HORIZON magazine #1

HORiZON

ART MEETS FASHION #1

Special thanks to VASUNDHARA KHATTRY

(Mentor and guide)

Presented By:

Isha Kumar

Editor’s

Welcome to the first edition of HORIZON, which provides a platform for artists and art to meet fashion with style to convey stories. Fashion and art are two terms which are used together and often misinterpreted. There is no denial in the fact that art is present where skills are involved. But, It is more like a collaboration than diffusion of the two. Both are meant for different reason, fashion for style statement and art to communicate ideas.

Being of an Indian origin, this quarterly magazine certainly has strings attached to the varied cultural and religious sentiments but with the air of western-contemporary modernism. It sticks to the story telling approach of romanticism wrapped in cross-cultural transparency.

This issue talks about the influence of romanticism in today’s work of art, literature, music and media. How free thinking and imagination has grown up contemporary wings to present same ideas but with modern tools and approach. Trip your mind, soul and body with the life of sufi living, 5 reasons why to adopt it in your lifestyle. Get fascinated with the quick bytes of artistic fashion and interesting news, from around the world, which sure will tempt you to think over.

Meet our first magazine guest, Deepa Arora – a life coach and mind therapist who shares her insights about positivity, sufi living and spirituality to coordinate mind, soul and body for happy living. Next, on our radar is a style guide to inspire your wardrobe for easy summer looks derived from Pin stripe shirt.

“Fashion is not art. The aim of fashion and art are different and there is no need to compare them.”

- Rei Kawakubo

Open your mind to take yourself on a journey of seven soul levels- the most fascinating and expressive fashion editorial visuals that will surely raise some questions to answer. It is based on the theme, ‘The dance of Spirit and Matter’, wherein it opens a dialogue about human existence, spiritual health and materialistic pursuits which are often ignored or less talked about. Don’t overload!! We have your answers in our feature of ‘Unlocking Existence’.

Let’s celebrate the talents unsung, commoners who are creative bags of art in our creative nook.This magazine hope to nurture young artists, contributors and readers to entertain and infuse with subject knowledge never thought upon.

Keep inspiring and get inspired, there is no limit and the prospects are endless.

ISHA KUMAR

H S S S U E T

Celebrate creative eye of commoners. The artists unsung.

How the context of romanticism has changed over the years.

Flip over the pages and find out why sufi life is a treat to happy living

She click fashion & Travel

Feel the emotions behind the fashion story conveyed through ballet dance.

She can bend your thoughts to think over again,

21st CENTURY Romanticism

How modern art, music, litrature and media changed the context of 19th century Romanticism in today’s time.

Flying angels in the sky, men adorning the bright moon, moods of nature, emotions and non-materialistic escapism ruled the European continent during late 18th and early 19th century to revolt against the rationalism and order associated with the preceding Enlightenment era, stressing the importance of expressing authentic personal feelings. Today the word ‘romantic’ evokes images of love and sentimentality, but the term ‘Romanticism’ has a much wider meaning. It covers a range of developments in art, literature, music and philosophy which changed the direction of creative thinking, moving away from the idealistic and logical reasoning.

While the western world was flooded with ideas of individualism,

imagination. idealization of childhood, freedom, love and nature. Our Indian counterparts - though always romantic explored the art of miniature paintings and bani thani with the theme of Ramayana and the Mahabharata, Krishna’s life, beautiful landscapes, and humans.

William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s “Lyrical Ballads” was the real beginning of romanticism in English Literature. Wordsworth described his poem as, “the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” in the second edition of “Lyrical Ballads.” This “overflow of powerful feelings” is

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar DavidFriedrich

what the poets like William Blake, John Keats, Mary Shelly, Lord Byron, Walter Scott, and the German poet Gothe did after him. Romantic poetry will appeal to us more because of our love for nature and the lush green country side, concern for common man and reverence for spiritual values of life which are some of the essential qualities of Romantic poetry. What will endure above machine is the human heart and ‘primal sympathy’ for the whole humanity. Style of words can change from years, but the soul remains the same.

