We wanted Artikrti’s Culture Connect Blog to become that India lover’s ‘go-to’ page for some quality soul time on India.
From today, we would like to flag off a key initiative:
This community of #cultureconnectors will only thrive when all of us exchange our experiences about India and things Indian. So, we would like to welcome blog contributions from around the world on their perspectives about India. Please write to gigi@artikrti.com with a link to your already published post on India or send a copy of what you want published on Artikrti's Culture Connect Blog and we will publish it, with of course, your author profile and links as well.
We are curious people, as a race. World over, whether it is Mark Twain or Steve Jobs, Lady Diana or Julia Roberts, there have been and will be, those who are curious about India and have that yearning to discover, to know more. We wanted Artikrti’s Culture Connect Blog to become that India lover’s ‘go-to’ page for some quality soul time on India.
From today, we would like to flag off a key initiative:
This community of #cultureconnectors will only thrive when all of us exchange our experiences about India and things Indian. So, we would like to welcome blog contributions from around the world on their perspectives about India. Please write to gigi@artikrti.com with a link to your already published post on India or send a copy of what you want published on Artikrti's Culture Connect Blog and we will publish it, with of course, your author profile and links as well.
Healthy curiosity is all about discovering the similarities and differences that exist between one culture and another. And while we celebrate the similarities between us, we owe it to our future generations to be far more welcoming of the differences that exist amongst us a race. Not just recognize and welcome the differences but to respect and embrace them as fascinating aspects that distinguish one group from another. That is really promoting the concept of FriendsWithoutBorders and Aritkrti's mission of CultureConnect. #friendswithoutborders #cultureconnect
While Artikrti is an attempt to bring to you the splendours of India in the form of products that you can buy, at a more deeper level we'd like to invite you, to experience & touch India.
This Culture Connect Blog is like our patio- our hangout, to sit and chat. About India’s art, craft, fashion, decor and ethnic chic. And beyond that, for all things India. Things that make it such a fascinating draw for millions around the world. Join us in this #cultureconnect mission.
Today, the 21st of June is the 5th International Yoga Day, celebrated across the world. Artikrti joins the #yogacommunity and the rest of the Artikrti family of friends and fans to further the cause of peace, harmony, well-being and culture-connect through yoga.
In marking this day as International Yoga Day, someone observed that for India and its Prime Minister Modi [who initiated this day], this "served as a perfect vehicle to create a shared national consciousness". Artikrti would like to table the thought that the International Yoga Day "serves as a perfect vehicle to create a shared culture-connect consciousness across our world". Today there is no bigger movement than Yoga that brings the world and varied cultures together as one unified race.
]]>In marking this day as International Yoga Day, someone observed that for India and its Prime Minister Modi [who initiated this day], this "served as a perfect vehicle to create a shared national consciousness". Artikrti would like to table the thought that the International Yoga Day "serves as a perfect vehicle to create a shared culture-connect consciousness across our world". Today there is no bigger movement than Yoga that brings the world and varied cultures together as one unified race. Artikrti salutes this movement and wishes that yoga continues to spread its "good word".
For the yoga lover, here are some images of "culture-connect" yoga from around the world . And for the newbie or yoga beginner, here's a short video on common yoga protocol to stoke your interest and practice.
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Today is Holi- a festival of colours that is celebrated in India and the world over by people from varied cultures & countries. This is one festival from India that has been adopted & celebrated by people of all races because of it's spirit of oneness, and the celebration of good over evil- which is at the core of the Holi Festival- are starting to resonate with folks throughout the globe. And for the very same reason, the festival resonates with the Culture Connect spirit of Artikrti.
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Today is Holi- a festival of colours that is celebrated in India and the world over by people from varied cultures & countries. This is one festival from India that has been adopted & celebrated by people of all races because of it's spirit of oneness, and the celebration of good over evil- the core of the Holi Festival- are starting to resonate with folks throughout the globe. And for the very same reason, the festival resonates with the Culture Connect spirit of Artikrti.
