INDIA SAIJIKI ..... (WKD - INDIA)

Welcome !

2008-12-31T12:59:00.000-08:00

[ . BACK to TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Welcome to the World Kigo India Database !

... .... ... The India Saijiki

..... ..... ..... Namaste !

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Use your browser to find a word in this index..... OR use the Search Function on the top right.

© Gabi Greve

Alphabetical Index of the World Kigo Database

... ... ... … Please sign our GUESTBOOK …

..............................................................................

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. General Items

. . . . ENTRY: Submit your Entry for a Kigo

Seasons and Categories Learn the Basics of World Kigo

Basic Japanese Haiku Theories !
For Haiku Beginners !

................. . Copyright Policy .

. Waitinglist . Add your entries here as a comment.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Poets, Essays, Links and general information about

... ... ... ... ... Haiku in Bangladesh

... ... ... ... ... Haiku in Bhutan

... ... ... ... ... Haiku in India

... ... ... ... ... Haiku in Nepal

... ... ... ... ... Haiku in Pakistan

... ... ... ... ... Haiku in Tibet

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Getting to Know India

Indian Art, Articles Exotic India by Nitin Kumar

Festivals of India, all are kigo

Music of India Indian Music and Haiku

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

A special thank you goes to Kala Ramesh for her countless contributions and fruitful cooperation
with this INDIA saijiki.

Gabi Greve, December 2006

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Please check the main index for more kigo information.

Main Index of the World Kigo Database

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Co-Editor: Narayanan Raghunathan, until 2006

Contributions from all Indian haiku poets are welcome!

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Seasonal Words - List

2008-12-31T12:57:00.000-08:00

[ . BACK to TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

List of seasonal words (kigo) from India

... ... ... ... The India Saijiki

インド　歳時記　

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

According to the classical text of the Ritusamharam we will introduce six haiku seasons in India, two more that the four seasons of the Japanese Saijiki.
(Thanks to the initiative of Kala Ramesh!)

Each Indian seaseon comprises only two months, whereas in the Japanese saijiki, each season (except the New Year), comprises three months and is divided in early, middle and late part of the season.
Seasons and Categories Learn the Basics of World Kigo.

The Rains, or monsoon, is usually covered as a Japanese kigo for Mid-Summer.

Frost, which comprises November and December, is an ALL WINTER kigo in Japan.

November and December comprise kigo for early and middle winter in Japan, check it here: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/japanese/haiku/saijiki/4wi.html

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Here are the six seasons for INDIA

Spring - called Vasant（Basant) - in the months of Chaitra and Vaishakh
approximately March and April

Summer – called Grishma –in the months of Jaishthya and Aashadh
approximately May and June

Rains – called Varsha - in the months of Shravan and Bhadrapad
approximately July and August

Autumn called Sharad - in the months of Aashwin and Kartik
approximately September and October

Frost – called Hemant – in the months of Margshishya and Pousha
approximately November and December

Winter called Shishir - in the months of Magh and Phalgun
approximately January and February

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku about each season
by Narayanan Raghunathan

About the climate, see also:
http://www.indianchild.com/climate_india.htm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

. ................. INDIAN KIYOSE

.. .. .. Spring (March - April)

Ambedkar Jayanti, Memorial Day

Baishakhi Festival

Chidambaram Dance Festival in honour of Shiva

Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma, Delonix regia) Two Trees with orange blossoms

Goa Carnival
Gudi Padva Festival

Hanuman Jayanti Festival

Holi Festival.. Dol Yatra (the Swing Festival)

Jallikattu Bull Fight during Pongal Festival

Kite flying India, Pakistan

Mahavir Jayanti Festival
Mango blossoms

Neem blossoms, neem tree, magosa (Azadirachta indica) and some food: Ugadi Pachadi

Pesakh Festival
　Pongal
Pooram Festival

Ramnavami Festival
Ramzan Id Festival

Shiva Ratri Night, Festival India, Nepal, Hindu Communities
Spring Festivals (Vasannta Utsav, India) also worldwide
Spring in India (vasant, basant)

Vasant Navratri Festival

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. Summer (May - June)

Buddha's Birthday, Buddha Purnima

Cassia blossoms (Cassia fistula) ... amaltaas, bendra lathi, aragvadha and other names

Ganges (Ganga) flowing down

Mango fruit

Pipal tree (Ficus religiosa) Peepul or Bo tree

Summer in India, find more kigo

Rollerskates

Tukaram Celebrations

Water shortage

World Music Day　

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. Monsoon, the Rains (July - August)

Independence Day (India) August 15, 1947

Juggernaut Festival (India)

Monsoon ..(India, South Asia)

Senior Citizen's Day, August 21 　　
Serpent Festival (Nag Panchami) (India) Snake Festival

Tagore Memorial Day 　 Rabindranath Tagore
Trekking , Trek

Umbrella

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. Autumn (September - October)

Autumn in India

Chandrika Soap "the moon-faced one"

Dussera, Dasara, Dussehra: Day Of Victory　
..... Navarati : Nine Nights Of Festivities

Divali (Diwali, India)

Fog, Mist, Haze and more

Ganesh Chaturthi Festival

Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday 　　　　

Sesame (til, tila, gingili)

Teacher's Day, 　Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Memorial Day
Tiger Dance (Huli Vesha, Puli Vesha)

Vailankanni (Velankanni), Festival in Chennai, India

World Peace Day and Ahimsa　

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. Frost (November - December)

Frost in India

Nehru, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s Memorial Day, Children's Day

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. Winter (January - February)

Coral Tree Blossoms (Erythrina indica) Tiger's claw, Sunshine Tree

New Year

Poush-Magh Festival

Republic Day January 26

Sugar cane

Tiruppavai of Andal (Andaal) Tamizhnadu, Tamil Nadu
Tumeric, fresh (kurkuma, ukon)

Winter in India A few more kigo ...

