Ganesha – 17th century, Mandore Rajasthan
Rama Lakshmana Sita – 17th century, Mandore Rajasthan
Brahma – 17th century, Mandore Rajasthan
Krishna – 17th century, Mandore Rajasthan
Narasimha – 17th century, Mandore Rajasthan
Archives for category: Art
The Festival of Navaratri
The October heat in the afternoons is on the rise. The village woman grinds freshly plucked henna leaves from the garden into a smooth paste. I am full of curiosity & wonder, as she takes my hands into hers. She lovingly envelops the tips of my fingers, and my toes with the thick green paste of henna. Its perfect consistency is achieved by adding to it the juice of a few lemons from her garden. She is gifted at weaving conversations. She keeps me patiently engaged with colourful folklores around henna, and it’s magical benefits upon the well-being of a woman. I receive her love. I receive her joy. I receive her blessing.
To allow the henna to reveal its gifts, I am forced to halt all activity. Unable to dance, or to read, or to paint, or to listen to music, I surrender to laying down upon the floor beneath me. She directs me to rest at a spot on the floor where a wonderful breeze blows directly upon me, speeding the drying up of the henna paste. Unable to move, I recollect and hum to myself beautiful padams – dance compositions. It is a joy to sing aloud to the vast spaciousness around me. I have forgotten the pleasure of leisurely laying on the ground, just staring aimlessly at the ceiling. A childlike playful excitement bubbles through my body. I can sense the light orange of the henna darken into a deeper red, with the slow passage of time. The aroma is giddying and delightful. A few hours later, the leaves dry upon my skin. She helps take it all off with a wide & content smile. The darkened orangish-red colour is to her satisfaction. Her joy is contagious. I am overflowing with love and deep gratitude for our sisterhood. I am waiting for dawn to dance in celebration of the joy that henna awakens in me.
Wishing all of you a blessed, joyful and nurturing Navaratri in celebration of the Mother Nature and all Her beautiful forms. 🙏🏽
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
Madhumalti ~ it’s delicate blossoms merrily droop like bejewelled, bashful brides. Their heady perfume inspires poetry, inspires lyrics, inspires movement, inspires this breath. There is a beautiful crescent moon on the rise in the summer night sky.
Ashwini Pawar Kaarthikeyan
Kaarthikeyan Kirubhakaran
Hema
