Sketching The Transcendent Sundargarh – II

Two Days of our Sundargarh sketching trip had gone in a jiffy. The first day it was all about Sundargarh town and the second day the beauty of Tangarmunda, its people and the food had left lasting impression on me. Everything from how the plan changed from Sambalpur to Sundargarh, our journey from Bhubaneswar to Sundargarh and the sketching experience had just been perfect. But the best was yet to come.

Read the first part of Sundargarh Sketching Trip here

Surreal Sarabgarh

09 Jan 2019

Sarabgarh Reservoir
Sarabgarh Reservoir

Kedar had planned a grand finale to our Sundargarh Sketching Trip. The destination was Sarabgarh Dam, which is approximately 30 kilometers from Sundargarh town. It was also the second day of the bundh which meant we had to leave the town early in the morning once again. By now we were quite used to the chill of the hard winter and got ready well in time. But our auto guy Ashish did not arrive. He had misplaced the auto keys and just could not find it. Due to bundh getting another vehicle was not going to be easy and almost impossible so early in the morning. But somehow none of us felt flustered. Probably the sequence of events in the past few days had given us a sense of calmness. Somehow we knew things will work out. And then suddenly Ashish arrived in his auto. He had managed to start his auto with the help of some jugaad. Wasting no time we got into the auto and though a little late our journey to Sarabgarh dam finally started. But the challenges were not over yet.

Transfixed
Transfixed

In a few minutes after going out of town, Ashish realized that he was out of gas. Being a day of complete shut down he was not hoping to find any gas station open. But once again we all were at peace and were just not getting worried and asked him to keep moving. And again as if a miracle there was this small gas station in the middle of nowhere waiting for us. Ashish was the happiest one at that point, but his joy lasted only a few seconds when he realized that he did not have the key to open the lock of the gas tank. But the trend for the day continued and a solution presented itself no later than the problem was encountered. One of the gas station staff tried to open the lock with his bike key and yes you guessed it right. The lock opened as if it was the original key. Sometimes reality is actually stranger than fiction.

Only when we reached Sarabgarh dam that we realized why Kedar had planned this as our ultimate sketching destination. This place was a paradise. It was something out of a fairy tale. Sarabgarh was Surreal, quiet and enchanting. As we were soaking up the beauty, Kedar had already started looking for lunch arrangements. We happened to find two villagers passing by and Kedar asked them about eateries in the vicinity. As expected there were none and out of the blue Kedar asked them if they could prepare lunch for us. We had just met these two people in the middle of nowhere for the first time in our lives and Kedar was expecting them to prepare lunch for us! But the biggest divine intervention was just about to happen. The elder of the two  instructed the younger man to get lunch prepared at his home. We just could not believe our luck. On top of that, the lone fisherman who had caught some fresh fish from the dam also presented himself to us. It was as if Biswajit’s prayer was answered. He was craving for fish earlier during our journey to Sarabgarh. I wanted to pinch myself to check if I was dreaming. But Sarabgarh was no less than a dream.

Lunch Menu at Guru's place
Lunch Menu at Guru’s place

Soon we found a great place to sketch. But problem with beautiful views is that…….. they are beautiful. This beauty can sometimes be overwhelming to the extent that one can easily get carried away by it and not pay attention to some basics of a painting like composition, abstraction and design etc. And somewhere in the middle of the painting when things don’t seem to work out you suddenly realize this and more often than not you feel like a fool. My first work at Sarabgarh dam was all about this struggle. What started in the most enthusiastic ways soon turned out to be a little more than a square foot of confusion and exasperation. But I did carry on and finished the painting. In the end it turned out to be one of the most popular works of the sketching trip; yet another miracle of the day. And for the second work I turned 180 degrees from my place and had this beautifully designed and abstracted scene in front of me. It was crying out to be painted and I obliged. And soon it was time for lunch and as we made way to our vehicle there was good news waiting for us.

Two cute members of Guru's family
Two cute members of Guru’s family

Ashish had found the keys. The keys were there in one of the pockets of his jacket while he had been looking everywhere for it. As our vehicle moved to our lunch destination he looked visibly upbeat and we too, were happy for him. As per our host’s instruction we had to drive up to Masabira village and then all we had to do was to ask anyone where Chuin’s house is. And that is exactly what we did and landed up at our host Chuin aka Guru’s place. Guru was not at home and we were a little hesitant to get inside the house, but Guru’s family welcomed us and served us lunch consisting of Rice, Fish curry and Aloo Bhaja. Sitting on mud floor smeared with cow dung under the thatched roof and having food so lovingly served to us on plates made up of Sal leaves in a person’s house we had met a couple of hours earlier and in a place that seemed to exist in a parallel reality, I could not help but feel a sense of gratitude. The food cooked so simply tasted like nothing I had eaten before, the modest house felt like the most luxurious mansion, the strangers seemed like family. A remote tribal village in Sundargarh, which I had never even heard of, felt like home. Surely this had to be the biggest miracle of the day.

Relishing the lunch at Guru's home
Relishing the lunch at Guru’s home

All good things eventually come to an end. We had to start our journey back to Sundargarh town in some time and had about an hour in our hands. So back at Sarabgarh dam I sketched vigorously. I wanted to make most of the time I had at Sarabgarh. I did two sketched at the same time, working intermittently of each of them painting as fast as I could. And then finally it was time to return.

The next morning we had to start our journey back to Bhubaneswar.

A Fitting Closure

10 Jan 2019

The previous night Ashish had made sure to keep his keys at the right place and was there on time to drop us at the bus stop. We caught the first bus to Sambalpur at 6:00 AM which reached its destination at half past eight. On reaching Sambalpur we moved straight to the temple of Samaleswari or Samalai, the residing goddess of western Odisha. Any trip to western Odisha is not complete without a visit to Samali temple. So we had decided to take the morning bus to Sambalpur which would give us about 5 to 6 hours before our train left from Sambalpur station. At the temple premises we took a room at the guest house and got ready for the day.