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. Topics for ALL seasons

Ayurveda and Massage

Anklets (payal) , Bracelets, Bangles
Aum (阿吽) A-Un, Om

BAMBOO .. An Asian Plant
Banyan Tree
Basil, Holy Basil (tulsi, tulasi, thulasi)
Bells, Temple Bells in India
Bhagavad Gita
Bhang, Bhaang Drink
Bikaner .. a town in Rajasthan
Bodhidarma, Daruma san in Japan
Bombay, Mumbai
Buddha, Shakyamuni, Shaka

Chillum, chilum, cheelam .. pipe
Chittorgarh Fort (Rajasthan)
Coconut, Coconut palms Philippines, India
Cow (Pashu, Gai) The Holy Cow of India

Dance, dancing
Delhi, Old Delhi, New Delhi

Earthquake

Food from India
Football, Soccer

Ganesh The elelphant-headed god
Ganges, the Holy River Ganga
Guru (teacher) Sensei (Japan)

Henna (mehandi)
Himalaya Mountains

Incense

Khadi handspun cotton. Mahatma Gandhi.
Koel, Koil, Kuil, a Bird (Eudynamys scolopacea) oni kakkoo (Japan)
　Kolam, kollam, kulam
Kumbh Mela, Kumbmela, Kumbha Mela

Labyrinth 　
Lotus (padma)
Lotus Temple Delhi
Lucknow

Mandala
Marathon Boy Budhia Singh
Meditation (dhyana)
Meera, a Saint Meerabai, Mirabai, Mira
Monkey, Hanuman, Langur
Moon, waxing (moondraam pirai)

Music of India
..... Music: Raagam
..... Music: Shruthi
..... Tansen The Musician

Panchatantra, a Fable
..... Philosophical and Mythological Haiku from India
Plumeria, Frangipani

Rain　
Rice, Basmati Rice　
　
Sandalwood (chandan)
Sari Dress for Ladies
Shivaji's forts

Silence (maun)
..... Silence and Stones
..... Silence and Haiga

Spices of India, an overview 　　

Sun (dinesh, dinesha) "He who is the lord of the days"　　　　　　　　
Sun god (aditya) (India), Sun Godess Amaterasu Omikami (Japan)
..... including suriya namaskar and the gayatri mantra

Taj Mahal ... "the Taj"
Temples in India
Tiger
Towns of India and haiku Bangalore, Hardwar, Mysore
Trekking Treck, Trecking

Window 　　　　

Yoga

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

THE INDIA SAIJIKI

Back to the Worldkigo Index

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Getting to Know India

2006-12-31T11:30:00.000-08:00

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. .. .. Welcome to India !

An Overview of India
http://www.tourisminindia.com/indiathedestination/index.htm

In our Kigo Database Library:

The Symbols of India

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

EDUCATION

Krishnamurti Foundation India / Journal

Articles in the Journal broadly cover the areas of philosophy and practice in education. The authors of the articles have been deeply moved by questions of life and education raised by the philosopher J. Krishnamurti, and their ongoing enquiry into such questions is reflected in their teaching and writing. This aspect of the Journal widens its scope and relevance to far beyond the classroom, indeed to the heart of learning and life itself.
http://www.journal.kfionline.org/about.asp

... The Haiku Scene in India : World Kigo Database

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

............................. Nature

Birds of India
With 1250 species of birds, India is a paradise for bird watching.
The Blue Peafowl is the national bird.
For birding in India, 13 bio-geographical regions can be identified depending upon bird distribution: Trans Himalayan, Western Himalayas, Eastern Himalayas, Desert, Semi-arid, Gangetic plain, Central India, Deccan Plateau, Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, North East, Coasts and the Andaman Nicobar Islands.
Copyright © birding.in and Birding in India

Flora of Haryana
Haryana has a forest covered land of about 3.5 per cent of the total area. A thorny dry deciduous forest, pine and thorny shrubs can be found all over the state.
Sal trees (Shorea robusta)
Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum)
..............................and many many more...
Copyright © Haryana Online

Fauna of Haryana
Haryana became a new state of India on 1st November, 1966, with Chandigarh as its capital.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

............................. City Guides
Bangalore
Calcutta
Chennai
Delhi/New Delhi
Mumbai
Thiruvananthapuram

*****************************
http://www.tourindia.com/htm/homepage.htm

An Overview
Clickable Map
National Insignia
Major Cities
Regions-States

*****************************
Welcome to Incredible India !

Namaskar, welcome to Incredible India, where culture echoes, tradition speaks, beauty enthrals and diversity delights.

Bounded by the majestic Himalayan ranges in the north and edged by an endless stretch of golden beaches, India is a vivid kaleidoscope of landscapes, magnificent historical sites and royal cities, misty mountain retreats, colourful people, rich cultures and festivities.

http://india-tourism.com/

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

............................. Indian Art

Indian Art, Articles
Exotic India by Nitin Kumar

Art India Net

an exclusive site on Indian Performing and allied arts.

