Short and Funny

From Seth

If we only forward the easy, short and funny things we read online, why are we surprised that our inbox is filled with nothing we’ll remember tomorrow?

What would happened if instead, we shared the most complex, useful and thoughtful things we discovered ?

From that day of nostalgia

Who'd think going through old files can ever be so exciting.

But then, when it becomes trigger to a repertoire of wonderful memories, it sure can.

Especially when the children are now young adults, each on their own trip, stuff from their journey in school comes like a whiff of that something special ..... evoking emotions of tenderness, nostalgia, pride, joy....... it's like pulling stuff out of a magicians hat (read as files here :).

Sounds exaggerated?!?

Well....it was an exaggerated experience, the kind I simply love :)

And I think it evoked  that deep sense of gratitude to the school too.

This was year 2002...DPS had just come to Hyd and had only till class III. We'd just moved from Bangalore, and Dhruva was in class III.

Dhruva was chosen first head boy of the school.

The speech on the school inauguration, likely one that got him the position of the head boy.

I recall his shock when soon after admission the principal asked him to give a speech on the inaugural day...... and when he said 'what should I talk about?', She said "tell us what you would like from your school....what you'd like from your teachers"

And I remember this line from his speech "I'd like the teachers to be kind".  And even today what he said in another discussion "what humans are capable of is empathy, but look at what we're doing as a race" (he has extremely strong opinions on climate change and environmental issues)

His first sports day as Head Boy

Another speech

Off that fairly nice stack of certificates, this one caught my attention.

Who would have thought they had a certificate 'for reading maximum number of library books' . I was even more amazed as I thought I had done all the buying of books, and to think he'd used the library that much :)

A random picture....just found his expression real cute (first in that queue)

This was again total surprise. A newsletter, with a story from Diksha (written by her in class I ) . And what's more, the same sheet had a little write up from me too, neither of which I remembered.

Diksha's story is so cute, I had to put it in separately :)

What's more...I straight off send her a picture of the story,

and I receive "wish my grammar had been better then, even if I was six"
I'm like "I thought that was good on grammar, in fact I don't think there's an error"
And I get back "lol...that's why you need an editor"

Diksha, likely in IV, compering a program

This picture I put in to also capture background. DPS was then the only building there, surrounded by hills and paddy fields....... nice and inspiring. They even had horse riding back then. (That's Dhruva to the extreme right holding the school flag). Well yes, bragging rights retained :)

What a lovely journey...... through the years......and through those files :)

An unusual Diwali Message

I received this from Diksha this morning, saying "can you please circulate ma, if possible even through your blog".

And to my total surprise, she says "I've done this every Diwali since I can remember"

Then realized I oughtn't to be surprised, for two reasons:

One, because I do remember how scared dogs get on Diwali, how many accidents happen....... and second, that it's from Diksha :)

Happy Deepawali !!

Two wonderful hours of nostalgia

Dhruva was fishing out some old certificates for his masters application, and it so happened that I walked in at the exact same time. Those couple hours lent themselves to some "omg, look at this one" "how cute you look in this" "this is what likely made you head boy" "how much was Diksha in the papers"  kind of moments.

In fact, half way in, I found myself going beserk with my ooh's and aah's.

With Halloween round the corner, this one deserves first mention. 

Diksha had a little halloween party at home, way back then, when halloween hadn't even come into India.... to the extent that it got reported in the paper :)

She must have been ten or eleven years old, and the title reads 'dhayyala panduga jerupukunna chinnarulu'. Plus an inset of the cake which reads "happy spooky halloween" :)

It brought back such memories. Dhruva was like "I remember I didn't want to go, and the reporter calling me also for the picture".

I think it was one of the parents of her friends who said "this is so fascinating....it's trend setting, let me see if I can get a reporter". We didn't think she meant it until the guy actually showed up as the party was on.

Going through that bunch of papers brought back so much memory of how she'd do so many things completely on her own. I remember also in her 5th class, she was the only girl who signed up for football, and the coach didn't know what to do, but she stayed put. 

And not just this and halloween....but the plays, the MUNs, the Comicons. This comicon I remember how she disappeared into her room for hours and came out looking like this, did it all on her own. Found that paper as well. 

Deech, must say it made me so proud to see how much you did on your own initiative, right from when  so little. 

Way to go girl, and Happy Spooky Halloween again !!

Tour avec Veronique - Final day at Auroville

I chanced upon this pin up in my guest house notice board.... and that's how I met Veronique.

While I went with no idea of what to expect, like I told her later 'it was ten x beyond anything I could have expected'.  She's been living in Auroville for twenty years now, and it was like listening to it all first hand.... like from someone who understands it as an insider. 

It was a very thoughtfully planned and warmly and humorously delivered tour. I'll do this one through the pictures, as I don't feel equipped to reproduce a lot of what she said, much as I would have loved to.

We met at the visitors center at 9 in the morning, and set off from there.

