Taal- a beat of emotions

Indian classical music is a heritage that has evolved through the centuries. It is a blend of ritualistic, folk and cultural expression of the sub-continent and represents music of different genres. At one extreme, it is classical music whilst at the other extreme; it is a mixture of musical genres of different regions that reflect the diversity of India.The origins of Hindustani classical music can be found in the Samaveda (wherein Sāman means “melody” and Veda means “knowledge”). The Samaveda comes second in the usual order of the four Vedas. Samaveda consists of a collection (Samhita) of hymns and verses or specifically indicated melodies called Samagana that were sung by the priests while offering libations to various deities.Hindustani classical music has its origin as a form of meditation and is based upon ragas and taals each designed to affect different “chakras’’ (energy centers, or “moods’’) in the path of the “Kundalini” of the human system. Vedic practice traces specific physical, mental, biological and spiritual results associated with activation of these centres to generate the very sound of “OM”.

‘OM’ is believed to be the beginning of all creation in which are rooted the seeds of sound and music. Indian classical music is monophonic in nature and built around a single melody line, which is played over a fixed drone. The performance is based melodically on particular ragas and rhythmically on talas. The tabla plays a very important role in maintaining the rhythm during a Hindustani concert. There are a number of Tals (beat patterns) like Ek-Tal, Jhap-Tal, Dadra, Teen-Tal and so on. Each Tal has its own characteristics. The wide range and complex content of Indian music was not restricted merely to India. It was also influenced by countries like Persia and Afghanistan. The ‘Sufi’ influence in Hindustani music during the medieval period was fused with ideas from Persian music, particularly through the influence of Sufi composers like Amir Khusru and Tansen. However, Amir Khusru is erroneously referred to as the inventor of the sitar and tabla and numerous musical forms such as khayal and tarana. The Hindustani music that developed during the time of the Mughal period is based on the rich Indian tradition and its interaction with Mughal influences. Music can be a social activity, but it can also be a very spiritual experience. During the rule of Mughal emperor Akbar, Hindustani music reached its zenith, mainly due to Mian Tansen (He was born Tanna Mishra or Ramtanu to Makarand Pande. The name of his Guru was Swami Haridas), who was one of the nine jewels in Akbar’s court. It was during this era that Hindustani music, like an ever flowing river, absorbed many streams of varied musical genres such as Dhrupad, Dhamar and Khayal. Ancient Indians were deeply impressed by the spiritual power of music, and it is out of this that Indian classical music was born. So, for those who take it seriously, classical music involves single-minded devotion and lifelong commitment. But the thing about music is that you can take it as seriously or as casually as you like.

Most music has at least three main elements - melody, rhythm and harmony. Because of its contemplative, spiritual nature, Indian classical music is a solitary pursuit that focuses mainly on melodic development. In performance, rhythm also plays an important role, giving texture, sensuality, and a sense of purpose to melody. Music is said to be the best way to express emotions. It has the power to stimulate strong emotions within us, to the extent that it is probably rare not to be somehow emotionally affected by music. We all know what emotions are and experience them daily. Most of us also listen to music in order to experience emotions. Music is a language that crosses boundaries and one that people of all ages and backgrounds can share. Whether it’s high emotions and drama or serene peace and calm, these moods can be conveyed without the need for words through the beauty and the depth of music. One of the greatest abilities one can have as a musical artist is to be able to take any idea or emotion and accurately convey it in music. On top of that, great musical creativity means one can make one’s listeners feel the exact musical emotions one intended them to feel with one’s music. In one sense, the term “emotional expression” is slightly misleading: it is only sometimes that musicians are truly expressing their own emotions in a composition or performance. What is usually meant by the term emotional expression is that listeners perceive emotional meaning in music. Yet the term “emotional expression” is widely established and will thus be retained in the present essay. The fact that people like to use the term “expression” suggests that music somehow reminds them of the ways humans express their states of mind in real life.

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“Dance as the narration of a magical story; that recites on lips, illuminates imaginations and embraces the most sacred depths of souls.” ― Shah Asad Rizvi.