India Art
Information on visual arts, including paintings, crafts, art education and so on

Indian Heritage - info on Indian art & culture
Indian Heritage, information on all topics relating to Indian art, culture and tradition

PRABHU'S WEB PAGE ON INDIAN COINAGE
to explain the evolution of coinage and its role in understanding the history of India. By Govindraya Prabhu S.

Indian Poetry and Writing
Boloji.com includes IndiaNest.com and PoeticNest.com
http://www.boloji.com/index.htm
http://www.boloji.com/poetry/index.htm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

............................. Indian Food

Sailus Kitchen with Seasonal Recipies

Food from India used as KIGO

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. .. .. Welcome to India in Japan !

Nihon to Indo Koryu no Rekishi 日本とインド　交流の歴史
Japan and India: the History of Exchanges

©　PHOTO 三省堂

. . . . . History of Indians in Japan WDK Library

© PHOTO Japan Post and Stamps about India

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

THE INDIA SAIJIKI

Back to the Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

BACK to the TOP / INDIA SAIJIKI

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku in Nepal

2006-12-30T23:22:00.000-08:00

[ . BACK to TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku in Nepal

....................... Haiku Poets from Nepal

Mukul Dahal

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Dr. Ananda Raj Joshi

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Mohan Bahadur Kayastha

Senior litterateur Ram Kumar Pande Friday released two books – Phoolko Varsa, a collection of Nepali Tankas by Vishnu Bahadur Singh and
Tareli, a collection of Haikus by Mohan Bahadur Kayastha –
amidst the function in Kathmandu. Haiku, a popular form of poetic expression in Japan, has been in vogue in Nepal since the last four decades while the tanka that is similar to haiku in structure and theme, is the recent literary experiment in the realm of Nepali literature.

Commenting on the works, senior literary figure Muktinath Sharma said that Singh and Kayastha had contributed to enlarge the scope of Nepali literature by bringing out collections of tankas and haiku.

Pande shed light on the history and tradition of haiku and tanka. “Both are short forms of poetry and reflect the universal elements of human life and nature. Love, natural beauty and human predicament find place in them.”

“It is new experiment in Nepali poetry,” said Singh, author of anthology of tankas. He said that new experiment led to the birth of new things.

Kayastha said that he composed the haiku to express inner human feelings and sentiments.

Literary figures Pushkar Lohani and Chet Nath Dhamala also expressed their views at the function jointly organised by the Haiku Study Nepal and the International Nepali Literary Society.
© Copyright 2005. Gorkhapatra Sansthan.
http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.php?file=2005/05/21//topstories/main21

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Bamdev Sharma

Bamdev Sharma is an English Language Teacher from Dang in Nepal who intends to make a career of creative writing. He started writing in 1994.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Taba Maru, Amogha Tamrakar

the literary nickname of Amogha Tamrakar, a poet, born on 1956 at Kathmandu.
His publications include Lakasan lanpu hila bi and memegu bakhan ( Environment will change its way and other short stories) (1992), Newa Haiku (1993) and Birahaya Mye, Thwa Gazal / Gazal collection (2002), Jigu Aela (2002), Padhya Kewa (2002), Jigu Kawita (2002) and Chivar'ya Mikhaye (2002).
http://www.poetrypoems.com/tabamaru/

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Vihod Gauchah

We are
from the country
where dogs are worshipped.

I have a desire
to wear
a garland of desires

Nowadays
life pinches
even in a dream

Quote from an interview:
He explained the first haiku as "satirical, we are like dogs", the second as "never been fulfilled", and the third as "painful".
His haiku were philosophical and at the same time satirical protesting against the darker side of Nepali life.

From Tanka and Haiku in Nepal
by Noriko Mizusaki, 2003
http://www1.odn.ne.jp/~cat32320/mag5/haiku-nepal-en.htm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

National Haiku Festival

The National Haiku Festival will be organised for the first time in Nepal on February 25, 2006 to mark the golden jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan. Books on Haiku will be displayed and a book titled
Andha Alchhi (Haiku collection)
will be released at the festival, which will be organised by the Royal Nepal Academy (RNA) and Nepal Nippon Research Centre.

Two committees have been formed under the chairmanship of Ram Kumar Pandey and coordination of RNA member Bhuwan Dhungana to mark the occasion.
http://www.southasianmedia.net/cnn.cfm?id=270914&category=Culture&Country=NEPAL

RSS
KATHMANDU, Feb. 25, 2006:
The first national Haiku Festival held on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and the Kingdom of Nepal concluded here today.

The festival was organized jointly by the Poetry Department of Royal Nepal Academy and Nepal-Nippon Research Centre with the objective of promoting Haiku in Nepali.

Some 25 haiku poets recited around 50 haiku at the festival where compilation of haiku and books related to haiku were on display.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor of Royal Nepal Academy Prof. Dr Basudev Tripathi said like gazal haiku has become a part of the Nepali literary traditions and enjoys popularity among the readers.

Second Secretary at the Embassy of Japan Daiji Sasai lauded the efforts made by Nepali men of letters in promoting the core aspect of Japanese literature such as Haiku in Nepali language as well and expressed the confidence that such programme would further deepen the cultural relationship between the two countries.