With Ashish, Guru and his Wife
With Ashish, Guru and his Wife

The temple was relatively less crowded and we had a good darshan of the goddess. After the darshan and some hot and delicious breakfast from a street vendor it was time to sketch again. As we settled into different corners of the temple premises for sketching the physical exertion of the last few days was starting to take its toll. My body just wanted to rest. But my mind was getting excited at the prospect of sketching the beautifully play of light and shade of Samali Temple. I somehow forced myself to focus and started sketching. And as the sketch slowly started to develop the physical exertion also went away. As the scene was well lit I was using a lot of primary unbroken colors in the sketch and probably those colors were working their magic on me.

Or may be it was the blessing of the goddess which had been guiding us through the last five days.

Sketching session was followed by delicious temple lunch prasad. And after a short nap it was time to return back.


Sundargarh has been a revelation. It was pitch perfect in everything an artist could ask for. The beauty of nature, the simplicity and warmth of the people, the simple nutritious and mouth watering food and a feel of transcendence in the air; it had everything. But there was even a bigger revelation. It was about the working of nature.

Nature has a rhythm. Sometimes we are lucky enough to get aligned to this rhythm in mind body and spirit. And when this happens everything that a person needs just present themselves to her… at the right time. All one need to do is to have faith in this force and walk on. And what follows is what every person truly wants on this earth.

True Bliss!

En Plein Air at Sarabgarh - 1, 09 Jan 2019
En Plein Air at Sarabgarh – 1, 09 Jan 2019

 

 

 

 

 

En Plein Air at Sarabgarh - 2, 09 Jan 2019
En Plein Air at Sarabgarh – 2, 09 Jan 2019

 

 

 

 

 

En Plein Air at Sarabgarh - 3, 09 Jan 2019
En Plein Air at Sarabgarh – 3, 09 Jan 2019

 

 

 

 

 

En Plein Air at Sarabgarh - 4, 09 Jan 2019
En Plein Air at Sarabgarh – 4, 09 Jan 2019

 

 

 

 

 

En Plein Air at Samalai Temple 10 Jan 2019
En Plein Air at Samalai Temple 10 Jan 2019

Sketching The Transcendent Sundargarh – I

Plan for a sketching trip of my sketching club to Sambalpur was in place; a perfect plan. Everything taken care of including stay, food, travel and even the locations that we were going to sketch at. Personally this was also going to be my first trip to western part of Odisha. Our art materials along with other not so necessary belongings had been neatly packed and we were super ready. But as it often happens with perfect plans, our plan too came crashing down in the eleventh hour.

On the eve of our train journey we got the news that there was going to be a two day Bundh at Sambalpur; which meant no food, conveyance or any safe places to paint at. Every person we talked to advised us not to go because in Sambalpur a Bundh means a complete shut down. We were heart broken and just could not digest the fact that our sketching trip was not going to happen. But after pulling ourselves together, we got together in a conference call and Kedar who stays at Sundargarh suggested to change our destination to Sundargarh which is about 100 kms beyond Sambalpur. All we had to do was to go to Sambalpur, take a train to Jharsuguda and then a bus to Sundargarh from there. But we had no arrangements there and hence we were a little skeptical about travelling so far with nothing in place. Kedar had only about 12 hours to work out the logistics. But that was the best alternative we had and we took it.

The Journey to Sundargarh

06 Jan 2019

We traveled to Sambalpur in Bhubaneswar-Bolangir intercity express and got down at Sambalpur Road station only to realize that is not the station we were supposed to get down at. So we got an auto and asked him to take us to the station that is in ‘Sambalpur City’, without realizing that Sambalpur City is yet another satellite station and not ‘Sambalpur Junction’ where we actually wanted to go to. Hence we landed up at this small station in the outskirts of Sambalpur without any public transport in near vicinity to take us to Sambalpur Junction. But guess what! The latest train to Jharsuguda was available from Sambalpur City station within the next twenty minutes and it was on time. And…. (hold your breaths)….it was not going to pass through Sambalpur Junction. We would never have got the train had we gone to Sambalpur Junction. And that is not all; the train was relatively empty and reached Jharsuguda on time. After a quick meal at Jharsuguda we immediately got a bus to Sundargarh and it had exactly four empty seats left (there were four of us), as if it was waiting for us. As soon as we got seated the bus left for Sundargarh.

With Students of Kalayatan Art College
With Students of Kalayatan Art College

After a journey full of welcome happenstances we reached Sundargarh bus station in the afternoon. Kedar joined us within few minutes and we took an auto to the hostel of Kalayatan Art College, where our stay arrangements had been made.  It was vacation time and the hostel was quite empty. Kedar who works as a lecturer at the same college had done very neat arrangements for us in the hostel. We quickly got rid of our baggage and ventured into the town. After a couple of hours of our town darshan we moved to the studio of Kalayatan Art College and did gesture study sketches for sometime with the students before dinner. Our sketching trip had now started in the true sense of it.

Capturing Scenic Sundargarh Town

07 Jan 2019

Sundargarh experiences very cold winters and being early part of January winter was at its peak. But missing the early morning light is the biggest crime a plein air painter could do and there was no other option than to brave the early morning chill and get ready. Hardship has its benefits and some of them are immediate. For us it came in the form of piping hot dosas, idlis and vadas at a nearby eatery. Food was not only hot, it tasted brilliant too. And thus with our souls satisfied and stomachs satiated we started our walk to Samalai temple which overlooks Ib river.

Ib river was quite dried up exposing its sandy bed and giving us an opportunity to paint from the middle of the river. It was something I had never done before and hence I rushed to the middle to find my spot from where I would be painting for the next couple of hours. A couple of minutes into my sketching, my adrenaline slowly stated to wear off and reality started to sink in. There was a steady breeze blowing which was amplified because of the  open expanse of the river bed. This chilly wind was really hurting. But gradually I got involved with my work and all the discomfort vanished. In under hundred minutes time I had completed my first work of our Sundargarh Sketching Trip which seemed to have a feel of the chilly wind; suffering does not go in vain after all.

