"Sakura Spring" some images to be featured

Music is "Spiritual Opium" - Maestro Zubin Mehta

Attended the concert "Zubin Mehta Live" on 30 Oct 2015 - Mehta conducted the flawless rendition by the Australian World Orchestra. The surprise of the evening was the short but superb performance by soprano Greta Bradman (grand-daughter of legendary cricketer Don Bradman). What a range of tones she was able to bring about to Mozart & Rossini's music!

The impressive finale of the evening was Schubert's Symphony No.9.
Today attended Zubin Mehta's entertaining interview. He is such a relaxed, down-to-earth guy. He shared about his childhood, continuing love for Bombay, introduction to music through his father who used to play at the Taj hotel,Bombay, on AIR etc, his father's angst towards the british rulers of india, his own sharing of that feeling, at 18 yrs he journeyed abroad, his mind-blowing experience of Orchestra music in Vienna....how inspite of being married to an american he still maintains an indian passport, even though that creates problems when he has to apply for visas, because he feels so indian at heart....a total joy to have heard him.

The jarring note through the interview was the interviewer who constantly veered from the subject of Zubin and music to communalism, the plight of muslims in india (obviously v sad in her opinion) etc. & tried to involve Zubin in this direction. Its a pity that Art & Artistes are subverted by politics.

Nonetheless a great experience...contemporary society being what it is we have to accept that the good, the bad & the ugly go together. Actually we dont have a choice...media is omnipotent!

Zubin's statement that alludes to how music transcends all - that music is "Spiritual Opium" was such a powerful self-explanatory statement. i shall cherish this and i feel the same holds true for my medium of expression - the Visual Arts, which too is "Spiritual Opium"

Its Halloween !

The Venerable Pumpkin

"Halloween" an amalgam of "All Hallows (saints) Evening" is celebrated on 31 October in many countries. It marks the eve of the 3 days of remembrance of the departed, including hallows & martyrs.

Celebrations include trick-or-treating & guising -Scottish/Irish tradition of donning costumes, going around the neighbourhood & singing a rhyme, doing a trick, or telling a story in exchange for candy, costume parties, bonfires, doing spooky stuff-playing tricks/pranks/scaring, watching horror/haunted movies & attractions.

Some observe abstinence from meat, eating vegetarian foods like apples, potato pancakes & soul cakes (small round cakes specially made on Halloween), colcannon (traditional Irish dish mainly mashed potatoes with kale/cabbage) & drinking apple cider.

Jack-o'-lanterns carved out of pumpkins have become symbolic of Halloween

kids at Purple Streak Centre for Arts enjoying making a Jack-o'-lantern

Happy Dussehra

Happy Dussehra

This Ravan was the collective creation of 5 kids ranging from 5-7 yrs, made in my art classes at Purple Streak

"Mesmerizing Momiji - Japanese Crimson" 

my upcoming show in December 2014

An image from the show

Congrats to Mars Orbiter Mangalyaan team

8 things more expensive than Mangalyaan Mars Orbiter mission!

http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2014/09/24/8-things-more-expensive-than-indias-mars-mission/

I came across this wonderful viewpoint on Japanese Belief– Is it religion, is it atheism by Yukiko Murano

Sharing a shortened version

Yukiko Murano is a Tea Teacher, Head of the International Team of Japanese Tea Ceremony Omotesenke Way in Tokyo

a shortened version is given here:

Japanese live and feel with Nature. Nature are full of Spirits in Japan. 八百万の神 this is a metaphorical number of countless deities in Japanese soil. Mountains, Snow, volcano, Onsen, hot springs, Ocean, lakes, marshes, rivers, waterfalls, even wind, rain, typhoon, fog, big trees...everything are Spirits in Japan. We worship nature. The translation 'God' seems originally inappropriate, as the unique recognition 'Kami' which is right, but then may be 'Dou' is more right to explain our belief or behavior. Shintou神(道(tou-dou) is not 神(教(kyou-religion) after all. Not Allah nor God, but Kami. There is awe for the Invisibleness. Dou is the invisible restrictions and affirmations based on the individual moral criteria. Through timeless endeavour and study and research teachers of Dou teach people each of the Dou Ways. Like in fighting, mentors for Judou, Kendou, Aikidou and Sumo were needed, and in ordinary life- Flower Dou, Chadou, Kodo, Shodo. And may be how to love people 'Dou' based on moral way, which may be too traditional but not unfair. Teachers in Japan are like doyens. People pay respect to teachers. How to be a desirable individual and harmonize with others in the society. The basic answer is always in Nature. Not in Koran nor Bible.

Agricultural life-style and the constant repetition of the natural four seasons including natural disasters bring to the Japanese a stable belief that nature overwhelms, gifts and blesses, creates tragedy and sorrow. Earthquake and tsunami, typhoon and flood devour living things, but we see it as natural deeds, and try not to conquer them but try to co-exist and manage. No bible or Koran but based on the Classic forklore 'Kojiki'古事記、the mythical fable, that we believe our nation derives from. This is a reason we call ourselves: Non-God people, Atheists. But every one of us believes in natural Awe and behaves as Dou guides us.

Through the Historical coalescence, Shinto and Buddhism were together, 神仏習合 in Japan until Samurai Epoch. Then we do have Zen Temples where No Buddhist Statues are existing (some are), but priests guide people toward 'Zen' and 'Dou' mind. If you feel like questioning through the self-discipline, what is the 'Truth' of our being and how we can live our life in a right way. More philosophical than religious.

I have added here images of Ise shrine with pebbled garden -Shinto shrine (above) & Ryoan-ji dry landscape garden- Zen (below)