Docs from Designldg, tagged "blue"

An Ocean of Meanings

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:13:33 +0000

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“Rise up nimbly and go on your strange journey to the ocean of meanings.”
( Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi, known as Jelaluddin Rumi - Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and mystic, 1207–1273)

This was shot last Sunday at Prayag ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
I believe that it was the last very hot day of the year here and many people came to river in order to find a way to feel fresh.
This woman was pouring the holy water on her, I took several pictures as the colours were coming so well.

This world of perfumes and color

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:47:52 +0000

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“The drum of the realization of the promise is beating,
we are sweeping the road to the sky.
Your joy is here today, what remains for tomorrow?
The armies of the day have chased the army of the night,
Heaven and earth are filled with purity and light.
Oh! joy for he who has escaped from this world of perfumes and color!
For beyond these colors and these perfumes, these are other colors in the heart and the soul.
Oh! joy for this soul and this heart who have escaped the earth of water and clay,
Although this water and this clay contain the hearth of the philosophical stone.”
(“Mystic Odes” by Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Balkhi, known as Jelaluddin Rumi - Persian poet, jurist, theologian, and mystic, 1207–1273)

This was shot near Gai Ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) where this man has been washing his laundry.
He was streching his clothes under the sun.
It was two days ago, I thought that it was uncommon to have such an heat in November.

A Feeling of Humanity

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 13:41:28 +0000

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This picture was shot at Ahilyabai ghat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
This man came to bath in the holy waters with two friends and I made a few shots while they were drying and putting their clothes on.
They were happy to be there together, there was something strong all over the place, something that I can’t really explain, I would say that it was a feeling of humanity.
I felt that there couldn’t be one without the other, that those men’s humanity was bound to mine and that we could be human only all together.
And this was enhanced by that amazing light provided by dusk which is a gift for any photographer who comes nearby the water at that time.
They told me that they were pleased to see what I captured when they saw the pictures.

A Beautiful Thing

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:05:09 +0000

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“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
(Mother Teresa of Calcutta - Albanian born Indian Missionary and Founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity. Nobel Prize for Peace in 1979. 1910-1997)

This lady was standing along the holy waters of the Ganges at Panchganga ghat in Varanasi (Benaras).
As few people are walking there, those who have things to work can feel free.
She had a lot of laundry to wash, I was taking pictures, she felt important and maybe shy in the begining but soon she smiled at me and felt very easy in fron tof my camera.
I know that I am lucky to get such beautiful things as gifts from people.

Waiting for a Second Breath

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:04:34 +0000

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“There is no blue without yellow and without orange.”
(Vincent van Gogh - Dutch Painter, 1853-1890)

Those silk saris are waiting to be ironed and after they will leave to retail stores.
The whole process which is hand made from the weaving of threads to the dyeing procedure and of course the to embroideries, carries so much of life, involves so many people with each time different stories and different dreams.
It takes about 15 days to one month and sometimes six months to complete a sari according the intricacy of designs and patterns.
For centuries Banarsi traditional weavers have been manufacturing them and they belong to the heritage of Varanasi (Benaras).
This amazing craftsmanship is vanishing, within a few years half workshops closed in the Eternal city.
It is the duty of designers like me to be creative and to find how to give a second breath to those astonishing fabrics in order to contribute to preserve this industry wrapped in its traditions.

"As long as we keep believing"

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 23:49:04 +0000

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“We all have our own life to pursue, Our own kind of dream to be weaving...
And we all have the power To make wishes come true, As long as we keep believing.”
( Louisa May Alcott - American author known for her children's books, especially the classic Little Women, 1832-1888)

This young Banarsi weaver is checking a string from his hand loom machine.
I took this picture as I was visiting this worshop which is manufacturing silk fabrics that we use in our collections.
This traditional artcraft herited from the Mughal era is transmitted from generation to generation by a Muslim guild in Varanasi (Benaras), the oldest living city in the world.
The weaving process is quite sophisticated, it requires a long training, an amazing ability to remember all this knowledge and discipline.
Those weavers are genuine artists however because of economical problems within a few years half the workshops of the city had to close.
In our humble and limited way we are trying to maintain a few people to carry on this heritage.

The Fabric of Existence

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:23:41 +0000

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“The fabric of existence weaves itself whole.”
(Charles Ives - American composer, 1874-1954)

I took this picture in one of the workshops which is manufacturing our fabrics in Varanasi (Benaras).
Whenever I come there I can stay for hours watching those amazing hand looms.
Those silk fabrics seems to come from eternity, they are a link to the past generations when people were already weaving like this.
Nothing has changed, the same looms, the same walls, the same music coming from those machines.
Beyond the work there is a real fabric of existence weaved over here and it bears all the colours of life.

Christophe

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 11:06:35 +0000

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This is a portrait of Christophe.
Christophe is a French famed singer and talented songwriter.
His first hit was “Aline” in 1965 and he is famous for his eternal songs "Les Paradis perdus" ("Lost Paradises" - 1973) and "Les Mots bleus" ("The Blue Words" - 1975).
Whenever he is performing he is illuminating the stage, gathering any kind of people from all generations.
Christophe is a decadent and flamboyant dandy who is a mysterious loner drifting apart from the showbiz scene.
He is notorious for being an uncontrollable rebel with panache and poetry.

Voici un portait de Christophe.
Christophe est un chanteur français connu et un talentueux parolier.
Son premier succes “Aline” est sorti en 1965, ensuite ses chansons éternelles comme "Les Paradis perdus" (1973) et "Les Mots bleus" (1975) lui ont permis de trouver une grande popularité.
Lorsqu’il se produit il illumine la scène, rassemblant un public de toutes sortes et de toutes générations.
Christophe est un dandy décadent et flamboyant qui est un solitaire mystérieux en retrait de l'industrie du divertissement.
C’est un rebel incontrolable mais avec panache et poésie.

Fascinating White Lotus

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:52:20 +0000

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“O God, my mind is fascinated with Thy lotus feet as the bumble-bee with the flower; night and day I thirst for them.”
(Guru Nanak - 1469-1539)
Guru Nanak is the central figure in Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.

Monsonn is the lotus season, they bloom in many pounds, the roots are in the mud, the stem grows up through the water, and the heavily scented flower lies pristinely above the water, basking in the sunlight.
For Hindus and Buddhists the pattern of growth signifies the progress of the soul from the primeval mud of materialism, through the waters of experience, and into the bright sunshine of enlightenment.
According to the Lalitavistara, "the spirit of the best of men is spotless, like the lotus in the muddy water which does not adhere to it."
According to another scholar, "in esoteric Buddhism, the heart of the beings is like an unopened lotus: when the virtues of the Buddha develop therein, the lotus blossoms; that is why the Buddha sits on a lotus bloom."

With Devotion

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:39:26 +0000

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This young man was praying with devotion facing the Golden Temple in Amritsar, the holiest city in Sikhism which is located in the state of Punjab in India.
The reflection of the sun in the holy tank was providing an amazing contrast with vivid colours between the background and the turban.

Turbans come in every color and pattern but there are three colors most commonly worn: white, deep blue, and saffron orange.
White turbans are worn to extend the aura and the person’s projection.
Royal blue or navy blue turbans are common among Sikh ministers and gyanis, especially in India.
The blue is the color of the warrior and of protection.
Saffron orange is the third Sikh color and is commonly worn by Sikhs worldwide.
Orange represents wisdom.
Black turbans can represent surrender of the ego.
Other colors of turbans don’t have a significance associated with them.
Sometimes it’s just a case of fashion, of matching a turban to a business suit, for example.

The Abode of Snow

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:50:17 +0000

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“The good shine from afar
Like the snowy Himalayas.
The bad don't appear
Even when near,
Like arrows shot into the night.”
(Buddha - Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)

This is a view of the Tibetan Plateau in the Himalayas very early in the morning.
For those who know me it might be funny to know that I took this picture from the plane which was taking me from Delhi to Leh in Ladakh, as I have a strong flight phobia since I am a child...
The word "Himalaya" means "home (or abode) of snow", it comes from Sanskrit hima "snow" and alaya "abode".
Sanskrit himá "frost, snow" is also cognate to Latin hiems "winter" from PIE (Proto-Indo-European language) ghyem-.
As words, the expression "Himalaya Range" is therefore similar to the Spanish-based mountain range called the Sierra Nevada.
Everything is so connected...

The Liberated Dimension

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:46:42 +0000

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“A HO!
The mind is the door to everything:
Free from the net of errant duality
The primordially liberated dimension –
To this, the ultimate Lama
I sincerely pay homage”.
(from My Crazy Tale, An Autobiographical Poem by H.H. the XIIth Gyalwang Drukpa)

Around seven o’clock in the morning, just after a long sunrise I took this picture thinking that there was something there which was reminding me New Mexcio.
Maybe it was because of the contrasted colours, or because of this amazing crystal light in the sky or simply because of the style of Thiksey Gompa, a secluded Tibetan monastery in the Ladakhi Himalayan hills.

Teacher of the Snowy Realms

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:53:28 +0000

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“To the great teachers of the snowy realms
And emanations of former times,
To their play of knowledge and compassion,
Like the dancing reflection of the moon in water,
I pay homage”.
(from My Crazy Tale, An Autobiographical Poem by H.H. the XIIth Gyalwang Drukpa)

It was almost seven o’clock in the morning when I took this picture at Thiksey Gompa, a Tibetan monastery in the Ladakhi Himalayan hills.
This Buddhist monk was leaving a temple, a few meters further he met a group of kids and they went together to a classroom.

"And there was Light"

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:08:49 +0000

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“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep.
And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light”.
(Genesis, 1. 1)

This is a view of Pangong Tso (Tso: lake in Ladakhi) located in Ladakh, at the Chinese border, at a height of about 4,250 m (13,900 ft) in the Himalayan hills.