The first painting at Tangarmunda
The first painting at Tangarmunda

I continued sketching a little more at the same place and then moved up to the temple where I took a place under the shade of the temple. As the temple is a significant landmark of Sundargarh town I thought of painting it from the place I was stationed. When I shared this work later on Facebook, one of my friends reminisced about his childhood memories attached to the temple. You never know how and when your work is going to touch people, but when it happens suddenly out of the blue like it did in this case, its always a great feeling. Many students from Kalayatan Art College had also joined us for the sketching session and all of them had done beautiful works. Our joint morning sketching session ended at the temple with some group pics and group selfies.

For afternoon session we moved to Sundargarh court premises. The court is an old British building painted in brick red color. My color intensity was not permitting me to get the actual color of the building while keeping it transparent. Hence I stepped down the tonal values of almost everything in the subject, so that their tonal relationships don’t change. This was a fun exercise to do and what I ended up with was a brighter painting. The day ended with some quick facial gesture sketching at Kalayatn Art College later in the evening.

Kid in a Candy Store

08 Jan 2019

All our works at Tangarmunda
All our works at Tangarmunda

For second day, Kedar had planned a trip to a nearby tribal village called Tangarmunda. It was the first day of Bundh in western Odisha and fearing roadblocks we left quite early in the morning for Tangarmunda by an auto. Upon reaching there Kedar booked lunch in advance at the only eatery near the village. The eatery deals with snacks and short eats, but the owner agreed to cook lunch for the five of us. With food taken care of we moved inside the village and whoa!! What a sight it was. The village was dotted with cow dung smeared mud hoses with tiled roofs. There were all types and sizes of trees everywhere; probably more than the number of residents. Most houses had stacks of hay piled neatly in their backyards for the cows. Hens and Goats roamed around freely and a few children played with them while others were busy playing cricket. The hazy winter light was casting soft dappled shadows on the walls of the houses and on the muddy roads where children were busy running alongside their cycle tyres which they rolled by hitting with a stick to keep it in motion and hence in balance. Anywhere I looked there was a great subject to be painted. This was a paradise for a painter. At Tangarmunda I felt like a Kid in a Candy store. Unfortunately I could not paint everything; I could manage only two paintings till lunch. But during this time we had managed to strike conversations with the villagers and kids. When we were leaving the location we even got an invitation for a meal during our next visit. But it was time for our immediate meal which was waiting for us at the village eatery.

Lunch at Tangarmunda
Lunch at Tangarmunda

We walked to the eatery and took our places inside the small shack. Soon we were served steaming hot rice, dal, tomato khata and a mixed veg dish seasoned with mustard and garlic. The meal made with very few ingredients was simple yet super delicious. We ate to our hearts content and for me it was a meal I would not forget for a long time.

The afternoon sketching session took place in the outskirts of Tangarmunda. As I was looking around trying to pick my subject, my eyes fell on Kadar who had already started working on his painting. I like sketching people in an outdoor environment. When people are unaware of themselves being sketched they stay natural. But problem is that you don’t know when they would change their posture completely or simply get up and go. So when you know that your co-sketcher is going to sit there at least for the next hour you don’t want to miss the opportunity of sketching him. So I happily sketched Kedar away in the most direct way possible and this sketch turned out to be one of my favorites of the trip.

Read The concluding part of Sketching trip to Sundargarh here
Kedar's Sketch 08 Jan 2019
Kedar’s Sketch 08 Jan 2019
En Plein Air at Ib river - I ; 07 Jan 19
En Plein Air at Ib river – I ; 07 Jan 19
En Plein Air at Ib river - II ; 07 Jan 19
En Plein Air at Ib river – II ; 07 Jan 19
En Plein AIr at Tangarmunda - I ; 08 Jan 2019
En Plein AIr at Tangarmunda – I ; 08 Jan 2019
En Plein AIr at Tangarmunda - II ; 08 Jan 2019
En Plein AIr at Tangarmunda – II ; 08 Jan 2019
En Plein Air at Sundargarh Court ; 07 Jan 19.JPG.JPG
En Plein Air at Sundargarh Court ; 07 Jan 19.JPG.JPG

A Holistic Approach to Science Education

This paper was presented at National Conference on Science Education at RIE, Bhubaneswar held between 29.11.2018 and 01.12.2018.

In Hindu mythology, Hiranyakasipu was an Asura king who was considered immortal because of a boon he had earned. He could not be killed by human, deva or animal, in day or in the night, indoors or outdoors, on earth or in space, with either weapon or tool. To kill Hiranyakasipu Vishnu took the form of Narasimha who was a part-human, part-animal. He came upon Hiranyakasipu at twilight, when it is neither day nor night, on the threshold of a courtyard (neither indoors nor out), and put the demon on his thighs (neither earth nor space). Using his sharp fingernails which were neither weapons nor tools, he disembowelled and killed the demon king. The lord of the universe Vishnu was forced to be creative as conventional wisdom had failed in the case of Hiranyakasipu.

Narasimha
Narasimha killing Hiranyakashipu

When we think only in terms of conventional knowledge (what we already know) Hirayanakashipu could not have been killed. But when we think in terms of possibilities outside our knowledge then a new idea in the form of Narasimha can be born. Possibilities are things beyond our immediate knowledge. To work with possibilities is to be creative. Creativity emanates from our imagination and intuition. Imagination and intuition are two of the main pillars of education; science education notwithstanding. And these are the two things that get suppressed in our education system today.

Developing Wider Cognitive Faculties

The first thing that a child learns is language and for rest of his life all his learning is based on this faculty. As language has developed depending on our need, its usage is generally limited to what we know. Any idea that is outside the realm of language is often lost as one doesn’t have the means to express it. The correlation between language and thought has been the focus of many researchers and to a great extent it is understood that language also shapes our cognitive processes. But all human experiences cannot be expressed with language. Some are expressed better in other ways of perception like music and arts. The intelligence quotient that deals with such experiences is known as non-verbal IQ.

