|
Archive for May, 2009
Sunday, May 31st, 2009
“Variety is the spice of life” goes the famous adage. Think your home needs some spicing up? Then fill it with things varied and beautiful. Bored with your interior décor? Want to give your home a makeover? Well, there are fabulous design options coming out of India today that would do any homeowner proud. Here’s a variety of ideas you can choose from and some tips to have that exciting home. As an Indian living overseas, your home would naturally reflect the culture of your adopted country as well as your homeland. The tricky bit lies in finding a balance! Too much of India and you could end up with an overly colorful, kitschy look that’s out of sync with your place of residence. Besides, you could get bored with all that excess. Moral: less is more! Here are some ideas for getting it all together.
(1) Got space to spare in your living room or den? Consider acquiring a couple of low, carved chairs. Lacquer painted furniture from Sankheda, Gujarat, in orange and black looks very decorative. Alternatively, you could go in for something subtler in plain wood with a cane backrest and seat.
(2) A center table can be made very interesting. For instance, four wooden, carved and perhaps painted objects (like horse heads) could serve as legs for a glass-topped table.
(3) Go antique shopping on your Indian holiday. Places like Delhi, Kochi and Pondicherry have a wealth of exquisite, one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture you can pick and choose from.
(4) India is textile paradise. Furnishing stores in major metros stock varieties of fabric sourced from traditional textile centers across the country. For a rich look on your windows, how about getting some silk blinds? Even better, pick tussar for a textured look, in soft, muted tones. Border the blinds with an ikat weave or print in contrasting colors. Most stores will also tailor the blinds.
(5) Bored with that old Kanjeevaram sari? If it’s in one of those typically bright hues like mango, parrot green or sunshine yellow, make tiny cushions out of them and mass them on a plain sofa or divan. Include the sari border on some of the cushions.
(6) If your living room has a muted color scheme, liven it up with small splashes of bright, Indian hues. Table runners made of mat, in deep shades, bordered with zari, look elegant. So do terracotta urns, painted or plain, which can double as planters.
(7)As you know only too well, one can go overboard shopping for artifacts in India. Resist the urge and try to create a few focal points of interest. A group of dark woodblocks, used for textile printing, look interesting on an off-white, textured wall. So does a single, carved jharoka or a collection of Bastar art in black metal. Display a group of miniature Tanjore paintings or Madhubani art on an earth-colored wall.
(8) A large, dramatic wall hanging, like the patchwork-and-mirror hangings of Kutch or stunning appliqué work of West Bengal, adds drama to a plain wall.
(9) Pick up objects d’art that combine beauty with utility. Carved leather or wood photo frames can find a place in any room. Natural colored, glazed kulhads (for serving tea) or a complete tea set from the unique pottery of Pondicherry will add an Indian touch to your dining room or kitchen.
(10) Check out the art galleries in the Indian metro you visit. If your pockets are deep enough, invest in a modern Indian painting. Otherwise, pick up relatively less expensive prints of famous Indian artists. A Vaikuntam, Manjit Bawa, or Anjolie Ela Menon print will capture the essence of India on your walls as nothing else can.
By: Chilli Breeze
Posted in Home decorating | No Comments »
Sunday, May 31st, 2009
In a well-known episode it so transpired that the great lover god Krishna made away with the clothes of unmarried maidens, fourteen to seventeen years of age, bathing in the river Yamuna. Their fervent entreaties to him proved of no avail. It was only after they performed before him the eternal gesture of namaste was he satisfied, and agreed to hand back their garments so that they could recover their modesty.
The gesture (or mudra) of namaste is a simple act made by bringing together both palms of the hands before the heart, and lightly bowing the head. In the simplest of terms it is accepted as a humble greeting straight from the heart and reciprocated accordingly.
Namaste is a composite of the two Sanskrit words, nama, and te. Te means you, and nama has the following connotations:
· To bend
· To bow
· To sink
· To incline
· To stoop
All these suggestions point to a sense of submitting oneself to another, with complete humility. Significantly the word ‘nama’ has parallels in other ancient languages also. It is cognate with the Greek nemo, nemos and nosmos; to the Latin nemus, the Old Saxon niman, and the German neman and nehman. All these expressions have the general sense of obeisance, homage and veneration. Also important here is to note that the root ‘nama’ is a neuter one, the significance of which will be elaborated upon later.
The word nama is split into two, na and ma. Na signifies negation and ma represents mine. The meaning would then be ‘not mine’. The import being that the individual soul belongs entirely to the Supreme soul, which is identified as residing in the individual towards whom the namaste is directed. Indeed there is nothing that the soul can claim as its own. Namaste is thus the necessary rejection of ‘I’ and the associated phenomena of egotism. It is said that ‘ma’ in nama means death (spiritual), and when this is negated (na-ma), it signifies immortality.
