“Tourism is like a fire, you can use it to cook your food or if you are not careful, it can burn your house down.”
This quote was the refrain of almost all the inspiring presentations made by Dr Harold Goodwin, Founder Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism during my trip to Madhya Pradesh early this month.
Ten days on the road in the heart of India in Madhya Pradesh and this has been unlike any other travel that I have been on . Inspiring and eye opening , the journey in all aspects was literally the destination . We travelled from Gwalior to Chambal , Orchha to Khajurajo and Panna and Madla to Bhopal with the ICRT team and and an international delegation led by Dr Harold Goodwin and learnt so much about Responsible Tourism . The trip however was to understand at the grassroots level the responsible and rural tourism initiatives of Madhya Pradesh Tourism .
Hello and Welcome to this issue of Journeys and Jottings. A brief synopsis of my trip to Madhya Pradesh and my experiences on the ground. It was a privilege to be with Padma Shri KK Muhammad Sir and listen to the history and the restoration of the Bateshwar Temples amidst stories of dacoits. Watch out for a blog post on this soon.
Lets visit Srilanka to experience the Kandy Esala Perahera. In People Make Places, we meet artist Shalini who talks about her fascination with the sun. But for now, we head back to Madhya Pradesh.
I have always said people make places for me and it was absolutely heartening to see so many women empowerment projects - from driving erickshaws to owning and managing homestays , to working with forest communities to training local guides , to arts and crafts initiatives to inclusivity and solid waste management projects- there were so many of them . Little wonder that Madhya Pradesh won five awards at the ICRT awards in Bhopal and Kerala Tourism bagged another four of them for Responsible Tourism Initiatives.
Dr Harold Goodwin writes that India is now the world’s leading Responsible Tourism Destination. Regarding Madhya Pradesh, he says, “ The Responsible Tourism Mission there has based its work on six core values: community involvement, transparency, fair distribution of resources, equal opportunities for all, environment conservation and women’s empowerment…. Madhya Pradesh is developing homestays, rural tourism, responsible souvenirs, solid and liquid waste management, access for the differently abled, skills training and making safer destinations for women.”
I will be sharing more experiences and learnings from this trip both on my blog and in my newsletter here, but for now, just wanted to share that I have been featured in this Goverment of India Blog on the responsible tourism initiatives of MP Tourism.
Aavartan - A Khadi story
The event entails a showcase of Khadi home and apparel collections by CoEK and the sale of Khadi products by Khadi Institutions. The event concludes with the contemporary dance performance called 'Aavartan'.
'Aavartan' means rotation. This performance aims to portray what Khadi is today. Cotton becomes threads, becomes fabric, becomes garments - embodying the many hands that made it what it is.
If you are in Bangalore, do visit BIC tomorrow
Blogging Diaries - Kandy Esala Perahera in Srilanka
Our entire trip to Kandy was to experience the larger-than-life pageant of the Kandy Esala Perahera and as I saw the pageant unfold in front of our eyes, I understood why the tooth relic is worshipped as a form of Living Buddha himself. The Perahera is an offering made to the Sacred Relic and the temple itself is a microcosm of the mystical traditions and rituals that surround the relic. It was a breathtaking, highly energetic, traditionally evocative pageant with dance, music, drama, and elephants.
Dalada Perahera also known as the Kandy Esala Perahera is usually celebrated in the month of Esala (July). It is the very epitome of Buddhist traditions and it is one of the oldest cultural pageants of Srilanka. It has been performed across eras in different towns where the temples housed the relic to display the patronage and reverence given by the monarchs who were the guardians. The festival which has been continuously celebrated for over 1500 years pays homage to the Tooth Relic and Buddha and the guardian deities. While dancers and drummers steal the show with elephants, the Kandy Esala Perahera Casket containing the tooth relic parades the streets of Kandy and is worshipped by everyone, including the pachyderms who are part of the parade.
Historically it is believed that Samrat Ashoka of Kalinga in India started the traditions of the Perahera. The Kandy Perahera is a blend of both Buddhist and Hindu customs and rituals and it lasts for 12 days.
The reverberating beats of the "Getabera" the traditional Kandyan drum set the rhythm for the "Gajaga Wanama" the dance that represented the gait of the elephant. I was told there were over 7000 performers besides 100 drummers and 50 elephants who were part of the procession. The dancers perform different styles of Kandyan dances and the Ves dancers among others, dressed in their finery with jewelry and grand costumes steal the show. Ves refers to the elaborate and stunning head gear with jewels worn by the master dancer, who need to earn the status after years of training.
People Make Places
I met Shalini Goud at A Hundred Hands Exhibition in Bangalore recently and I was fascinated by her work on cyanotype, a form of printing using UV rays of natural sunlight. Shalini is a fashion designer, natural dyer, and handloom textile designer who has worked with handloom weavers of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh extensively.
And when I asked her how this works, she told me a beautiful story of this form of printing that derives its inspiration from the sun. As she says, “ My quest to explore Indian textiles gave me a peekaboo into this interesting form of printing called cyanotype or sun printing. While this printing is a popular form for 19th-century photographers the zen x photographers too are revisiting this printing form and creating interesting prints on a variety of paper. Not many have explored this form with fabric. This is where my experience of working with textiles helped me to create this new collection called ‘The You-we collection’.”
Shalini is also s a founder of Studio Uga , a platform for sustainable and handmade products for homegrown brands and artists and along with her own product line. she also conducts art and craft workshops.
We had a quick chat and here are some excerpts
How did you get inspired to try this technique?
The freedom to create interesting patterns by using flora and fauna, dry or fresh natural elements, and negatives of photographs without using a machine but by using the UV rays of the natural sunlight inspired me to take this technique one step ahead.
The chemicals used are nontoxic to the environment and the percentage of chemicals and water used in this process is negligible compared to the amount of chemically made colors the printing machines need to print. This sustainable option which uses naturally abundant UV rays of the sun inspired me to take cyanotype printing.
What are the products you create?
As a textile designer, I love to use this printing process to make cushion covers, runners, tote bags, lampshades, scarves, and stoles. I have also used this process on wood to make coasters and wooden wall decor.
A variety of handmade paper can be used to make prints and create interesting textures.
I have also created handmade book covers, buntings, gift cards, and DIY kits for art and craft enthusiasts for a first-hand experience.
As a passionate photographer, I was able to choose many pictures from my archives to create beautiful frames for the walls.
I must say that I have a beautiful lampshade from her creations and it would be great if you can contact her through her Instagram account @you.we.official
Can you please explain the technique?
In the technical procedure, equal volumes of potassium ferricyanide and ferric ammonium citrate are mixed. This mildly photosensitive solution is then applied to a receptive surface such as paper or cloth and allowed to dry in a dark place. Cyanotypes can be printed on any support capable of soaking up the iron solution.
An image can be produced by exposing the sensitized paper to a source of ultraviolet light such as sunlight. The combination of UV light and citrate reduces iron. The result is an insoluble, blue pigment known as Prussian blue. The exposure time varies widely, from a few seconds in strong direct sunlight, to 10–20 minute exposures on a dull day.
After exposure, the paper is developed by washing it in cold running water. The parts that were exposed to ultraviolet turn blue as the non-water-soluble Prussian blue pigment remains in the paper. This is what gives the print its typical blue color. The blue color darkens upon drying.
You can visit Shalini at her studio in Kalyan Nagar, HRBR Layour Bangalore.
You can Whats app-8639424688.
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I do hope that you enjoyed reading this issue. Looking forward to your feedback as always. We are going to keep the flow of conversations going and I would really appreciate it if you will share my newsletter with your friends and family.
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