INDIAN BOARD GAMES
ARTIST FEATURE DR. YASHODA THAKORE
THE TREE WHERE WISDOM SPROUTED
Challenge friends to ancient war and strategy games
Embodying dance as a Kuchipudi artist with devadasi roots
A peepul tree that witnessed something extraordinary
this space is a celebration; a celebration of who and what we are a celebration of the beauty and bliss of our collective legacy; of our wealth a space for recollection of the timeless wisdom and knowledge of the music and morals weaved into our fabric of the art and architecture blessed upon us a space for us to reminisce about our culture understand its depth and breadth and regale in its universal joys a space that traverses the cultural vibes of India; welcome to
Cover Image: Encyclopædia Britannica Original here Cover Design: Chakradhar Potharlanka
Namaste నమ After a heartwarming response to Tarang's inaugural issue, we are thrilled to bring you the second issue. Countless colours make up the Indian rainbow, and what brings us joy is how the medium of reading allows one the right pace to connect with these colours. We hope you enjoy this edition and bask in the cultural jewels from across India - Bengal, Bihar and our Southern states. We dive into what makes for quality education, into Buddhism and into the dance form of Kuchipudi and explore how art links with identity. Profiling doyens of poetry and literature like Adi Shankara and Rabindranath Tagore, we hope their words stir you with delight. If we can help you forget the disruptions and challenges to modern life and soak in this treasure trove, we would consider our job well done. So grab your favourite beverage, sit back and enjoy this edition. Who knows, maybe a picture or a line may inspire you to pick up an art form or come to appreciate the depth of our heritage
Dr. DVK Vasudevan
FOUNDER, SANSKRITI FOUNDATION
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In this edition... WHERE'S THE KUTCHERI TONIGHT?
05 08
He was an American looking to shake a leg but ended up at a Carnatic Concert
ANCIENT INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
Is it time to look beyond merely creating employment?
12 17
GURUDEV OF INDIAN CULTUREVISHWAKAVI RABINDRA Life Journey of India's First Nobel Laureate
INDIAN BOARD GAMES
Challenge a friend to these exquisite boards designed by our ancients
21 25
A Sanskrit literary fountainhead on the beauty of Goddess Parvati
ARTIST FEATURE DR. YASHODA THAKORE
After a Doctoral degree in Yoga & Dance, she traced her roots and embraced Devadasi Nrityam
32 34
SOUNDARYA LAHARI A PINNACLE OF POETIC BRILLIANCE
SHRUTI'S RESONANCE TO ELEMENTS What happens to nano particles when exposed to different Shruti's?
TREE WHERE WISDOM SPROUTED Events that a seemingly ordinary peepal tree bore witness to before an enlightenment
Contributors Chakradhar Potharlanka Zoophilist, aesthete by nature and melomaniac towards Carnatic. IT Engineer and an amateur landscape painter.
Dr. TLN Swamy
chakradharpotharlanka@ gmail.com
drtlnswamy@gmail.com
Maramraju Venkata Manasa Doctoral Researcher in Nano Technology; Carnatic Vocalist & Ethnomusicologist. Interested in contemplating Music Science.
Ramya Mudumba Ph.D Student in Cognitive Science. Carnatic music student. Trekker. Poet.
mv_manasa@yahoo.com
Doctor by profession, Flutist by passion with a zeal for penning and painting.
http://cloudsofthedusk. wordpress.com
Check page 38 to see how you can contribute to our next edition! Satyameet Singh Amateur Carnatic Violinist. MBA in Sustainability. Loves Yoga, Good Lyrics and Cricket. www.instagram.com/ bringbackinnocence/ Uday Shreyas Sanskrit enthusiast. Runs TheSanskritChannel on YouTube & Instagram. Explores wide range of topics from diverse Sanskrit Literature. www.youtibe.com/c/the sanskritchannel
SVS Usha Sri Teacher since 22 years. Avid reader. Proud mother of two.
#OffTheGrid Venu Dorairaj Coffee, Cricket and Carnatic for the good life.
#OffTheGrid
A Kutcheri in progress in Hyderabad
Where's the Kutcheri Tonight? By Venu Dorairaj
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On a wintry Friday evening after a hectic week’s work, Joe, a colleague visiting from the States, enquired enthusiastically, ‘Where’s the party tonight?’; It was a tradition to host any visitor to a party. Short of a good answer, I was left with no option but to invite him to a Music Concert that I had looked forward to enjoying in private. Joe was thrilled; he was quite eager to shake-aleg and listen to some mind-blowing music, preferably Bollywood, he emphasized. My attempts to explain that a Kutcheri was not really a party to exercise one’s legs did nothing to temper his enthusiasm, and so we ended up at the auditorium! The gathering outside the auditorium caught Joe’s observant eyes. “Quite a bright party this,” he quipped as he looked at the colourful, traditionally dressed crowd in Saris and Kurtas, wondering if he was attired adequately for the occasion. As we waited in the chill air outside the auditorium, I brooded if I had made a mistake in choosing the kutcheri for a party. But there was no turning back now, and so we took our seats and I left Joe to his wits as I settled for the party to begin.
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The word Kutcheri is derived from Urdu and in Hindi it means a court of law.
After a rather lengthy introduction and felicitation of the artists, punctuated by the discordant notes of the instruments being tuned and the vocal chord being readied, the performance was all set to begin. By now, the auditorium had descended into deep silence and from that dreamy stillness emerged a clear baritone voice that took the centre stage. The purity and richness of the voice spread out and filled the air as the artist opened the evening with an ode to the lord of beginnings, Lord Ganesha. And in a moment the entire quartet - the Violin, the Mridangam, the Ghatam and the Singer - had come together to set the mood for the evening with a graceful and energetic rendition of Vatapi Ganapatim in the Hamsadhwani ragam. The appetizer had been served and the crowd now stared expectantly at the stage. Joe sat silent.
After a brief pause, the singer started the second performance; an elaborate rendition exploring the depths of the raga Kalyani. Along with the violinist, the singer set the stage for the rasikas to dwell on the beauty and the melody of the raga. The Alaap, with the subtle accompaniment of the violin, ebbed and flowed, hitting the high notes, the lower scales and the entire range of swaras in between. The singer deftly modulated the accent, the tempo, the vibrations or gamakams and the weight on the phrases to bring to fore the richness of the music.
A Kriti in Ragam Kalyani by renowned singer Aruna Sairam
Vocalist Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar is credited with establishing the modern Kutcheri traditions in Carnatic music. The Kutcheri normally start with a varnam followed by many kritis and ragas. Kritis are elaborated with alaapana. Newer segments, such as Thillana, have been added progressively.
