HeART & Soul - The Emerging Awareness of Spiritual Art

Artist: Prof. Sudhakar Chavan

By Avanika Mote

For Pune Mirror, Times Group.

Art being a form of true expression of one’s heart and mind, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that an artist lives through his painting. Is it our time to taste the spiritual essence of it all?

When Pune Mirror rendezvoused with National Level Senior Artist, Prof. Sudhakar Chavan, he pointed out that there is a huge international market for paintings and sculptures that depict spiritual emblems and forms. “From past 8 to 10 years, we have seen many people from all over the world are captivated by images of Buddha. In England, he adds, there is a widespread demand for Indian flavour in the art scene. Images of Shiva – Shakti and Ganesha receive high acclaim in the UK art scene.”

Marrying spirituality with art is not something we can do on surface level. One needs to tap into his inner feelings to seek its true meaning. The Buddha represents the end of all sorrow. The Bodhi Chakra used in numerous artworks is a spiritual symbol that stands for the last step of enlightenment. Sudhakar Chavan who has been working on the theme of social exploitation, believes that it is not the outer appearance of a painting but the inner voice of the artist that adds spirit to his art. He further explains, “You might see the image of Buddha and call it spiritual. But the image of a socially exploited animal and what the artist experiences from within as he paints on his canvas, straight from his heart, is when spirituality truly connects with art.” In other words, spirituality in art, is not about the things that you see outside, but more about feeling what you’re seeing within you.

"Santulan", Artist: Sunil Balkawade

Geometric murals, spiritual symbolism of Egyptian pyramids, conversion symbol, and Sanskrit mantras are widely used in figurative Tantric art. Sunil Balkawade, a research artist, recently made a Meditation Yantra in one of his paintings. Ever since his childhood, he had his one foot in art and the other in spirituality. His artwork is based on his inner feelings and his extensive research on spirituality, inner transformation and working of the universe. ‘Chitrukunishad', his new series, is a combination of impressionism and abstract, and is based purely on his understanding of the Upanishads. He explains, “That which we cannot see is the abstract form of art, that which we can see and experience within us is the impressionism form of art. Realistic art is based on what we see in the outer world. Surrealism is the extreme form of realistic art and I work with a combination of it all.” When asked about the meditation yantra he recently made, he said, “It is something that I created from the purity of my heart and very few people are aware of the power of such spiritual art. It does have an effect on the environment.” 

Bharti Mate, from Tao Arts calls her new project, ''The World of Rangavali”, a reservoir of positive energy, peace and happiness. The floor Rangavali which has a stint life, is conditioned and it is permanently blended to the canvas.

Cosmic Mandala Rangavali Dry Fresco, Artist: Bharti Mate, Tao Arts, Pune.

While the buyers of contemporary spiritual art are many in the international market, they are segmented into investment buyers, and those who buy it for their personal liking. Priya Pawar from Art2Day says,"We have a mixed audience, There are some art collectors who regularly visit art events and then there are doctors, surgeons, IT professionals, jewellers and corporates who have the eye for art and the moolah to buy it. We have exceptional artists, state-of-the-art galleries and a plethora of buyers from all walks of life." It is quite disappointing to admit that many of us still lack the right awareness of what spiritual art brings with it. To this, Prof.Chavan, having practiced art through meditation, says, “Visionary art workshops should be encouraged in which, the artists are allowed to meditate and indulge into the art that comes from the visions of their own minds, not from what they see in the world outside.” The awareness must first penetrate into the artist’s mind, before one can expect the art viewers to be aware of the meaning behind spiritual art.

Whether you contemplate art as a tool to awaken your peace of mind, or to a`la mode your personal space, it still manages to convince us of its spiritual existence, however, it now lies in the eye of the observer whether or not to see the depths in both the painting and the artists' mind.

Creative Commons License AV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

...and white skirt ☼ Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ♥ ♪

Blue skies,

Open your hazel eyes,

Crisp breeze;

Yellow honey

Fresh

Its fragrance.

Smooth,

Flows the water

Bright,

Shines the sun

Soft,

Feels the grass

And love got its chance!

Skins,

See through their sheen

A feel, that of satin.