Presently, modern art in form of paintings, sculptures and street art retained the soul of Romanticism with love for humans and nature. It contradicts the idea of development with endangered nature, love for beloved and the true identity

of social beings while emphasizing the importance of returning to nature, or rather states, no matter how far we as a race move away from it, nature will always remain inside of us. Various different mediums and raw materials structure the ideas for art today.

Moving away from the conventional looser and less precise brushwork of romantic painters like William Blake, John Constable, Thomas Cole, Eugene Delacroix and J.M.W Turner, paintings are more abstract, minimal, pop, show expressionism and therefore need an eye to understand the motive, humour and emotions associated.

“Romanticism is precisely situated neither in choice of subject nor in exact truth, but in a way of feeling.”

– Charles Baudelaire

Paula Cartese is an Argentinian mixed media artist most inspired by romanticism, emotion and nature. Her work is build up in layers using different mediums such as oils, acrylics, hand painted paper, pastels, etc.

Ah! those days of music could bring in emotions just by listening to them. Ballet and contemporary dancers still dance on the beats of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven, who have been referred to as the three “Romantic Composers” by E.T.A Hoffman in 1810. Most commonly used woodwinds from the Romantic Period were the bassoons, oboes, flutes, and clarinets. Bass and side drums begin to become most popular. Other influential percussion instruments include: xylophones, celestas, gongs, cymbals, castanets, harps, bells, triangles, and chimes. Current day music borrow several characters from the romantic era. Song by Bruno Mars - ‘treasure’, where it is affiliated with one’s inmost soul or self being touched by or reaching out to stars. Bruno Mars borrows the romantic comparison of his desired other with a star in his song, thus exposing the influence of the romantic era in his music. Other songs like The power of love, Tum ho, Love story, Royals, Wake me up, Summer time sadness express utopian ideology, Individualism, escapism and desire for loved one against all odds.

The context of romanticism in cinema and entertainment is drastic after media and technology development came in with the idea of theatre at home which is more personalized and easily acessable to all. Before there were plays, drama or theatre on stage with limited people to watch. Now new storylines, concepts borrowed from past, present and also future are brought in to shape the feeling of romance and fantasy in different situations by different people in different time zones. It is quite a common theme for daily soaps, movies and series to adopt for engaging more viewers. During 18th and 19th century, it’s been the pursuit of love that has fascinated us, and not what we do with it when we get it. Presently, it is about what happens after the Cinderella is happily married to her prince Charles. Despite all the complains, we are endlessly reinventing the way to live with each other to suit our modern world. This is not all, there are different people around and not all of them are same. Today love is a fantasy land, reality check, timepass and nothing, all at the same time. Its Complicated.

Eventually, coming generations would always go back in time, to inspire from the period of romanticism - time of free thinking, subjectivity, love and escapism, regardless of any social, political or technological changes that may hit the future world.

Romantic characteristics influenced fashion designers so much that, it became one of the major fashion genre.

Amazing floral covered gown by Alexander McQueen. True depiction of art and fashion. Florals, frills, ruffels, bell sleeves, delicate laces are all elements of design for romantic fashion style.

The bike can translated into “the feeling”, over the purpose or practical aspect that this bike serves, which can also be translated into “logic or experience”. These morals are carried from the romantic period.

Jeremy Brown is an abstract artist and founder of LOVE IS ART who has been making paintings during intimacy.

Quick Bytes

Asos.com - a British online fashion and beauty store has started showing the same clothes on different-sized models using Augmented Reality technology. According to ASOS, they are experimenting with AR to show product on different size models, so customers can get a better sense of how something might fit their body shape.

Mirjana Kika Milosevic’s, The Serbian special effects makeup artist doesn’t just paint her face, but instead extends her art to cover her whole body. She calls herself a “skin illusionist,” using her cosmetics to transform herself into various odd-looking cartoon characters or make her body disappear.

Viktor & Rolf in their fall 2015 couture collection called ‘Wearable Art’, tackled the age-old question of whether fashion qualifies as art by challenging our preconceptions on whether the works should hang on a wall or clothe a female body. The designers doubled as performance artists, systematically unfastening their works from a series of models and hanging them on the wall.

Committed to reviving its Benarasi legacy, Ekaya The label has come together with Fédération Française de la Creation Couture Sur Mesure – Paris to put forth an international exhibition, Consu d’Or, that translates the best of Indian handloom to bespoke French wedding wear.