The base of the indian classical dance is rasa that is emotions. Dance without rasa is incomplete and that is why the love is created around the sphere of emotions. The main eight categories of dance form in indian classical dance forms are Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri, Bharatnayam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Bihu and Mohiniyattam. The pivotal functions of all these dance forms are to express the rasa among the audience by the use of bhava that is facial expressions, mudra or gesture. Natyashashtra the book (granth) of dance (nritya kala) was written around 200 BC TO 300 AD, which gave the in depth dive into the learning of acting through the basic nine emotions i.e navarasas. These nine emotions every dancer has to incorporate to give completeness to the dance. This also a new value to the indian aesthetics.

The navarasas or the nine emotions include: Shringara (Love), Hasya (Happiness), Roudra/ Krodha (Exasperation), Bheebhatsa (Abhorrence), Bhayanaka (Trepidation), Shanta (Tranquility), Veera (Valour), Karuna (Pity), Shoka/Karuna (Dejection) and Adbhuta (Awe). The eight forms of indian classical dance are also encompassed round the nine emotions. Research says that the emotions of humans are also encompassed around the colour vibes that are like the seven colors of the rainbow: Rage (Red), Avarice (Orange), Trepidation (Yellow), Love (Violet), Desire (Blue), Determination (Green) and Empathy (Indigo). Though it is missing the two essences like which embodies the absence of colours is death i.e black and convalescence of all colours is life i.e white. Every indian classical dancer should have tremendous exposure to these navarasas so as to observe the change in emotions of the human thus changing the behaviour of the character. Even the simple folk lore story of radha krishna can also be expressed through the navarasas. The key to utmost happiness is dance and this can be achieved by abhinaya or expression. The main process is achieved through the mukhya abhinaya or facial expression to connect with the audience with her/his thoughts and feelings. The movements through the dance forms are through the hands and foot movements. The movements express the identity and close relation to emotional experience.

Dance is the hidden language of the soul of the body. Dance is the move rhythmically to the music typically moving with steps. For some people it is worship, for someone it is art, for someone it is an expression of emotions, for someone it is happiness, for someone it is entertainment, for someone it is life. Indian classical dance is as diverse as indian classical heritage. The classical dancer has a complex repository of stylish poses. For each part of the body, the eyes and hands are the most essential for the traditional poses determined. Various movements of the feet, such as flaunting, fluttering, sidle, rhythm carefully used during a classical dance performance. One hand can have 24 postures (untamed hand) and 13 postures of both hands (combined hands), one hand stance can have exactly 30 different meanings from each other. Acting in a solo dance, drama, a man or a woman can perform actions of two or three significant characters respectively, changing the mood and mood of the face. The aesthetic joy of Hindu dance and theatre depends on how successful an artist is in expressing a particular expression and raising the Ras. For different, the positions of hands and action will be different.

There are different gestures and mudras in dance forms. These gestures are constituting movements and artforms. These movements are also a form of art and culture. This is how our heritage is being constituted. Our indian heritage and culture is thus strong. The heritage includes the vidya or education of nritya kala (dancing) as an inherent property of learning as kala (quality). It is the way the emotion is being expressed in the artform. The form is there in the classical dance form movements. The style is expressed in terms of the body movements. There forms also a close relation to fashion and style. This is because the movements are of a particular fashion or type. The movements create a style and interests of the public. The indian classical dance forms devotes to the culture of the society inherited long back. The kala is not only an art but our honour!

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INDIGO

Indigo is among the oldest dyes to be used for textile dyeing and printing. The oldest known fabric dyed indigo dating to 6,000 years ago was discovered in 2009 at Huaca Prieta, Peru] Many Asian countries, such as India, Japan, and Southeast Asian nations have used indigo as a dye (particularly silk dye) for centuries.

The word Indigo derives from the Greek indikon, Latinized Indicum - originally meaning a substance from India- referring to the import of Indigo pigment by the Graceo-Roman world. The original Sanskrit word nila, meaning dark blue, spread elsewhere from India. The Arabs christened it an-nil, in the course of their conquests. The Spanish and Portuguese transmitted the word an-nil to central and South America. Around the 16th century, a British act of parliament referred to indigo as nele, alias ‘blew inde’. Eventually, in the 17th century, indigo became the common name of use.

Of blues, there is only one real dye, Indigo -William Morris

Produces from plants via a process akin to alchemy. Indigo has a unique chemistry that renders it compatible with every type of natural fibre. In the past, it was combined with other natural dyes to create a range of colours that are impossible to reproduce without synthetic substitutes. There are many thousands of species of Indigo-bearing plants from a variety of botanical genera and families. Over 700 species of the Indigofera alone have been described. Every continent except Antarctica has indigenous plants capable of yielding indigo pigment. Each species has its own distinctive characteristics and yields to different production methods. The dye was also known to ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Britain, Mesoamerica, Peru, Iran, and Africa. Indigo was also cultivated in India, which was also the earliest major centre for its production and processing.