A note, A rhyme.

The wave takes a leap

And the palms,

Ring a bell

The music in my mind

Takes me away,

Time stops for a moment

And it's finally our time!

Was it the blue skies?

And did the sun shine?

Creative Commons License AV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

The Esoteric Agenda - A Documentary Every Single Person Must Watch!

The Esoteric Agenda is the most authentic documentary on the current Spiritual Movement, Mayan Prophesy, the role of Governments, the Illuminati, the Ancient Aliens, the current situation and how you and only you can change it and seek the path of universal love and freedom. The Esoteric Agenda is a GRAND WAKE UP CALL for the entire population of the planet Earth. This is not something that you watch and forget the next day! It goes deep into the rabbit hole of human existence and how it is controlled and manipulated to keep you trapped. According to the research done by talismanidols.org the makers of this documentary, the New World Order has targeted a population control from 6 billion to 500 million and that's 90% reduction in today's population. The documentary goes into the details of how this Government Agenda of the New World Order is now being implied to you, me and every single human being on this planet. 

But this does not mean we should be frightened. This documentary teaches you the path of self-empowerment and shows you the most shocking ULTIMATE TRUTH of what's going on in our world today. The only way to face it and seek the freedom is to choose the path of Love and Compassion for all there is and embrace your deepest fears. We need to be ONE as we truly are in nature.

Have you ever wondered where the pulse inside our heart comes from? The pulse that is the biological proof of our existence comes from our Planet Earth and our planet receives it from the Universe. This is how everything is connected biologically. We need to realize this oneness and stand together. Knowledge is the only key!

As a fellow human being, another you, it is our SINCERE request to please share this documentary with everyone around you. That's the least you can do to save this planet and all you can give and all that can heal is LOVE.

PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK, THIS VIDEO AND THIS DOCUMENTARY EVERYWHERE YOU CAN. THE ONLY POWER WE HAVE IS THAT OF THE UNIVERSE, THAT OF THE ULTIMATE TRUTH. WE HAVE THE INTERNET THAT CAN REACH IN ANY CORNER OF THIS PLANET. LET'S ALL STAND TOGETHER AS ONE FOR THIS PLANET TO SAVE HUMANITY AND MOTHER NATURE AND SEEK THE ULTIMATE FREEDOM.

WATCH THE ESOTERIC AGENDA ON THIS VIDEO

You can also DOWNLOAD this documentary: CLICK HERE

Creative Commons License AV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Spiritual Awakeness - My Message

It's been a great time last thirty days. I didn't realize any gap between the end 2010 and the beginning of 2011...To me its been a time of creating my reality and then celebrating it. The blog-work has kept me busy and I had developed a less expressive style of communication with all of you, my Angels. I thought it's been a while since I last expressed my inner self...the thoughts that I have been pondering upon and the feelings that I have been sensing. In fact, I don't remember the last time I started writing without referring to any other source or website :-P 

When I step out of myself and observe my human personality, the first thing I realize : It is beautiful to be a human. This is when I connect with my body and I feel extremely grateful for the five senses given to me. I remember one year back, my personality could not feel and think the same. This is when I realize not just knowledge, wisdom is the key too. The first six months of my transformation have been all about a quest for knowledge and continuous contradictions, synchronicity, psychic experiences and visitations. A path of self discovery followed and I started fitting myself in one of these labels : Indigos, Crystals, Rainbows and Starseeds. I had started following certain theories and creating new ones too. I was aware yet I had doubts. Every time I had a doubt, I trusted my intuition and did what  my higher self asked me to do. When I was in full tune with my intuition, I have discovered myself as a full time lightworker at times and even a couch potato munching for hours, some other times! But when you carry the light of wisdom within you, you realize that all of it is perfect. It is perfect because it was your intuition that guided you. It was perfect because you carried pure love within your heart while you did it...whether it was about spreading knowledge or simply sitting to music on my couch all day! How can anything be not right when it is done with pure love and light for all there is?