Music is one such universal culture connect icon and the music of Oscar award winning A R Rahman from Chennai, India has brought together people from all cultures. So, I thought it would be hugely fitting to introduce to Artikrti's fans, on this Holi day, a song composed for Holi, by A R Rahman and filmed poetically by Bharat Bala, a celebrated ad and feature film maker from Chennai, India.
The music and film resonate with Artikrti's spirit of Culture Connect- to get people from the world over to delve, dive and delight in aspects of India that make the country so unique. The celebration of colours is metaphorically a celebration of the different races on this mother earth and the film captures that by featuring global citizens and not just Indians in this mosaic of colours, dance and music. The message of the film is "Vasudeva Kuttumbakam" which is a Sanskrit phrase from the centuries old Maha Upanishads, a collection of writing & verse for life, from ancient India. And it means "The World is One Family". What an awesome thought for us all to reflect, adopt and live our lives.
P.S. On a personal note- this song and this film resonates with me personally not just for its meaning and message but also because the creators- A R Rahman and Bharat Bala- take me back to my days in Chennai. Going back in time, during my rookie days in advertising I have had the pleasure to work with both of them on ad projects and enjoyed every moment of it. Talented folks who are also great human beings. Friends for life.
]]>Artikrti wishes you a really eventful 2017 filled with meaningful relationships that enrich you. Relationships that connect with cultures and people across the world.
It is during tough times, that the tough get going. And we are going through some very divisive, testing times as a community on this planet. As a specie that is evolving, we owe it to our future generations to be far more welcoming of the differences that exist amongst us a race. Not just recognize and welcome the differences but to respect and embrace them as fascinating aspects that distinguish one group from another. That is really promoting the concept of FriendsWithoutBorders and Aritkrti's mission of CultureConnect. #friendswithoutborders #cultureconnect
]]>Artikrti wishes you a really eventful 2017 filled with meaningful relationships that enrich you. Relationships that connect with cultures and people across the world.
It is during tough times, that the tough get going. And we are going through some very divisive, testing times as a community on this planet. As a specie that is evolving, we owe it to our future generations to be far more welcoming of the differences that exist amongst us a race. Not just recognize and welcome the differences but to respect and embrace them as fascinating aspects that distinguish one group from another. That is really promoting the concept of FriendsWithoutBorders and Aritkrti's mission of CultureConnect. #friendswithoutborders #cultureconnect
Mahatma Gandhi made the world realize the power of non-violence. The spirit of nonviolence has its roots in respecting one another and welcoming the other as a friend and family member. It is great to note that Pope Francis's message to the world on January 1st, World Day of Peace has the theme- Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace. Purely looking at his message as one for the betterment of humanity, without attaching any motives to any specific religious following, his words should be a resolution for each one of us: "I offer heartfelt wishes of peace to the world’s peoples and nations, to heads of state and government, and to religious, civic and community leaders. I wish peace to every man, woman and child, and I pray that the image and likeness of God in each person will enable us to acknowledge one another as sacred gifts endowed with immense dignity. Especially in situations of conflict, let us respect this, our “deepest dignity” and make active nonviolence our way of life."
This spirit underlines Artikrti's mission of being a foil to create a culture-connected society and we hope everyone would echo the sentiment.
Today is Gandhi's birth anniversary- the 147th. Known as "Mahatma" or "The Great Soul", he is a national hero & leader for India like no other. His life, his writings and above all, his actions stood for certain principles that are timeless and valuable to all of us across the world:
Holding onto Truth [satyagraha] & non-violence.
Equality, simplicity & compassion
Village craft & dignity of labor
Building character through communal life & work.
It is at the meeting point of village craft, communal life, simplicity & work that one finds "khadi" which means handspun or handwoven.
]]>Today is Gandhi's birth anniversary- the 147th. Known as "Mahatma" or "The Great Soul", he is a national hero & leader for India like no other. His life, his writings and above all, his actions stood for certain principles that are timeless and valuable to all of us across the world:
Holding onto Truth [satyagraha] & non-violence.
Equality, simplicity & compassion
Village craft & dignity of labor
Building character through communal life & work.