Indigo plantations were established by the British in India and South Carolina, the French in Louisiana and the West Indies, the Spanish in Guatemala, and the Dutch in the East Indies. Basically, wherever indigo was traditionally used, the colonising power would look to profit from the booming demand in indigo. In West Africa, indigo textiles were considered so valuable that they were exchanged as currency. In fact, traditional Asian indigo textiles were shipped to West Africa by the European powers and used to exchange for slaves, who were then shipped on to work on indigo plantations. This plantation dye from the colonies would then be shipped to Europe. The global history of this dyed was thus tied up in the processes of slavery, exploitation, and colonisation. What once was a revered material became a source of misery for countless plantation workers and slaves. One commentator in 1848, E. De-Latour remarked: “Not a chest of Indigo reached England without being stained with human blood.”

Indigo is a challenging dye to use because it is not soluble in water; to be dissolved, it must undergo a chemical change. When a submerged fabric is removed from the dyebath, the indigo quickly combines with oxygen in the air and reverts to its insoluble form. When it first became widely available in Europe in the sixteenth century, European dyers and printers struggled with indigo because of this distinctive property.

It was also a toxic substance that, by requiring many chemical processes, had many opportunities to injure many workers. A pre-industrial process for dyeing with indigo, used in Europe, was to dissolve the indigo in stale urine. Urine reduces the water-insoluble indigo to a soluble substance known as indigo white, which produces a yellow-green solution. Fabric dyed in the solution turns blue after the indigo white oxidizes and returns to indigo. Synthetic urea to replace urine became available in the 1800s. Two different methods for the direct application of indigo were developed in England in the eighteenth century and remained in use well into the nineteenth century. The first method, known as pencil blue because it was most often applied by pencil or brush, could be used to achieve dark hues. Arsenic trisulfide and a thickener were added to the indigo vat. The arsenic compound delayed the oxidation of the indigo long enough to paint the dye onto fabrics. The second method was known as china blue due to its resemblance to Chinese blue-and-white porcelain. Instead of using an indigo solution directly, the process involved printing the insoluble form of indigo onto the fabric.

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PRAMILA CHOUDHARY - AN ARTIST

Experienced Creative Director with a demonstrated history of working in the textile industry. She has skilled in retail, digital, printing, textiles, creative concept design, and team building. Strong entrepreneurship professional with a Master’s Degree focused in Textile Design from National Institute of Design.

Pramilach who is involved in textile design has come up with sustainable ideas and one of them has presented in the recent art exhibition named ‘Abhivyakti’ which takes place in Ahmedabad. Abhivyakti is an arts initiative for the masses of Ahmedabad. A platform for young and emerging talent from across town, Abhivyakti is bringing together a variety of performing and visual arts to create a unique experience for the citizens.

Abhivyakti City Arts Project is an initiative to encourage original thinking and experimentation in the field of arts, across the four segments of Visual Arts, Music, Dance and Theatre. Abhivyakti invites proposals from artists across the country to participate in this annual project. The curatorial philosophy is oriented to honour conceptual thinking, artistic knowledge and execution ability.

The stage of Abhivyakti is committed to be a catalyst to encourage and develop regional talent in the field of arts. Abhivyakti endeavours to contribute in making art a meaningful part of public life and give audiences new ways of seeing the world. It strives to inspire art, ideas and conversations that are meaningful to artists and audiences alike. A series of deeply engaging installations were displayed and the evenings were very exciting as the visitors enjoyed the performing art events. The Abhivyakti Visual Arts segment was seen to be having its fair share of keen visitors and interested onlookers as the Fest entered its second day at the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat campus. By going through the place, you would come up with four more installations - The Fleeting Winds by Al-Qawi Tazal Nanavati and Pramila Choudhary,

The Untitled by Dipal Sisodia and Adhmaniyon na Meghadhanush by Labdhi Shah and Lovers and letters by Avni Sethi, all of which also formed the photo-shops for the indulging kind. Pramila is the artist who returns a second time in succession after the Second edition of the Fest in 2019, but this time with her compatriot Al-Qawi from Mumbai and showcases a work created out of textile scrap again. The difference is that the scrap was cut out of old apparels collected by the duo from a wide circle of friends and acquaintances from their respective two cities. It’s this that called for a great deal of effort in collection, transportation to Ahmedabad and then processing all of it at Pramila’s home-turned-studio over weeks of toiling creativity. A giant of fifty feet plus, this cluster of interlaced ropes works its way up diagonally to the second floor from its base laid near a tree cladding in the campus.