So, here's the thing, for all my fellow lightworkers - taking a break in a while is a good thing when your intuition inclines you towards it! Trust your inner feelings. It is your higher self that needs your personality to explore your depths and discover more. I have realized that being with your own self without feeling lonely is the key. I resonate a lot with what Osho says: Loneliness and Aloneness are two completely different states of being. Loneliness is when you are always missing the "other". Aloneness is the wholeness. Loneliness is negative, an absence; aloneness is positive, a presence. Aloneness is like a peak, standing alone tremendously beautiful! 

Aloneness is the joy of being with yourself and in this very great shift, we release what we no longer require to grow further. In this great shift, those who were once very close, now seem to drift away and we often disappoint ourselves as a result. But believe me, everything, literally, everything is going just perfect. It is perfect because you still hold the same love and compassion for those who have drifted away as you come to this realization of the greatest love - Love for all there is! It is perfect because you no longer require the interference of their energies for what you are becoming.

It is perfect because even with that knowledge, you still hold the same love for them, (and for a fact) even in higher degrees! Release with each breathe what you no longer require and fill it in with all your love and light.

When we follow our intuition, the air seems to be so much lighter. The world seems to look at you with a smile. Isn't this our own self being reflected back at us? I'm often asked how do we know that we are following our intuition. Well, there's no such thing, no such set of rules on "how-to-follow-your-intuition". Following your heart is the key! Trust your inner voice and signs will follow.

Today, after an experience that was close to life-changing, I have realized that I don't need any such labels like Indigos or Rainbows. It was a part of what all I released. There's a lot of knowledge out there and there's limitless space, limitless consciousness, nothingness, at the peak of aloneness and I am nothing more than one micro point of awareness that might have existed before the big-bang, or the creation, so to speak. And as I say this, I completely open my heart for all there is, and promise to operate from a place of pure love as that of our divine imagination.

Shanti.

Creative Commons License AV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

One with the Universe - The Infinity, Oneness & Grand Unified Field

A few months back, I wrote my experience in which I felt One with the entire Universe. I narrated my entire experience here and even wrote something that could scientifically prove my point. Today, after 6 months, I finally this Universal Oneness is no more a spiritual concept or an ideology. It is a PHYSICAL EVIDENCE.

Nassim Haramein, at the Nexus Conference in July 2010, Astrophysicist Nassim Haramein presents new concepts explaining how we are all interconnected and can access infinite knowledge. Finally, we have someone who has connected the bridge between Science and Spirituality. 

Related Article : One with the Universe

Nassim Haramein, an astrophysicist, at Nexus Conference in July 2010, explaining the science behind Universal Oneness, Infinity and Grand Unified Field.

 

Creative Commons License AV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Ascension Crisis

Your personality and your soul are in a continual interaction through the medium of thoughts and intuition.

The question is – Are you aware of it?

If you are unaware of this interaction between your soul and your personality, then this communication will be perceived by your five sensory personality through the density of doubt, fear and awareness.

If you are aware of this interaction from your higher self, be receptive to it, as this is your soul’s guidance for its desires and purpose need to be accomplished.

If you are aware but are not receptive to it, the guidance must come through the density of physical events, sufferings and crisis.

If your personality chooses to remain unaware, the awareness will come through crisis.

Awareness first enters into our consciousness through crisis. When we are slightly apart from our own pure soul energy, a crisis develops within us.  When our personality is unaware, it denies the guidance of our higher self and denies the intuition or any other guiding mechanisms given to us, human beings.

In such cases, awareness will be sent through physical events in our life.

Awakening did not have to include this pattern of crisis as a part of evolution. The Divine Order states that our species would move into wholeness at some point in evolution but how it moved to that wholeness in the course of evolution is left to be determined by the choices we make of how to channelize energy within the Earth School. Pain and sufferings, as also, these patterns of crisis were never meant to be in the flow of our evolution. It is the choices that our species made that lead us to this way of learning. Doubt was created and chosen as the major teacher through human choice itself. Our species chose this way of learning. Therefore, the karmic patterns of fear and doubt were set into motion.

Awakening into the need to touch something more, to touch one's spiritual energy system, is now a well-worn path that includes the experience of being physically powerless in the materialism of the world, before the soul reaches to its genuine power. In other words, the awakening of the personality has come to require the loss of a mate, or the loss of a job, or the death of a loved one, the collapse of a business or anything that leaves us physically powerless and turn inwards.