It is at the meeting point of village craft, communal life, simplicity & work that one finds "khadi" which means handspun or handwoven. Celebrating self-reliance, Gandhi urged men and women to take to the spinning wheel and weave for themselves at least 25 meters of yarn every year. And that element of handwoven yarn has become integrated into the very fabric of rural industry, village craft and clothing in India. Mainly related to handwoven cotton, the art of the Gandhian weave also relates to handwoven silk and wool as well. Mixed with creativity, today, handwoven fabrics of India are unique when it comes to the use of handspun yarn, ethnic design, colors & texture and add that exotic touch to a woman's beauty or the decor of our living space around the world.
The spinning wheel and the art of handspun yarn have captured the imagination of many across the world and has been a medium for connecting people from varied cultures with Gandhi's "Charkha" or the spinning wheel and India's handspun cottons. Here's a short video of Cynthia Koenig, the Founder of Wello, at the spinning wheel at Gandhi's Ashram in Ahmedabad:
Artikrti, as a brand that celebrates India's handmade ethnic chic in fashion and decor, would like to pay homage to the
Mahatma, a man's whose principles have been embraced by cultures across the world, a soul who connects the world with truths that are apt for our lives, today and in the future.
"A man is but the product of his thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes."- Gandhi
Video Courtesy: Dara Hogan, YouTube
]]>Befitting yoga's global appeal, I was delighted to hear the opening invocation song for the United Nations event being sung by a singer called Tanya Wells, from the UK, accompanied by her band called the Seven Eyes. It was such a reverential and soothing rendition that we wanted to know more about Tanya Wells and her work. Singing effortlessly and so totally immersed in the moment her song made me think- "wow, isn't this truly a culture connect of the best kind". For a singer from a totally different culture, to be able to master the intonations of the language, understand the nuances of meaning and be lost in the mood really pointed to someone who had really tasted India.
And indeed she has. A yoga practitioner herself, Tanya lived in India for over three years, attending school in the foothills of the Himalayas- an exotic location to get to know everyday India. Later she studied Indian Classical music as well during her second stay in India and has performed at festivals in India. Cultural influences don't just mold you as a person but can also have an impact on your art and Tanya's music is proof of that Indian influence.
Have a listen to her lilting voice carry that yoga invocation- the video above is the complete UN video of the celebration but you will find Tanya's song from 02.10 to 07.10. Absolutely riveting- draws you into the song and the moment.
Also, have a listen to her rendition of India's anthem of sorts Vande Mataram. Her voice is divine and it is sung with such feeling that you feel like just closing your eyes and just taking that song deep inside you. Awesome.
Tanya's culture connect with India is in more ways than one. To know more about her and her music go to www.tanyawells.com
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To us at Artikrti, there can be no other unifying symbol of the mingling of our different cultures, as this global event that celebrates yoga.
]]>To us at Artikrti, there can be no other unifying symbol of the mingling of our different cultures, as this global event that celebrates yoga. With its roots in India from over 5000 years back, yoga embodies and has achieved what Artikrti would like foster- intermingling of cultures; getting the cultures from around the world to experience India and its culture. It is this spirit of connecting cultures that Artikrti's blog would like to seed and nurture.
Here is an interesting video from United Nations on yoga's origins and what it can do for you and me- if you haven't had a chance to know much about yoga, this could well be a starter for you. Even if you are a seasoned practitioner, this is an interesting one which will add some nuggets.
In the words of Mark Twain, "India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend & the great grand mother of tradition". Inspired by his words I'd like to say "India is the fountainhead of yoga" and it is indeed fascinating that a practice born 5000 years back in India has been embraced by millions across the globe today. Fascinating. And it is also, in many ways, indicative that we humans are at heart open to all influences- share, experiment, adopt, embrace. We love that. How about you?
[Picture by Benoit Tessler. International Day of Yoga 2015 at the Eiffel Tower, Paris, France]
]]>India and India lovers from all around the world celebrate Holi, India's Festival of Colors today. And fittingly, Google's logo changes its look and colors to commemorate Holi. In today's digital world, there is no other global connector like Google and it is heartening to see Google taking the Festival of Colors to people all over the world. That is real CultureConnect.
