PS: If you find yourself drawn to this picture like I did , do include your immediate thoughts below whatever comes to you . Am keen to understand and learn more… I would truly appreciate your effort.Thank you .
Art can have different connotations and lead to diverse reflections. To propose peace, to promote healing, to propel the power of art or provoke is a choice in the hands of the artist .
Art : Creating in the Interconnects
In the context of conscious evolution, to value the thoughts that goes into any art is to accept and respect uniqueness of the being and value the tuning into the oneness in the interconnects.
From creating art, to assimilating and amalgamating the thoughts structurally, all are uniquely diverse yet interconnected expressions of the evolutionary process.
“May the warm winds of heaven blow softly upon your house.
May the Great Spirit bless all who enter there.
May your mocassins make happy tracks in many snows,
And may the rainbow always touch your shoulder.”
A beautiful American Indian Cherokee Blessing that someone sent across to me. Thank you my friend wherever you are … 😊 This I share with all my friends here today.
A new journey you are ready to start You have danced a countless steps to the tunes of life, You have chosen to see beyond the strife.
Dare a new morning dear one … Move on, as the past is over and done. Watch the sky as a sign from above How relentlessly and hopefully it brings forth the now.
How it regales us with a myriad hues, What a divine brush painting those magical views. Take cues from it as it carries on … Constantly changing in every moment. Across the horizon rests a whole new world. Awaiting your arrival with joy to behold.
It seeks nothing from you, neither your past glories Nor bothers about your many untold stories. It asks you to simply move on from any past torment As you step into this new moment.
Sail on dear one, with a heart filled with wonder. A new shore awaits, just across the yonder !
Savvy
‘This is one more of my photo inspired poems, the picture above denotes the let go as you move on, for to cling to the past scenarios simply delays the visibility of the the new views in the offing …
Culturally India has seen many influences from the past to the present times. One of the fascinating things about Indian food is the variety of tastes distinctive in form and appeal from a melting pot of influences and different cultures.
A recent visit to one of the famous traditional Indian Thali eateries with my daughter in tow turned out to be quite a delightful experience…
The Plating: An experience in itself.
The Thali is a distinct offering of varied dishes served on a platter.
The thali or the round plate of food depicts the unique way food is consumed. A visual treat of an assortment of delicacies laid out a plate served in many small little cups, bowls or katoris as they are called.
The richness of the food prepared makes it food fit for a king. For the Indian kings were known to have a history of cooks or Maharaja as they were fondly called had a special place in their lives. The Maharajas thali is a reflection of the opulence of those times.
A plethora of foods prepared in copious amounts and served in unlimited ways back then formed the foundation of the thali experience in today’s times.
The taste: What can be said but the words… A privy to the pleasures of the palate. its all taken care’ of as truly every taste is blended in beautifully in the thali from sweet salty sour spicy, bitter pungent astringent and more …
Found this proudly displayed for those interested in selfies! Replete with a grand turban… A (Maharaja ) king’s chair for a king’s (Maharaja’s) meal.
Cushy and comfy seating in a neat and well-maintained arrangement.
The Service :
Very unique and almost in a meticulous and methodical precision. They have unique sign language to communicate nonverbally between themselves as to how and where what needs to be served. It is such a refined and discreet practice when you actually begin to take note of it.
The result is a smooth rollout of flavours in a flow and you are left flabbergasted at the number of items on the menu.
The typical meal ensures a heady sensory experience on your palate. The usual all-time favourites have been the Gujarati Kadi and Dal and Khichidi as well as the Bhakri and Dal Bhatti. The sweet tooth cravings get deeply satiated with the often repeated Moong Dal Halwa and Basundi which transports you a few steps to heaven and back makes eating a thali like this all a totally unforgettable experience.
To top it all up and wind up a perfectly fine traditional Indian meal, is the refreshing pan they offer as soon as you are done with the meal which works well as a digestive and as a mouth freshener.
A sumptuous feast indeed! Do visit if you want to experience the abundance and flavours of the’ Great Indian Vegetarian Thali.’
Green and saffron
colors of prosperity and detatchment.
One leads to attach,
One to detatch.
Both gives fulfillment
One externally while
the other internally.
Both in abundance.
No force , in free will.
Selecting the path is in our choices.
Anjana
Above is a photo I took at my home in my terrace garden which invoked an interpretation from my mother Anjana this morning.
Green for prosperity (green earth full of hidden treasures), saffron is for detatchment (color code for sanyasam or renunciation).
Sharing this as it speaks so simply of the juxtaposition of balance in nature that abounds. In colour, form, shape etc in all perspectives of life and living.
My reflections after a chance visit to Swadhaa A Waldorf School in Pune.