We are coming to the end of a grand cycle, a one hundred and twenty five thousand year old cycle and this is the reason why these things, within this moment in our evolution, are happening NOW.

Whatever is happening right now is timely. It is at its perfect time because it came to us at a time when our species is evolving beyond the five-sensory personality into a multi sensory personality, beyond learning through five exploration of our physical world, through authentic power and assistance from our non-physical Guides. 

We must remember that our five sensory personality is neither positive nor negative. It is just a tool of the soul to experience human life as a natural part of incarnation. It must be remembered that everything you are experiencing, every molecule around you, every thought in your mind, every action, every physical event including crisis is just a part of your individual evolution upon Earth.

We must remember that a five sensory personality is neither positive nor negative. It is just a tool of the soul to experience human life as a natural part of incarnation. It must be remembered that everything you are experiencing, every molecule around you, every thought in your mind, every action, every physical event including crisis is just a part of your individual evolution upon Earth. All that you are experiencing right now is timely and perfect because it is a part of your human experience here. Your Soul is experiencing a human body and it is evolving.

By being mentally outside a crisis, you can observe yourself going through a crisis. Pay attention, where you go weak and which parts inside you needs the strength of Light. Know that, all you need is within you.

You are the master of yourself.

Observe the crisis by being mentally outside it. Be the observer of yourself and the situation your personality is in, how it reacts and what needs to be focussed on. When you become the observer, you are at peace inside, the crisis is outside you.

The crisis you are going through will release patterns of negativity, of doubt and fear, that are no longer necessary for who we are and what we are becoming. This perspective will support the choice to learn through Universal Love and wisdom.

Challenge your fears. Each time you feel negative, stop, acknowledge that you are, and discharge it consciously. Ask what you are feeling and what is at the root of it. Go for the root of it in that instant and as you work to pull the root, simultaneously look at the positive side of the same situation. Trust allows experience of bliss. When you trust that the Universe in each moment is providing for the needs of your soul, and that non-physical guidance is always available to you, you will leave aside the heavier frequencies of manipulation, protectiveness and fear. Remind yourself of the greater truth that there is something spiritually profound at work, that your life is no accident, that you are under contract.

Awakenness is a blissful state, not a painful one. It is blissful, fully balanced and lovingly harmonious. It is abundance of love for all creation. It is playful and it is all these things and so much more! It is the vertical path of clarity.

“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.”

 - Buddha

Creative Commons License AV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Here it starts :

Whatever “we know”, as of today, as a part of world history, right from the origins of knowledge that there is something what we call Our Universe, its many different galaxies, infinite solar systems and myriad bright colored stars, of time and gravitational force, of all the inventions, right from wheel to the latest mega-machine, of all the discoveries of human and animal anatomy, of all kinds of inumerous sciences and countless technologies – is all a result of creation, processing and application of certain thoughts that came to a human brain and human brain is a result of billions of years of evolution of Our Earth and its very existence.

But that is not the point. It may be because that is an established fact.

I am not really trying to make a point here. But what started must have an end. This one has a brilliant conclusion too.

DNA and Origins of Knowledge.

DNA is a single molecule with a double helix structure; it is two complementary versions of the same "text" wrapped around each other; this allows it to unwind and make copies of itself: twins! This twinning mechanism is at the heart of life since it began. Without it, one cell could not become two, and life would not exist. And, from one generation to the next, the DNA text can also be modified, so it allows both constancy and transformation. This means that beings can be the same and not the same. One of the mysteries is what drives the changes in the DNA text in evolution. DNA has apparently been around for billions of years in its current form in virtually all forms of life. The old theory—random accumulation of errors combined with natural selection—does not fully explain the data currently generated by genome sequencing. The question is wide open. The structure of DNA as we know it is made up of letters and thus has a specific text and language. You could say our bodies are made up of language, yet we assume that speech arises from the mind. How do we access this hidden language? By studying it. There are several roads to knowledge, including science and shamanism. The symbol of the Cosmic Serpent, the snake, is a central theme in my story, and in your research you discover that the snake forms a major part of the symbol-logy across most of the world’s traditions and religions. Why is there such a consistent system of natural symbols in the world? Is the world inherently symbolic?