......At a time when our differences seem to divide us and lead us to violence in different parts of the world, let us celebrate our diversity just like the diverse colors of Holi but unified by the spirit of love & togetherness of Holi.
]]>India and India lovers from all around the world celebrate Holi, India's Festival of Colors today. And fittingly, Google's logo changes its look and colors to commemorate Holi. In today's digital world, there is no other global connector like Google and it is heartening to see Google taking the Festival of Colors to people all over the world. That is real CultureConnect.
Artikrti wishes its family of followers and customers an awesome Holi. This is a festival for everyone to come closer, sort out our differences and enjoy the festival of colors with love. At a time when our differences seem to divide us and lead us to violence in different parts of the world, let us celebrate our diversity just like the diverse colors of Holi but unified by the spirit of love & togetherness of Holi.
]]>
India celebrates Navratri from Oct 13-22. Yes a nine-day festival. We don’t believe in going easy on our festivities☺
Jokes aside, the essence of this festival has great meaning to all our lives, especially NOW:
"Navratri represents how the negativity can be conquered by the inherent positive qualities in an individual so that one emerges as a Divine being."- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Navratri is a dedication to Shakthi or "Power", the feminine form of the Divine, known as Goddess Durga.
]]>Jokes aside, the essence of this festival has great meaning to all our lives, especially NOW:
"Navratri represents how negativity can be conquered by the inherent positive qualities in an individual so that one emerges as a Divine being."
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
[10,000 oil lamps bedeck this Navaratri puja at Dahisar off Mumbai during last year's festivities. Imagine making that metaphorical offering of all your fears, anxieties and negativity in such a serene, ethereal atmosphere]
Navratri is a dedication to Shakthi or "Power", the feminine form of the Divine, known as Goddess Durga. ‘Nava’ means ‘nine’ and ‘ratri’ is made up of ‘ra’ which also means ‘night’ and ‘tri’ meaning the three aspects of our life – body, mind and soul. There are three types of botherations or problems that may affect a person – physical, mental and spiritual. That which gives you relief from all these difficulties is ‘ratri’. ‘Ratri’ or night relieves you of misery and brings comfort. The night relaxes everybody; whether happy, unhappy or miserable, everybody goes to sleep.
During Navratri, offer all anxieties, fears, worries, negativity into the sacrificial fire and be rejuvenated with courage, enthusiasm & knowledge and spread wisdom & light to the suffering world.
What an awesome thought: offer your negativity into the sacrificial fire and be rejuvenated with wisdom and light! Let’s bring Peace, Love, Joy and Happiness to all.
]]>Interesting, isn't it, as to how in our search for the meaning of our lives, we discover such unforeseen twists, which take us on to totally new paths. Maharaja-ji or the Guru only professed "love all, feed all, serve all" and it is said even today, if anyone turned up hungry at any of Baba's 108 ashrams across the world, he would get food.
]]>Interesting, isn't it, as to how in our search for the meaning of our lives, we discover such unforeseen twists, which take us on to totally new paths. Maharaja-ji or the Guru only professed "love all, feed all, serve all" and it is said even today, if anyone turned up hungry at any of Baba's 108 ashrams across the world, he would get food.
Steve Jobs, Mark or Larry did not have the good fortune of meeting the man, for he passed away in 1973. So, to truly understand the man's connect with his followers, have a listen to Dr. Richard Alpert, also know as Ram Dass- named so by the sage and guru himself. Here's a man who is highly educated, a Harvard Professor and a psychologist to boot, who seems touched by the Baba's teachings and dedicates his life to that way of living.
To those who'd like to read the Mint article: Mark Zuckerberg’s temple run, courtesy Steve Jobs
Interested in what India has to offer for you. Plan a trip...discover.
]]>
Nainital, nature's gift to India at the foothills of the Himalayas, is a place that evokes quite meditation and contemplation. Naini means "Cool Air" and Taal is the word for "Lake". Like many hill stations from the time of the British Raj, Nainital is also a bustling tourist centre but it has those picturesque, tranquil vistas that just humble us humans, to wonder about the beauty of creation and nature.