While language can work well enough for other disciplines it does not work well for developing a scientific mind just on its own. Learning in just the way suppresses imagination and non-verbal IQ. Hence we have to start looking at alternate ways of imparting science education. One of such ways is to make science learning experiential. When learning becomes experiential through real life and daily activities it is much more effective. However all science based learning cannot be done this way. Abstract concepts of science have to be learnt in abstract manner. But to increase understanding of the abstract according to Devi Prasad[3], other forms of perceptions need be developed in students. Sight and Sound perception are two strong perceptions which can help in learning in a great way. But these two also have not been allowed to develop in our current education system.

The faculty of sight is not as essential to our survival as the sense of touch. We live more by our touch than our sight and, we use our eyes to give information about the solidity and felt shape of things to our sense of touch. By associating touch with sight in early years of our childhood, we learn to differentiate the solid from the fluid, the soft from hard and the sharp from blunt, This association of sight and touch becomes so intimate that the habit of seeing the touch sense of things becomes habitual. Hence instead of seeing things as they are we start seeing them as we know them to be, which is informed by our sense of touch. This habit according to artist and educator Harold Speed[5] blocks our eyes and mind from having a complete visual experience of the world around us.

To illustrate this point when children are asked to draw a wooden table they end up drawing a rectangle with four legs[5]. In fact most adults too would end up drawing such an image of a table. But in reality the appearance of a table changes with the angle from where one is viewing it. But when we touch the table (even with our eyes shut) the sensation does not change. Our sense of touch informs us that there is a rectangular board with four legs. Hence most people would draw a touch representation of a table than a visual one. In this process we end up sacrificing the true capabilities of our sense of sight. The faculty of sound is also not very different and in fact it one of the least developed faculty in an average human being.

From Left to right: Reproductions of drawing of table made by 5, 36 and 58 year old persons respectively
From Left to right: Reproductions of drawing of table made by 5, 36 and 58 year old persons respectively

But the question is how do we develop the faculty of sight and sound in students! And the answer to this question is very simple. Just like we used the sense of touch to make sense of the world, it is through observing and understanding the world around us through our eyes and ears students can develop these senses. And this is where art education comes into picture. Though already present in the syllabus art education has been neglected and pushed down to such a level that, instead of opening up minds of students it has helped only to further close it down. Students are taught to draw symbols of things on paper instead of encouraging and teaching them the art of seeing. That is why invariable all paintings of school children end up looking same; consisting of hills, waterfalls, rivers, trees and a house. In most cases however the students drawing this picture would never have seen hills or waterfalls in their entire life.

Visual art education should help students to break out of their world of assumptions (what they know) and make them see things as they are. The job of an art teacher hence is to unblock the minds of students and increase their visual perception. Activities that can support the development of visual perception are regular sketching and painting from life and maintaining a daily visual diary (sketchbook). But the most important role is played by the teacher who helps students to open up their eyes to the visual truth around them. Similarly sound training of students can be done by learning music formally. Researchers have indicated that learning music improves brain development and increases non-musical abilities in children[1]. It can be supplemented with spending time in nature and tuning their ears to various sounds of birds, animals, rivers streams etc.

Typical example of children’s painting
Typical example of children’s painting

It is a known fact that Einstein credited playing his violin and visualization[4,2] capability for his scientific breakthroughs (which he called as thought experiments) and many great scientists like Copernicus, Galileo, Maxwell, and Feynman, to name a few—were all artist-polymaths. Analysing data of early scientists, we can see that the early scientists were often illustrators, poets, and musicians. This may often have been out of necessity because scientists needed to have a variety of skills that we take for granted today. A serious astronomer needed to be able to sketch his observations, and a physicist needed to recognise frequencies by their sounds while conducting an audio experiment. But the relationship between arts and other functions of brain can not be denied and hence is fast becoming an established field of neuroscience. Coined “Neuroaesthetics,” the study of how neuroscience and art intersect is a popular topic among academics.

Artist polymath breakdown
Artist polymath breakdown

More and more studies on this topic are showing how some of the early connections are formed in the brain by regular practice of arts. In one such study[2] using eight public schools, researchers created test “art groups” with students who had fallen behind academically. The “art groups” received ongoing music and visual arts training as they progressed through the year. In just seven months, the art students that were once far behind their peers had caught up in reading and were performing 22% better in math than the other students. In a similar study, students given piano lessons over a short period of time performed over 30% better on temporal reasoning tests (Temporal reasoning is the ability to visualize three- and four-dimensional objects, a key skill for any artist or scientist).

Tests Performance of stronger Students without training in arts and music Performance of weaker students after receiving arts and music training for seven months
Mathematics Similar to their previous performance 22% better than Stronger Students
Temporal Reasoning Similar to their previous performance 30% better than stronger students

Table 1 – Correlation of art and music education to academic performance in abstract subjects in Ref[2]

Ethical Approach to Learning

The end of the Renaissance coincided with the beginning of the Scientific Revolution. Humanist education was emphasized during this period, and many scientists were trained from a young age in the arts of drawing and poetry. Later scientific development saw a surge during imperialism era as west found it to be a great tool to spread dominance over rest of the world. And in modern times science has become a slave to capitalism. It has been made to create the most destructive weapons of war and weapons that threaten the very existence of this natural world. Nature has been compromised for capitalist gains using science and technology as a medium. Science has also provided human kind all kind of unimaginable luxury and indulgence. Thus science which should have helped in eradicating inequalities has actually aggravated it[1].

The lacuna exists right in our social and education system which looks at science as a tool of gaining power. A student never learns about nature and social values in the real sense. A holistic view of the world including human conditions and our philosophical quests which can give direction to science is never allowed to develop in students. Science and its usage are glorified in our text books and are never examined critically. Alternate views are also shunned and not allowed to develop. For example green revolution is still glorified in text books as a success of science. But now it is becoming more and more clear that this unsustainable form of farming was in fact a curse for our agricultural system which not only has made the soil infertile, it has led to plethora of other problems like excess of pesticide in food, loss of indigenous varieties and bio diversity, depletion of water resources and deteriorating economic condition of farmers because of dependence on external inputs. And additionally as science shunned our traditional form of agriculture the knowledge of the same has almost been lost. It is only now that we are realizing that we have to go back to our traditional non industrial form of agriculture to solve all problems created by green revolution. In fact according a UN Conference for Trade and Development(UNCTAD) publication of 2013 – dramatically titled ‘Wake Up Before Its Too Late’, [6]small scale organic farming is the way to feed the world in future and not GMO technology. But somehow we do not tell this to our students and make them see things only in black and white.