THIS WRITE UP IS NOT COPYRIGHTED UNDER THIS BLOG. THIS CONTENT WAS INITIALLY TAKEN FROM "THE PSYCHEDELIC RENAISSANCE" AND THE PHOTOS HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM GOOGLE IMAGES.

Born To Be Wasted

Do you have a song in your mind that keeps playing itself over and over again? Do you hear the song and feel it relates to you since ages? Do you have a song that touches you to the depths that go beyond the depths of oceans? Do you feel an explosion inside you every time you listen that song? Do you feel that the song knew you even before you heard it the first time?

I have two such songs. One of them is 009 SoundSystem's - Born to be Wasted.

Born To Be Wasted Lyrics:

oh the beat's gonna bash gonna break it up
this car's goin' fast gonna speed it up
the night's not gonna last so let's keep it up
we were born to be wasted

oh the rock's not gonna stop so let's rip it up
the beats are gonna drop you can trip em' up
your mind is on fire but it's not enough
we were born to be wasted

this gun's blowin up it's just a warning shot
this plane's takin' off on a terror run
this night's gonna end like a missile drop
we were born to be wasted

baby out loud
knew that it would come to this
ain't worth livin
if u can't get your kicks

oh the rock's not gonna stop so let's rip it up
the beats are gonna drop you can trip em' up
your mind is on fire but it's not enough
we were born to be wasted

this gun's blowin up it's just a warning shot
this plane's takin' off on a terror run
this night's gonna end like a missile drop
we were born to be wasted x 4

When you find the song of your life, please share it with me in the comment box along with the link. I am game and finding the others...

☮ Peace ☮

Creative Commons LicenseAV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

One with the Universe!

Certain situations and few happenings since last one year have moved me in some way. If I look back to myself exactly one year back, I was a completely different person. Looking back to me, one year back and today, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the two images are like oil and water. At times, I have been wondering (while writing this) should I post it on my blog?

(made up my mind)

I have always read about cosmic oneness and have happened to believe a lot of theories on cosmic oneness, its meaning and the meaning of life and I certainly don’t expect you to believe what I am about to write. And why I believe in it still remains a secret, all I can say is that I could “feel” the cosmic oneness and how everything in this universe is connected. My experience is probably the smallest fragment of this cosmic oneness theory, yet I want to express it, although an experience cannot be express in words I believe. It can be only felt and experienced. The reason behind expressing my feeling is that I want to know if there is anyone out there who felt the same at some point or someone who cannot agree more to this. Am I the only one?

On a beautiful dark morning, I was just looking outside my window. What I saw wasn’t just the usual roadside scene. I was watching at the world through just a window from my house. Cynical, right? I observed a group of IT employees who were waiting for their bus to arrive for a morning office pick-up, senior citizens sitting on a bench with opened newspapers covering their faces and kids waiting for their school bus. I observed one of the IT employees waving her hand continuously and it made me “think”. A man who was reading a newspaper “heard” the temple bells ringing. After few more minutes (in which he must have “thought”) – he went inside the temple and prayed. And while I was watching at the world through my window, I realized how every action (not necessarily physical) has an effect in this cosmic world.

The IT woman who waved her hand got my attention and affected my mind since I started thinking about what was she doing. Few people who were ringing bells of the temple affected the thought process of the man with newspaper and his thoughts made him visit the temple and pray. The kids affected my sub conscious mind and made me think of my younger sister who waits for her school bus every morning, back in my hometown. And when I told this to my friend, how his energies started thinking deeply about what I felt.

I said, “So do you see how everything is connected? Every action of a person directly or indirectly affected some one else’s action/mind/thoughts/mood. And can you feel the infinity of this chain of matter affecting other matter?”

Our minds are programmed to ask for a scientific explanation behind everything. So I did not blame him when he asked me a scientific reason behind it. I am not much of a science person although I know the basics of physical sciences. I started thinking of an explanation, a scientific one. I knew what I thought did make sense but my mind tossed as I thought of some scientific words to describe the phenomenon of “everything is connected”.

