M is for Mudras in Modhera #AtoZChallenge

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the third week of the #Blogging from A to Z  April Challenge 2021. My theme this year is based on the Japanese concept of Ichigo Ichie which means--"What we are experiencing right now will never happen again. And therefore, we must value each moment like a beautiful treasure."

I'm exploring the 'Enemies of Ichigo Ichie' this week. Yesterday, it was 'projections'. Today's focus is on 'analysis' and 'impatience.'

Let's step into a day in January of 2017 in Gujarat for today's post.

Thank you.

Arti

*****

                             "There is a common saying that goes, 'If you want to be happy, don't analyse everything.' 

The joy of the moment can't be defined, dissected, understood; it can only be lived."

"Ichigo Ichie demands that we give ourselves over to what we experience without any kind of expectation."

Quotes borrowed from The Book of Ichigo Ichie                

January, 2017.

By the time our group of six had paid for the entrance ticket at the Sun Temple in Modhera (an 11th century Chaulakya Dynasty temple), the mid-day sun was high in the sky. It was January but the bright heat was threatening to dampen our exploration. 

As is usual for me, after deciding on a time when we'd head back, I broke away from the group to explore the temple with my camera. 

Something caught my eye:

red. green and graceful.

From across the pond, with limited zoom,

a scene was born.

They didn't look like casual tourists.

They must be dancers, I thought.

I'd seen banners and posters at the entrance announcing the dance festival.

First two, then six and then seven.

I spotted others clicking them.

My heart skipped a beat.

Stumbling into a dream,

I clicked

dancers breathing life

into stones and relics.

They took their time to adjust, 

change, agree, disagree and finally settle to strike their dancers' pose.

I was lost 

in their sequence, of course.

What synchronicity!

such luck...

to witness ancient carvings come unstuck

from pages of history 

to float ethereally

like an open mystery.

Every moment I absorbed patiently,

mudra* magic unravelled right in front of me.

'Kshanabhangur'

lost in a breath, in a split second

the bubble burst as soon as I heard

the outside world.

I hope you enjoyed these magical moments in Modhera as much as I did back when travelling was easy.

Patience pays and analysis doesn't. Had I rushed ahead to tick all the must-see boxes of the Sun temple, or asked around to find out what was going on, why those people were allowed inside the 'out of bounds' area, I would've missed it all.

We ended up buying tickets for the dance festival. And we came back later that night with great expectations only to be bitterly disappointed. 

In my opinion, the artificial and garish lights cast an ugly glow on this ancient temple and the gazillions of speeches and garlands to thank all the 'important' people to kick start the festival made us very, very impatient for the dancers to come on stage. 

But when they did, the loud speakers washed away their delicate movements. It was such a cacophony of sound and light that it felt more like a mockery of our ancient culture than a celebration. I may sound harsh but sometimes, actually most times, less is better when it comes to showcasing that which is already so beautiful--classical dances, poetry, architecture. We should be preserving it, not distorting it with 'newness'.

The dancers I clicked would perform Odissi dance which  is considered to be the oldest (traced back to 2nd century BC) and the most graceful of all Indian classical dance forms, at the festival. 

Their mudras and poses from the afternoon would outperform their evening presentations in my view. 

According to Deepam Odissi Academy Muscat's website, "A Mudra* is a symbolic hand gesture used in Hindu and Buddhist iconography, performing arts, and spiritual practice, including yoga, dance, drama and tantra.

There are a total of 28 mudras in the Abhinaya Darpan or the The Mirror of Gesture."

I'm sharing this translation of a prayer that appears in The Mirror of Gestures and according to this site and others I came across while researching, it is taught to Indian classical dancers.

Translation

Where the hands are, the eyes follow

Where the eyes are, the mind follows

Where the mind goes, there is expression

Where this is expression, mood is evoked

Doesn't the prayer sound  like Ichigo Ichie to you? It's all about paying attention.

Leaving you with a short Odissi dance piece performed in Venice. It's beautiful. Enjoy.

Coincidentally, I came across a blog post on 'G' day which explores the famous poet, Jayadeva's Gita Govindam which is an integral part of Odissi dance and music. You can read more here: Gita Govindam - the ultimate romance

This year, I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z  powered by theblogchatter.com 

K is for Kumarakom in Kerala #AtoZChallenge

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the third week of the #Blogging from A to Z  April Challenge 2021. My theme this year is based on the Japanese concept of Ichigo Ichie which means--"What we are experiencing right now will never happen again. And therefore, we must value each moment like a beautiful treasure."