Coordinator of the Festival Bhuvan Dhungana, General Secretary of the Research Centre Prof. Ram Kumar Pandey and other speakers expressed their views at the programme chaired by litterateur Ram Dayal Rakesh.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Nepalese Haiku Online

Saawan ko mausam
Mehgai ko rimjhim
Varsha ko bhel.

Anjuli bhari
Aashirvaad sath rahyo
Purai umer bhari

Bhok le ranthan
Chhapro ko ghar
Khuldaina Aal-Maari

Naaz

... ... ...

1.
Silence--a strangled
Telephone has forgotten
That it should ring
-Michael R. Collings

2.
A mountain village
under the pilled-up snow
the sound of water.
-Shiki Masaoka

3.
धर्तीको आँसु
पुछ्नु पर्ला भनेर
लुकेछ सुर्य
-रत्न शम्शेर थापा

4.
लाशको नदि
माझीको ढडियामा
फिस्स हाँस्दछ
-गोविन्द गिरि

surendras and online haiku forum

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

BOOKS

Empty Moon: Belly Full.
Haiku from India and Nepal
by John Brandi

Using the medium of haiku poetry, John Brandi, poet, essayist and passionate traveller, shares his experiences, insights and observations from his years on the road as a traveler in India and Nepal.

*****************************
Things found on the way

The Haiku Scene of India　

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

THE INDIA SAIJIKI

Back to the Worldkigo Index

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku in Bangladesh

2006-12-30T20:40:00.000-08:00

[ . BACK to TOP . ]

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku in Bangladesh

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Bangladesh
officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh (Bengali: Goonoprojatontri Bangladesh), is a country in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Myanmar to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south. Together with the Indian state of West Bengal, it makes up the ethno-linguistic region of Bengal. The name Bangladesh means "Country of Bengal" in the official Bengali language.

© More in the WIKIPEDIA !

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

....................... Haiku Poets from Bangladesh

Sadiq Alam

Alone with The Alone
Take away everything and
Let me be alone with The Alone.

© Sadiq Alam, Dhaka / 　4 Sufi Haiku

More Sufi Haqqu

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Quamrul Hassan

Friends waiting
I put on a shawl
late autumn evening

Winter morning
farmer still in bed
record harvest

©　Asahi Haikuist Network, December 2007

winter morning --
a piece of sun
on my blanket

©　Mainichi Daily News, March 2008

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku about Bangladesh

Co-existence has
Been accomplished between
Pakistani and ...

© 2001 Manes Pierre

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

BACK TO

The Haiku Scene of India　

THE INDIA SAIJIKI

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku in India

2006-12-30T19:44:00.000-08:00

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. The Haiku Scene of India

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Special Announcements

World Haiku Club : The 9th WORLD HAIKU FESTIVAL
February 23 - 25, 2008, Bangalore, India

World Haiku Club : First Meet of Indian Haiku Poets
Pune, India, December 9/10 2006

Please help me update this page by contributing your information and haiku.
Gabi Greve

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

........ ....................Haiku Poets from India

Ankur Betageri (Muse India)

Smitha Chakravarthula

Dalip Daswani

Dr. Angelee Deodhar

Richa Dubey (Ishqa)

Mohammed Fakhruddin

Vidur Jyoti

Dr Dwarakanath H.Kabadi: Flickers Poems

Shekhar Kapur

Urmila Kaul

Vishnu P. Kapoor Vishnu Kapoor

Santosh Kumar

Rajiv Lather (see below)

Johannes Manjrekar

Aju Mukhopadhyay

Gautam Nadkarni

Harihar Patel

Narayanan Raghunathan

Chitra Rajappa

Kala Ramesh

Kaniparambil Ramesh

Parimala Rao, Malini Rao

Yolanda Sangphugpha
i was inspired to write some haiku on the journey through india with my then-new friend tony. photographs and haiku became the way we processed the madness of india, every occasion demanding a new poem, every hot and dusty train journey made bearable by laughing over the stupidest new line, or nodding in sage agreement when one of us hit the nail on the head.
Yolanda Sangphugpha - India - Haibun

Gautam Sengupta

Minal Sarosh

Shyam Santhanam　

Bamdev Sharma

Radhey Shiam

N.K. Singh

R. K. Singh, Ram Krishna Singh

Rebba Singh (Muse India)

A. Thiagrajan

Sunil Uniyal

Jagdish Vyom

Yajushi (Marella Ram Vinodh) In Memoriam : October 9, 2006

This list will be regularly updated.
Please add your information about further LINKS as a comment to this page or contact me directly.
Gabi Greve

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

In India, haiku is still not a widely used genre but certainly awareness on it, and its popularity, is spreading rapidly. Haiku is being written in several Indian languages, most notably in Hindi. In this issue of Muse India we present the Indian perspective of haiku and feature works of several Haijin.