To make proper use of scientific knowledge appropriate value system must be developed in students. This value system can not be developed by books. Arts and humanities play a big role in this but at the same time it has to be both experiential and conversation oriented. Such conversations have to be reflective in nature and not prescriptive. And the conversation can happen in the science class itself if need be and not in just humanities class. When learning happens in compartments, students get disconnected and do not look at science within the framework of a value system. Science for science sake is thus allowed to develop instead of science for society sake. To reverse the damage, it demands teachers to turn into educators and take up bigger responsibility of building character of students along with knowledge.

Conclusion

Creativity lies in fluidity of thought that is not bounded by solid compartmentalized way of perceiving the world around us. Intuition comes from wholesome understanding of the world; when we observe the world more closely using all our faculties of sense we find new ways of connecting the same dots. Our education system has been instrumental in suppressing creativity and intuitive thinking which are a must have for learning science. Moreover due to lack of focus on character building in schools science is ending up being used as a tool for satisfying the rich and powerful. In other words our education system is currently breeding Hiranyakashipus’ who are not only are mechanical and bookish in their way of thinking but also are ideologically deprived.

Comparison between Narasimha and Hiranyakashipu
Comparison between Narasimha and Hiranyakashipu

Science education when looked at in isolated manner is not going to be of much use for the students or the society. It has to be seen as a cog in the wheel of development of students and the society. Then only it can really fulfil its potential. And for that to happen we must make science learning experiential and relate it to our daily lives. At the same time we need to develop other perceptual faculties like sight and sound in students for a holistic cognitive development. This needs a major change in our curriculum to make arts an equally important subject in schools. But the approach to the arts has to be appropriate and must be aimed at improving the understanding of the world, nature and human conditions. This demands nothing less than excellence from the art faculty in schools. And last but not the least schools and curriculum must focus on inculcating appropriate value systems in students. This is the only way we can create Vishnus who by using their knowledge of science, intuition and creativity can transform to Narasimhas and solve the real problems around us and create better societies around them.

References

[1] Simin Soleimanifar, Zahra Jafari, Masoud Motasaddi Zarandy, Houman Asadi and Hamid Haghani (2016), Relationship between Intelligence Quotient and Musical Ability in Children with Cochlear Implantation. Iranian Journal of Otorhinolaryngol 28(88): 345–352

[2] Garreth Dottin (2016), Einstein’s Violin: The Hidden Connections between Scientific Breakthroughs and Art.

[3] Devi Prasad (1998), Art- The basis of education, ISBN: 8-123-72314-8

[4] Robert Greene (2012), Mastery, ISBN: 1-781-25091-X

[5] Harold Speed (2017), Oil Painting Technique and Materials. Dover Publication. ISBN: 0-486-25506-9

[6] United Nations Conference on Trade and Development  (2013), Wake Up Before Its Too Late, UNCTAD Trade and Environment Review

Few Pics from the Conference

IIT KGP En Plein Air Diary – Epilogue

Epilogue

27 April, 2018

I saw a dream. And in just over a year’s time it has come to be fulfilled. I thought on this day I’ll be the happiest person on earth. But today I don’t really feel happy or thrilled. On the contrary for some unknown reasons I feel heaviness engulfing in my heart.

Vegies Sketch
Vegies Sketch
Also read the Prologue , Chapter I , Chapter II, Chapter IIIChapter IV,  Chapter V, Chapter VI and Chapter VII of IITKGPEPA Diary!

After the shoot of the film ended on a high, the journey of IITKGPEPA project went on a downward spiral until last month. The first editor of the film spent over six months on the film. Even after all that time he was unable to proceed beyond the first two minutes of the film. I am not sure what the reason was, but to me it looked like he had lost interest. Whatever the reason, he did not make progress and we had to find a new editor. This is how one member of the camera crew, came on board as the new editor. But he too could not make any real progress in the last three months. Now that the academic session is going to end and our director Lokesh is going to leave KGP, it looked game over for IIT KGP en plein air project. But then what seemed like a divine intervention (again), both Lokesh and new editor decided to stay back in KGP after their end semester exams to complete the film. Lokesh messaged me this seemingly fabulous piece of news today. That meant finally the film is going to be completed within the few days. Surely this piece of news should have got me very excited. But it has not. My intuition just does not allow me to be happy. May be it is the exasperating experience of dealing with the editors or maybe it is just premonition. Whatever the case may be, I just do not feel fine.

Nehru Museum Sketch
Nehru Museum Sketch

04 May, 2018

Universe has played a very dirty joke on me. I am completely shattered. How can a hard disk get misplaced? I just do not believe what the editor has told me just now. It is not like a needle has got lost in a haystack. It’s a hard drive which had been lost inside a room of not more than 100 square feet of space. And the nonchalance in the tone of our editor has troubled me even further. He made it seem as if it is just another hard disk which has been misplaced. It was not just a hard disk. It was my dream. It was a big chunk of my heart and soul. And then what about a backup copy? Two hard drives were acquired for this project. The backup copy must be present somewhere. A lost hard disk just cannot be an excuse now. I don’t know what the truth is, but I just cannot believe what I have been told.

A few captures at Harrys'
A few captures at Harrys’

29 May, 2018

It has been a very tough month. I have not been able to focus on anything. Sleep has been hard to come by all these days. Sharing with friends also has not helped.