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The violin blended in with the voice and created the perfect harmony of melody and meaning that left the audience transfixed. That sound could bring such joy and happiness needed no other proof. And when the eternal words of Tyagaraja questioned “Nidhichala Sukhama, Ramuni Sannidhi Sukhama (is money more comforting or the feet of lord Rama)”, there was no doubt that Sukham was right there in the auditorium. I wished Joe could grasp the essence of the song.
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From one song to another, the Kutcheri moved quickly, rendering beautiful verses from great composers and crafting mesmerizing music. From the sublime Charukesi to the engaging Reeti Gowla, the quartet entertained the audience with a wide spectrum of Carnatic music. Each raga and song painted a different hue of emotion and expression - from pathos to bhakti to ecstasy - eliciting regular applause and appreciation from the gathering. In between the pauses that came, I tried to explain the meaning of the songs and little trivia about the raga to Joe, hoping that he would not miss the Bollywood beats. He seemed quite engrossed in the music but one was not sure. The percussionists who had played second fiddle thus far in the proceedings took the lead for the Thani Avarthanam - a jugalbandi between the Mridangam and Ghatam. With one artist following the other’s lead, the duo stitched together a rhythmic sequence of strokes that hooked the audience. Slow to begin with, the artists increased the pace and complexity of the strokes while progressively shortening the duration to weave together a crescendo that brought the crowd, and Joe, to the edge of their seats. It culminated with the violin and singer spontaneously joining them and completing the rendition with precision and panache. While the crowd was still soaking this in, the artists had moved on to the next course of the gourmet music spread - a Thillana. The Thillana presented a freshness and peppiness to the evening. With words replaced by syllables that may not individually add any meaning, the Thillana highlighted the power of music to transcend the barriers of language into a higher realm that could, arguably, emote even more powerfully.
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A Thani Avarthanam between Mridangam and Ghatam in progress in Hyderabad, India.
The last performance of the evening, and in keeping with the traditions of a Kutcheri, was a brisk Mangalam that saw all the artists come together in a final burst of high-tempo music that ended with rapturous applause from the crowd. The loudest applause was from Joe, who seemed to have enjoyed the evening without even shaking a leg. And so we returned that evening with the music and the magic still ringing out joyously in our minds. The conversations over the dinner table had been fully dominated by the artists, the songs, the ragas, the audience, the ambience, the tradition of sitting down to perform, the meaning and much more. I regaled in the beauty of what we had witnessed and explained how our culture and tradition had nurtured this great gift of music. As we bid goodbye, I saw that the Kutcheri had certainly left Joe on a high - though not the kind he had been used to! The next morning I woke up to a message on my phone. It was Joe, enquiring “Where’s the Kutcheri tonight?”
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ANCIENT INDIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM When teaching was individualistic but Education collective.
By SVS Usha Sri Translation: Ramya M Nalanda University
What is education's purpose? Is it to be better than others or to be the best version of ourselves? Is it to eternally pursue a good life or to make a good life at every step? Is it to seek comfort or to seek knowledge? Is it to be productive, no matter or to be sustainable mentally and socially? Is it to outpace the community for individual desires or make the community we live in better together?
SAMSKRUTI Samskruti means the way of life. Bharatiya Samskruti emphasizes an altruistic, socially conscientious way of living and has always given prominence to raising every individual to the heights of their personal & spiritual development. In ancient India, education's role was to inculcate the qualities and skills to achieve the above. Many aspects of the ancient system of Indian education were crafted meticulously to uphold this essence. But somehow, here we are, where the role of education is more tightly bound to employment and economy, sometimes even at the cost of personal development and betterment of the community. The meaning of potential has changed over the years. Higher productivity has become synonymous with success, and personal values are relegated to a corner.
PROGRESS NEVERTHELESS In the Gurukul system, even though productivity was not the ultimate goal, the progress had been phenomenal in a wide range of aspects. The concept of 'anuvu' (atom), 'paramanuvu,'
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in-depth understanding of five elements of nature could be found in Vedas. In the 5th century, Aryabhatta's 'Aryabhattiyam' and 'Arya Sidhantam' expound upon astronomy and mathematics in exquisite detail, followed by many great astronomers and mathematicians like Varahamihira, Bhaskara, Brahmagupta, etc. who developed the concept of zero, algebra, trigonometry. Remarkable work in medicine could be found in 'Susrutam,' 'Charaka Samhita,' Nagarjuna's and Surananda's work in Ayurveda. Very sophisticated work on literature and grammar in 'Paniniyam,' 'Tolkapiyam' & Bhartrihari's Sanskrit texts. Advancements in philosophy and Tarka sastra, architecture, water management, metallurgy ('rasa ratnakaram'), chemistry, alcohol, cosmetics and fragrance production, war strategies, engineering marvels in ships and other war vehicle designs, etc. immensely glorify what we had achieved. This makes one more curious to look closely at how the education system was back then, through which such knowledge flowed, and see what we can learn from it.
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Under the ancient education system, the acquisition of knowledge was not just done for the purpose of mere acquisition but towards an end goal of raising a human to be their best version both mentally and spiritually (balancing both boutika and adhyatmika jeevanam).
GURU-SISHYA DHARMA The system's most outstanding feature was the Guru-Sishya relationship and the explicit description of each's dharma (or duty). The Guru's position was revered as high as God's. Just like there is no one medicine for all the ailments, each student was considered individually, and an adequate form of teaching was employed by the teacher.
Teaching was individualistic, but education was collective.
neutrally, to stick to a schedule and not show any laziness, to go for Bhikshatana and humbly ask for food from the society (this was the society's contribution) giving half of what they procure to less-able and poor people, to train one's mind to be emotionally stable (no learning was done when they were not), to completely surrender to the teacher and learn with curiosity in which the student's role was major. Learning was predominantly seminar/debate type, besides laying importance on memorising.
The Guru's duty was to consistently knock down the student's ego, hence making him/her more receptive before learning anything new. The Guru had the responsibility to not only transfer knowledge selflessly but also to train students on how to keep the community's development always before individual desires and opinions. Teaching was individualistic, but education was collective. These were partly made possible by conducting education in a natural, neutral environment in gurukuls or kuteeras, usually the teachers' humble abodes, far away from students' homes. A Guru would humbly become a student if he/she realizes there is a need to master something. A Guru is expected to be unbiased, selfless, and not profit-oriented. A Guru is expected to always strive to be worthy of that position. The student's dharma included taking brahmacharya for the time of their study. This included not only being unmarried but also uphold a plethora of niyamas (duties).These included various community and housework, to dress
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Importance of BhikshAtana
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HARMONY Education was not just a part of life but that which teaches how to conduct one's entire life. An educated person shouldn't have conflicts between: 1) one's philosophy and its implementation, 2)one's present thoughts and one's way of leading life 3)one's imagination and one's actions. The student that emerges back into society should be independent, physically and mentally resilient, and possess the attitude of contributing back to the community. The goal was to make a person 'Vishwa-manava' whose identity is the universe itself. Despite the misconception that education was only for a class of people, it was not disallowed based on unacademic reasons like gender, caste, or creed in the very ancient past. However, the teacher had the authority to selectively teach different things based on three markers: interest/curiosity, merit/qualification, and the student's potential; everyone had a chance to try. Women too were encouraged to pursue various fields of study, including taking brahmacharya and studying the Vedas and holding teaching positions. So, one could infer that such discriminations might have emerged later on.