Madhavi from Kolkata on extreme right and Fernanda from Mexico on extreme left, and Veronique and me in center.  My bike's sadly not in the picture :)

Laboratory of evolution, a library which houses a lot of what auroville is about.

Veronique showing us some publications..... starting us off right from planning stage

right from blue print kinds

one funny picture :)

Some girls learning bharatanatyam, we heard the taalam as we were walking and stopped to see...what an absolutely pretty outdoor auditorium

Savitri bhavan, another very interesting building which houses their philosophy, conference rooms and a meditation room

that's Savitri bhavan, with Aurobindo's statue on the outside

the conference cum meditation room

behind Savitri Bhavan

Savi - it's the go to place for anything to do with housing.... residents or guests

Another picture in Savi

What an interesting table...it kind of overwhelms you soon as you walk in.

It's called the peace table.

It is one of six magnificent tables created by master woodworker George Nakashima, placed in chosen sites on each of the continents of the world.

The table for Asia was presented to the Indian Govt who found Auroville to be the appropriate place for the table. Weekly meditations take place around the table.

Some contextual info on the tables:

"These trees had grown into extraordinary natural phenomena in the state of New York, something that, he said, "occurs perhaps only once in the history of a nation". They were about 1.5 metres in diameter at the small end, 2.1 metres at the flare, and 3.6 metres long. Their majesty called for a symbiosis of nature and man in the deepest spiritual sense, and Nakashima felt the ultimate creative concept of their presence: "The only true destiny of these noble trees, favoured to grow as none of their peers were able to, is to be used in their full length and width." 

Two adjoining slabs opened to match to make the most expensive pieces of furniture ever, Tables for Peace measuring 3.6 by 3.6 metres, one for every continent on earth, was the answer.

Moving on......

This was at this fascinating store called Swaram. Not just a store, but like an outdoor park of musical instruments.....plus the workshop where they make the instruments. There were so many I'd never even seen before, like this one...you rub it and it makes this amazing sound

some outdoor instruments

Four hours in, we were ready to do lunch.

Naturellement, a cute cafe, also serving vegan food.... where we decided to do lunch.

During lunch. Veronique seems quite the clown :)

Fernanda is on a six month solo trip across Asia, and it was wonderful to hear how when she was in Vietnam, she met somebody who told her about Auroville, and she took an impromptu decision to detour. So inspiring. 

One final one with Veronique....behind is a bamboo music instrument that you actually walk through

all set to take off for home...... end of one super fascinating trip

Until I'm there again :)

Day 3 at Auroville - Matri Mandir

The Matri Mandir is considered the 'soul of Auroville'.

It's an absolutely mind blowing structure. Not just visually or architecturally....but even experientially.

It is an edifice of spiritual significance. I read somewhere that a visit to the matri mandir is a 'compelling and memorable architectural encounter', and I can vouch for this, as my earlier visit from twenty five years back is yet etched in memory. And it happened yet again.

We're told in advance that it is no tourist sight, and is a space meant for individual silent concentration.

It's in fact not easy to get in, they have a slot system. For same day you get a pass to a view point, but to go in, you get a slot in a day or two. To my total disappointment they slots for my three days were booked out.

But then, the guy must have seen the disappointment quite evident on my face, cause he said "if it's fine with you, just come in the morning, and if there are any cancellations I'll take you in". He wouldn't even give me a wait list number, even that was full. But I diligently went......and yes, I lucked out.

The experience was even deeper than last times.

About the structure itself......it was built between 1971 and 2008, actually took 37 years to build. And I read this beautiful line somewhere 'the matri mandir was built with time and not money'. Says so so much.

It's entirely white inside, white pillars, white walls, white carpets, white socks........and the golden leafs on the outside lend the inner walls a kind of bronze glow. We're not allowed cameras in, the inner pictures are courtesy google.

As you enter you see a large chamber with gentle streams of water cascading down its white marble walls. Spiral ramps on all sides leading to an utterly silent meditation hall — a cocoon of peace and quietude that is believed to have first appeared in several visions to the Mother.

At its heart is a specially-designed crystal sphere from Germany (the largest optically-perfect glass globe in the world) that catches almost a single sunbeam entering from the top of the dome..........and it's reflection off the crystal is what lights the dome. 

The whole experience is almost surreal....and so experiential, that I guess I would say it's a once in a life time worthwhile experience.

Day 2 at Auroville

A day of random exploration.

Arka guest house, where I stayed served coffee, with breakfast, from 8 in the morning. Not early enough for me. My morning cup of coffee was motivation enough to start my exploration early.

Took the bike and set off at 6. Nothing was open, forget the fancier cafes like Neem Tree and Dreamer's Cafe (which later became hang out places), but even Dinesh hotel a cute little dhabha within auroville wasn't open. I ended up on the highway, and found a chai shop.