In my spare time as a hobby, I enjoy visiting offbeat places and interacting with people from all walks of life to broaden my perspectives. To envision the world through the eyes of another is always an insightful experience.
When I visited Auroville in Pondicherry last year amongst the many inspirational insights I came across a bit about how Waldorf Schools started by Rudolf Steiner who was inspired by Sir Aurobindo, stands for holistic education that speaks to the soul and strives for human goodwill and integrity and instilling a sense of creativity and wonder through its unconventional schooling methods.
Besides that, I also had come across words of praise for her schooling and education received from the well-known actress Jennifer Anniston an alumnus of a Waldorf School herself.
“I was always fascinated by acting, but my experience at Rudolf Steiner [school] encouraged me to pursue it as a career.” “Steiner was a free-spirited school that encouraged creativity and individualism.”
As a dance educator myself I have always felt schooling at conventional schools can be rather stifling for it focuses more on procedure and protocol than allowing freedom to explore. The root of our individuality and personal expression is often stubbed in the process of conforming to the norms and practices unless it is balanced out when there is a gateway to open communication and positive support on the homefront.
Recently having shifted my residence in Pune City and in my foray into understanding what my area had on offer as a creative educator myself, I came across. SWADHA Learning Centre. My interest was piqued that it was based on the principles of a Waldorf school.
I decided to experience the place on my own. Luckily for me the day I visited the school it turned out to be their Annual Day and there were elaborate festivities planned out for the entire day by the school for one and all.
There were workshops galore… I attended a few out of curiosity and came away heartened by the immense enthusiasm and support from the parents and children alike for this schools annual activity. I took my time to interact with some of the parents.
What I was immediately drawn to was the amount of openness that was there reflected in so many ways from children who were learning life skills experientially to how parents were so beautifully integrated into the educational activities of the children.
The pictures speak for themselves I must say!
In an era of grades and marks that decides destinies of children as future adults,
the learning concepts observed here come as a breath of fresh air. Like the lack of grading systems and adding only an individual assessment by the educator annually to ensure that each child is addressed and understood for their unique potential. And the breakdown of hierarchy which makes everyone an involved collaborator working towards positive transformations. And I believe they also help and guide a child gradually, who wants to integrate into conventional schooling system if they wish or need to for whatever reasons. The question is would we want to?
Perhaps the varied schools under the Waldorf umbrella are as unique as the people collectively managing them, but the fact remains that there is a happier learning space we can co-create for our future children if we have the willingness to come together and contribute our time and resources.
” A space that’s open yet bounded with a focus can be conducive to learning as when the process of exploration begins it is helped by a structured approach. But while boundaries may be reminding of a journey having a destination, it is the openness that reflects the never-ending source of creative possibilities.”
Savvy
An excerpt from my reflections on Learning spaces…. (read more )
The mystique and majesty of Abu Dhabi is well enshrined in the beautiful exquisite and holy mosque Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Mosque in Al Mushrif, a district in Abu Dhabi the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, and is considered to be the key site for worship in the country. The design of the mosque was done by a Syrian architect named Yousef Abdelky.
Breathtaking architechture combined with amazing royal blue lighting from the ornate chandliers in the evening hours gives out the feeling of heady opulence and extravagance throughout the beautiful structure as much as the keen sense of subtlety of approach in maintaining uniformity of designs and colour.
It is amazing to see the well maintained courtyard with exquiste inlay work and the beautiful waterbody along the pathway.
The magnificent splendour of intricate carvings the majestic coloumns resplendent with matching motifs continues in the gigantic green carpet splayed across the entire inner sanctum.
A visual treat no doubt but the sense of symmetry is almost meditative.. Walking along through the gilded coloumns corridors is a beautiful and zen like experience in itself.
The magnanimity of the silence space is almost alluring as much as the effects of the beautiful lighting throughout the interiors as much as the exteriors of the mosque .
What distinguishes these motifsof Islamic architecture are the use of coloumns, piers and arches organized and interwoven with alternating sequences and use of fractal patterns and repetitive radiating structures. Standing there at dusk witnessing the beautiful moonlit sky and our dancing reflections in the azure blue waters of the pool of water in this magnanimous shrine one could feel totally inspired in even simply visiting it once for this mosque is certainly a masterpiece of Islamic architechture.
Much gratitude to my dear brother in law and family in Dubai who offered to drive us from Dubai to visit to this grand mosque. Certainly a trip to Abu Dhabi would be incomplete without visiting this beautiful Shrine!
Every shrine is filled with a vibration that is unique to the place be it a mosque synagogue a church or a temple … for the convergence of countless positive intentions energizes the space filling us with a deep sense of peace and serenity.
Savvy Raj 
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