The Indian system had distinguished between four subdivisions through which one could acquire different kinds of knowledge: prathmika (primary) vidya which is a pre-requisite for any other, vruthi (professional) vidya which is usually imparted through family lineage, sastra (science) vidya which is taught by a specific teacher away from home the student must go to, adhyatmika (spiritual) vidya where the focus is towards seeking spiritual enlightenment. A balance among the four meant that society is striving towards becoming a self-sufficient one.
take away The purpose of travelling into the past is not to entirely change the system at hand, which might be both foolish and impractical. But we, as a community, do recognise a certain need for change towards a more meaningful, value-based education, harmony between individual and society, sustainability in the system, and avoid excess migration of talent to elsewhere. In the end, the ultimate choice is upon us. We have to ask ourselves whether we want to produce merely employable people or truly educated people in the society.
Reference: Bharateeya Vidya by Dr. D Chandrasekhara Reddy
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The Gurukul Environment
GURUDEV OF INDIAN CULTUREVISHWA KAVI
By: Dr. TLN Swamy
RABINDRA Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high Where knowledge is free Where the mind is led forward by thee Into ever widening thought and action Into that heaven of freedom, my father Let my country awake… - Prayed the Vishwakavi
“AMI KAVI” (I AM A POET) “I have, it is true, engaged myself in a series of activities. But the innermost me is not found in any of these. At the end of the journey, I am able to see a little more clearly the orb of my life. Looking back, the only thing of which I feel certain that I am a poet (Ami Kavi)”, proclaimed the “Bard of Bengal” Rabindra. Though he prioritized poetry, he proved himself to be a true polymath through his extraordinary contributions as a Story Writer, Novelist, Dramatist, Composer, Musician, Painter, Educator, Philosopher, Social reformer, Philanthropist and Patriot. Fondly called “Gurudev,” Rabindranath lived up to the expectation of being considered the Gurudev of contemporary Indian Culture.
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“RABI” THE GENIUS IN MAKING His creation in the form of our national anthem, “Jana
At the age of eleven, he toured India along with his
Gana Mana,” stands as a testimony to his genius as
father, finally reaching the Himalayan hill station of
also the national anthem “Amar Shonar Bangla” of
Dalhousie where he read extensively, History of India
Bangladesh, the erstwhile East Bengal of India.
and the World, Biographies of great personalities, Sanskrit scriptures and Natural Sciences - all aiding
Born on 7th May 1861 in a wealthy Brahmin family in
to unhide a towering genius. His family was at the
Calcutta as the ninth and youngest son of
forefront of the Bengali renaissance, immensely
Debendranath and Sarada Devi, fondly called “Rabi,”
influencing the Bengali Theatre and Musical
he lost his mother at an early age and was largely
Concerts. All of his brothers’ and sisters’
raised by servants. Though schooled primarily at
accomplishments in the cultural fields of Music, Art
Oriental Seminary School, he disliked conventional
and Literature, had influenced the budding literary
education and started studying at home under several
and artistic development of Tagore.
teachers.
“RABINDRA” THE BLOOMING POET Rabindra started penning at the tender age of eight
Rabindranath travelled to Europe for the first time
and had his poem “Abhilash” (Desire) published as a
when he was Seventeen years old as his father
13-year-old. By the age of sweet sixteen, he
wanted him to become a Barrister and got him into a
completed a set of substantial poems under the
school at Brighton in England, followed by a brief
pseudonym “Bhanusimha” (Sun Lion). He also
stint at University College of London studying Law
debuted as a short story writer with “Bhikarini”
but left it midway preferring independent study of
(Beggar) in the Bengali language. As a blooming
English Literature and returned to Bengal
teenager, he had his first book of poems published
degreeless.
titled “Kabi kahani” (Tale of a poet).
MARRIAGE WITH MRINALINI DEVI Tagore married Mrinialini Devi and fathered five children, two of whom died sadly in early childhood. Shortly after marriage, he wrote a collection of poems, “Kori-o-komal” (Sharp and flats), as also two dramas called “Raja-o- rani” (King and Queen) and “Visarjan” (Sacrifice). Later he moved to Shilaidaha(now in Bangladesh) to look after the family estate, during which time he wrote several volumes of Poetry, including Sonar Tari (The Golden Boat) and became the editor of the magazine called “Bangadarshan.”
Rabindranath Tagore and Mrinalini Devi. Photo taken circa 1883.
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AN OFFERING OF ODES AND A NOBEL PRIZE
In his late forties, Rabindranath started writing “Gitanjali,” a profoundly sensitive and refreshingly beautiful verse. It was written shortly after the death of his wife, his two daughters, his youngest son and his father. “But some superhuman shakti seem to have given him the power to resist and rise above misfortunes of the most painful nature,” as testified by his son Rathindranath. On his journey to London for the second time in 1912, he translated his poems from Gitanjali to English during the marine voyage. There, he met the noted British painter William Rothenstein who, impressed by Rabindranath's poems, introduced him to Irish poet Yeats and other English poets. Yeats mesmerized by the sheer innocent beauty incorporated within, remarked Gitanjali, as “Work of Supreme Culture” in his introduction to its first publication. Shortly thereafter few poems were also published in the American magazine “Poetry,” helping reach audiences on both sides of the Atlantic. It became such a sensation that winter, enthralling an ever-widening audience, that by the next year itself in 1913, Rabindranath Tagore won the much-coveted Nobel prize for Literature. He was the first Asian to receive this honour. The Nobel prize committee noted that “Gitanjali is mysticism, one that with all the faculties of soul at the highest pitch, eagerly sets forth to meet the living father of all creation.” It was an inner search for peace and a
Title page for Gitanjali, by Tagore.
reaffirmation of his faith in his Life-giver. Its central theme was the
Author: Macmillan & Company, London.
realization of the divine through self-purification and service to humanity.
Original here.