Insti Building Sketch
Insti Building Sketch
Sketching from Chemical Dept Window
Sketching from Chemical Dept Window

I completely believed that the film that captured the spirit of IIT Kharagpur was meant to be made. I believed it in so much so that I started imagining coincidences to be signs of destiny. I had created an alternate reality for myself and had got trapped in it. And that’s why it has been so painful. Some of my friends suggest that I should go for it again. But what has passed can’t be recreated. What was captured on camera then just cannot be captured again. It will be different; very different. Even if I gather the courage to do it all over again it will be a different film. It may look similar from outer appearance, but in spirit it will be completely different. It will not be able to fill the void of what has been lost. But anyway right now I do not have the courage or strength to do it all over again. I am afraid the universe will trick me once again.

Nehru Museum from Chem Dept Window
Nehru Museum from Chem Dept Window

31 May, 2018

Does it really have to end like this? I have been behaving as if the world has come to an end. Whats wrong with me! Not many people dare to dream and pursue it like what I have done.  Yes, it has ended in a way which has been difficult for me to accept and the cynics are probably laughing right now. But that cannot make me weak. Yes I do not have the film to show. But I have something significant to show right now. I have those art works I made. They stand witness to the amazing experience I had. Though they cannot replace the film, they capture the spirit of IIT KGP in a way that nothing else can capture.

Insti Building Studio Work
Insti Building Studio Work

My journey did not have the destination I expected. But what matters to me now is that I took the journey. My paintings bear a testimony to this journey. And they will touch people. They will be able to transport people back to KGP. People will experience their journeys at IIT Kharagpur all over again through my work.

Neheru Museum Studio Work
Neheru Museum Studio Work

Probably this was the destiny universe had in mind for my journey. As of now I’ll take that, till I start dreaming again.

Till I start to dream again
Till I start to dream again

p.s. Luckily I had this part of the film from the initial edits which will continue to remind me of my unfulfilled dream.

IIT KGP En Plein Air Diary – Chapter VII

Sin and Redemption

29 July 2017, Day 6 of the shoot

After the Jnan Ghosh shoot we pushed on to Harrys’ (now called Tikkas’). The footage of earlier shoot at Harry’s had gotten deleted by mistake. Hence we were back today to shoot there again. No one really likes it when such accidents happen. I was also disappointed albeit momentarily. My first painting at Harry’s had not gone off well. It was a little overworked and I was not happy with it at all. It kept troubling me until I heard the news about the footage. After the initial shock I felt a sense of calm putting my troubled mind to rest. A divine intervention had given me a second shot at Harry’s, and a chance of redemption.

Also read the Prologue , Chapter I , Chapter II, Chapter IIIChapter IV,  Chapter V and Chapter VI of IITKGPEPA Diary!
Conversations...
Conversations…

Before the shoot all of us did the customary breakfast at Harrys’ of Dal Puri, Sabzi, Rasagolla and coffee. I have always enjoyed having breakfast at Harry’s. In fact I don’t know anyone who does not swear by it. A great combination of taste, flavour and texture; the breakfast tasted exactly the same as it used to taste twenty years back. But what makes the breakfast unique is the ambience. I am not sure if one can get to sit under the shade of a banyan tree with huge open spaces all around to have one’s breakfast while listening to the chirping of birds (and occasional droppings) in the company of friends anywhere else other than Harry’s.

My precious...
My precious…

Vegies/Eggies is the lifeline of student life after dark. Harrys’ takes up this role during rest of the day. This is the chai adda of KGP. I have always loved this place. But during this visit to KGP this place made me realize how privileged I have been to spend a part of my life here in the lap of nature. While being at KGP we probably take the greenery for granted. But only when we go out of KGP to man-made concrete jungles we realize how fortunate we have been to have lived here. Dotted with old and ancient trees, the mini forests of KGP campus serve as a safe haven for many species of birds and reptiles.  But with so much of construction work happening around the campus some of this natural heritage is under threat. And I hope the development work does not bring much damage to the natural ecosystem here.

*******************

Painting in a 'C' curve
Painting in a ‘C’ curve

After a hearty Harrys’ breakfast it was time to get back to the job. And to my pleasant surprise I had the company of one of the better-known artists in the campus to paint with.  Gopinath is a final year student and a well known member of the art club at IIT KGP. It was very good to have him painting alongside- painting outdoors in a group always energises me and I was very happy to have Gopinath with me today.

Company
Company

Today was last day of the shoot and I can’t help but wonder how things have panned out in the last eight days. It seemed game over even before the project began. It felt as if the universe did not approve of the scheme. But now it feels like things could not have gone better. Every place I made a painting of was done at the appropriate time and in the right settings and right frame of mind. I could not have got such a romantic wet scene of Nehru Museum had it not been for the rain. It was a difficult choice between my memories and the outer reality, but I am glad I decided to paint the former at Azad Hall. The timing of painting the main building probably brought out the emotionality in the painting. The accidental conversation at Vegies had settled my nerves and I ended up with a painting that surprised even me.  The fading light on the first trial shoot at Kali Das’ had made sure I painted the place at a later time when it had a great mood. I could not have gotten better light than what I had today morning at Jnan Ghosh.  And finally it was Harrys’ where I redeemed myself because of nothing less than a divine intervention.

The painting came together with the shadow wash at the bottom
The painting came together with the shadow wash at the bottom

A cynic would probably dismiss it as coincidence, but not the romantic in me. During one of the shoots the director of the film had mentioned a quote about making documentaries.

“For fictional films the director is God but for a documentary, God is the director.”

I can’t speak for documentary films in general, but for me IITKGPEPA project has just illustrated this point.

En Plein Air at Harrys'
En Plein Air at Harrys’
Next Up - The Conclusion of IITKGP En Plein Air Project

IIT KGP En Plein Air Diary – Chapter VI

The Insignificant One

29 July 2017, Day 6 of the shoot

When sun comes out after continuous rains of almost a week, it really does look bright and glorious.  The light looks fresh and the greenery even fresher. Which is how it was today morning -the lush green Jnan Ghosh stadium washed in the ochre light of the sun was a stunner. And when nature is at its best you know who the only real artist is.

Also read the Prologue , Chapter I , Chapter II, Chapter IIIChapter IV and  Chapter V of IITKGPEPA Diary!
With grass below my feet....
With grass below my feet….

