Indian Fest : Rakhi/Rakshabandhan

While i was just thinking what should i put up for my fellow bloggers and visitors on this Rakhi,  i came across these bright, colorful handmade crochet rakhis handmade by a good friend of mine. "Not for sale" she says :)

Briefly explaining, Rakhi or Rakshabandhan is predominantly a Hindu occasion that celebrates the bond between a brother and a sister. It is celebrated every full moon this time. The ritual goes like, the sister ties a holy thread on her brother's wrist, symbolic of her love, affection and blessings for him. The brother in return gives gifts, significant of a promise to protect her from all evil. 

These beautiful pieces are hand made by Diti Kotecha. Diti herself is an awesome photographer and graphic designer. Currently based out of mumbai, she finds her love in trivial every day things which inspire her in her beautiful work! She is a strong supporter of sustainability and fairtrade and tries to imbibe it in her daily life in ways like these! :)

Do visit her photography blog at http://www.ditikotecha.blogspot.com/

Design Feature : Jenny Pinto's Sustainable Lamps

Jenny derives her inspiration from earth itself. She says "Earth is balanced, generous, non judgmental and provides for everyone. She has solutions to absolutely every thing. As a species, we humans have lost touch with her. Connecting to the earth is understanding the natural process of life, knowing your place within it and trying to harmonize with earth and with each other. Sounds deep but in fact it is simplicity itself. Sustainability is a life-long journey, and I am still making it." Anybody is welcome to her studio to learn the dying art of paper making by hand. Here's featuring some of her work.

"Dried Flower" Banana Fiber Paper, SS base 20"

"Spiral" Banana Fiber paper, SS base 30"

"Wall Spiral" Banana Fiber 45"

"Stone Pillar" Banana Fiber Paper, Hand cut granite, 30", 34", 40", 48"

"Free Fall Floor" hand cut stone base, hand sculpted copper arms, hand sculpted paper shades

"SPAce" Bangalore, India

Jenny works out of Bangalore, India. She works with NGO's for women empowerment and strongly believes in sustainability. For more you can visit her website at http://www.jennypinto.com/studio.htm

India : Bharatnatyam - A Traditional Indian Dance Form

Bharatnatyam is one of the oldest classical dance forms in India, also known as the fifth Veda. It is usually accompanied by the classical music. This dance form originated from Tamilnadu and has its inspirations from the sculptures of the ancient temple of Chidambaram.

Bharatanatyam comes from the words Bhava (Expression), Raga (Music), Tala (Rhythm) and Natya (Classic Indian Musical Theatre). Today, it is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by many dancers all over the world.

The performers try to convey a story, an Indian epic most times, through expressions, hand gestures and body movements. They dress in the traditional Indian saris with elaborate jewelery and 'ghungroo' in their feet that makes a sweet ringing sound while the performers move on stage. Red henna 

called 'alto' is applied to palms and feet, mostly to highlight the dancer's movements and gestures on stage. 

One other interesting fact i read on wiki about bharatnatyam was that Bharatanatyam is considered to be a fire-dance — the mystic manifestation of the metaphysical element of fire in the human body. It is one of the five major styles (one for each element) that include Odissi (element of water), Mohiniattam (element of air), Kuchipudi (element of earth) and Kathakali (element of sky). The movements of an authentic Bharatanatyam dancer resemble the movements of a dancing flame. Contemporary Bharatanatyam is rarely practiced as Natya Yoga, a sacred meditational tradition, except by a few orthodox schools (see Yoga and Dance).

Photography credits : Rishi O' http://www.rishio.com/.