I'll be exploring some of the 'Enemies of Ichigo Ichie' this week, starting with 'distraction' today.

Thank you.

Arti

"Distractions: We can experience the present fully only if we aren't trying to do several things at once. A man strolling through the forest and updating social media on his phone is not living in the moment. In fact, he's not even in the forest."

Quote borrowed from The Book of Ichigo Ichie

Photographing birds is the physical representation of the concept of Ichigo Ichie in my view.

As a photography enthusiast, I'm drawn to capturing moments that don't last long, here now, gone forever. 

Making pictures of birds requires zen-like focus and patience and a mega powerful lens. I'm a patient person, almost comatose when it comes to waiting for the light to be just right for my clicks (ask my family, they'll tell you) and I can focus pretty well too. But, lugging a heavy camera goes against my travel ethics. The weight of the camera shouldn't get in the way of my vagabond ways. 

Of course, these days, the phone provides the perfect balance between connectivity, ease and accuracy. But birds, in my world at least, can sense when a lens is following them and as soon as that happens, they do what comes naturally to them. They fly off.

I'm very pleased to share the following photos I managed to click in Kumarakom, Kerala, in March 2020. This was our last holiday before Covid-19. Maybe, the birds sensed it. Maybe, that's why they didn't fly off as soon as they sensed me.

From Siberian storks to egrets and cormorants, I managed to click to my heart's content. I had a hard time picking only a few photos to share today. Of course, the gorgeous Kingfisher is featured in many I've picked on account of the name -- 'K' and more importantly, because I love his  blue/turquoise colouring.

Enjoy...

This is my favourite: the reflection caught in mid flight! I'm impressed with myself:) Ha! Ha!

Obviously, we can't be expected to lug a camera or go click, click to capture every magical moment that seizes us but if we're distracted then the magic will most certainly fly away. 

Sitting under the neem tree

sipping tea

Frangipani blooms

bulbuls frolic in mulberry

click. click. click.

magic captured in every breath

ordinary, yes.

very ordinary 

but rare.

 *****

How do you do you on holidays? Do you click or just be? 

Are there any 'distractions' you wish you'd get rid of? 

You know I'd love to hear, if you'd like to share.

Last week, Deborah mentioned some of the stories/beliefs associated with the term 'blue birds of happiness'. You can check them out here: Deborah's blog 

And  I wrote K is for Krishna in 2016 who is always depicted in blue in popular Hindu artforms.

This year, I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z  powered by theblogchatter.com 

Theme reveal --by the skin of my teeth!

Drum roll please....

So, after wondering about going theme-less, as I've done in the past, I'm binding myself to a theme this year.

This will be my 5th A to Z Challenge.

I owe the A to Z a lot. This challenge helps me to focus. You see, the five months preceding April are my gardening months and when I'm with my plants and pots, nothing else matters. Blogging goes into hibernation but as soon as March arrives announcing the A to Z, it propels me to dust off my blogging cobwebs and wills me to sit and write.

Last year's posts got a lot of love from the readers. One such reader is an illustrator. He liked my posts about my childhood so much that he and I ended up planning a picture book together.

We met weekly on zoom calls as he's based in India, and I'm in Doha. Seeing his illustrations of my memoirs is thrilling and humbling. When one's words reach another in this way, it feels really special. The book is almost ready to show to publishers. 

A couple of  months ago, while I was browsing our local book store to figure out where to position our picture book, I noticed 'The book of Ichigo Ichie' sitting in the poetry section. Something made me pick the book up and read the first two pages. I bought it and brought it home.

Quoting from the book (authored by Hector Garcia and Francese Miralles):

The meaning of ichigo ichie is something like this. What we are experiencing right now will never happen again. And therefore, we must value each moment like a beautiful treasure.

Covid19 and its aftermath has shown all of us just how important valuing each and every moment is. 

While seeking inspiration for the forthcoming posts, I decided to rummage through the images I'd captured in 2019 when we'd travelled quite extensively. What struck me was that the chance, the coincidence, the magic, the moment that some of the photos had captured couldn't have been planned or prepared for. These were chance meetings, the coming together of so many elements that had even one been out of sync, the picture wouldn't have happened.

The concept of 'Ichigo Ichie (pronounced itchy-Go itchy-A) is the theme of this year's A to Z for me.

So, come along to this space on the 1st of April and join me for a month long celebration of chance that is intrinsically bound in moments as unique as you and me.

This year, I hope to share more photos than I did last year. Hanging a carrot for those who find me too verbose;)

Looking forward to April with hope.

Be safe and healthy.