Rodevra Republic

Children sheltering under an umbrella surrounded by lively terriers — the warmth and innocence of a rainy afternoon It is a lovely painting, quite idyllic, with children and dogs. I found the focal point of the painting very well accentuated; one can almost visually draw a circle at the centre. The effect is created by the open umbrella on the right and the placement of the dogs on the left, forming a circular line together with the barrel. It is almost as if the artist first drew the circle and then placed the elements inside it. Try partly closing your eyes and looking at the painting; you will see the structure of the composition more clearly. But within this circular arrangement there is also a gentle sense of movement. A diagonal seems to run through the picture from the boy's raised stick to the dog jumping up and further across to the girl holding the puppy. This diagonal quietly animates the composition, preventing the scene from becoming static and giving the painting a li...

This bhajan by Kabir Das highlights one of the biggest realities of our spiritual existence. He was one of the most influential and evocative poets.  He played a major role in the Bhakti movement in India in around the 15th century through his simple poetry that touched the common man. One of his most well-known poems was, “ Ud Jayega Huns Akela”  This poem elucidates the reality of our existence by giving apt metaphors, rich in meaning and imagery. Ud Jayega Huns Akela, Jug Darshan Ka Mela Jaise Paat Gire Taruvar Se, Milna Bahut Duhela Naa Jane Kidhar Girega, Lageya Pawan Ka Rela Jub Howe Umur Puri, Jab Chute Ga Hukum Huzuri Jum Ke Doot Bade Mazboot, Jum Se Pada Jhamela Das Kabir Har Ke Gun Gawe, Wah Har Ko Paran Pawe Guru Ki Karni Guru Jayega, Chele Ki Karni Chela Here Huns  (Swan) represents our free-spirit that continues to live beyond the death of the body. When the physical death comes, the "less-constrained" life leaves every worldly thing behind (including the bod...

Sahir Ludhianvi — poetry that questioned both society and silence Recently, a friend sent me the following lines and asked if I had something to say about them on a quiet Sunday morning: Aasmaan Pe Hai Khuda Aur Zameen Pe Hum Aaj Kal Woh Is Tarah Dekhta Hai Kum... At first, I felt that perhaps nothing more needed to be said. These lines are powerful enough to stand on their own, and sometimes poetry is best left to quietly settle within us. But on second thought, they invite a deeper reflection. To understand the full meaning of Sahir Ludhianvi’s thought, it helps to look at the complete context of the song. These lines are from the 1958 film Phir Subah Hogi . Aasmaan pe hai khuda, Aur zameen pe hum; Aajkal woh is taraf dekhta hai kam. Aajkal kisi ko woh tokta nahin, Chahe kuch bhi keejiye, rokta nahin; Ho rahi hai lootmaar, Phat rahe hain bam,Z Zindagi hai apne apne bazuon ke dum... As the later lines reveal, the song is essentially a critique of society. Sahir wrote it when he wa...

Human breasts are unique among mammals — a fact that has intrigued both artists and biologists Among the roughly 5,000 mammalian species on Earth, humans are the only ones where breasts remain permanently visible. In most other mammals they appear only during nursing and disappear after lactation. In humans they develop during puberty and, thankfully, remain. Ganga Subramaniam Oberoi, an Indian married woman, once received an award for having the most beautiful breasts in the world. It makes one wonder what the selection criteria might be. It cannot simply be size, because it is widely acknowledged that firmness, even skin tone, and a certain visual proportion are what matter more in breast aesthetics. Above all, there is the question of how a woman carries them — whether she is apologetic about them, or confident enough to hold her chest high and make their presence felt. Ganga seems to score well on that last point, though I am not too sure about the first two. By the way, size ha...

A moment where skill and timing come together A friend recently shared a remarkable photograph of a bird — one of those rare captures that seem almost impossible. Many of us responded with admiration. One comment described it as having a “hawk’s eye” for spotting such moments. That felt apt, but it also seemed that something more was at play. Such photographs do not happen by chance. To reach that level, there must be a certain alignment — of mind, attention, and presence. Skill, of course, is essential. But beyond skill, there is a quiet readiness, a way of being fully available to the moment as it unfolds. Perhaps humility plays a part too. It allows one to keep learning, to stay open, and to respond without interference when the moment arrives. And when that happens, it almost feels as if nature itself allows the image to be taken. One begins to see this in many fields. When Sachin Tendulkar plays an extraordinary shot against a fast bowler, it seems to be created in that very inst...