As I approached Jnan Ghosh stadium today early in the morning, I could see NSO classes going on in full swing. The physical training coach was shouting out commands for an aerobic session and a huge gathering of students in front of him were following his movements and instructions. As I got close their actions seemed to be almost nonchalant and understandably so. There was something common between the NSO squad and me today morning. Both of us did not want to perform what we were supposed to perform in Jnan Ghosh.

Painting under the open skies
Painting under the open skies

It was indeed a difficult task to paint today morning as I just wanted to enjoy the fleeting beauty of nature to the fullest. I wanted to enjoy that emptiness of space around me where Mother Nature was busy playing with an analogous and minimalist colour scheme of yellow and green. But I was there to do a job. So I tried to fill up my canvas with same hues and tones to capture the rare golden ochre light which was slowly turning harsh as the sun moved overhead.

Paint Starts flowing
Paint Starts flowing

The work I ended up with was a decent one. But still it was a humbling experience to paint at Jnan Ghosh stadium today. The beauty of nature is beyond human imagination and human grasp. Every time I am faced with such beauty it makes me realise of my insignificance and the insignificance of what I do.

Fun during shoot
Fun during shoot

But I guess this realization is a good thing and one of the major benefits of painting en plein air.

En Plein Air at Jnan Ghosh
En Plein Air at Jnan Ghosh
Next - Redemption at Harrys'

IIT KGP En Plein Air Diary – Chapter V

Head or the Heart?

27 July 2017, Day 5 of the shoot

Painting at night under outdoor lighting is an exercise in self belief. The outdoor light makes all colors look almost same. It is difficult to gauge even the tonality of the paint. In a nut shell, the visual feedback from the painting is almost gone. So you have to get a feel of how paint flows on paper and trust your instinct and go ahead with painting. Painting today evening at Vegies was no different.

Also read the Prologue , Chapter I , Chapter II, Chapter III and Chapter IV of IITKGPEPA Diary!
People don't come to Vegies just to eat
People don’t come to Vegies just to eat

People do not come to Vegies to eat. They come there to have conversations (not discussions), wonder about life (even afterlife in some cases), introspect, plan their futures, pass time, grow their love lives, find new love, discover themselves…… Some people come there just to be at Vegies. Vegies probably is at the heart of student life at KGP. And when you know you are going to paint something so close to heart of all KGPians and that too in the night, you know you are under pressure. I was quite nervous about the painting today.

Something's cooking
Something’s cooking

But when there is a problem, a solution often comes with it.

I set myself up to paint on one corner table. There were two guys already at the table, and as it turned out they were already aware of IITKGPEPA project. So a conversation started immediately between the three of us as I started to sketch. The conversation was about the age-old tussle between the heart and the head. The path of the head is always more predictable while the path of the heart is full of surprises at every turn. But following the later is more fulfilling than the former. And those who realize that there are actually two paths to choose from are always looking for answers to make up their mind. The two guys sitting with me, at the beginning of their adult lives and standing at the cross roads of head and heart finally turned to me to provide them with some answers. I carefully avoided answering such an existential question, because I don’t think such questions really have a clear answer. And frankly I did not have any answers at that point of time. I could sense that they were a little disappointed with whatever I had to offer. However the conversation had worked its magic and the butterflies had flown out of my stomach.

Yellow light dominating the composition
Yellow light dominating the composition

The film crew had also arrived by then and my painting seemed to progress well. The painting got over around the same time when Vegies was transforming to Eggies and it was becoming noisier and livelier. Back in the room under better lighting conditions, when I checked the painting to see how it had turned out, I was very pleased. What I had in front of me was different from the way I usually paint. It would not have turned out this way had I painted this under proper lights. Painting in full light surely would have been safer, more predictable (discounting the fact that watercolour itself is not very predictable) and eight out of ten times I would have made a successful painting. But by taking the risk of painting at night under street lamps and following my gut instinct I ended up with something that surprised even myself. But it does not always happen. In fact most of the time, it is a disaster. But today was a day when things fell into place and hence there was this small little self discovery sort of thing about myself as an artist.

When Vegies turns into Eggies
When Vegies turns into Eggies

More importantly I guess I had found some answers to the questions that I had avoided answering earlier in the evening today.

Night Sketch at Vegies
Night Sketch at Vegies
Next - Capturing the ochre light at Jnan Ghosh stadium

IIT KGP En Plein Air Diary – Chapter IV

A long due wish fulfilled

26 July 2017, Day 4 of the shoot

The Canteen at Nehru Museum, popularly known as “Kali Da’s”, was not on my list of places to paint; because it never existed twenty years earlier.  But when I happened to be there just five days earlier, I really did not have to think about it twice. I knew I had to paint this place.

Also read the Prologue , Chapter I , Chapter II and Chapter III of IITKGPEPA Diary!
An ambience so cosy yet so mystical
An ambience so cosy yet so mystical

Kali Da’s is that kind of a place that transports you back in time. It slows you down completely. The canteen runs on the first floor of Nehru Museum on the rear side corridors. Big arched windows line the corridor, overlooking archaic tile roofed buildings cramped between centuries old banyan trees. The rays of the sun find it hard to penetrate the thick leafy canopy, but those that do –  create a mystical ambience with the dappled light . And when it rains, it’s a sight to behold! It makes you forget about your isolated physical existence as you feel completely one with nature. And with the pocket friendly offerings of tea, snacks and shikanji, it’s a place that can inspire writers, poets, singers, dancers, and of course – painters.

The famous Shikanji
The famous Shikanji

I too was more than inspired when I went there five days earlier. In fact I was kind of desperate to paint this place. I did have a try on the first day of shoot in the afternoon. But the cloud cover had made the light too weak for shooting. The place from where I wanted to paint was middle of the alley that connects the front corridor to the rear corridors and the lack of light there did not make it easy to paint, let alone shoot.