INDIA'S CULTURAL AMBASSADOR As a distinguished Nobel laureate, he travelled extensively to more than 30 countries on five continents. He lectured and exhibited his paintings around the world and interacted with eminent personalities Robert Frost, George Bernard Shaw, and on On July 14, 1930, Albert Einstein welcomed him to his home in Berlin. The two proceeded to have one of the most stimulating, intellectually riveting conversations in history, exploring the age-old friction between science and religion. For the world, he became the voice of India’s enormous spiritual heritage and a true cultural ambassador of India.
Rabindranath Tagore and Albert Einstein in 1930. Author: UNESCO. Original here.
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“GURUDEV” OF INDIAN CULTURE AND EDUCATION Tagore loathed rote classroom schooling and felt a
In the same year, he also set up the “Institute of
child there was like a caged bird who was force-fed
Rural Reconstruction” to promote and support the
text book pages to death. He believed in the Guru-
economic and educational growth of Rural India. In
Shishya Ashrama system of teaching and started the
1915 he was knighted by the then British King
“Bolpur Brahmacharyashram” at Shantinikethan in
George-V, but he renounced the Knighthood in
1902. Later in 1921 he established the “Vishwabharati”
1919 as a protest measure against the
University and donated all his money from his Nobel
Jalianwalabagh massacre. He stayed out of politics
prize and royalty earnings from his books to the
largely but opposed militarism, denounced the
university. He conceived Shantinikethan to be the
British Raj and demanded independence to India
connecting thread between India and the rest of the
from Britain through his active participation in the
world.
freedom movement.
This cantelever bridge in Kolkata famously named as Howrah Bridge was renamed Rabindra Setu after Rabindranath Tagore. Author: Manuel Menal. Original here.
THE POLYMATH Tagore was a prolific composer with more than 2,000
Despite his affluent background inherited through his
self-written songs to his credit, popularly known as
aristocratic ancestry, he beheld the lives of working-
“Rabindra Sangeet.” Influenced by the Thumri style of
class people of society from very close quarters
Hindustani music, intoned with Bengali folk flavour,
during his days of managing the family estate. His
the songs emulated the tonal colours of ragas
deep insights into inequalities affecting the living
depicting human emotion and divine devotion. His
conditions of people, particularly the downtrodden
songs maintained simplicity to be adored by the
influenced his ideology towards social reforms
common folks making them immensely popular all
getting reflected in his writings comprising enormous
over India. He excelled at painting, too and took it up
volumes of prose.
at about the age of sixty. He exhibited his artistic skills
His Poems like ‘Punashcha’, Novels like ‘Gora’,
with off-beat aesthetics and, at times, with strange
Short stories like ‘Kabuliwala’, Musical dramas like
colour schemes. His paintings were exhibited
‘Chandalika’, ‘Syama’, etc. known collectively as
throughout Europe, and India’s National Gallery of
“Rabindra Nritya Natya”, aided in materialization of
Modern Art lists more than a hundred works from him.
many social reforms.
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THE "VISHWAKAVI" Tagore’s works were widely translated into English and various other languages influencing scores of people all over the world, including intellectuals and commoners alike in many countries as well as inspiring poets like the Chilean Pablo Neruda, Mexican – Octavio Paz and Spaniard – Juan Ramon to name a famous few. Srilanka’s national anthem, too was a result of inspiration from his work. In recognition of his enormous contribution to Literature, Oxford University awarded Rabindranath Tagore with ‘Doctorate of Literature’ in a special ceremony arranged at Shantinikethan in 1940. In his last years, he suffered from illness and remained secluded in his solitude. On 7th August 1941, at the age of 80, the legend left us. Before he ended up in a coma, his last words were:
“I will take life’s final offering. I will take the human’s last blessing. Today my sack is empty. I have given completely whatever I had to give. In return if I receive anything - some love, some forgiveness, then I will take it with me when I step on the boat that crosses to the festival of the wordless end.”
Author Recommendations When Tagore Met Einstein: Meeting Excerpts Gitanjali Song Offerings - 35th and 95th verse The Dialectic of God: the Theosophical Views of Tagore and Gandhi By Satya Sinha
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INDIAN BOARD GAMES
By: Ramya Mudumba
Image credit: Micha L. Rieser. Original here
India has an extensive history of a large variety of board games. Did you know that in India, there is a 4-player chess-like game (Chaturaji) with an element of luck imbued in it? Or that in some games, the player is allowed to hold the dice in mid-air and thereby partly determine the outcome, which otherwise would have been random? How about that there was a king named Mummadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar of Mysore whose passion for board games had made him invent a whopping 16-player pachisi and many variations of chess (144 square-checkered board) based on complex mathematics?
Every Indian household knows about the legendary chaupar game (a variant of pachisi) between the Pandavas and Kauravas in Mahabharata. The events that unfolded in one board game changed the fate of the former’s entire kingdom and marked the start of a Dharmayudh. Our ancient history speaks unarguably of the grandeur that board games enjoyed in this country. People poured over these games of wit, strategy and luck. One can find these trails of the past etched over the walls and floors of many temple courtyards and public places; they can also be found simply alive in your parents’ or grandparents’ memory. Carvings of several board games were found in the temples and caves of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Rajasthan etc. These games have been part of Indian culture for centuries together and excited the minds of people irrespective of their age and gender. India is known for a set of strategic games called war games & hunt games. In both, the player tries to attack or block the opponent or take down the opponent's pieces.
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In war games, the two sides have an equal no. of pieces and equal power in terms of the moves, whereas, in hunt games, the number of pieces and the valid moves are asymmetric for each side. Besides Chaturanga, the Indian chess, which is more of a royal courtesan’s game, there are several other war/hunt games that a common man could draw on the floor and play. Though similar in concept, these strategic games are played across the country with different names and interesting variants of boards. The concept is similar to Alquerque or Haltafl, where the opponents’ pieces are captured by jumping over them, but they are played on much more exotic boards. There is an equal number of pieces on either side along the intersections of lines, with only one position in the middle left empty in most of them. This prompts the first player to sacrifice one piece initially to kickstart the game. To know more, please refer to the recommended readings at the end. You can find most of them online or on game apps that you can play on your devices. Now, let’s look at one board where one can play both a war and a hunting game.
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Solah Guttiya / Athaara Guti / 16 Soldiers
Rules: 1. Objective is to take down all the opponent’s pieces on the board. 2. Game starts with 16 pieces each, placed on the board as shown. Each player moves alternatively. Depending on the location on the board, the degrees of freedom for a piece change. 3. Valid moves: a) Pieces can move only along the lines and rest at intersections only if that particular location is open. b) A move can be ‘plain’ when the player moves to one of the immediate adjacent locations along the lines. c) A capture is made when the player’s piece jumps over an opponent’s piece resulting in taking down the opponent's piece off the board.