Fashion Revolution Week hosted by Fashion Revolution India (22-28 April) call themselves the advocate of sustainable fashion by launching a campaign on Instagram #WhoMadeYourClothes, to make fashion fair, transparent and ethical. The idea was to post a selfie tagging the brand you are wearing and asking the origins of your clothing.

The Met Gala 2018 Theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination,” may Be the most controversial one yet. “Fashion and religion have long been intertwined, mutually inspiring and informing one another,” says head curator Andrew Bolton. “Although this relationship has been complex and sometimes contested, it has produced some of the most inventive and innovative creations in the history of fashion.”

Gucci’s spring 2018 campaign, “Gucci Hallucination,” is another example of the brand’s ode to art history. Spanish artist Ignasi Monreal, who is partnering with design house said this campaign is quite special, as it’s a first photo-free, first fully digitally painted fashion campaign. By exploring the overlap of fashion, art, and digital media, Gucci aims to stimulate conversations that resonate both inside and outside of the fashion world.

Moscow-based photographer Kristina Makeeva combines fashion and travel in a truly breathtaking way, photographing women in elaborate dresses in front of various mind-blowingly beautiful backdrops around the world.

Fashion And Wanderlust Collide In These Truly Breathtaking Photos. “For me, there is nothing more beautiful than the tangled fabric of the dress from the wind created by the running girl,” she said. “This is magic.” “A project with dresses is a way to show how a person and his creations can organically fit into the beauty of this world,” she said.

Guo Pei S/S 17

REASONS TO

Sufi LIFE 5

Believe me, when i say 5 reasons! they are the total bargain for your lifestyle. It significantly means, doing yourself a favour, relaxing your soul and pampering it to the point where you fall in love with oneself and start accomodating others in your dear umbrella.

Sufism is not just a word associated with Islamic religion. It is a way of living your life with the purest bond of truth with God, discovering your true self with selfless experience of love and devotion. It is now gaining attention not as a cultural practice but a life transforming medication which can be consumed by anyone, while blurring the line between religions and customs. For instance, yoga is not Hinduism, it is a practice of well being with breathing and physical exercise. Similarly, Sufi life is like feeding your soul which bring you a step closer to truth without any man laid boundaries to distinguish mankind. 1

DANCE FOR WELL BEING

Here we go round the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush, the mulberry bush......, regardless it is not an animated nursery poem i am refering to but the whirling dance of the sufis, who twirling endlessly on the rhythm of their heart to bond with God, head towards the depth of sky, like earth rotating the sun; infact the whole universe stage the same play harmoniously. Feeling dizzy already? but it is not just about spinning, it is a meditation to unite body, mind and spirit to the pathway of self-actualization, expanded consciousness and higher potential, which is usually done throught hypnothesis or mind meditation. It does have physical benefits of movement while meditating, making it a healthy practice for heart and breathing and internally helps in personal & spiritual growth, healing and rightful action.

2

BELIEVE TO LIVE

As salt is a major ingredient to make your tastebuds have a sense of food, belief is sole base of everything where energy is transfered. Sufism lives on the purpose of belief in truth. You will learn to be a believer in love! to love yourself and to love others. If you do this, congratulations! welcome to sufi world. Moreover, twirling will help express your feelings and give you a personal space to rediate positive energy to the person watching you. To them it will be like a shining ball of energy, or a mirror to glance at your soul. Now imagine, where there is only love and no hate, makes world a better place.

GET CREATIVE

You might start sounding humourous, mature or peculiar to some due to your indirect take of life.

People start crowding for suggestions and solutions. Emotion and revelation always leads to path where one could create something. Like an art? poetry? music? dance? or anything for that matter. It fills in creative energy to present the world an artistic piece in any form describeable. Consider youself an artistic person now or kissed by it.

4 ENJOY RUMI

Indulge in the poetic words of Rumi, understand his story of love (union with his beloved from which/ whom he has been cut off and become aloof – and his longing and desire to restore it.) and seek stability. He is also considered to initiate the medium of music, poetry and dance as doorways to reach God. You will develop an eye to appreciate art in form of paintings, music ghazals of classical singer like Farida Khanum or a modern option like Deepak Chopra valentine to Rumi. You might be attracted to book like 40 rules of love wherein love is explained through sufism (Rumi inspired). Entertainment to live for, right?

5

FASHION MUSE

Mark your presence in spiritual fashion with refreshingly soft and earthy color pallet garments made of natural fabrics like cotton, linen, silk & hemp (to name a few) to relieve yourself from summer months. Wear experimental hats. Twirl in the fluid fabrics to create an aura of happiness around you and others. Feel confident with drapes and layers marching all the way from top to bottom. Spread the magic of reflective charms and bracelets dangling by your side. Designer labels like Payal Khandwala, Wendell Rodrick’s, sonam dubal, anavila and Antar Agni are some of the few who explore contemporary drapes and Silhouette in natural fabrics. Create a fashion style, go around in the world to inspire others and get inspired. Connect this planet through love.

Camouflage Print

Shift Dress

1.

Button-Down

3,000 INR 2

Slim

Jeans,

,1,999 INR 3. Watch, Daniel Wellington, 11,510 INR 4. Tuxedo Blazer Jacket, LE3NO, price on request 5. So Real Sunglasses, DIOR, 14,990 INR 6. Leather handbag, HERMÈS,price on request 7. Bari suede courts, Gianvito Rossi, 5,230 INR.

We urge you to explore the art of styling with the always on trend pinstripe shirt with 4 different macro trends on our radar. Strictly street.

Pinstripe

Shirt, Sonia Rykiel,

.

Regular

H&M

1. Cat Eye Sunnies, Tom Ford, 15,320 INR 2. Shift Dress, Chicwish, 3,820 INR 3. Pinstripe Shirt, Sonia Rykiel, 3,000 INR 4. Bandana, A Peace Treaty, 1,660 INR 5. Bracelet, Chloé ‘Marin’, 5,940 INR 6. Crossbody, Betsey Johnson, 4,370 INR 7. Leather-oxford-tassel-fringe-brogues, Fratelli, price on request.

1. Disc Earrings, Marc Jacobs, 4,365 INR 2. Pinstripe Shirt, Sonia Rykiel, 3,000 INR 3. Camouflage Bralet ,wearall.com, 1,000 INR 4. Military Skirt , Self-Portrait, 3,755 INR 5. Ruffle Sneaker, Tory Burch, price on request 6 Golden Ticket Zip Top Purse, newlook.com, 355 INR.

THE WAY WE WEAR ...

PINSTRIPES SHIRT

Leaving its formal roots behind, these stripes has made its way to the streets. Lock it with suspenders and dhoti pants to give it a office chic-street look.

Pinstripes mixed with macro trend dhoti pants.

Boohoo Katharine dhoti pants

Gap women Black Multi Strap Heels

Have you ever wondered why we are on this planet? What is our purpose other than earning money, seeking fame, building relationships and structuring rules for society? Most of us will frown upon these questions, pondering what else could it mean. But the answer is comparatively simple – we are all seeking JOY! These materialistic pursuits frame life with ease and comfort, thus making us happy, but we ignore the fact that these are mere stepping stones and not the meaning of life. The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered “Man…. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

Sometimes, the mundane lifestyle screams for a break, an escape from work, people and complicated thoughts creating an endless spiral. A place where we could find peace, discover ourselves, rejuvenate our souls. But the secret lies within us, and we keep looking for peace in physical

UNLOCKING

spaces, seeking answers from others when they are all along inside ourselves. Our souls are the answers to all our questions; we just need to dig deeper within for the treasures we hold inside.

Life seems too short for understanding the immense knowledge we could acquire from this universe. Patience is the key; as quoted by Dr Brian Leslie Weiss – a famous psychiatrist and an author who specializes in past life regression “Everything will be clear to you in time. But you must have a chance to digest the knowledge that we have given to you already.”

Imagine our earthly world as a digital game with increasing difficulty levels to cross one after another. But there is nothing like winning or losing here because we can always resume from where we left and can get a step closer to knowing our ‘true selves’. We can be en route to ‘self-actualization’ which is the full realization of one’s potential. In simple words, these ascending levels are our lives and bodies that we change, which points us to the concept of rebirth or reincarnation. It might sound unbelievable, incredulous or perfectly acceptable to you, but there is adequate evidence from metaphysical and psychoanalytical research to pave the way for a deeper understanding and exploration of this topic.

Discovering the

behind and understanding: why are!

behind the secret of life why we are, the way we are!

We are all different from each other in terms of consciousness, self-awareness, maturity, knowledge, experience and skills. Why do you think that is? Is it because we have varied brain intelligence which makes one wiser and another ignorant; and what about our values and belief systems? The answer to this lies in our evolving levels of consciousness based on the lessons we learn in our various lifetimes, through the different stages of soul evolution.

There are many books written by psychologists, psychoanalysis experts and hypnotherapists based on their experiences with the altered consciousness of their patients during regression therapies, giving rise to dedicated therapy on past life regression. Often people who are experiencing trauma, negative patterns of behaviour, strange life experiences or a spiritual crisis, and are unable to help themselves, seek therapy and have discovered profound answers to their questions. Their therapists and healers assist them in their journey to find the root causes of such issues, sometimes spanning over several lives.

EXISTENCE

The purpose is always to help the person integrate their spiritual and human experience so that their souls are aligned with their hearts and minds. After all, life beyond lessons is a gift that must be enjoyed to the fullest, establishing peace for the humankind. One important medium to achieve this is through meditation, which activates the seven energy centres (chakras) in our bodies to provide balance and consistency with the experience of oneness to the eternity of life. Since we are all energy beings, learning to manage our energy is key to happiness and an enriched life.

All our lives we live in fear of getting hurt and ultimately dying, but what we don’t consider is that the soul is eternal; it is never really born or dies; it just discards the body to progress from one phase to another just like we change clothes for different occasions, ultimately joining the one or the source or god as we commonly call the creator. Thus, the question arises - what is to be done when we reach the highest stage of evolution? Well, we give as good as we get, and pass on the learnings to others for their evolution and realization of immortality so that we may rediscover our true nature and purpose as aspects of god.

The Sign

I wake to find a scene unkind, on vessel I do stand.

Adrift at sea; lost, scared and cold; in desperate need of land.

From where came I? What purpose here? Which course should I set sail?

My heart longs after former home, yet all my senses fail.

Rotating, searching, looking out; no means to tell the way.

And so I drift with every wind, more helpless day by day.

Shall this continue endlessly? Shall sea become despair?

A purpose there must surely be, a course to chart...but where?

Then pausing, pondering, opening up...a prompting, “Look above”.

In yonder sky, a wisp of white, a sign of hope: a dove.

© Jeff Bresee

Jewelry: Stylist’s own, Grey embroided dress: Zara Rs 3,990

Umbrella Angarakha Top: Twinkle Hanspal Rs. 15,500, Opera draped skirt: Twinkle

Hanspal Rs. 9,900

Peace

As I wander through the green, green, grassy glades

With valleys swathed in darkness. In deep dark tunnels of despair, all my burdens laid on my shoulders. I know that I am His sheep and He is my shepherd.

With every footstep I take He guides my way.

When I stumble, He lifts me up And leads me through valleys far and wide. Streams flow and meander with life-giving water, A place where I can sit and stay.

© Jackie Salli

Jewelry: Itrana Black ring Rs 2000, Earrings Rs. 2500, Ring Rs. 3200, Necklace Rs. 3500, , Off-theshoulder dress : H&M Rs 2,999, White striped shirt: H&M Rs 1,799, Striped off shoulder Jumpsuit: H&M Rs. 3,999

I always want to be somebody; Who has everything - wealth, power and glory. People will look at me with envy; Crying and hoping that they are me.

Dreaming. Wanting. Wishing. My heart desires for luxurious living. Drink. Eat. Be merry; Oh! What a good life would that be.

© Queenie Y. Florentino

Jewelry : Itrana

Choker Rs.4700 & Ear cuffs

Rs.3500 , Banana Printed

T-shirt : Zara Rs 490,

Pleated Ombre skirt: Zara

Rs 2,590

Stud Earrings, Choker & Pendant from Itrana, Asymmetrical Dress: Threesome (Price on request)

Divine Intervention

Walking down the street, My mind is in an oblivion.

I don’t know what I’m thinking.

I’m in a state of confusion, And I have mixed feelings about nothing. But all the same, I have to do something with my life. To me, there’s no hope’ And no hand to hold on to. I feel like giving up now. But then, I remember the Good Old Book, “Come to Me all you who labor....”

“....able to do exceedingly abundantly....”

It’s then that I realize that, All hope is not lost, Because all I ever needed, is Divine Intervention....

© Pearl Miller

Slash neckpiece : Itrana Rs. 3500, Jumpsuit : Threesome (Price on Request)

Drop earrings Rs. 3,800 and ring Rs. 2,000 from Itrana, Summer print dress : Zara Rs 3,490

Peace

I foresee the light of heaven. All around the crafted colours of Creation.

His arms outstretched to comfort me.

His caring, calming voice Leads me to a place of peace.

© Jackie Salli

Earrings Rs. 4,000 from Itrana , Brook drape dress: Twinkle Hanspal Rs. 22,500

Necklace Rs. 4,000 from Itrana , Blue floral dress

: H&M Rs 1,799, White

Palazzo:Threesome

Angels Everywhere

There are angels all around us, Angels everywhere; Sent to us from heaven above

To comfort, console and share The mercies of Gods’ grace and love

Through an encouraging word

A kind-hearted deed

A whispered prayer

On bended knee.

A gentle touch when no one’s there

A peaceful presence in the air

There are angels all around us, Angels everywhere.

© Lynn Casstevens)

Pendant chain Rs. 2,700 from Itrana , Mint Mist

One- shoulder dress : Twinkle Hanspal, Rs 17,800

Circular earrings Rs. 3,800 from Itrana , Knitted oversized top : Zara Rs 1,890, Knitted

Maxi dress: Zara Rs 2,490

Journey With Spirit

Run with me, Let your arms free, Lay your head back, Our spirits are one!

I shall take you to heaven upon my back, For I am your guide. Together is how it shall be, I am yours and you are mine... Magically we shall take the journey together, I am “spirit”

© Crystal Hedrick

Golden and Silver Velvet dress from H&M : Rs.1,299

CREDITS

Creative direction & styling : Isha Kumar

Photography : Harsh Kataria

Ballet Dancers : Surbhi Sachdeva & Shaiyla Taneja from IFBC ballet school

Makeup artist : Sukoon Gulati

Shivi Rastoge

Editing : Asangsang Khro

Gaurang Hans

Deepa Arora IN CONVERSATION WITH

A life coach and a mind therapist

Being a life coach & mind therapist, how does it help the clients or how do you define it?

Firstly, you need to understand the difference between a life coach & a teacher. These are very confusing words. The only difference between a life coach & a teacher is that, a teacher knows everything and gives it to the students, whereas, a life coach doesn’t know anything, but brings out the best in students they already have. The way we have a sports coach for Sachin Tendulkar, who is playing cricket, is his strength. His coach is strengthening his abilities to play better cricket. The coach is not giving you anything which you don’t have, the coach is only bringing the best out of you. So, when you come to life coach, you already have all the expertise within you, it is hidden somewhere you are not aware of. On a simpler way, how a deer has a musk & he doesn’t know that and roam around searching for it. A life coach makes you neat with your own fragrance.

To know what a mind therapist does, you should know that, We comprise of 3 elements – a free physical body, a mind which does not have tangible identity but an energy and a soul which is beyond even the mind & body. So, how can we know about anything which is so deep, until & unless we don’t know about its upper layers. To reach your deeper cells of conscious and unconscious mind, a good healthy body is important. From here the word yoga comes, when you have a healthy yog of mind and body, you make a bridge to go to your spirit.

How long have you been practicing this & what inspires you for this road less travelled?

It is not a road less travelled. I think, this is the only road which should be travelled. Even though, I do not relate to the word practice because it is not practice for me, it is a way of life. There is nothing which I am giving to anyone, superficially doing or inspiring, it’s a reinforcement to my own self also. There is nothing called a practice, this is the way of life. Now, how long I have been doing it! practically in this lifetime about 14 years ago, because I must have been in a slumber sleep before that; so, I got awakened 14 years back. It must be coming into my cell memory from ages behind because you actually start from the end Therefore, it is very innate to me.

what was your experience and what inspired you to help others?

First of all, I wanted to help myself, because there is one way to look at life when you have mind & body; then the sorrows, pain & pleasure are other part of it. when you understand it with your mind, the sufferings are un ending because you get into the questioning of being less privileged, unfortunate, or blaming others. Now that the path is full of suffering, you start to understand yourself deeper and from your inner spirit, all your questions are answered. For me, I first wanted to help myself to travel from this side to the other side and when I did, it is so beautiful, blissful, so much of happy & joyous phase and then of course it is my compassion for my loved ones. I believe in oneness, and there are people who are other than me, so my inspiration is that I can inspire as many people to make their transit from this side to the other.

You have a designer label and a café as well called Faquiri. Can you tell me something about the collection and being a fashion designer?

My inspiration comes from beautiful soul which can be decorated with the very beautiful garments also. So, the vibes & the energy of my designer line is fakir. It goes with the energy of the soul and if you connect there, the beauty of the body merges with it. It is not only you think of your soul that it is beautiful, your body and how you decorate it comes from the shakti energy, like how you see Maa Laxmi, Maa Durga beautifully dressed up, it is an aspect of tangible life we have. While you are in body, you need all the decoration which actually has your inner beauty. That’s the inspiration of my designer label. Coming to the café, it’s a café which does not only fulfill your hunger of your stomach & your taste buds. It’s a space which I have tried to create for the seekers, lovers of god, for the deep thinkers, for the people who just want to take a deep glance to their own self and the things happening around them. It is a Sufi café, so it has the vibrations of my beloved Rumi and Shams of the Breeze and the grace of lord of masters & guides and a place which makes you connect to yourself.

So many jobs at a time. How you keep track of it, and focus on each of them?

None of it is a job for me, that word I don’t resonate with. There is a very beautiful quote by Rumi who says “when you are a Sufi, you don’t work, you dance”. So, for me it is an effortless thing whatever I do, whether they are therapy, making garments or café. None of it is a job or work for me. It is very innate to me so, I flow with it. For me it is like, the river doesn’t work when it is flowing. It doesn’t get tired, it is the nature of the river.

How would you describe yourself as a person?

In one word – I am a fakir, a wanderer, a Sufi. But not every wanderer, who wanders is lost; so, I am not lost, yet of course there is unfolding at every given point of time. I am basically a child of nature, completely in sink with the universe & believe in oneness.

The next question is for those people who are non-believers and more practical in life, so what do you think is the difference between science & spirituality?

For all those who are non-believers, I have a beautiful statement for them, which is

“they themselves do not know what actually they are missing on to”, what Jesus Christ has said. So, my job is not to tell anyone that you do not know this, the one who knows his/her inner self, this journey is for them. The ones who do not want to believe, will believe in some life or the other. Each one does its own, we are not here to preach or teach. We are here to make tribes with the like mindedness people. The ones who do not believe, they should not be convinced. It’s their journey, which should be left onto them. Whenever they are ready for it, they will go on to it because absolute truth does not change for anyone. Not that if they do not know or they do not resonate, it does not exist for them.

There will be some different time, in some different space, in some different life, when they will be ready for it. So, here it’s a very deep conversation because they have their karmic script. Their soul is yet not vibrating at that level where they need to be deeply connected. So, they are probably doing journey to their lower Chakras. Coming to Science, Science has also agreed to it that we have neutrons, electrons, protons and we have got something called God element. Even if the science is completely in sink with it and we have don’t have to prove anything to anyone. Its a journey of seeking, it’s a journey of seekers, it’s a journey of light workers. Your work is to get connected to your light and help people who have the light inside them. Each one of us has it, but the ones who are not yet ready to see, we should have compassion for them, there is no self pity, there is no sarcasm. Each one does their own. Let them be.

Can you share a case study which you think show remarkable progress for a client?

It’s a new age vogue, when people talks about past life regression, reincarnation or things like they get overwhelmed by the knowledge of previous lifetimes; Many lives, Many masters. So, I see a lot of people becoming passive in changing their own lives and taking the ownness of making their mistakes in this lifetime and blaming everything to the past. There is a beautiful story which authenticates that past life exists. Any past life therapy or reincarnation story is there to empower you. It is to give you wings, not to cut them.