Read more about the history of haiku in India HERE
Muse India : Haiku 2008
WKD Reference

Hindi Haiku

The Indian Haiku Club

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku, the Japanese Poem
..... by Prof. Satya Bhushan Verma

So far Indian haikus are not able to match the satori intended and achieved by the Japanese poets. But then the Indian lovers of haiku and Zen can always go back to Basho and Buson, Issa and Shiki, for an experience that transcends the merely aesthetic.
Read about it here:
SATORI IN 17 SYLLABLES / Dr Satya Bhushan Verma

Dr. Satya Bhushan Verma, of New Delhi, was selected for his scholarship on Japanese culture and for his encouragement of haiku-writing and publishing in Hindi. He has written extensively about haiku in both academic and popular venues in three languages (Hindi, Japanese, and English), and his books in Hindi are the standard works in their fields: Japani Kavitaen (1977) presents Japanese tanka and haiku,and Japani Haiku aur Adhunik Hindi Kavita (1983) compares Japanese haiku and short poems in Hindi and other Indian languages.

For nearly a decade beginning in the early 1970s, he published a newsletter of haiku in Hindi, the first such publication. His other major contributions include establishing the first Japanese language degree program in an Indian university and chairing a number of important Pan-Asian academic and cultural organizations. He was decorated with The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, by the Emperor of Japan in 1996.

Shiki Award 2002

................................

from the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts

Talk by Prof. Satya Bhushan Verma

............................................ Haiku the Japanese Poem

On a withered top of the tree
A crow, alone is perched
It is evening of autumn

This is a Haiku poem.
Haiku is a form of highly specialized Japanese poetry, which uses a set number of syllables. It is short, in fact the shortest from of poetry in the world. It has a few basic rules - the poems use a metre of 5-7-5 syllables in three lines (17 syllables in all); each line should be complete in itself in expressing an idea; season should be mentioned; and there should be spontaneity. Haiku is not a poem written in contemplation. In older days, it used to be popular in the royal courts in Japan to compose Haiku. The most respected man would start the first three lines, which was followed by others.

Prof. Satya Bhushan Verma spoke about Haiku in a lecture (Dec. 31) in which he traced how it came to India. He said Haiku came to Indians through English. The English translations of Haiku had naturally lost the spontaneity and when presented to the Indian readers, they did not have the original charm, he regretted. The first time any Indian poet ever mentioned Haiku was the reference to it by Rabindranath Tagore in his travel diary on his visit to Japan. Subsequently, there were others. Notable among the later poets who attempted Haiku both translation and composing was `Agyeya'.

Haiku is part of the Zen thought, Prof. Verma said. Composing poem was part of the religious practice of Zen. Zen is the philosophy that went to Japan from China. The philosophy owes its origin to India- it comes from dhyan, the Sanskrit word. Giving several examples, Prof. Verma explained as to how a Haiku poem leads the mind to think and provokes imagination. There is philosophy of life in these three short lines, he said.
For instance, the poem

A leaf falls
Lo! Another Leaf falls
With the wind

This poem on contemplation conveys the transitory nature of life. He said the reader has to be sensitive to understand Haiku.

http://ignca.nic.in/nl002404.htm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku: An Indian Perspective
by Dr. Angelee Deodhar

India , with eighteen officially recognized languages, uses English as an additional official language. The Indo-Aryan languages evolved from Sanskrit. Hindi is the official language of the Government of India, and is also the official language of six states. Hindi has several dialects.

Haiku has not gained popularity in India for several reasons. Although the haiku poem was known to poets as far back as the beginning of the twentieth century it did not become popular and the spread of Haiku poetry was sporadic. The Indian Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote eloquently about Japanese culture and literary heritage. He was aware of the haiku poem and his collection of haiku like poems 'Fireflies' was published in English and Bengali. In 1916 the other national poet - Subramania Bharati wrote a long under the title -Japaniyat Kavitai (Japanese poetry) which was a lengthy critical appraisal of haiku where Bharati examined at length the opinion on haiku poems expressed by a Japanese poet, Yone Noguchi.

A three day seminar on 'Impact of Haiku in Indian literature' was held at the Institute of Asian Studies based in Chennai (Madras) from 29th-31st of March 2000. Several poets from India and Japan participated in this seminar but till now the abstracts of papers presented there are still not available.

The pioneer of haiku is India's first Japanese scholar Prof. Satyabhushan Verma - whose first translation of Japanese haiku into Hindi - 'Japani Kavitaian' was published in 1977. In 1981 Prof. Verma started a newsletter in Hindi called 'Haiku'. This was in the form of an aerogramme. This publication was discontinued in 1989. Prof. Satya Bhushan Verma, a professor emeritus of Jawaharlal Nehru University, was chosen for the Masaoka Shiki International Haiku Prize in 2002 . He shared the one million yen prize with an American poet - Cor van den Heuvel.

The second Indian whose efforts are to be commended is Prof. B.S. Aggarwala who publishes a Hindi quarterly journal called 'Haiku Bharati', started in 1998 and continuing till today. There are about 300 poets writing in their native mother tongues associated with this quarterly Hindi journal. Some haiku are translated from the original into Hindi, and then published. Prof. Aggarwala, the author of several books in Hindi is currently working on a history of haiku in Hindi.

English language haiku in India is slowly finding a foothold and there are quite a few haijin writing in English, but most of these poets' haiku is being published abroad. Some poets are bilingual or multilingual but haiku written in one language does not get easily assimilated into another.

One sees every recognized form of the English poem taught in schools all over India, but haiku is not taught.