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d) A player can jump consecutively any number of times, capturing multiple pieces of the opponent. So even a single piece can devastate a weak-strategic opponent. In the figure above, the yellow piece captures three black pieces. 4. The player who captures all of the opponent’s pieces on the board first wins!
Author Recommendations More indian board games Deep dive into their history Kreedakaushalya: Bringing Indian board games alive for today's generation.
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The same board can be used to play a hunting game called hasu chirate aata or cows & leopards. One of the players takes 2 leopards, and the other takes 24 cows.
Hasu Chirate Aata Rules: 1. Objective for the leopards is to capture at least 12 cows, and the objective for the cows is to block the two leopards with no further valid moves. 2. The game starts with 8 cows arranged as shown. Each player plays alternatively. One leopard is first placed at any of the open positions. Following, the opponent places a cow in any open position. 3. Valid moves: a) Pieces can move only along the lines and rest at intersections only if that particular location is open. b) A move is made by each player once all their pieces are placed on the board. The leopards move only once the two leopards are placed on the board. Similarly, cows (This means that the leopards starting moving from their third turn, and cows will start moving from their sixteenth turn.) c) A leopard captures a cow by jumping over it to an open position along the lines. A cow cannot capture a leopard; it can only block it. d) A leopards or a cow cannot jump over themselves. e) The first one to fulfil the objective wins the game! There are myriad variants of war and hunt games played in different parts of India for centuries together; simply drawn and played in temple courtyards, on silk embroidered boards in palaces, with public places huffing around in excitement, spending long hours of evenings going at them. It's unfortunate that we lost track of many variations of what remained. On a lazy evening, why don't we pick one, turn back time and indulge ourselves and our family in a game or two?
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SOUNDARYA LAHARI A
P I N N A C L E O F P O E T I C B R I L L I A N C E
By Uday Shreyas Image credit: Unknown
Composing a hundred shlokas, four lines each, each of them following the exact same rhythm to the very last syllable, might not be deemed a difficult task for an accomplished Sanskrit scholar. But an ascetic, expounding the physical beauty of the feminine form, exceeding the poetic prowess of the likes of kAlidAsa and mAgha, is no small feat. Add to that, embedding some of the most potent secrets of tantra-vidyA into the very words of such poetry... Now, that is the work of a true master of multiple disciplines! Adi shankarAchArya’s soundarya-laharI, in my humble opinion, is the greatest work of poetry ever penned down. In any language. Across all time. While I am guilty of a bias towards Sanskrit language and literature, I do not claim this without reason. I also do not want to start a futile exercise of analysing a poetic work, or worse, compare one piece of art to another. So what I shall do, is present to you some of the mindboggling levels of detail woven into this work of art, in a crisp four points.
poetic meter First, and the simplest, is the poet's choice of the poetic meter itself! soundarya-laharI is composed in a Chandas called as shikhariNI, which means a hillock. shikhariNI also means the daughter of a mountain, shikhara. The praise of Lord Shiva's consort, and the daughter of parvata, pArvatI, is being done in a poetic meter which refers to her very own name!
WORDPLAY Second, the fantastic wordplay employed by Shankara to convey multiple layers of meanings through the same words.
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Adi Shankara as painted by Ravi Varma
For example, the twenty-second shloka starts with the words 'bhavAni tvam dAse mayi vitara dRShTim sakaruNAm.' These words literally mean, 'O Goddess, you bestow upon this servant of yours, your compassionate glance!' And in the next few lines, Shankara says, 'tadaiva tvam tasmai dishasi nija sAyujya padavIM.' Through these words, Shankara insinuates the Goddess of being too generous. He says, 'To someone who chants thus, you immediately grant unity with your own self!' While the sentiment that depicts the seeking of a devotee and the generosity of the deity are all quite beautiful, true brilliance lies within the words themselves! The very first words of this shloka are 'bhavAni tvam.' While tvam, which means you, is very clear in its meaning, the word bhavAni has two possible meanings in Sanskrit grammar.
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It is the sambodhana-vibhakti, or the form of addressal, of the word bhavAnI, which means 'O Goddess'!It is also a kriyA-padam, or a verb in the first person, of the word bhavAmi, which means 'I must become' So apart from the usual meaning of prayer as we've seen before, the very first words could also be construed to mean that the devotee said, 'bhavAni tvam,' 'I must become You!' And deftly in the next few lines, Shankara elevates the generosity of the Goddess who granted a devotee union with her very own self, when they just sought her compassion! This is but one small example of such wordplay. The one hundred shlokas are filled with many such layered usages that feed a reader's intellectual curiosity.
Goddess! From the very first words of the very first shloka, Shankara keeps the emotional quotient dialled up to a hundred. From the longing that Lord Shiva feels for her as her husband, the love that gaNesha and kumAra have for her as her children, to the reverence indra and other devatAs have for her as her subjects, these descriptions connect a devotee towards the divine feminine in all her wonderful manifestations!
SPIRITUALITY Finally, and most importantly, I want to present to you the spiritual possibilities that have been embedded into the very words of the shlokas. For example, the fifteenth shloka describes the Goddess in the form of devI saraswatI. The first line of the shloka says 'sharad-jyotsnA shuddhAm shashi-yuta jaTAjUTa-makuTAm.'
emotion Third, the kind of emotional connect that Shankara evokes through his descriptions of the
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At a lyrical level, these words describe the Goddess as being 'as pure as the autumnalmoon', and as having 'the moon decorating her locks of hair that she ties up as a crown.' At a deeper level, these very words hold other meanings too. One of the bIja-mantras corresponding to devI's worship is 'shrIM.' If we look carefully at the first line, the word 'sharad' has the syllables 'sha' and 'ra.' In the Sanskrit alphabet, the vowel 'I' is referred to as a makuTa or a crown, as its shape extends above the head of the alphabet. These three syllables make the sound 'shrI.' And finally, the word 'shashi-yuta,' which literally means 'attached with a full-moon', adds an extra circle, representative of the fullmoon, completing the bIjAkShara 'shrIM'!
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This is not a one-off occurrence in soundarya-laharI. Multiple shlokas have such descriptions which, when looked at closely, reveal mantras and geometrical forms which correspond to what is being described in the shloka through its meaning. Many eminent Sanskrit scholars like lakShmIdhara and bhAskara have written extensive commentaries exploring such intricate details within these shlokas, and the kind of sAdhana and siddhi that they correspond to. Sri Chakra
ESSENCE
Image credit: N.Manytchkine
In conclusion, not only do these shlokas tickle the mind and tug at the heart, but they also enrich the very life of those who lay their eyes on them. All these unique traits together make soundaryalaharI a true treat to relish, both for a casual reader and a serious spiritual aspirant alike!
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ARTIST FEATURE
DR. YASHODA THAKORE
Dance minus the historical context, with just the literature and music, the cosmetic part of it, doesn’t make any sense. You have to get to the organic side of it, connect with the people and where it comes from. Only then dance finds relevance in every situation.
But then my parents did not want me to be put with anybody. When Dr. Vempati Chinnasatyam started his institute in Hyderabad with Sobha Naidu as the principal, they had found the right tutor. I was under her tutelage for 14 years. The 14 years were like 'vanavasam' - a great penance. I learnt the art from her and in fact to the extent that they say that I even look like her. I absorbed too much watching her day and night. She was not just a teacher; she was an inspiration.
When did you start learning dance, and how did that come about?
How did you get acquainted with the Devadasi Nirtyam?
I started dancing when I was about 6. My father says that I declared when I was 3 that I wanted to be a Dancer. I can’t vouch for that. But I definitely knew from when I was 5, ever since we got a Television in Hyderabad - the days of the ECTV and I was watching Padma Subrahmanyam, that I wanted to be a Dancer.
While I was doing my Masters in Kuchipudi at the University of Hyderabad, I got to know more about the Devadasis and the Devadasi Nrityam. I actually come from the Kalavantulus - a name given to the Telugu speaking Devadasi community. As I got to know more about them, I wanted to learn that dance form; I wanted to connect with the people - the Women - around whom this revolves. This was not easy as there was a conscious attempt from my family to not connect with that history of ours. But I did finally find Swapna Sundari - who was teaching the Vilasini Natyam art form at that time - and wrote to her saying that I wanted to learn this form. After a wait of 3 years, she agreed to teach me the Vilasini Natyam, which is also the dance of Kalavantulu. But, I wanted to go back to the source, the women. This was a quest, a journey inwards for me. So, I went to the villages with the help of Shri Davesh Soneji and connected with them and from there on there was no looking back. For me, the history, the indigenous background and the origin of each form happens to be very, very important. It is extremely important to bring these in into dance.
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Yoga is meant to prepare you for the performance. You don’t go on stage and do acrobatics. You go on stage and you emote to the literature and move to the music. It is about dancing from within.
Did you find any parallels between Kuchipudi and the Kalavantulu form of dance? Kuchipudi's style is very complex. Kuchipudi itself was a male-dominated dance form - performed by the Brahmins. And it was a theatre form originally and later transformed into a solo form. The solo repertoire was added to Kuchipudi by Vendantam Lakshminaraya Sastry, who was actually a mentor for many of these Kalavantulu women. He was the one who took the whole repertoire and brought it into Kuchipudi. But when he brought it here, it was the Men who were dancing and not the Women. The people changed - the human beings were left behind - but the repertoire was taken. It had to be suited to the body of the man who was now donning the female role. When the man danced Kuchipudi, there was a certain dynamic in the body - a certain energy. They had to accentuate / exaggerate the femininity, and so the moves became overtly feminine and overtly sexual. When Vempati Master Garu started teaching it, he was teaching women, and with his sensitive aesthetic, he was able to adapt it to the female body. There is still overt femininity there too there are extra curves and sculpture and everything else. But whatever he made as his
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style suited the female body. Kuchipudi as an art form also requires greater fitness and can be heavy on the body. On the contrary, the Kalavantulu form is very different from Kuchipudi, it is very lilting, and it just flows naturally. Though dance is not a question of how fit you are, it is good to be fit and having said that, I am not telling you that fitness was not important for Kalavantulu. My teacher, Mangatayaru Garu, would make me practice 45 - 50 mins of pure dance before I could perform a Padam or Javali. And that pure dance would be that you sit and stand and jump and take circles; it would be really very taxing. And then she would say, "sit and do Abhinayam." Only if you do that practice the body adapts, the energy flows and expression comes out easily. With my Yoga background, I then realized what Yoga practitioners meant. Yoga is not meant for performance. Yoga is meant to prepare you for the performance. So, you don’t go on stage and do acrobatics. You go on stage, and you emote to the literature, and you move to the music.
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What would you say is your favourite dance rendition. And why? I am a die-hard devotee of Lord Krishna. Complete devotee. Oothakadu’s Swagatam Krishna - that my teacher has choreographed on me - is a personal favourite, and I love to perform that song. And really any Annamacharya Keertana; I just love Annamacharya Keertanas. As to the Kalavantulu dances there is a padam Ille Erugaka Mari Okarinitikostivi - that has a special place for me because that's the padam Buli Venkataratnamma - Mangatayaru’s Grandmother used to perform and was very well known for that. Of course I love to perform the Golla Kalapam, a full 2 hour act, that I learntfrom my teacher.
How do the varying fields of Kuchipudi, Devadasi nritya and Yoga that you practice contribute to each other? Does one ease into the other? Or do they create contradictions? If so, how do you express them? I’ll start with the Yoga part. Kuchipudi has many dramatizations even in a solo performance. I become Krishna, Dharmaraja, Shakuni in the same piece. The psyche has to change in splits of seconds. In Devadasi nrityam, usually, there is one protagonist, or nayika, and you hold that character for 20 mins or so. Some varnams run as long as an hour. This takes another kind of energy. I think Yoga helped to keep up with both styles.
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The change of psyche from one character to the other in split seconds, that too convincingly getting involved with each character, stepping out and soaking into another takes a lot of mental exercise and training. This comes with certain kind of practice and involvement, especially when getting into one that you don’t connect with in real life. Now imagine expressing such a character with rasa for 20 mins or more without the audience getting a whiff of your personal opinions. Initially, yes there were conflicts in performing both the styles but after an amount of practice and training, they don’t appear as conflicts anymore when I perform them consciously. Though it is interesting that the conflict initially was not about the physicality but when I would do these overt, dramatic curves and moves that are common in Kuchipudi but a big no-no in Devadasi style.
Did learning and performing Devadasi Nritya change how you interpret Kuchipudi? The history and evolution of Kuchipudi as an art form is very interesting. Where the Devadasi Nrityam may be very subtle, in the Kuchipudi style - because of the path of evolution it has taken many of the expressions and the dance movements are perhaps less natural and overemphasised. So, for me, the knowledge of the Devadasi Nrityam has significantly impacted the
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style and substance of my Kuchipudi dance and made it more deeper and subtler.
Kalvantulu women do not like to use the English word ‘Courtesan’ when referring to themselves. Why and what words can be used to describe them?
they say ‘Devadasi’. When I ask what about the word courtesan, they say no, for it is not decent and also because it is an English word which cannot be used to effectively describe an Indian Dance.