This is the story of a very well-read woman who came to me and was heading a very big department in a university, very intellectual learned woman.

She was not very young and was in her 50’s. She had a life of experience behind and she came to me and shared that she is in a very physically abusive relationship for about 20-25 years, which means even after such an intelligent woman, so modern and knowing everything, she was in a physical abuse. She told “I am not being able to do anything about it. It must be my destiny. I would like to get my past life done to know what bad I would have done to this person that I have got this kind of traumatic life and it must be my fault and it would be some of my bad Karma.” So, I said that, my job is to empower you and not to make you a victim. She understood and agreed to it and I did her past life therapy in multiple sessions. Ultimately, she reached to a point where she was in one of her past life and she was born in a village as a man and was the head of the village. His nature was very crude & brutal in that previous life. In that crudeness & brutality, his character was that he burnt his wife alive in some anger and that wife took birth as a man and her husband in this lifetime. when that man died in that lifetime, he died with a lot of repentance and guilt and understood that he had made mistakes.

So that made her come back as a woman, who had completely left her right to be righteousness. This woman was living completely with guilt, vibrations that I have done wrong to someone and have to take this as my karmic baggage.

After her integration, I explained her whatever she did in her previous life, the baggage doesn’t need to be carried forward in this lifetime, because if it go like this, she will die with lot of trauma, sufferings & pain. These are the feelings she dies with and story goes on.

So, in next life she might take revenge from this man to be beaten up so brutally and story repeats. Therefore, a wise person, a spiritual person needs to integrate the story, to give a pause to the story here & here only. So she integrated that yes I seek forgiveness for all my deeds that I did in that lifetime but in this lifetime I have a new costume and I need to take care of my body, my well being, my mind and if somehow the other person is not been able to understand then I have to make a choice of leaving that person or whatever choice I need to make to protect myself. she made a choice and reported that she was always a very fearful woman, but after her past life therapies, she actually got her strengths. After 2-3 months, she came to me and told that she had divorced that man and lived happily ever after,

Being so much connected with stories, do they personally effect you?

Because I believe in oneness, it sometimes make me feel sad as people are not making the choices to get empowered, they still want to be in the victim zone and sometimes it is very overwhelming also when you see people making very powerful choices in their life, like changing their journey and completely having a 360 degrees turn and connect to themselvesnicely and deeply. Yes, it’s a happy and a sad feeling sometimes, but does not impact in a negative way.

What is the source of positivity in your life?

The source of positivity is the source itself and it is there for everyone. You name it Allah, divine or whatever. When you are connected to your deeper self, then you are automatically connected to the source. For me, if you want to connect to Shiva, you are Shivam yourself. If you are ansh of Shiva and believe in your powers, then you are as limitless as Shiva and can’t get tired or impacted. Ultimate source of positivity is you and not temporary wealth.

knowingly & understanding that a past life does not mean that you have to carry the guilt with rest of your lives.

Deepa’s house is a place of positivity, with symbolic and spiritual elements all around the place.

CREATIVE NOOK

For celebrating talents yet to be discovered

Profession : BBA Student

“To be inspired is great, to inspire is incredible.” As this quote says i’ve been inspired by lots of calligraphy artworks and ended being a self taught calligraphy artist and i hope one day i’ll be able to inspire others.

Profession : B.F.A Student

When your subconscious tends you to make some lines on paper, while you are conscious, that is the kind od art i want to feel through my life.

Name : Lubna Hashim, 22

Name : Anubhav Manna

This artwork basically describes awakening, elaborated as self knowledge, self realization. I made this painting using strokes which represents power, harmony and balance.

Awakening

In the arms of the Beloved point for point perfectly balanced cells aligned molecules adrift in pure energy

warmth of touch

breath of life

undemanding eternally generous a magnificent feeling of freedom light from light moments of perfect stillness

caressing

soundings of silence

visions of beauty and color

universal sky

cosmic flow of rivers

feathering waves of the sea

scattering the light from a cradling moon

a womb overflowing with stars

a blissful peace

gentle tenderness

divine presence

awakening the spirit of eternal love

Name : Kabir Mallick Profession : Art Student

Poem by: Naomi