After few minutes, this is what I said: What I experienced was an infinite chain of matter, which is connected to each other, in which, every single action (not necessarily physical), affects the rest of the infinite chain of matter, directly or indirectly. And this exactly made me feel how the entire Universe is connected and the infinity of this chain of matter. Any kind of energy used by any matter affects the all the energies in the cosmic world.

This means that even when you are reading this right now your energies are affecting the giant ocean of energies in the entire Universe. When you are reading this right now, and using your energy to read this, your mind is working, your moods are changing and any person who talks to you after this, you might have a different perception about “talking” to him and that might definitely affect his thought process and the infinite chain goes on. On the contrary, this might not happen with you, but something else, try searching for a connection and you will find how everything is connected. All is One, indeed!

This experience has totally changed my perception about the Universe. When I talk of Universe now, I believe, it starts with me! The chain of matter starts with me. I should do good deeds for the mankind to make sure this chain does good too. My mind is at peace ever since I felt this phenomenon. But the curiosity still resides within me. Have you ever felt this way or am I the only One?

(Please share in your comments for this article as this is one if the most important articles I’ve ever written. Please feel free to criticize if you do not agree with my views. All is One!)

☮ Peace ☮

Creative Commons LicenseAV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

My Last Evening in Srinagar, Kashmir

The reason why I wasn’t writing about my last night in Srinagar, is the fact that I don’t want to recall it. I’m re-living my journey through my travelogue and every time I write it, a part of me is found travelling in the woods and mountains of Kashmir. I don’t want my journey to end this time, through my travelogue, but I have new things to write about too. So what makes me write this today? The sudden mood swing! Damn, I feel the same today, like I felt on the last night in Srinagar – yes, no matter how weird that sounds, the mood is what made me write this today. Crazy whims, I wonder!

May 18, 2010. 3.30pm: It was raining heavily the entire day in Srinagar and since I was aware of the last day, my wander lust just didn’t seem to have got enough of the place. I had read of Rozabal in one of the books by Osho and was curious to visit the shrine in the downtown Srinagar. Rozabal is a shrine in Srinagar where Jesus Christ is believed to have been buried. It is believed that Jesus Christ survived the crucifixion and came to Kashmir, India, where he lived last years of his life and finally died in Srinagar, where he is believed to have been buried and have even left a bloodline in that region. When a friend of mine told me about the place and its directions the same morning, my curiosity was eating me up from within. I was told by many locals that it isn’t a safe place to go, but I blamed my itchy feet and went on to explore. The place seemed a lot difficult to find at first and when I did, it wasn’t much of a pleasant experience. I found kids, barely 8 years old, who were agitated to see me trespass their “territory”. I saw the shrine, closely and wondered whether all those stories about Jesus living in India were true. I made up my mind to research over it later. I read what is written on a board just above the shrine. Photography was strictly not allowed. I do not remember the lines as they are, but it did mean something that was sure to ignite fires of controversies. I would have to read a book and research more deeply to write anything about Rozabal. Many books like The Rozabal Line and The Lost Years of Jesus explain many related stories. I was just fulfilled enough to have been able to visit the most mysterious place known to me and moved on carrying a thousand thoughts in my mind.

May 18, 2010. 5.30pm: The typical woman inside me was yelling by now and wanted to make the most of shopping in Kashmir! It was undoubtedly the most beautiful evening of all –yes, I was being partial since it was my last evening by the Boulevard. The Dal Gate Road was full of street hawkers selling Kashmiri handicrafts made of Papier Mache. Every single artefact stands out with its vibrant explosion of Indian hues and intricate Mughal designs. I loved walking down the road aimlessly while the rest of the world around me continued to run. The sun didn’t wait to set, the shikaras didn’t stop floating and the shops didn’t stop selling. The world moved on every second as I walked aimlessly on the road, exploring each shop and trying to touch everything that caught my eye! I shopped like a total shopaholic with full-on bargaining power! The still waters of Dal Lake had began to reflect the street lights around, the house boats had began to gear up for another candle-lit dinner for the evening, the shikaras were carrying newly arrived tourists to their reserved house boats, as the sky turned dark. And I knew, as I leave, someone else like me would come here, explore the place, indulge in the slowness, ride horses up to 14,000 feet, listen to the sound of waters that the oar of shikara pushes, travel the less travelled roads that lead to Himalayas, discover true romance in the Mughal Gardens, watch the green carpets of Gulmarg, and simply live a part of their lives in the land of Kashmir.


I did not know whether the Kashmir euphoria was rising up within me or was the sadness of saying a final goodbye, faded my euphoria of the place. Whatever it would have been, it sure was one beautiful sad evening. I discovered that this place had moved me, in a way that I could never be the same again. I wanted to live the moment forever and never wanted to go back to where I belonged. Kashmir is a powerful beauty and it sure had cast a spell on me. It made me think beyond the commercial world. The spell it put on me had a name and I called it the spell of simplicity. I wanted to surrender myself to the euphoric Kashmir. I am still under the same spell and living in the afterglow.

Creative Commons LicenseAV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

Pahalgam Pictures

Creative Commons LicenseAV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.

KASHMIR EUPHORIA - Part Three (Sonmarg)

A month back, same date, same time, I was in the heaven and they call it Sonmarg in Kashmir. I’m amazed at how time passes when it’s not working in your favor. A month feels like a year without what I fell in love with – Kashmir. But time moves on, and so does life.

We left Sonmarg around 9.30am and on my way, I was listening to few songs that are really close to my heart. The journey till Sonmarg is so full of beauty; I couldn’t move my head a single time! The River Sindh defines a different shade of blue altogether and the flow of water sounds like a million waterfalls are hurling down from the heaven itself!

Just a few kilometers before Sonmarg, there is a small park by the roadside on the right. A perfect spot, to stop by, indulge and waste some time doing nothing is what this park offers. Located right on the shore of Sindh River, it gives you a perfect feel of what I call, closest to nature. The entrance of the park is a wooden bridge located on the River Sindh, look down once, I suggest, and you will feel the power of purity, I guarantee!

To be brutally honest, I never wanted to cross the bridge and let go of the feeling I had while on the bridge! The unexplainable feeling of standing on the bridge – overlooking the gigantic flow of water, the sound of which numbs your ears and the water that can freeze you inside out – was mind blowing. You can see the Himalayan range chasing the sky high heights all around you and I was lucky enough to see them snow-clad that morning! The Himalayas looked magnificent in white and looked picturesque every time I followed their height to reach to the peaks that kissed the clear blue sky.

I went inside the park and it reminded me of the pastures in Gulmarg. I felt like I was blindfolded with a green cloth, yet again, only this time, I was surrounded by snow clad mountains and pine trees that got me bewitched. I had never seen so many colors of nature at one place at the same time – the blue sky, kissed by White Mountains, the Green pine slopes, the Aqua Blue waters of Sindh, the multicolored stones in the river, the Brown wood tree barks and the endless stretches of green pastures inside the park! Holy God, for a moment, I was spellbound and open-mouthed!

We spent an hour or so in the park. A small café inside offers tea, coffee, and the Indian staple food – Maggi noodles! I recommend sheer indulgence inside the park, and I’m sure you know by now, what I mean by the indulgence, the slowness of it, so close to nature.

We reached Sonmarg in a short time. The moment I got down from the car, I breathed the first air of Sonmarg – the land of Gold! And trust me; it did feel as if the air is Gold! I know how weird that sounds, what matters is how it feels and not how it sounds – that’s the catch. I really cannot explain in words, how I felt by just looking around. I could never imagine a place on Earth that would put a spell on me, by just looking around it – Sonmarg confirms it.

It seemed like a pair of eyes wasn’t enough to look around the beauty, a pair of ears wasn’t enough to listen to the sound of wind and river water. Words felt short and few sensations I lost…Four directions and three dimensions weren’t enough for this place to exist, simply exist.

So, I am leaving you with only pictures of the land of Gold. Try looking at them from my eyes and leave in your response. I know, words will be a little difficult to find! A month later, I am still enchanted, popeyed and wonder-struck.

Creative Commons LicenseAV's Avilicious by Avanika Mote is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 India License.