Dussehra: Did Ravana actually die?

Dussehra as the another name toVijayadashami is one of the most important Hindu festival celebrated in various parts of world, like Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and undoubtedly, India in respect to the victory of Lord Rama over Lankeshwar Ravana. The festival has always been amongst one of my top three festivals, I have always waited for Dussehra to come and see the Ravana burning.  Jaipur, the capital city of Rajasthan is symbol of its Architectural work and history of great Royalty. So distant from these two factors comes the festive season Dussehra, celebrated at great heights in Jaipur. Therefore, I would always come up with something special on occasion of Dussehra. Sometimes it would be gathering friends and start working on how to go about making a Ravana or how to make the day more special.

Therefore, there is a beautiful memory of my school days, when I use to be so mesmerized to see Dussehra, I would spend hours and days to make the occasion more meaningful. Hence, it takes me back to the roots of 2008, when I was 15. I came up with an idea of creating an event next to my house, were I gathered 5 people and we divided work to make the event at its best. Therefore, the event was full of food stalls, games, and yes at the end, as we waited for the Ravana to burn.  Moreover, that period was more of enjoying the occasion without knowing its true essence. However, as you grow, a different meaning develops in your mind as the time goes.

So this time I thought of experiencing it alone with “My Camera” and exploring the best of the occasion. I had a different thought altogether when I visited the place, I could see the same 15 years old boy living the same life again as he experienced it in 2008. The only thing that set me apart was the change of thoughts on what it was to me and what meaning has emerged into my mind. So the place was filled with food stalls (Pani Puri, Pav bhaji, Gane Ka Ras everything was there what we have craved for when we were in that era) and of course the people waiting for Ravana to burn. I could see there was curiosity on everyone’s face out there waiting for Lord Rama to come and defeat the Ravana. As the wait was over and finally someone dressed up as Lord Rama came to burn the Lankeshwar Ravana. The moment Ravana was burnt, people started chanting (Bhagwan Rama ki Jai) meaning praise the Lord Rama. The sky was glowing, as crackers were being burnt everywhere on the auspicious eve. However, the eve was about to get over, but no one thought of it that time did Ravana ever die?

I had always thought that Lord Rama’s Victory over Ravana must have resulted into the death of the Ravana. However, when we ask this question to our own selves, do we really think that the Ravana died?  He may have died in the war, but his thoughts are still in prevailing in our minds. Yes, I am talking about the evil thoughts that sometime occur in our minds and results into something evil. The day we come over these thoughts or evilness in ourselves that would be the occasion; I would call where the Ravana actually has died.

Photography: Have you understood it the right way

Photo Location: Bungalows Lavale

Memories are a part of life, either it stays with us or it fades away. So one way of keeping our memory alive is an art in itself what we call it as “Photography”. There have been times that memories have cherish us over the talks, making us proud or happy about how it was and how it is now. A memory might stay in our thought, may not be able to convey what real emotions are in life. A photograph is a memory, which not only stays in our hearts but in our in vision as well. Many might learn it for the interest or passion they have for it.

From my experience, at the very first step to photography as many would try with Nature, leafs, the flowers and so on. I started with the same and clicking photographs everyday became a hobby in itself, I just randomly started clicking pictures not knowing the true essence of it. Later when I saw these pictures, I observed that every picture shared a message or depicted something about life or us. These are the messages that Mother Earth shares everyday at some point, but as a matter of fact, we never focused on such priceless moments. A photograph is a trick of capturing things in a way it becomes appealing to one who sees. Every photograph has a message hidden in it, a blank image also would say many things, and if you can read the message out of the picture, you definitely have understood what photography is all about.  

All are happy seeing a photograph, but at the end of the day, has anyone understood the person behind the camera capturing all moments for you. It is very simple to see a picture at the first go, but when you stand behind a lens, you truly understand what exactly it is. The numbers on the screen or the settings of a camera might confuse you in the beginning, but once you have understood the art, one would not want to get their hands free of it.

The Camera may seem to be a small thing at the one look, exploring it has made me understand the beauty of it, discovery is something that camera has showed me the true meaning of. I started photography four years back randomly exploring my campus and thinking that I have explored so much about it. Recently, I came across a photographer by profession who conducted a workshop for us at our beautiful campus. While discussing things related to photography I realized, its not even ten percent that I have discovered out of it. So we might think YES, we have known it, but my friend the more you indulge yourself the more you will understand and know, such a small gift seems to be big.

As I mentioned earlier, start capturing, you may not understand it in the beginning, but when you understand it, you will see a photographer in you. Do respect the art, respect the object you choose to cover, at all if you respect other and your own self, you have understood it my friend.

Kerala Adding Colors to India

Namaskaaram

Photo Location: Trivandarum, Kerala

Reading Color at first gives an impression of an art or culture. This is what we have made an impression of colors in our lives.  We have different meaning for different colors; a black may signify darkness, whereas a red may be termed as color of love and thus we could find different meanings of it. It is not how I saw colors in Kerala. A color there has meaning to life- a color of unity, a color of understanding.

We have seen the world as racist, be it any part of the world. I count India amongst it as well, when it comes to religions, cast, gender, and the list would go on. These are all, the colors of life; this is what sets us apart from each other. Kerala, a state of India, I see it as a nation, a nation of color, full of unity, understanding between the people, at most a nation where everyone contributes colors to it. Kerala is a color of simplicity in itself, food or people are an example where we see the simplicity, though the variety is less, so are the demands, be it the five star or a four star or for a fact any small stalls (what we call Thelas in India).  The rich environment, the soft-spoken people of a nation full of stars I say. A star we would recall as a hero or a savior. I say they all are stars of India contributing their lifetime creating a rich color India.

Food served on a Banana Leaf

I do not say any other state or any other culture is not adding colors to India, all are adding in some or the other way, but Kerala has been the richest of all colors. I was here a few months back for an official visit, what augmented my impression were the people and the simplicity as I mentioned above they have in them. Though being from North India, I thought how I would get used to the local language, but people there we so understanding at times, that, be it any shop or place, through expressions or sign language I could get my work done. I would say that at certain point one might face challenges in coping up with understanding different languages in different regions, but if you can understand yourself and others around you, a language will not be a barrier for you and I pretty much experienced it there.

At some point, in life, I thought if Kerala as a place would have proper homes, how the people would be. I realized only now, how wrong I was to judge a place.  Knowing these beautiful colors of India had helped me know a nation in itself “Kerala – A Nation of Colors making India Colorful”.