A few kilometres away from Nainital is the temple and the ashram that has been hitting the headlines in Silicon Valley:
]]>Have you seen the movie "Fiddler on the roof"? My favourite part in the movie is when Tevye, the Milkman, sings the song "Tradition", a fascinating account of his life, his times and the Jewish culture he upholds. When we get to know people and their culture in that manner, you feel connected...you sort of feel you know him or her just a shade more.....personally.........
........have that yearning to discover, to know more. We’d like Artikrti’s Culture Connect Blog to become that India lover’s ‘go-to’ page for some quality soul time on India.
Have you seen the movie "Fiddler on the roof"? My favourite part in the movie is when Tevye, the Milkman, sings the song "Tradition", a fascinating account of his life, his times and the Jewish culture he upholds. When we get to know people and their culture in that manner, you feel connected...you sort of feel you know him or her just shade more.....personally.
We are curious people, as a race. And we love to know more about the diverse cultures from different parts of the world. And there is no better time than today, for us to reach out and touch each other virtually and share our lives. That's the reason why, we'd like to call this Artikrti Blog as The Culture Connect Blog. While Artikrti is an attempt to bring to you the splendours of India in the form of products that you can buy, at a more deeper level we'd like to invite you, to experience & touch India.
This Culture Connect Blog is like our patio- our hangout, to sit and chat. About India’s art, craft and couture. And beyond that, a temple for all things India. Things that make it such a fascinating draw for millions around the world.
Indians like to chat- it’s called “arattai” in Tamil and “adda” in Bengali. That unique pastime where we catch-up on everything in general and nothing in particular. We are pretty sure that the other 1650 listed Indian languages and dialects that make India must have a word for it.
Our ‘arattai’ here will have more soul- let’s exchange and explore- thoughts, ideas and objects d’ art that catch our fancy from India. This is as much your page as it is ours. World over, whether it is Mark Twain or Steve Jobs, Lady Diana or Julia Roberts, there have been and will be, those who are curious about India and have that yearning to discover, to know more. We’d like Artikrti’s Culture Connect Blog to become that India lover’s ‘go-to’ page for some quality soul time on India.
India is truly the land of festivals. Every month, in some corner of each state or province or nationwide, there is a festival to celebrate something. India has that tradition of celebrating different aspects of life, perhaps coming from the belief that one ought to thank God for all the goodness around you in your life. Which is, if you think about it, a great thing to do.
One such festival in the month of July is the Festival for the King of Fruits- the Mango....
]]>One such festival in the month of July is the Festival for the King of Fruits- the Mango. The festival is held in many parts of India but perhaps the grandest one of them all is the International Mango Festival in Delhi, the 27th such annual festival was held earlier this month.
The festival had over 500 varieties of mangoes on display and sale. Imagine an Eat-All-You-Can Mango Eating Competition, Parade of decorated Floats & Dancers, Sweets, Food and Drinks made from mango are highlights of the festival every year.
India adores this fruit. How about you?
]]>Today, June 21, 2015 is the first International Yoga Day as adopted by United Nations based on the vote of 178 nations across the world.....
.....It is such an awesome feeling to see people from all over the world embrace yoga and the International Yoga Day. Here are pictures from around the globe of people celebrating yoga today in far flung places like Kazakistan, France, New York, Colombo, Indonesia, Taiwan, India Gate in India.... and the last one is a video from Poland...
It is such an awesome feeling to see people from all over the world embrace yoga and the International Yoga Day. This is a video from Poland...
The International Yoga Day is quintessentially "Culture Connect", the spirit behind this blog from Artikrti. It is a global celebration of cultures connecting. Capturing this moment of history are these pictures from around the world that speak to wonderful mingling of cultures.
]]>The title is Janet Morais' description of her India experience. Janet is the Creative Director and Founder of the globally renowned interior decor brand, Koket. She says, "Mysticism, warmth, sensuality, beauty and natural surroundings. Lovely experiences, magic and spiritual peace. Energy, purity … a trip through the five senses. It’s the India’s universe…
To describe something intangible, something we only feel has never been easy but I run the risk of trying today in describing one of my best travelling experiences so far.......