What was nice was that I got to know a couple of interesting folks even there. Kunal who runs a back packer's hostel in one of the communes in Auroville, and Mayura who is exploring possibilities of joining him as business partner.

That was nice early morning chat over a couple of coffees. And what's more, they invited me over to see the place, and that's how the days exploration started.

With the little bike I spent a significant part of the morning, and evening, just on the roads inside Auroville.

Pretty much taking which ever turning took my fancy..... there's no boards or names of roads in Auroville......you slowly learn to recognize shapes of trees, odd stones, and colour of mud kinds :)

Occasionally you'll see little boards indicating the names of the communes..... like citadine, aspiration, arati, la ferme, swayam, gaia.....with the houses themselves deeply hidden in the foliage. Each commune a different style, size, interaction level between residents and such. That said there is a strong homogeneity among aurovillians.

Each of the commune names apparently has a psychological significance, in fact it's said that the names were chosen by sensing the spirit of the place.

What strikes at even first glance is the architecture, especially of the older houses, each building seems different, at one time eco-friendly and futuristic, likely also built to represent ideals it stands for. Especially the schools. It's like there's art everywhere.

Auroville also has the highest concentration of alternative energy systems in India, including solar, wind and biogas. A large number of homes and offices operate entirely or mostly on solar power. Apart from solar energy, the auroville community is said to be a world leader in compressed earth building techniques.

Anything I write about Auroville starts to sound abstract and ideological, and that's when you start to appreciate what they've achieved in reality. And not to miss the fact that you start to see how life can actually be lived at those subtler levels, it's like living an alternate dimension of life.

For instance this: "it's a concept which understands biophysical reality as an evolutionary unfoldment of the spirit"....... and the pioneers began with revitalizing the land.

Three million trees later it is said to be one of the few places on earth where biodiversity is actually increasing.

Isn't that such a wow.

Looks like I can keep writing... the more I process, the more I read......the feelings are shifting from intrigued to fascinated to enthralled almost. Will stop for pictures now:

Arka guest house, where I stayed.

Another picture of the same place

Peacocks seem usual visitors

My room...very basic, and very comfortable

The terrace outside my room

They had this lovely library, with a brilliant collection of books. And again, look at the architecture....it's like the shelves are walls and open to nature outside. I could have spent much longer there than I did. Next time :)

Where I got my bike. Though it's an electric bike it was really easy in Auroville as several spaces have charging points, including my guest house.

That's 'Neem Tree' my regular dinner place, where I again met some lovely people.

One was Raj... an ex corporate honcho turned bamboo farmer. He insisted I note his name in my contacts as 'Raj Farmer':) Listening to him talk you feel he almost talks to his bamboo trees.

Another was Stenna, a full on happy energy theatre artist from Norway. She said when she first came to auroville, she was like 'no way'. And she came again and again, and now she says 'she hasn't been happier in life'. Another wow !

The picture was the three of them who I had dinner with.

The arm on the right is the third, another super interesting guy who's visiting.... who wouldn't reveal anything about himself, not name, place, phone number, what he does....nothing. But was happy to have intense conversations late into the night, in the 'here and now' only he said :)

Some pictures from driving through the commune

While we mostly see scooters and bikes, there are some paths like this which allow only cycles

One space which had some sign boards, and they were so cutely and artistically done

A random house I came across. Photographed it as most other houses don't even give this much access

Loved this picture. I could pause anywhere and take a picture, and all I'd see where trees and birds and mud roads......and the occassional people walking or riding around, mostly on cycles or bikes. I've never seen as many women on mobikes as I have in auroville.

A bamboo farm within

What a way to say 'don't litter' :)

Another cute sign board

With Deepa who had a mini adventure. We kind of got talking one day, she'd come to auroville to play a frisbee match. And next day she calls saying she had a snake in her room. That conversation ended such that she came and stayed over with me, and we found ourselves chatting late into the night. Another solo traveller and so happy to have met her.

Raj, listening to you talk, about anything and everything...and most of all about bamboo was just fascinating.

Stenna, your enthu and joy was wonderful to see, especially your instant fanning.....so cute and so inspiring.

And anon, was as lovely meeting you...and inshallah, another time, another day :)

Deepa, glad for that snake in your room, what else can I say :)

Even as I was writing this, I got a call from an old friend, Kusuma, saying she's now inspired to go to auroville. First off I was happy to see her still reading the blog, and second off that even before I'd finished my series on Auroville, it was having such immediate impact.

The place does that to you.....if you have the calling :)

An add on : Raj is looking for volunteers on his farm. He just sent me an audio clip which reads like this:

"I am looking for a volunteer who can farm with me, and if I can find one or two people, I'll be really happy....maybe your article can help me find one.....volunteers for six months.... and they will do yoga and meditation before they start farming.... yoga and meditation starts by 6.30, finishes by like 7.30.....and then they can do farming with me till about 11.30, which is a yoga also no.....it'll be nice" Raj - 7708712512