Unfortunately, India does not have any formal haiku association or club. There are some Indian poetry magazines in which haiku are being published in English; however the Indian haiku scene is still far from satisfactory and needs all the help it can get. Books about haiku are still almost non existent and difficult to obtain. Unless haiku is introduced into the schools it will not gain the attention it deserves. The language for the study of haiku in India will have to be English, so that Indian poets can communicate and share h aiku with poets worldwide.

© Angelee Deodhar
http://www.haiku-hia.com/hyoron_en_in.html

Dr. Angelee Deodhar: Her Haiku Work
INDIA SAIJIKI

Yadi koi pooche: If someone asks
Haiku by Shiki, translated by Angelee Deodhar

Yuzuru Miura's Haiku Classics: A Master's Selection
Translated into Hindi by Angelee Deodhar, 2006

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

More Translations

Haiku of Kobayashi Issa
translated by Narayanan Raghunathan
INDIA SAIJIKI

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sirpi Balasubramaniam reflects:

People now have little time to read and so poetry thrives in shorter forms like Haiku. Short literary pieces are nothing new to Tamil, he avers. "The Tirukkural contains only couplets. Traditionally, there has been a place for such things in Tamil literature."
Haiku is not a modern form and has been in existence for over 500 years. "There is a clear set of guidelines for writing Haiku. However, a poem must not be constricted beyond a certain point", he states.

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Haiku Scene in Tamil

... A.Thiagarajan
February 2008

Safekeep copy

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

実はインドでは俳句は非常に有名である。
当日配布された冊子に寄稿されたＪＮＵヒンディー語学科のランジート・サーハー教授のヒンディー語の小論文「Perspective Haiku: Sensitivity and Structure（）」や、国際俳句学会のウェブサイトに掲載されている「俳句―インドからの展望」という論考によれば、インドに俳句を初めて紹介したのは、アジア初のノーベル文学賞受賞者で詩聖と呼ばれるラヴィーンドラナート・タゴールであったらしい。１９１６年の日本旅行を題材にラヴィーンドラナートが書いた「日本旅行記」に、既に俳句に関する記述が見受けられ、彼は「俳句ほど短い詩は世界にないだろう」と紹介すると同時に、松尾芭蕉の有名な俳句を数首翻訳して掲載している。また、同時期にはタミル語の詩人スブラマニヤ・バーラティーも、日本の俳句に関する評論文を書いていたようだ。独立後になると、インドにおける俳句の影響はヒンディー文学に最も顕著に現れる。ヒンディー文学者アギェーイは、日本を旅行した経験もあり、俳句から大きな影響を受けた詩人だと言われている。彼が１９５９年に出版した詩集「(Arī Ō Karunā Prabhāmay）」には、以下のような有名な３行のシンプルな詩が収録されている。これは何かの俳句の訳詩のようだ（元の俳句が何かは不明）。

だが、インドの文壇において俳句を定着させるのに多大な貢献をしたのは、サティヤブーシャン・ヴァルマー教授である。彼は「（日本の詩）」や「（日本の俳句と近代ヒンディー詩）」などの著作を著しただけでなく、「インド俳句クラブ」を設立し、１９８１年から「हाइकु（Haiku）」という雑誌を発刊し始めた。同誌は１９８９年に廃刊となってしまったが、インドにおける俳句の人気を決定的なものとした。また、１９９８年にはバグワトシャラン・アガルワール教授がヒンディー語の季刊誌「（Haiku Bharati）」を刊行し、こちらは現在まで続いているようだ。
Kore De India : Takuboku and Haiku

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Rajiv Lather's Haiku, Senryu & Haibun

darshan of Brahman
as children laugh and play
maya leads away

http://www.haryana-online.com/Poetry/Haiku/haiku_1.htm

Find more of his haiku here:
http://www.haryana-online.com/Poetry/rajiv_haiku.htm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Rain drops falling down
Fisherman catching the fish
Children are playing

Sriharsha G H, X
Bangalore: U.A.S. Campus School, Hebbal

Haiku in THE HINDU
http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/quest/200212/stories/2002121401640300.htm

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku Expeditions in India

Haiku Expeditions Com

Some Haiku from the trip in 2003

Tusks and trunks broken
Elephant statues
Still stand guard

On the ghats
Lazing dogs
And games of cricket

stoking fire
on the roadside
time for morning chai

Read more and look at the marvellous photos !

© Sanjay Rajan 2002-2006

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

...................... More LINKS

The Impact of Haiku on Indian Literature
March 29 - 31, 1999, the Institute of Asian Studies

Bollimuntha Venkata Ramana Rao
author of Chigurukala (Haiku anthology in Telugu)

. Wonder Haiku Worlds .
The Brahman Way of Haiku.
Narayanan Raghunathan

Hindi Haiku LINKS

Tamil Haiku LINKS

Kannada Haiku and Poetry LINKS

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ooooo ooooo

Haiku in Bangladesh

Haiku in Bhutan

Haiku in Nepal

Haiku in Pakistan

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

THE INDIA SAIJIKI

Back to the Worldkigo Index
http://worldkigodatabase.blogspot.com/

WHCindia, a Haiku Discussion Forum

Kigo from the World . Open Discussion Forum
Contribute your Kigo from INDIA !