Colourful in its overall appeal, the Fleeting Wings at the apparent level is about elusive victories and short-lived successes that we all encounter as we grow in life. At the deeper level, the Fleeting Wings is about tributes and memories of loved ones who leave us as both parties grow in life. More often it is the parents who leave us one by one but on occasions and by some ill luck others also depart creating a wide void in the lives of the loved ones who the departed are survived by. Interestingly, the donors in some cases donated the apparels of their parents and others who passed away and thereby shared the deeper meaning of the installation wherein they kind of change form and live on.

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B.V DOSHI

Ancient Indian architecture has been so glorified in past and recognized all over the world for design principles of temple architecture water conservation in the form of stepwell called baoli in the region of Rajasthan and Ahembadad, principles of Vastu, Purpush and Mandala for building design, various principles of design for vernacular architecture in various parts of India. This glory of India has been finished after India has lost its political freedom in the hand of Muslim and British rulers.

Muslim rulers were very conservative toward their own religion and demolished so many temples and were more interested in Islamic architecture while Britishers were promoting their own colonial architecture. These rules hardly bothered about the local Indian people and their main objective was to rule India and exploit natural resources of India. The local traditional principles of architecture have been lost because the people involved in these professions were either forced or adopted the principles of design of these rulers.

Many of these skilled workers of Indian architecture have migrated to other professions or adopted the new method of construction technologies brought by these rulers. This could be termed as Dark Age for Indian Architecture. After Independence of India in 1947, many architects have continued the principles of design based on colonial architecture or modern movement of western architecture but few young Indian architects have started looking back on the glory of ancient Indian architecture and these architects were B.V.Doshi, Charles Correa, Raj Rewal etc.

Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi also called B.V. Doshi is a famous Indian architect from Gujarat and the first from the country to be awarded the prestigious Pritzker Prize in 2008. In a career spanning about seven decades, Doshi completed more than 100 projects, many of which were public institutions based in India: schools, libraries, art centres, and low-cost housing. His understated buildings adapted the principles he learned from working with Le Corbusier and Louis Kahn to the needs of his homeland. In considering India’s traditions, lifestyles, and environment, Doshi designed structures that offered refuge from the weather and provided spaces in which to gather. Doshi’s grandfather owned a furniture workshop, and Doshi initially believed he would take up that profession as well. He became interested in architecture, however, and in 1947 he entered the Sir J.J. School of Architecture in Bombay (Mumbai). In 1950 he travelled to London, where he met Le Corbusier, and, for the next four years, Doshi worked in the famed architect’s studio in Paris. He returned to India to oversee the construction of some of Le Corbusier’s projects, including the Mill Owners’ Association Building (1954) and the Villa Sarabhai in Ahmedabad (1955). He eventually settled in that city, where he designed his own residence (1963), named Kamala House after his wife; his studio, Sangath (1980); and some of his most important projects. In 1956 Doshi founded his own practice, Vastushilpa, which he later renamed Vastushilpa Consultants. The firm worked on more than 100 projects throughout India, including a collaboration with Louis Kahn on the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (1962).

Doshi’s early works show the influence of his mentors’ projects in India. The School of Architecture in Ahmedabad, which Doshi founded and designed in 1966, recalls the grid facade of the Mill Owners’ Association Building, while the use of brick and concrete evokes the Villa Sarabhai. Appreciative of Le Corbusier’s ability “to create a soft light that makes people’s faces glow,” Doshi included slanted skylights and sliding doors to manipulate light and to regulate temperature. Ever mindful of India’s heat, he included recessed plazas shaded by leafy trees throughout the campus to offer spaces where students could meet in comfort. The school continued to grow in the following decades, expanding to include, among others, the School of Planning in 1970, the Visual Arts Centre in 1978, and the School of Interior Design in 1982. It was renamed the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT University) in 2002. Students assisted in designing each new addition, using similar forms and materials so that the entire campus felt cohesive. Doshi quickly became known for his commitment to providing affordable housing throughout India, where a shortage of homes had plagued cities for decades.