Unleashed to the Heavens

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:26:54 +0000

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For centuries Tibetan Buddhists have planted these flags outside their homes and places of spiritual practice for the wind to carry the beneficent vibrations across the countryside.
They are written in Tibetan and said to bring happiness, long life and prosperity, enlightenment and protection to the flag planter and those in the vicinity who will also be protected against dangers and negative forces.
Traditional Tibetan prayer flags are colorful squares of fabric with Buddhist symbols and sutras printed on them.
According to ancient Tibetan-Himalayan tradition, as wind drives the flags, prayers are unleashed to the heavens, carried by Wind-Horse.
As the square flags’ edges start to fray and the vivid colors begin to fade, all the prayers are said to be released.
These flags are stung together and hung outside temples and homes.
They may be placed either inside building to increase the spiritual atmosphere or outdoors where the wind can carry the sacred prayers.
A typical prayer flag has at its central image a horse bearing three flaming jewels on its back, known as “Wind-Horse” which lends the flags their Tibetan name, ‘lung-ta’.
The three jewels symbolize Buddha, Buddhist teachings and Buddhist community (the equivalent of Tibetan trinity).
Five different colors are used in the prayer flags which represent five elements, or five different postures of Buddha: space (blue), water (white), fire (red), air (green) and earth (yellow), and five different elements, earth, water, fire, cloud, sky.
These five colors also represent five directions, five wisdoms, five meditative Buddhas and five mental attributes.
Around the horse are 20-odd matras-powerful ritual utterances – each dedicated to a particular deity.
The flags are usually renewed each Tibetan New Year.

These flags are colorful reminders of truth of life, that we are here with this precious life for some time only.

This picture was shot at the time of sunset in Leh, capital of Ladakh in the Himalayan hills.

The Intention to Understand Ourselves

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:07:58 +0000

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"To transform the world, we must begin with ourselves; and what is important in beginning with ourselves is the intention.
The intention must be to understand ourselves and not to leave it to others to transform themselves or to bring about a modified change through revolution, either of the left or of the right.
It is important to understand that this is our responsibility, yours and mine..."
(Jiddu Krishnamurti)

Those are wood painted cylinders called “jodi”, each is 45 Kg weight.
They are used in twisting rotations by pehlwan during their physical training.
I took this picture in a little akhara which not far from Aurangzeb’s mosque in Kashi, the oldest part of Varanasi (Benaras).

The Smallest Acts

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:08:50 +0000

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“Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts.
This is the secret of success”.
(Swami Sivananda)

This is a picture of Vinod who is a pehlwan (Indian wrestler), while Pritviraj (an other pehlwan) is giving him a facial massage during their training at the gym, the akhara which is at Scindia Ghat along river Ganga in Varanasi (Benaras).

Swinging the Gada

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 11:25:22 +0000

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This young man is swinging a gada in front of a little akhara (gymnasia) which is is secluded from the ghats' activity even if it is along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
A gada is a mace, made of a large round rock fixed to the end of a meter-long bamboo staff which is lifted and swung for exercise.
It may weigh as little as five or as much as fifty to sixty kilograms.
It is associated to the Indian god of strength, Hanuman, who is almost never depicted without one.

This young pehlwan (Indian wrestler) knew I was taking some pictures there and he was feeling shy, maybe because he has not changed his body yet, so he was kind of hiding behing a wall but after a while after he listened to my jokes he started to show up laughing and allowed me to do a few portraits.

"Take My Hand, Precious Lord"

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 00:21:30 +0000

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This is an other close-up of hand that I have shot at the flower market which is located in the chawk in Varanasi (Benaras).
"Take My Hand, Precious Lord" was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s favorite song, and he often invited gospel legend Mahalia Jackson to sing it at civil rights rallies to inspire the crowds; at his request she sang it at his funeral in April 1968.
Today is Barack Obama's investiture, it took a more than 40 years to make it...

"...Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I'm tired, I'm weak, I'm lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home"
("Take My Hand, Precious Lord" written by Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey)

Refreshing Swirls

nobody@ipernity.com (Designldg) — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 17:27:53 +0000

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"Refreshing Swirls"

Anand is holding a cushion in pure linen with aari embroideries matching to the throw in the background.
(Style "Swirls", Col. Turquoise / RED HALO - Summer 09)

Turquoise is a slightly greenish shade of cyan.
The color is based on the gem turquoise and the name comes from the French word for Turkish.

In holistic medicine, this color has a calming effect on patients and is particularly used to treat patients prone to depression, panic attacks or mania.
The turquoise' cheerful colour is said to endow reticent personalities with more confidence.
In the ancient Persian kingdom turquoises were often worn on the turban, and often surrounded with pearls, in order to protect their wearer against the 'evil eye'.
As talismans, they adorned daggers, sabres and the bridles of horses.
The Aztecs in Mexico used to decorate their ceremonial masks with this stone which was holy according to their beliefs.
The Indians of North America believe that the sky-blue gemstone opens up a direct connection between the sky and the sea.
At all times and over the world, turquoises have been worn as natural protection against the powers of darkness.

A turquoise is often given as a gift, a stone of friendship, it is said to be responsible for faithfulness and constancy in relationships.
Its colour makes people feel happy and cheerful, for in it the light blue of the sky and the stimulating green of the sea are combined.