Despite the whirlwind that this year has been, I have found my moments to dwell in and romance my favourite season.
These were photographed during a recent family weekend in Coorg. On my iphone, since I decided to go sans my dearest loyal companionbeast (the SLR) for a change :) The companionbeast and I are back together now. On assignment in a tropical paradise where the monsoon has been eluding me.
I am sure we’ll have our moments. I feel it.
“Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again”
– L Frank Baum
…and wonder at how fresh those citrus hues look against the blues
…or catch the tingling aroma of street food and watch how it colours the air with it’s steam
and then stop to greet this patiently waiting basket…
and the dispersed petals about to join the winds of change.
It’s ironic that I have so much to say here, but feel completely blank once I start a new post. It’s not a rut for sure, but a blankness that comes with being overwhelmed by life’s potpourri in general – but in a good way. That heavy, heady blend of joy, confidence, sadness, love, creative flow, and fear.
So. on another note, I was surprised to see how many images of blue had found their way into my computer. Mostly from strolls in the mountain markets while scouring for fresh produce – sights and smells thereof. Like the fiery reds of the Indian summer, I like to think that these blues correspond with the Indian winter, which, I am savouring completely at the moment.
A misty morning here in San Fran(above) and a monsoon back at home (below). Both so beautiful, both so soothing. I miss the latter, and can’t wait to catch up with it, which should be in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, I’ve been reading some Haiku these days and writing some as well — for an exciting collaborative project that is in the final stages (details soon!). I find it so calming and clarifying.
To express with such eloquent simplicity and yet keep the richness of layers…what a beautiful way to exercise the mind, don’t you think ?
Hello everyone,
The sweet smell of monsoon is all I can think of right now. I’m sure that this respite called rain is lurking right around the corner and playing mind games with us all. Wanted to welcome my favourite season by sharing a couple of outtakes from a recent photoshoot I did for stunning property deep in the rainforests.
They felt so symbolic of a monsoon dream in a tropical country. Lush. Warm. Sensuous.
What comes to your mind when you think of the Indian Monsoon ?
Here are some nice monsoon reads if you’re in the mood :)
Chasing the Monsoon by Alexander Frater
Where the Rain is Born by Anita Nair
Rain and Other South Sea Stories by W.Somerset Maugham
Tiger Hills by Saritha Mandanna
Please chime in if you have some monsoon reading suggestions for me !
~ Excerpt from Kālidāsa’s Meghadūta , Verse 45. Translated by McComas Taylor.
I find the rain washed colours of nature so enthralling that photographing them is something that I crave for. It’s the whole sensory experience – the monsoon air, the smells of the earth, the textures of glistening rocks, the brightest of greens that surface, forgotten things that come to life and the clean washed feeling that prevails both inside and out.
A quick note about the excerpt above : I was recently skimming through a translation of Meghaduta by Kālidāsa (who is considered to be one of the greatest Sanskrit poets) and absolutely loved how it represents the Indian Monsoon – in it’s hauntingly mythic manifestation. It narrates how Yaksa, one of King Kubera’s (god of wealth) subjects in exile, pleads a passing cloud to carry a message to his wife residing in the Himalayas.
I enjoyed the parts I read and couldn’t resist sharing a piece of it here. Image was photographed in the Bisle Ghats in Hassan, while exploring the luscious rainforests there, and chasing that passing cloud above us :)
Hello everyone,
My blog turns one this week and I wanted to share a special post that I have put together over the last few weeks. It’s a sort of a photographic journal from a beautiful trip to Sri Lanka last December. It was the time of north east monsoon there and the island was rich with color. This compilation is also a small tribute to one of my most loved topics – the monsoon and her colors.
I hope you enjoy it (be sure to view it in full screen) and I look forward to posting a lot more this year !
Thank you for all the love and support . . .
~ ramya
My obsession with the water lily family has taken on new heights after a recent trip to Sri lanka. From being Buddha's chosen flower to adorning the sacred ponds, the members of this gorgeous flower family are so much a part of this beautiful isle and its culture.
I found these purple water lilies, bejeweled by raindrops, outside a monastery and the vendor happily offered me one of these beauties who quietly journeyed along in a little water bottle until our last day in SL. This particular species also rightly happens to be the emerald isle's national flower. Needless to say, my Sri lankan journey was inspiring and very refreshing. I wanted to post a small series from the pleasantly rain soaked trip but looks like that will have to happen in parts, so please stay tuned. For now, I've picked something that embodies a feeling that has come back with me in my heart.
” Do not speak — unless it improves on the silence. “
~ Buddhist saying
During a quiet road trip recently to Bylakuppe — an exceptionally peacelful Tibetan settlement in the Coorg district, South of India, there seemed to be a myriad of invigorating Reds in the air, water and the earth . . .The deeply reflective quality of the color Red drew me in. The wetness of the Monsoon pronounced it further.
The color red is auspicious in Tibetan culture. It is a sacred color, one of the colors of the five Buddhas and the color of the monk’s garments. It is believed to have protective qualities and is therefore often used to paint sacred buildings. Red, throughout the development of civilization has had connotations with life and things considered sacred in some way.
On a separate note : I find that the colors of a landscape are so much more intense and pure during/before/after the rains. The clouds allow for the clean, even light and the rain water brings so much texture and freshness to everything. I so enjoy photographing in the rain and the Indian monsoon has always been a muse of mine, despite the fact that she’s a paradox–She takes as generously as she gives. Exploring her various facets and studying color have been on my mind lately. I was thinking I’d tie both the explorations together and see what happens. It could potentially grow into a series of sorts . . . I’ll start posting color captures of the monsoon along with some notes, from the places that touch my life, as these wet months go by and in the monsoons to come . . . these posts can be found under the category called Monsoon Colors in this blog. Do stay tuned . . . !
“A lifetime of showers moistens the soul.” ~ Anonymous