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URBAN SCAPES

The urban landscape is a concrete and objective phenomenon embodied by the quality of the physical factors of the environment. It is a system formed by the relation between the man and the urban environment. The topic of the landscape of cities is getting increasingly important due to the new emerging attitudes, particularly the interactional approaches and paying attention to the mutual effects of the environment on humans and humans on the environment.

Accordingly, it is important to realize and identify the effective factors on the formation of urban landscapes. As budding photographers, when we hear the word landscape our mind conjures up images of lush valleys, looming mountains, rainy noons and majestic, sweeping vistas. With good reason, as the natural world can be a place of picturesque beauty. But done well, a different type of landscape photography, the urban landscape, can produce shots that are equally as compelling as anything Mother Nature can throw your way.

Ahmedabad is the largest city in the State of Gujarat and the Seventh- largest urban agglomeration in India, with a population of almost 74 lakhs (7.4 Million). The city is located on the banks of the River Sabarmati. The city was at the forefront of the Indian independence movement in the first half of the 20th century. It was the epicentre of many campaigns of civil disobedience to promote workers’ rights, civil rights and political independence. Mahatma Gandhi also established Gandhi Ashram on the bank of river Sabarmati and selected Ahmedabad as his “Karmabhumi”. Ahmedabad remained the most important city in the Gujarat region. The City established itself as the home of a booming textile industry, which earned the nickname “The Manchester of India.” With the creation of the state of Gujarat in 1960,

The hustle and bustle of Ahmedabad lend images and vitality that can’t be found anywhere else. There’s so much movement and life in the environment, and the best fashion photoshoots can capture that buzzing vibrancy. Planning a photo shoot in Ahmedabad also has plenty of practical advantages too. The daily city life offers a very interesting play of light and shadows, and that is one thing such cities usually never run out of. You can schedule a glamour shoot in the artificial glow of the nicely decorated cafes and buildings or also plan a candid and ethnic photoshoot in its poles for a brand that offers traditional attire.

Coupled with the fact that, for the most part, Ahmedabad is a lot more accessible for the majority of us, and shooting urban landscapes is the ideal activity for photographers during the lazy Indian summers. As with any fashion photoshoot, dragging yourself out of bed before the sun puts in an appearance can reward you with the kind of light show that almost makes up for all that missed sleep. You can drive to the outskirts of Thol lake or the Adalaj Vav where sunshine slowly climbs down the stairs and quenches its thirst.

What adds to the diversity of its backgrounds is that there are a lot of colours everywhere! You can do a monochrome photo story in the concrete laden landscapes or find vibrant pops of colour that blends well with your collection. Fondly revered as B.V Doshi’s very own city it has walls that were brought to life with M.F Hussain’s artworks and a city life that offers skyscrapers as well as dainty vintage terraces of Havelis in the polls.

It did face a lot of massacres and riots and had days laden in blood and tears. However, everything eventually ended on a more peaceful note. The vibrant diversity of this story speaks for itself and if you are shooting a collection with delicate Lucknowi embroidery or a line of Jhumkhas, you have Jama Masjid with Urdu scriptures painted in the backdrop. If you have a range of more contemporary fast fashion photoshoot to conduct, Amdawad ni Gufa offers contemporary interiors with interesting pops of colour.

Create the perfect traditional themes in the old-world charm of it’s Pols and Havelis or bring together a line of trendy and comfortable outfits with the city’s yellow street light ambers in the backdrop. The choice is yours to make!

FLIPSTONES CAFE

Flipstones café is a brand under the Greenstraw umbrella which only serves food while Greenstraw is involved with a lot of other activities. The three friends envisaged it to be the perfect example of anything and everything sustainable. This included the building. They chose a house which was 50 years ago which could be uplifted to suit the café’s needs. The building was renovated using local materials. The café furniture

is made from upcycled Alang boats. The menu is printed over the recycled paper and you are given a paper and pen to write your order.

THE GREENSTRAW

32, Usmanpura Village, River Front Approach, Near Natarani Amphi Theatre, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad

With a hope to have given the best of what we can include in this issue of “Avest’n,” we believe that our effort to bring out the sustainable life around us to a much wider audience has found its path and purpose. Our intentions do not have a motive to defame, trespass, plagiarise or to copyright infringement. The magazine was not created for commercial purposes.

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