The light where I painted was just manageable
The light where I painted was just manageable

Today, however, there was enough light for me to paint – though still not good enough for the film crew. But I am sure they still did get some great shots. Moreover; today not being a weekend the canteen was open unlike the last time I wanted to paint here. And there was this subtle buzz around with people enjoying tea and conversations. It really helped to build a great mood for the painting along with the sense of solitude that still hung around in the air, irrespective of the people present.

Difficult not to be inspired
Difficult not to be inspired

The final work was satisfactory. I think I did manage to capture the reflective and introspective mood of the place. But that was not the reason why I felt so happy and full of joy today. Though I saw this place just five days before, it felt as if a long due wish to paint in this place has been fulfilled.

En Plein Air at Kali Da's
En Plein Air at Kali Da’s
Check out what happens next when I painted Vegies under street lamps.

IIT KGP En Plein Air Diary – Chapter III

Saying a Prayer

25 July 2017, Day 3 of the shoot

It had been two days since our last shoot and the rain God has not been benevolent. To be fair, He had been kind for some time and we had shot at Harry’s yesterday under a light drizzle and fading light. But there was a goof up. The footage had gotten deleted by mistake. These were not good signs. Hence, I had prayed really hard this morning, and guess what -it was answered!

Also read the Prologue , Chapter I and Chapter II of IITKGPEPA Diary!

In the afternoon I saw sun’s rays for the first time in the last four days; and what a relief it was! The skies cleared up and within an hour I was there painting at the institute building, better known as insti building or just insti.

My fold-able palette best suited for outdoor works
My fold-able palette best suited for outdoor works

It was admission time and classes were also getting over. Hence there was a big rush everywhere. The new guys were trying to find directions to various places; a few of them along with their parents. There were some parents who were leaving and hence having last words with their sons and daughters. I could catch some of the conversations and was amazed by how the parting words have not changed much over the years. The usual “have your breakfast in time, call every day, sleep on time…” stuff. Useless stuff really, but I guess all these serve well to hide the turbulence of emotions that parents go through at this point of time.

Meditating on colors
Meditating on colors

****************

The architecture of institute building looks deceptively simple. But its only when I started drawing out the shapes I realized how difficult it was to put it down on paper from a three quarter view. As I kept observing the structure to draw, I could not help but notice how massive and impressive it was. It stood there like a giant with the firmness of a mountain and gentleness of a mother. While the building extended a long way horizontally to keep it rooted, the library tower rose up and kissed the skies. It was like a metaphor of modern India that this very building has helped build; or at least has hoped to build.

The place where it all began twenty years earlier
The place where it all began twenty years earlier

With the kind of farewell moments happening around me, my mind could not help but drift back twenty years in time when I, as a first year student stood in front of this very building. Excited about being here yet, humbled by the aura of this structure I had prayed for a fruitful time for the next four years of my life.  And those four years had been more than fruitful. It had been nothing less than a revelation.

Creative shot of my painting
Creative shot of my painting

My painting was coming to a closure just in time as the light began to fade. I was happy with the outcome. At the same time the memories of my KGP time were making me feel very nostalgic. Overwhelmed with the sea of emotions flowing through me, as I began to pack my kit I said a prayer for the second time today looking up at this great structure of modern India.

The film crew in action as I come close to completion
The film crew in action as I come close to completion

Nothing in particular; Just a prayer…  I can’t even remember it now. Maybe it was for the success of IITKGPEPA project.

En Plein Air at Insti
En Plein Air at Insti
Read next part when I painted something that I had wanted to paint for 'a very long time'.

IIT KGP En Plein Air Diary – Chapter II

The Memory Remains

23 July 2017, Day 2 of the shoot

As predicted by the weatherman, the rain continued to pour. But we had a plan in place. And that plan was to paint at Azad hall where we would be able to get some cover. But I was not really ready for the cover under which I finally painted today.

(Please read the Prologue and Chapter I of IITKGPEPA Diary before continuing!)
Painting of Abul Kalam Azad at entrance of the hall
Painting of Abul Kalam Azad at entrance of the hall

After a hearty breakfast at TGH I started off towards Azad hall with my umbrella. As I walked towards my hall of residence memories were starting to come back. The film crew had not reached our rendezvous and I had some time to kill. So I started to move around in the hall. As I walked around the hostel rooms, basketball court, play grounds, mess top, common room and corridors, everything around me were starting to play tricks on my mind. I was suddenly transported back in time. I was standing there not surrounded by buildings, but by memories. Memories that had lain dormant for a long time, but today they were so fresh that they felt more real than the physical reality around me.

Painting under multicolored umbrella
Painting under multicolored umbrella

I was shaken out of the trance by Ashok Da. And then I met up with Govind Da and Sam D. Azad HP (both ex and current) joined me soon and to my surprise they already had arrangements in place for the shoot. While painting at Nehru Museum yesterday I met with Piyush (Azadian) to whom I had casually mentioned about our plans of painting at Azad hall today. Meanwhile he had gotten in touch with Sashwat (Ex HP) who borrowed a multicolored picnic umbrella from the canteen at Krishna tower, so that I could paint under it.

Yusuf of sounds team takes a break
Yusuf of sounds team takes a break

Now painting under a multicolored picnic umbrella is really not simple. You have these different colors of light tinting your paper while painting which make judgement of colors quiet tricky. But that was the best arrangement that we had today and it is only such unpredictable challenges which makes painting en plein air all the more interesting. So I went ahead. But another challenge popped up even sooner.

The camera crew busy with their work as I am busy with mine
The camera crew busy with their work as I am busy with mine

I was there to paint the scene in front of me. But my memories had completely overwhelmed me and I wanted to paint my memories. And in this tussle finally the latter won. I guess I had lost interest in the outer reality today as I was in deep touch with my inner reality. So eventually my brushes painted a scene from my memory. A happy memory of coming back to the hall after classes, having snacks at mess and having conversations with everyone. That was the time of the day when I would feel exactly like how it feels to be back home.

Painting displayed in the mess during lunch
Painting displayed in the mess during lunch

And today while painting at Azad hall I was back home.

Next - My Experience while I painted Insti Building
En Plein Air at Azad Hall
En Plein Air at Azad Hall