I will not tell what the right or wrong words to describe them is, but I will tell you what my family feels like. They prefer to call themselves as ‘Suryabalija.’ Even the original term for this was Saanivaaru or Bhogamvaru. During the nationalist period, the word Kalavantulu was given to them in Andhra Pradesh and Kalvanth in Maharashtra. Kalavantulu means ‘Bearer of Art (Kala).’ Kalavantulu has a feminine gender in it. Later, when the act came, the community wanted the name to be changed to Suryabalija, given the name has a more masculine tone. I feel this had changed the face of the identity as well. Slowly within my teachers' community and my own family, I would argue that we should not shy away from our past, and that we should talk about our own art. Gradually, people started using the word Kalavantulu again, and the word is now considered acceptable. With time, the perspectives of the temple changed, and many things about the art form have disappeared. So when I ask the women what should we call you,
Her teachers Annabattula Mangatayaru and Leelasai
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What is dance to you? What is it not to me! I did my Bsc in Maths and Physics, I am a science student. I struggled and struggled. My father wanted me to be an engineer, can you imagine me as one? I compromised and did B. Sc Maths, Physics and Chemistry. I did that. I could understand physics, Maths and chemistry to an extent only when I converted these subjects into dance and reconverted them into the subject. I could understand Benzene structure only when I had to do a formation on stage with girls, and say ok this is red, this white, double bond, alternate double bond, only when I did and converted it back into chemistry, that’s the only way I understood. I married into a North Indian family, so when I got to know about the vessel “kadhai,” I could remember the name only when I did the movement to make a Kadhai.
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For me, it’s not a separate art that I do in the evening; it is just everything I do. That’s why a computer is difficult for me because it only has two movements (makes a hand gesture to show opening and closing of a laptop). I say, I do not understand what is life without dance, because I understand everything only through it. Any advice for dance learners?
Do it without any expectation BUT, BUT, don’t do anything for free. If you have danced or sung for 10 years and you think you are good, then let them give you even one penny, it’s ok, but don’t do it for free. Because, if you do that they do not attach any value for it. Grow to a point where you are excellent at it. Just push yourself and come to a position where you can say, there is a certain value to the art that you carry. It’s not about you, it’s about giving value to that art. If you don’t need it, you can always donate it to a poor artist. For the younger ones who have just started and not with much experience, initially do not take it too seriously. Play and follow your Guru’s nstructions, don't overthink, just follow the instructions.
It is very hard, especially for kids including my 11 year old to follow instructions. I want to tell him, listen, learn to follow instructions. My older one, who is 20 now, does listen. They have their own mind and a balance needs to be brought about; we have to teach them to follow instructions but also respect their own ideas and feelings which should not be brushed aside completely.
Are these dance forms able to stay relevant and available for future generations? That is a danger that we have to guard ourselves from. And for that, we have to understand our art and sensibilities from within and ensure that there is good research and discussion around these topics. However, there is optimism. We are progressing and slowly ensuring that more people are coming into the fold.
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What does winning the Ugadi Puruskar mean for you? And as an artist with many achievements what has satisfied you so far? When I became independent after 14 years of learning dance, my father and uncle said, if you want to be a dancer, then it has to be like any other profession, you have to excel in it. I have a registered institution, and I am proud of that. Coming to the award, to get recognition from the government is any day something to be proud of. I am honoured, and I accept it very humbly. From another angle, what makes me very happy is the Bangalore Nagaratnamma Award given by the Vishwanatha foundation. It is particularly significant because it comes from the name of Bangalore Nagaratnamma - the devadasi who declared at that time of strife that she was a Devadasi and would stand for other Devadasis.
What are your goals for the future? What inspires you to keep going?
I don’t know as I never thought of the future. It is always about doing it now. What I can visualise is (I can’t say goal) a dance field where present day dancers and dancers from the Kalavanthulu community - the families, come out there, both girls and boys coming out there, proudly claiming that they come from a lineage of art. And then there is happy camaraderie between present day dancers and heritage dancers. Art is not to create rupture but to create togetherness. The art should be so good, the artists of the next generation should be so aware of the history and present, that the citizens of future should feel what their life would be like if there were no artists. They should be there in society creating that pleasantness that is missing at the moment. I have hope, because the younger generation is smart and they are open. I am quite optimistic. The fact that we are talking like this shows that it is changing.
For me it’s not a separate art that I do in the evening, it is just everything I do. I do not understand what is life without dance, because I understand everything only through it.
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NANO ELEMENTS RESONANCE TO SHRUTI By Maramraju Venkata Manasa and Tula Vikram
Many elements are intricately entwined with our bodies and make vital functions like respiration, circulation, etc. possible. For instance, Cobalt is vital in making red blood cells, while iron allows those cells to carry oxygen and other important chemicals to the body's tissues. Calcium not only strengthens bones but also plays a role in muscle, nerve function and blood clotting. Sodium and Potassium help the heart and nerves communicate through electrical signals. All these elements are present in our body in their nano size in definite quantities enabling hormonal functioning through various mechanisms. Interestingly, Music too exerts a powerful influence on human beings such as boosting memory, stamina, reducing anxiety and depression, staving off fatigue and helping to work more effectively.Thanks to the paper by Dr. Vinod Vidwans, on The Doctrine of Shruti in Indian Music, we know that the concept of Shruti in Indian music has been there for two thousand years. It has attracted scholars from around the world after western musicologists such as William Jones and others started taking an interest in it. Today Shruti is being studied using various technological and scientific tools, but it still remains an enigma for practicing musicians, musicologists and scholars. Whatever may be the form - Carnatic, Hindustani, Folk, etc. the fundamental concept of Shruti is the same and valid for all categories of Indian music. There are three seminal treatises that defined and formulated the term Shruti in their respective archetypes, namely Naradiya Siksha, Bharata’s Natya Shastra and Sarngadeva’s Sangeeta Ratnakara.
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EQUIVALENCE TO ELEMENTS Of late, many subsequent works have come up with a comprehensive framework of 110 shrutis called ‘Shruti-Megha’ or ‘Shruti-Punja,’ a model that may be useful for computational Indian music though this model has integrated concepts of shruti from Naradiya-Shiksha into Bharata’s paradigm of 22 shrutis. Owing to Technological advancements, many researchers have been simulating Shrutis using software. The word ‘Nano’ implies small but doesn’t just mean small. It is as huge as unimaginably small and as famously said - "There’s plenty of room at the bottom” - Richard Feynman. Mathematically speaking, a nanometer (nm) is a billionth (10-9) of a meter. We attempted to relate the obtained frequencies of metal nanoparticles with reported 22 (dwavimshati) Shrutis’ frequency values through the experiments over ultrasonicinterferometer for exploring newer possibilities to enrich Musicology. From the experiments, we infer elements respond to musical frequencies and is a fascinating question to probe further and research whether deficiencies in human bodies can be fine-tuned with 'Shruti therapy'.
Write to the authors to see all the 22 Shrutis graphs.