- BACK to the INDIA SAIJIKI TOP -

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku in Pakistan

2006-12-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

[ . BACK to TOP . ]
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku in Pakistan

Haiku International (Karachi)

Founder
Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

....................... Haiku Poets from Pakistan

Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui

Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui was born on December 15, 1964, at Karachi, Pakistan. He is a multi-lingual writer, poet and journalist. He is the foremost and only Pakistani poet whose two English poems have been included in 3 world anthologies, published from USA, in 1992, 1994 and 2002 and six English Haiku poems included in world anthology, 'Wild Flowers, New Leaves', published by the World Haiku Club, UK in 2001.

He is the only Pakistani poet, invited to attend the World Haiku Festival and participate in the Haiku & essay contests, organised by the same organisation, in August, 2000. His name was recommended by world-renowned, US poet and scholar, Bill Higginson. One of his English Haiku was not only included in the World Haiku Contest of Japan, by ASAHI, in 2001, but also mentioned as the feature Haiku, on a US website, www.earthlanguage.org, with Japanese translation.

Further, to his credit, he has authored/compiled and edited several books, including others, besides editing and publishing 'Haiku International', the premier and only multi-lingual Haiku journal of South Asia, since 1998. He had served the pre-eminent international, English language Hockey magazine of Pakistan, 'Pakistan Hockey' as de-facto editor, for two years, i.e. 1990-1992,
As free-lance television writer/researcher, he has the privilege of standing as 'A' category writer, ever since he joined Pakistan Television in 1993- very few writers are there in the history of national hook-up, who earned this laurel purely on the basis of merit. He has scripted several plays, research-oriented programmes, documentaries, children programmes, social roundups, for various channels, besides assisting a senior in the historic documentary, 'PTV ka safar' (Journey of PTV-30 years), in 1994. He has contributed to some international events, in the capacity of Quiz compiler and judge, as well.

Sohail started his broadcasting career as a radio talker, in 2004 by delivering his own research-based speeches, in 30 episodes, aired on daily basis, in the Holy Ramadan, by the national FM channel, FM-101. The programme, 'Raushni ke Dareechay' was re-broadcast the following year, as a result of superb feedback from the audience.
©　Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui /　spaces.live.com

....................................................

high tide in river
the ice of my heart melts down
the mountain starts weeping

Japanese translation:

川満ち　心氷解　山が泣く

直訳：川面が盛り上がり、私の心を閉ざした氷は溶けてゆく。
山が泣き声をあげ始めた。

Look at the Earthlanguage Translation HERE:
© earthlanguage.org: Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui

.................................................

Haiku - capturing beauty crisply

Read the full article here please:
By Sohail Ahmed Siddiqui

Barrister Syed Hasan Abid Jafri was the one who introduced haiku to Urdu. He wrote an article, “Japani shairi par eik nazar” (A random look at Japanese poetry) for Nigar (Lucknow) in December 1922. For over a decade there was a meaningless silence on the subject. In 1936, Saaqi, another esteemed literary journal, launched a ‘Japan number’. The translators of Japanese poetry included Aziz Tamannai, Fazle Haque Qureshi and Ali Zaheer. Noorul Hasan Barlas, who had lived in Japan for a long time, played a vital role in providing material for this issue.

A wave of translations attracted enthusiasts from 1938 to 1980s. Among the most prominent names were Hameed Nizami, Meeraji, Zafar Iqbal, Kaleemuddin Ahmed, Abdul Aziz Khalid, Qazi Saleem, Tasadduq Husain Khalid, Dr Muhammad Amin, Mohsin Bhopali and Dr Pervaiz Pervazi.

Who was the pioneer in original Urdu haiku writing? The answer to this question is shrouded in mystery. Afaque Siddiqui claims to have been the first, as he wrote haikus as early as 1970. Qazi Saleem’s verses (1966) were not accepted true haiku, on technical grounds. But the famous Urdu poet Himayat Ali Shair has quoted an original haiku of Meeraji, composed some time back in the 1940s or 1950s.

In 1960, the Sindhi language embraced this foreign genre through some translations rendered by Dr Tanveer Abbasi. This endeavour opened the floodgate of original Sindhi three-liners. A friend of Tanveer and a popular Urdu poet, Mohsin Bhopali, translated some of his haiku into Urdu in 1963.

In the 1970s, Dr Muhammad Amin, a penman from Multan, visited Japan and started writing original Urdu three-liners and published his maiden anthology, Haiku in 1980. Three years later, in 1983 the first Urdu haiku mushaira was held under the auspices of the Japan Cultural Centre in Karachi. The Centre also organized Urdu haiku recitals, under the guidelines and coordination of Professor Dr Syed Abul Khair Kashfi. Soon the new genre became popular in the national language, as well as regional languages and dialects. Some fifty Urdu anthologies and many collections in regional languages have so far appeared. However, there is no authentic bibliography of collections.

In 1998, I launched a multilingual haiku journal of South Asia, Haiku International. The Karachi-based journal has brought out seven issues, including four special numbers on Pakistani haiku masters, namely, Mohsin Bhopali, Wazahat Naseem, Iqbal Haider and Professor Muhammad Rais Alvi. Of these, Iqbal Haider has received the title of “Ambassador of haiku” from the Japanese Consul General for excellence in the field.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Mohsin Bhopali

“Bhopali’s favourite style of poetry was the Haiku style. He was an expert in this technique and even made a big name through this art.”

