my beautiful Chandrabhaga, converses with me. I meet her in these pigments, in the brush strokes, in the light shower of rain that touches my skin, when the winds get more frisky, and words form sentences and express feeling on this page.
{journal entry, 7th August 2018}
SKETCH, 7th August 2018
Watch an animal, a flower, a tree, and see how it rests in Being. It is itself. It has enormous dignity, innocence, and holiness. However, for you to see that, you need to go beyond the mental habit of naming and labelling. The moment you look beyond mental labels, you feel that ineffable dimension of nature that cannot be understood by thought or perceived through the senses. It is a harmony, a sacredness that permeates not only the whole of nature but is also within you.
~ Eckhart Tolle
In deep gratitude, and a heart full of prayer for abundant grace, love, peace, and wellbeing in all our lives.
With much love and celebration,
Ashwini & Kaarthikeyan
{Voice ~ Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy}
Look at a tree, a flower, a plant. Let your awareness rest upon it. How still they are, how deeply rooted in Being. Allow nature to teach you stillness.
~ Eckhart Tolle
A man ought to live in this world like a lotus leaf, which grows in water but is never moistened by water; so a man ought to live in the world ~ his heart to God and his hands to work.
~ Swami Vivekananda
Ashwini Pawar Kaarthikeyan
Kaarthikeyan Kirubhakaran
Hema