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Nanomaterials are the materials with atleast one dimension in 1-100nm size band that are developed or synthesized in laboratory to exhibit novel characteristics such as enhanced electrical, optical and thermal properties compared to the same bulk material.
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THE TREE WHERE WISDOM SPROUTED By Satyameet Singh
Maha Bodhi temple on a full night.
CENTER OF THE BUDDHIST WORLD The first temple was built by Emperor Asoka in the 3rd century B.C., and the present temple dates from the 5th or 6th century.
A place where the 5 Rs. Coin still holds value. Where fruit vendors line up to sell Bael ka Sherbat (wood apple squash) and e-rickshaws buzz around, taking pilgrims and tourists across a maze of Pagodas, hotels and Oriental restaurants. A town where locals walk unfettered amongst travellers from across the world, all coming to visit the ‘Center of the Buddhist world.’ Welcome to Bodh Gaya, a town where legend has it, more than 2,500 years ago, a man on a quest for enlightenment finally transcended human limitations. His trysts with the truth fructified under a sacred fig tree, and it is in Bodh Gaya where he unravelled the enigma around the cycle of birth and death. It is here where a
Legend goes, Gautama Siddhartha during his
mendicant ascetic became a religious leader and one of
quest for truth, lived on one grain of rice a day. He
the world’s greatest philosophers – it is here where
is seen here practicing extreme asceticism.
Gautama Siddhartha became the BUDDHA.
Photo: Akuppa John Wigham. Original here.
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THE DAYS LEADING TO HIS ENLIGHTENMENT Situated 115 km south of Bihar’s capital Patna, he
The bowl's nourishment allowed him to pave forward,
arrived in Bodh Gaya (known as Uruwela then) after
but it was not without paying the price. Siddhartha was
years of meditation, asceticism and incomprehensible
accompanied by his five friends, who, as fellow
abstinence.
ascetics, found the act of him accepting kheer as unacceptable. Believing that Siddhartha had abandoned
As per Buddhist texts, here he met a milkmaid Sujata.
his search for knowledge and become undisciplined, his
When Sujata met Gautama, he was in an emaciated
companions left. Siddhartha continued though with a
state due to years of self-mortification. Seeing his
new path in his mind. He called it the 'middle' path,
physical state, Sujata offered him a bowl of kheer
which neither suggested indulgence in temporal
(rice pudding), which he accepted. This acceptance
pleasures (like a prince) nor the practice of severe
marked an end to his six-year practice of asceticism.
asceticism (living in austerity to practice self-denial).
PERCHED UNDER A PIPAL TREE As per Buddhist texts, it is believed that with this path
Described by Buddhist Monk - Nyanaponika Thera as
in his mind, he took shelter under a pipal tree (sacred
“the personification of the forces antagonistic to
fig tree). However, before sitting down under the tree
enlightenment,” the story goes that the tempter Mara’s
to meditate, he vowed never to arise until he had
three daughters – Arati, Raga and Tanha appeared in
discovered the Truth! Legendary biographies like the
front of the Buddha & attempted through the snare of
Mahavastu and Lalitavistara depict an attempt by
lust to bind the Buddha and bring him under their
Mara (a celestial being who, as per different scholars,
control. As per Māra-saṃyutta, the three daughters
represents death, destruction and ignorance) to
mounted many attempts to entice Siddhartha but failed
prevent the Buddha’s Nirvana.
as he stood at a stage of unsurpassed extinction of acquisitions. .
They had come to him glittering with beauty – Taṇhā, Arati, and Rāga But the Teacher swept them away right there As the wind, a fallen cotton tuft - Samyutta Nikaya 4.25
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That was not all that the Bodhi tree bore witnessed.
Now enraged, Mara asked Siddhartha to relinquish
Seeing his daughters be unable to win the battle
this seat for it, as all of Earth belonged to Mara. Mara
against Siddhartha, the legend goes that Mara sent
went on to ask who would testify that Siddhartha, of
an army of demons to attack and dethrone him from
all, was worthy of attaining this wisdom? Siddhartha
under the Bodhi tree. Siddhartha did not move, and
said nothing but, with his right hand, reached down to
the army’s weapons turned into flowers. In the eye of
touch the ground on which he sat. As his fingers
the storm, not being impassive, it is believed that he
touched the Earth, he replied, “it is Earth that bears
remained still.
witness to my right to enlightenment.”
THE EARTH SHUDDERED, MARA’S DEMONS FLED & SIDDHARTHA CLOSED HIS EYES TO MEDITATE What must have opened in him and what must have been his visceral clairvoyance is beyond explanation, but at the age of 35, under that pipal tree, a man achieved enlightenment to become a Buddha – the “awakened one.” The title implies that unlike most people who live asleep, Buddha has woken up to see the world for how it really is. As per Buddhist texts, after achieving enlightenment, he sat without moving, under the Bodhi tree for 7 days, feeling the bliss of deliverance. Over the course of the next few weeks, he roamed around the tree and thought about what to do with his revelations - whether to spend his life in this place of blissful solitude or step out into the world and go teach the Dhamma at the risk of being ridiculed. His concern was that humans were overpowered by dust of ignorance and greed and would find it difficult to pursue a path that was subtle, deep and hard to grasp. What did he do next, did some divine intervention encourage him, what do the texts say, did this happen, or was this a grandeur of delusion? I hope you allow your curiosity to research what happened next, and if your research brings you to the unplanned town of Bodh-Gaya, I have a feeling you will like the shade that the Bodhi Tree offers.
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Author Recommendations The verses of Ambapali - A poem by a Courtesan from 2,500 years ago A hearty documentary on Buddhist seekers Bodh Gaya: The Seat of Enlightenment
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hal a M Taj Temples of a r i v aha in s M u a Khajuraho R a d l n i a e Nal mp m p le a M e t H Sun bh a Churches of Goa s p e v a u C m u i St A ja n ta h K c San
Welcoming writers and designers for Tarang's April edition.
ry, Get in touch by 28th Februa write to us at: editor.tarang@gmail.com
Celebrations are in the air! This republic day, India's senior most Violinist Dr. Annavarapu Ramaswamy was conferred India's third highest civilian award - Padma Shri by the Ministry of Home Affairs, India. It was Tarang's honour to have profiled him in it's inaugural issue. You can grab the article here.
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About Us Founded in 2005 by Guru Violin Vasu and friends, the mission of Sanskriti Foundation is to promote Indian art, culture, and values by conducting trainings, workshops and an annual Tyagaraja Aradhana music festival. Foundation members benefit from meeting like minded people, attending cultural seminars and attending bi-monthly concerts. If you would like to learn more and become a member, you can reach us here: http://www.sanskritifoundation.in.
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