The whole action of namaste unfolds itself at three levels: mental, physical, and verbal.
It starts with a mental submission. This submission is in the spirit of total surrender of the self. This is parallel to the devotion one expresses before a chosen deity, also known as bhakti. The devotee who thus venerates with complete self-surrender is believed to partake the merits or qualities of the person or deity before whom he performs this submission. There is a prescription in the ancient texts known as Agamas that the worshipper of a deity must first become divine himself, for otherwise worship as a transaction would become invalid. A transaction can only be between equals, between individuals who share some details in common. Hence by performing namaste before an individual we recognize the divine spark in him. Further by facilitating our partaking of these divine qualities, namaste makes us aware of these very characteristics residing within our own selves. Simply put, namaste intimates the following:
The God in me greets the God in you
The Spirit in me meets the same Spirit in you
In other words, it recognizes the equality of all, and pays honor to the sacredness of all. Translated into a bodily act, namaste is deeply rich in symbolism. Firstly the proper performance of namaste requires that we blend the five fingers of the left hand exactly with the fingers of the right hand. The significance behind this simple act in fact governs the entire gamut of our active life. The five fingers of the left hand represent the five senses of karma, and those of the right hand the five organs of knowledge. Hence it signifies that our karma or action must be in harmony, and governed by rightful knowledge, prompting us to think and act correctly.
By combining the five fingers of each hand, a total of ten is achieved. The number ten is a symbol of perfection, and the mystical number of completion and unity. It is true for all ancient traditions. Ten is the number of the Commandments revealed to Moses by God. In the Pythagorean system, ten was a symbol of the whole of creation. Ancient Chinese thought too thought of ten as the perfectly balanced number.
Another significant identification of namaste is with the institution of marriage, which represents a new beginning, and the conjoining of the male and female elements in nature. Marriage is a semi-divine state of wholeness - a union between the opposite principles of male and female necessary to crate and protect new life. The idea of human divine association was often expressed in terms of marriage, as in the description of nuns as “brides of Christ”. Thus in the exhaustive marriage rituals of India, after the elaborate ceremonies have been completed, the new husband and wife team perform namaste to each other. Wedding customs, full of symbolic meanings, attempt to ensure that marriages are binding, hence fruitful and happy. Namaste is one such binding symbolic ritual. The reconciliation, interaction and union of opposites is amply reflected in this spiritual gesture. It is hoped that the husband and wife team too would remain united, as are the hands joined in namaste. By physically bringing together the two hands, namaste is metaphorically reconciling the duality inherent in nature and of which the marriage of two humans is an earthly manifestation, a harmonious resolution of conflicting tensions. Thus namaste, which symbolizes the secret of this unity, holds the key to maintaining the equilibrium of life and entering the area where health, harmony, peace and happiness are available in plenty.
Finally, the gesture of namaste is unique also in the sense that its physical performance is accompanied by a verbal utterance of the word “namaste.” This practice is equivalent to the chanting of a mantra. The sonority of the sacred sound ‘namaste’ is believed to have a quasi-magical value, corresponding to a creative energy change. This transformation is that of aligning oneself in harmony with the vAt its most general namaste is a social transaction. It is usual for individuals to greet when they meet each other. It is not only a sign of recognition but also an expression of happiness at each other’s sight. This initial conviviality sets the positive tone for the further development of a harmonious relationship. Namaste as a greeting thus is a mosaic of movements and words constituting an intimation of affirmative thoughts and sentiments. In human society it is an approach mechanism, brimming with social, emotional and spiritual significance. In fact it is said that in namaste the hands are put together like a knife so that people may cut through all differences that may exist, and immediately get to the shared ground that is common to all peoples of all cultures.
By: ExoticIndianArt
Posted in Other | No Comments »
Sunday, May 31st, 2009
Passing fashion seems not to have altered the pre-eminence of gold over the centuries; gold ornaments may be more heavily jeweled or less, but the use of gold, apart from the short-lived vogue for platinum in the 1920`s, has been constant. However, there are, of course, millions who cannot afford gold. Yet, wearing jewellery in any form, be it in gold or otherwise, clearly indicates the importance of the same. Lack of precious materials has never inhibited the wearing of jewellery and even poverty and lack of technical skill has not prevented the creation of innovative and striking forms.
It’s not very unusual to know that a lot of jewelry in different parts of each country has their own special gem to work on and create an exclusive piece of art using it. In India we have been lately getting the craze of going back to the old traditional since again and getting back all their art work, jewelry forms, designs and creations. We are getting them back to this present era. Many jewelry designers have been creating various designs using stones. Now mostly all of know what gem is. But for those who aren’t aware about its precious and use we’ll talk about a gem and what the famous and upcoming jewelry designers have to say.
Indian jewelry has its own history. The most fascinating and extravagant comes from Rajasthan in the north and Hyderabad in the south. The simply stunning Golconda diamonds and emeralds were used in the jewelry that graced the Hyderabadi nobility. The popular stones like uncut rubies, navratanas and popular emeralds came from Rajasthan. Pieces with large size colored precious and semi precious stone are the rage. Lot of similarity in witnessed in the designs from Hyderabad and Rajasthan.
Ancient Indian jewelry are so far found in various excavations. The ancient Indian jewelry comprises of many gold coins and beaded jewelry, used by the various dynasties. Ancient Indian jewelry is the one made from the Indus valley civilization, till the Gandhara & the Sunga dynasty. Jewelry in Moghul Period displays very attractive designs, since these patterns contain the intricate designs, which were not only famous in that era, but even till date. Infact, most of the minute jewelry patterns in the recent ages have also been inspired by the Moghul jewelry.
Indian jewellery market is easily the most dramatic way of setting stones. The method, even if simple, requires a high level of competence and craftsmanship. The jewellery sarpech or turban ornaments is considered the most magnificent piece of jewelry for the males in weddings in old Rajput families. The karnaphool is a motif that recurs as well. They are made more elaborate with jhumkis- shaped like a small umbrella. Having large stones in the the jewelry are in trend now days. Naths or nose rings are also available with pure gold. The hand ornaments like bracelets, bangles, baazubands, hathfools are quite popular among the brides, further completing their trousseau.
Pendants and Necklaces have been an epic chapter in the history of Indian jewelry. All the other forms of decoration are supposedly considered incomplete if the necklaces and the pendants are not a part of an individuals’ jewelry. Pendants had their own charm and their own importance for being worn around the necks. However, when it came to the necklaces, they were mostly made in gold added along with the gemstones to add more fascination for the onlookers. However, apart from having their own share of fame during the earlier times, one cannot help but notice, the recent generation too getting captivated in those designs and it resulting in the same designs and patterns coming back to life, since these Moghul designs are the very base of every delicate handiwork by the modern jewelry makers. Let us categorize the same ancient jewelry in different forms and see the delicate designs, which have been the basis of our modern jewelry since the recent jewelry makers have inherited this fashion statement as well.
By Bombay Fashions
Posted in Indian Jewelry | No Comments »
Sunday, May 10th, 2009
Om or Aum is of paramount importance in Hinduism. This symbol (as seen in the image on the right) is a sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent, and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman, in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable. Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest (nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That is why it is called pranava, to mean that it pervades life and runs through our prana or breath.
www.shopnamaste.com
Posted in Hinduism | No Comments »
Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Our beliefs determine our thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct our actions. By our actions, we create our destiny. Beliefs about sacred matters–God, soul and cosmos–are essential to one’s approach to life. Hindus believe many diverse things, but there are a few bedrock concepts on which most Hindus concur. The following nine beliefs, though not exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality.
1. Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme Being who is both immanent and transcendent, both Creator and Unmanifest Reality.
2. Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world’s most ancient scripture, and venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God’s word and the bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.
3. Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and dissolution.
4. Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.
5. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas have been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a single soul will be deprived of this destiny.
6. Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals, sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods.
7. Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage, self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.
8. Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice ahimsa, noninjury, in thought, word and deed.
9. Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that all genuine paths are facets of God’s Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.
Hinduism, the world is oldest religion, has no beginning–it precedes recorded history. It has no human founder. It is a mystical religion, leading the devotee to personally experience the Truth within, finally reaching the pinnacle of consciousness where man and God are one. Hinduism has four main denominations–Saivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism and Smartism.
Taken from Kauai’s Hindu Monastery
Posted in Hinduism | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Namaste has a wide variety of traditional and modern Indian handicrafts, jewelry, home décor, wedding items, gifts for all occasions and much more. Our products are handmade by artisans and craftsmen from all over India. We have sought artisans and manufacturers that create and design products of varying types to cater to the needs of the modern world. Now our Indian products can be available to anyone around the world at reasonable prices. Our customers have rated our collection the “best”.
At Namaste, our products are authentic Indian handicrafts. These handicrafts are designed and created by highly skilled village artisans. These craftsmen can create designs that are traditional and classic or they can create a modern, contemporary look. We are proud to be utilizing these small village industries to enhance the Indian economy. We, then, personally select and approve all final products and pass these beautiful creations to you, our customers.
Posted in Other | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009
Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
Posted in Other | 1 Comment »
|