But before I get to Janet's experience and her brand Koket, a word on why this post. For some time now, I have been toying with an idea, that I want to share. Since this blog is all about "Culture Connect with India" I have been wondering how I can get others to share their experiences about connecting with India. Nothing better than a Scandinavian or an Irish or a Spaniard or an American talk about how she sees India through her lens, especially so when that person has actually travelled to India. That ought to be a beautiful way to introduce India- through his or her eyes and words, what do you think?
So here is a picture and an excerpt from Janet's account of her visit:
"Mysticism, warmth, sensuality, beauty and natural surroundings. Lovely experiences, magic and spiritual peace. Energy, purity … a trip through the five senses. It’s the India’s universe…
To describe something intangible, something we only feel has never been easy but I run the risk of trying today in describing one of my best travelling experiences so far. Fun, evasion but above all cultural and spiritual wealth was what I felt in that trip. An exotic destination, one of the richest and most diverse cultures that I ever saw in my life. My advice to you, dear readers? Read a paragraph and close your eyes … dream or remember, as appropriate. But honestly, close your eyes and let yourself be guided by this visual and spiritual journey…"
Her photo essay in the blog "Love Happens by Koket" is an exquisite visual ode to India and her many wonders. Take a moment to savour it: My trip to India. Her evocative words make you wish she had written more [maybe Artikrti will one day get her to write more about her visit]. Her writing vies with the pictures in weaving this aura around India and hopefully will inspire more people around the world to "Culture Connect with India"
[This picture and the accompanying quote on India, are courtesy Janet Morais' blog. She is a celebrated interior designer who founded the brand Koket- a mark of Koket's brand stature is its statement pieces- furniture, lighting and other decor pieces were featured in the sets of the movie Fifty Shades of Grey]
]]>This memorable headline is a line from Coral Brown's post in the Yoga Journal [Look for the link below]. The "she" she is referring to is India.
But before I get to the essence of her experience, a word on why this post. For some time now, I have been toying with an idea that I want to share. Since this blog is all about "Culture Connect with India" I have been wondering how I can get others to share their experiences about connecting with India. Nothing better than a Scandinavian or an Irish or a Spaniard or an American talk about how she sees India through her lens,
But before I get to the essence of her experience, a word on why this post. For some time now, I have been toying with an idea that I want to share. Since this blog is all about "Culture Connect with India" I have been wondering how I can get others to share their experiences about connecting with India. Nothing better than a Scandinavian or an Irish or a Spaniard or an American talk about how she sees India through her lens, especially so when that person has actually travelled to India. That ought to be a beautiful way to introduce India- through his or her eyes and words, what do you think?
When I saw Coral's line in her post, I thought I have to act now on that idea. So, I decided that I would start by quoting and linking to words and videos of people from different cultures who have visited India for a start in this Artikrti's Culture Connect Blog. And then write to them to request them to be guest writer on our blog and hear their voices first hand. Wish me luck on this project.
Circling back to Coral's "Why Make a Yoga Pilgrimage to India?" is a from-the-heart account of her experience of India. To quote her further "India has offered me many valuable lessons over the years. Some of my most meaningful and transformational experiences have taken place in India. Although some of them have been quite difficult, they have shown me the magnificent power and potential of yoga."
Here is the link to her post : http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/balance/travel/by-location/india/make-yoga-pilgrimage-india/
If you are a yoga lover you'd certainly cherish her words. If you aren't one, maybe this would be your inspiration to become one.
I hoping this would be the start of a spectrum of writers actually becoming contributors to our Culture Connect effort.
]]>
Have you seen the movie "Fiddler on the roof"? My favourite part in the movie is when Tevye, the Milkman, sings the song "Tradition", a fascinating account of his life, his times and the Jewish culture he upholds. When we get to know people and their culture in that manner, you feel connected...you sort of feel you know him or her just a shade more.....personally.........
........have that yearning to discover, to know more. We’d like Artikrti’s Culture Connect Blog to become that India lover’s ‘go-to’ page for some quality soul time on India.
Have you seen the movie "Fiddler on the roof"? My favourite part in the movie is when Tevye, the Milkman, sings the song "Tradition", a fascinating account of his life, his times and the Jewish culture he upholds. When we get to know people and their culture in that manner, you feel connected...you sort of feel you know him or her just shade more.....personally.