Poet Zakia Ghazal described Bhopali as the nucleus of Pakistani literature. “He wrote on every issue, and always made it a point to participate in all the functions. "
©　www.dailytimes.com.pk

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku - a cultural bridge between
Japan and Pakistan

March 31, 2008

A Japanese form of poetry, Haiku, has gained immense popularity in Pakistan over last few decades. Many poets in Pakistan today practice this compact yet profound and evocative form that gives an objective, suggestive, pithy and fleeting picture of its subject.
Haiku is a short verse of 17 syllables in three metrical sections of 5-7-5 syllables.
©　rediff.com / VIDEO

More Haiku Books from the rediff press
books.rediff.com

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku in Urdu

From 1938 to 1980's, the most prominent Haiku enthusiasts were Hameed Nizami, Meeraji, Zafar Iqbal, Kaleemuddin Ahmed, Abdul Aziz Khalid, Qazi Saleem, Tasadduq Husain Khalid, Dr Muhammad Amin and Mohsin Bhopali. In the 1970s, Dr Muhammad Amin, from Multan, visited Japan and started writing original Urdu three-liners and published his anthology, Haiku in 1980. Three years later, in 1983 the first Urdu Haiku mushaira was organized by the Japan Cultural Center in Karachi. Soon the new genre became popular in Urdu. Some fifty Urdu anthologies and many collections have so far been published.
©　mehraab.com/

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Haiku Mushaira

Urdu Haiku poetry captivated a large audience at a local hotel here on Saturday March 2, 2002. Pakistan-Japan Friendship Fest began with a Haiku Mushaira, in which over 20 famous poets from the twin cities participated. The Embassy of Japan in collaboration organized the mushaira with the Pakistan Japan Cultural Association Islamabad, Pakistan Haiku Society and Pakistan National Council of the Arts. The Chairman, Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL), Iftikhar Arif was the chief guest and Zia Jalandhri presided over the mushaira.

Speaking on the occasion, Tamotsu Shinotsuka from embassy of Japan lauded Urdu. He said that Iqbal, Ghalib and Faiz were the great poets of their era. Tamotsu Shinotsuka expressed his delight over the fact that Haiku, the Japanese style of poetry was gaining popularity in Pakistan and other countries of the world.

The poets who participated in the mushaira included, Abid Sial, Akhtar Hoshiyarpuri, Ali Muhammad Farshi, Amin Rahat Chughtai, Anwaar Feroz, Anwar Fitrat, Asghar Abid, Ayesha Malik, Azra Asghar, Daud Rizwan, Ghazanfar Hashmi, Khawar Eijaz, Mehmooda Ghazia, Naveed Jamil, Parveen Tahir, Qayyum Tahir, Rafiq Sandhelvi, Rashid Hameed, Saeed Ahmad, Sharf-ud-Din Sahmi, and Shaukat Mehdi.

Each poet recited three translations from the Haiku poetry written by Japanese poets and five of their own compositions. The officials of Japan embassy, diplomats and a large number of writers, poets and others from the twin cities, attended the function.
©　mehraab.com/

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

BOOKS

*****************************
BACK TO

The INDIA SAIJIKI

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

Back to the Worldkigo Index

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Kala Ramesh : Creation

2006-12-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

Creation and Silences

By Kala Ramesh

Tao says:

Thirty spokes share the wheel’s hub;
It is the center hole that makes it useful.
Shape clay into a vessel;
It is the space within that makes it useful.

Shabda - Sound
Maun- Silence
Shoonyata - creative void

In the context of Indian classical music- these are big and weighty words. If we look at it from the surface ‘maun’ is Silence. But Maun in music is more than mere silence, it is a pregnant silence! Born out of that silence is Music.
According to the ancient texts, the Omkara dhvani [sound of Aum ] was the first primordial sound that permeated the universe.

In Goenkaji‘s Vipassana Centers you see placards with the words ‘arya maun ‘ and below that in English it says ‘noble silence’. A silence is noble when it comes out of an egoless state? May be? So the next logical conclusion is to say that silence is closest to a perfect state when it is noble. Silences have various avatars, like that deadly silence when murder is committed or when we are shocked, so on and so forth, but silence in music has its own flavour, a rasa. It stands apart. Now why is silence so important in music? Without silences, music means sounds coming from a non-stop chattering mind and that even from the best of musical minds can get tiring!

silent night . . .
piercing the sky
owl’s hoot

That ‘break’ is so necessary, for they say that the mind’s attention span is just 40 seconds. That reminds me of a beautiful belief that the late Pandit Kumar Gandharva used to hold close to his heart. He was supposed to have said that, when a composition has a beautiful finishing line, it should be sung only once. Never to repeat that line again. For, in all probability the listener’s wandering, chattering mind would have missed it! And sure enough you have this listener’s undivided attention now for quite some time, without doubt!

Silence is golden- we have all heard that line. Most often than not silence conveys more than the music itself for ultimately the ‘unknown’ is beyond words. Even the best of musicians have to accept that is it silence that elevates their music to greater heights.

Now let me explain this in a different way to make myself clear.
In Hindu philosophy we explain the ‘unknown’ in various ways. The crescent moon or the waxing moon on the third day is very important to the Hindus. And generally in our homes when we were kids, our elders would try to point out that almost non–existent moon to us! This is how it would go! You see that low branch over there in that mango tree? You see that fork in that branch? See that leaf in the corner, at the tip? Yes?

By now we would be all excited like we were on a mystery trail or something. