Andal secretly wears Vishnu's garland before the garland touches His chest.Krishna sports a fragrant garland of forest flowers in the beautiful boughs of Vrindavan.Vishnu rests eternally on His serpent bed in His divine form, meditating and granting bliss to all His devotees, a beautiful garland adorning His chest where the Fortune Goddess resides.This humble being can only string a garland of words, if not of fragrant flowers and beads. What can you offer the Lord when everything is His creation, when everything belongs to Him?These garlands, these fruits, and jewels are all His. My words, these strung sentences, and this art is all His.Just as You accepted the garlands of Your beloveds, may I find this Kāvyamālya around Your neck, O Lord?…
[ONC 2024 Prompt 18]The once-famous temple dancers are now left to destitution; their status is akin to that of prostitutes, and hence they hope for a saviour to help them reclaim their lost glory.There are hushed whispers of the prophecied Nateshwari, the earthly Goddess of Dance, who is to be born amidst them, but no earthly deity has ever descended from the womb of a mortal woman.However, hope is the balm for the souls afflicted by dark times.Sometimes, the rise to power degrades one's morality, and grave wounds of the past unfortunately transform the wounded into the same beast from their nightmares."It would be a sin to do so. She is revered as the Nateshwari.""And I will show everyone what worth their beloved Nateshwari is. Nobody shall then dare question my authority."…
Divine escapades, all filled with love, hate, betrayal, and deceit; every shade of emotion, every rasa of life finds its existence in their tales. And just like that, a little trickery of speech causes the newly crowned star debutante of Apsaraloka to descend to the blue-green lands of Mrityuloka, which you mortals call 'Earth.' Witnessing mortality from afar as an almost immortal being is one thing, but experiencing mortality among mortals as an immortal is another. Being semi-divine has a few perks to make life a little easier on Earth, but what if one young heart falls in love with a simple mortal, as young as her? The tales of Apsaras loving mortal men are as old as time. Urvashi fought with the Lord of the Heavens for Pururava, but the gods, with their trickery, brought the beautiful damsel back to the heavens.Shall time repeat the same old tale with Yuthika, or shall love this time find a way to stay?…
Unlike the gods, the goddesses are easier to find.Only with the right gaze at women can one find the goddesses residing within their bodies, smiling at them. The goddesses, just like mortal women, are lovers, scholars, artists, warriors, daughters, mothers, sisters, but, foremost, she is a woman.And so, the bond between goddesses and mortal women has been held reverently by all womenfolk. They look at the divine feminine through the eyes of a sister, a friend, as a student, and many times as a daughter.People call little girls goddesses, and then they refer to the bride, adorned in red and gold, as a goddess too.Dear woman, have you looked inside your being and ever seen the goddess stretching her hand out to you? Have you acknowledged her divine presence inside you? The next time you look in the mirror, stare into your eyes, and soon you will find yourself face to face with the goddesses.Reach out to them. They have been waiting for you to realize them. The goddesses, after all, live through women on Earth.May you find some of them talking to you through the pages of these stories...To realize the divine, one needs to travel the path of knowledge to know the truth of the soul, this world, and the universe. The truth disguises itself under many garbs, hidden from view.And so we have the tales of divine women, akin to the goddesses, whose tales we celebrate even today. These women belong to our world, who rose to the stature of being a goddess. Some took the path of knowledge, and some gave the world art. Some resided as brave queens, and some devoted their lives to love that we now sing and write poems about.Presenting: Goddesses, Rishikas, and Women.…
The well adorned heroine waiting for her lover... ShringaraThe hero in a far away land talking to the moon about his lovely girlfriend... ShringaraThe devotee waiting to unite with their Lord... ShringaraAncient poetry written by hearts who have loved their beloveds endlessly; sculptors have sculpted beautiful women on temples, each having a story of their own. Music and dance narrate tales of love and through love we taste bliss of life. Ananda. Presenting, Shringara, a collection of poetry to celebrate love and life, to not find beauty vain, but to appreciate it, to not see the arts as mere entertainment but a path to discover lovers within us.…
Passing sixteen summers, sits a maiden by the banks of the holy river Ganga. The sun is soon to rise in the sky and bathe the sky in his splendour glory. Yet, the gentle moon holds her attention who hasn't yet gone to sleep. What thoughts run inside her head that sleep hasn't caught hold of her? 'And for one fleeting moment when I look at myself in the mirror, there's a small whisper in my ear. It tells me to look beyond the reflection, beyond my boundaries and live out a grand destiny, something unthinkable.'Can she? 'Dreams do come true, sakhi -- even the most impossible ones.''So be it. I shall sit on the throne as the king only when you come back to Avanti, by my side. Go out, venture the world, fulfill all those dreams and pursue all that knowledge that is waiting for you. I shall wait for you here.'This is a tale of a young girl who dares to dream and wishes to live a life that many only dream about. From discovering oneself and their life's journey ahead to making new bonds full of love, slight mischief and tenderness to preparing the heart to go through hardwork, turmoil and separation to achieve the unthinkable, this is the story of Smriti. Cover credits- @lantea- from @Magical_Community…
Each school has its own history. Gyanpit, one of the best schools in Takshashila has always been one of the most preferred educational institution by students and parents not only from the Gandhara kingdom, but also from Aryavart. Known for its homely atmosphere, the children studying here often call this school their second home.Smriti and her friends have made hundreds of memories here, and they look forward to make some more. But time and fate together have brought a carriage to take you back in time. Be a witness to the glorious past of Gyanpit! Come, join them.…
Stories woven through verses An identity, faceless and nameless speaks. A bundle of mystery, If lucky, you shall discover her. You shall discover yourself too. Presenting 'The Soul's Poetry'…
As Martha Graham, a legendary American dancer and choreographer, once said, 'Dance is the hidden language of the soul.'Natyashastra became the fifth Veda, as art is the easiest medium of self-expression. Today, dance demands skill, practice, and perfection. However, in this ongoing trend of becoming the best dancer and monetizing art, we tend to forget our true relationship with dance.Little children, before going to their dance lessons, wiggle their bodies and sway to music in joy. The elderly, with toothy grins, twist and turn their hips when they hear a song from their time. Even adults in this fast-paced world engage in some 3 a.m. moves without mastering professional techniques.But why?Because dance brings joy. It celebrates the movement of the universe, the world, and this body.As a dancer, this journal is a love letter to dance.May you happily twirl around and shed all other inhibitions the next time you hear music and want to break a leg.Dance has been for everyone since time immemorial and shall continue to be the same forever.…