We are curious people, as a race. And we love to know more about the diverse cultures from different parts of the world. And there is no better time than today, for us to reach out and touch each other virtually and share our lives. That's the reason why, we'd like to call this Artikrti Blog as The Culture Connect Blog. While Artikrti is an attempt to bring to you the splendours of India in the form of products that you can buy, at a more deeper level we'd like to invite you, to experience & touch India.
This Culture Connect Blog is like our patio- our hangout, to sit and chat. About India’s art, craft and couture. And beyond that, a temple for all things India. Things that make it such a fascinating draw for millions around the world.
Indians like to chat- it’s called “arattai” in Tamil and “adda” in Bengali. That unique pastime where we catch-up on everything in general and nothing in particular. We are pretty sure that the other 1650 listed Indian languages and dialects that make India must have a word for it.
Our ‘arattai’ here will have more soul- let’s exchange and explore- thoughts, ideas and objects d’ art that catch our fancy from India. This is as much your page as it is ours. World over, whether it is Mark Twain or Steve Jobs, Lady Diana or Julia Roberts, there have been and will be, those who are curious about India and have that yearning to discover, to know more. We’d like Artikrti’s Culture Connect Blog to become that India lover’s ‘go-to’ page for some quality soul time on India.
There is so much magic in each culture, waiting for us to discover.....Hopefully, some time, in the future, we at the Culture Connect Blog, will move towards getting different cultures to understand each other better, aid in cross-pollination of ideas and contribute our tiny morsel to creating a greater sense of unity to the human race.
But doing exactly that, is this video and its chant Allah-Om. Today, in January 2015, more than ever, we ought to be sensitive and tolerant with each other and raise the cry for peace and tolerance. By taking the two chants 'Allah' and 'Om' and uniting them in this song is, we believe, a unique attempt at Culture Connect of a deeper nature. We feature their video here as a tribute to their effort- Parindey, the band led by the Joshi sisters Pragya & Chhavi.
Allah or Jesus or Om...we are ONE.
[And the music is a great fusion of the east & the west]
]]>India is the land of festivals- we have festivals through the year round. But, as a kid, I think no festival came even close to the air of expectancy and joy that Diwali evoked. Deepavali, as we call it, down South in Tamilnadu, was my absolute favorite as a kid.
After a decade or more, I spent this Diwali last month, back in India, at home in Chennai. [I was in India to do most of the sourcing and prep work for the big bang:) launch of Artikrti]. It was family time: my sister's family in Chennai with the twin girls, my dad, my second sister's family with their newborn baby girl had just flown in...I don’t know which was sweeter- reliving the moments of Deepavali after a long, long time or the savoring of the memories it evoked in me.
Nostalgia…your longing for things that ‘were’ the way they were can be special…. the excitement usually started perhaps weeks ahead of the festival with the family stepping out to buy the new clothes to be worn on the day. The sight of jostling crowds, excited shoppers, even more excited salesmen…. adds to the air of expectancy. For my mom and aunts the prep for the festival was perhaps as exciting as the day itself. Clothes bought & the shopping experience would be compared, shown around and talked about- a chattering that you cannot miss.
A week to go and the homes used to be filled with the aroma of ghee [clarified butter] & elaichi [cardamom] and a hundred other smells from all the sweets and snacks that my mom used to make.No, you cannot eat them all right away!! So near yet sooo faaaar away. You could only taste maybe, one of them but the rest of the sweets [and there were maybe five or six types] were for the pooja to the Gods on Diwali day. Only after they were offered to the gods as a holy offering on Diwali day could we poor earthlings be allowed to taste! Until then, all you had, was the aroma to savor.
For me, as a kid, the excitement was all about the shopping for fireworks….oh, I miss that. There is nothing that equals the joy of going back home and gloating over the array of crackers, bombs, rockets, chakras and flower-pots [different types of fireworks] that you have in hand for ‘the day’. Now the smell of Diwali is really ‘full on’. You can’t wait for the day…
]]>Kalamakari is the art of painting on cloth with a ‘kalam’ or pen. And ‘kari’ means ‘work’. So literally it means pen-work- simple, right? But simplicity of craft is not what kalamkari is all about. But before you get to know how it is done, take a look at how a finished painting may look in some of the
]]>Kalamakari is the art of painting on cloth with a ‘kalam’ or pen. And ‘kari’ means ‘work’. So literally it means pen-work- simple, right? But simplicity of craft is not what kalamkari is all about. But before you get to know how it is
done, take a look at how a finished painting may look in some of the contemporary renditions of the classic art style in today’s dresses & sarees. Absolutely stunning, aren’t they?
Much of what you may see on fashion fabrics today may just be fabric painting that uses the kalamkari style of painting as the inspiration. But the classic, traditional method is said to be over 3000 years old and the place to go for the real authentic works of art is Sri Kalahasti, in Andhra Pradesh, India. There is another version of this painting done by block printing, but that, as the name suggests, is more printing than painting.
Originally, kalamkari works of art were created entirely by hand, predominantly for the temples as narrative murals. These murals tell the stories of the great Hindu epics in picture form. In addition to the epic murals, the Tree of Life theme is very popular and comes in many forms.
The art involves some 19 steps and can take up to nine months to complete, depending on the complexity. Dense cotton cloth is soaked in the river to remove the starch. The cloth is then steeped in buffalo milk and cow dung, mixed with a tree seed which dyes it a warm yellow. Marking out and producing a basic image is done with charcoal followed by detailed filling in of borders, shapes and story with a black dye made from rusty iron, soaked for 7 days with water and palm sugar, using the ‘kalam’ dipped in the black dye.
Then the process of adding colors starts- adding alum to get the red color in the spots required and boiling the cloth in the dye solution. Following this, the cloth is washed in the river water and bleached dry in the sun. This process is repeated for each color separately.
Take a look at a couple of shawls and throws sold [not in stock now] by Artikrti, that feature this art. And if you’d like to see pictures of the making of the world record for the single largest kalamkari work involving 150,00 drawings, click here.
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Have you seen the movie "Fiddler on the roof"? My favourite part in the movie is when Tevye, the Milkman, sings the song "Tradition", a fascinating account of his life, his times and the Jewish culture he upholds. When we get to know people and their culture in that manner, you feel connected...you sort of feel you know him or her just a shade more.....personally.........
........have that yearning to discover, to know more. We’d like Artikrti’s Culture Connect Blog to become that India lover’s ‘go-to’ page for some quality soul time on India.
]]>Have you seen the movie "Fiddler on the roof"? My favourite part in the movie is when Tevye, the Milkman, sings the song "Tradition", a fascinating account of his life, his times and the Jewish culture he upholds. When we get to know people and their culture in that manner, you feel connected...you sort of feel you know him or her just shade more.....personally.
We are curious people, as a race. And we love to know more about the diverse cultures from different parts of the world. And there is no better time than today, for us to reach out and touch each other virtually and share our lives. That's the reason why, we'd like to call this Artikrti Blog as The Culture Connect Blog. While Artikrti is an attempt to bring to you the splendours of India in the form of products that you can buy, at a more deeper level we'd like to invite you, to experience & touch India.
This Culture Connect Blog is like our patio- our hangout, to sit and chat. About India’s art, craft and couture. And beyond that, a temple for all things India. Things that make it such a fascinating draw for millions around the world.
Indians like to chat- it’s called “arattai” in Tamil and “adda” in Bengali. That unique pastime where we catch-up on everything in general and nothing in particular. We are pretty sure that the other 1650 listed Indian languages and dialects that make India must have a word for it.
Our ‘arattai’ here will have more soul- let’s exchange and explore- thoughts, ideas and objects d’ art that catch our fancy from India. This is as much your page as it is ours. World over, whether it is Mark Twain or Steve Jobs, Lady Diana or Julia Roberts, there have been and will be, those who are curious about India and have that yearning to discover, to know more. We’d like Artikrti’s Culture Connect Blog to become that India lover’s ‘go-to’ page for some quality soul time on India.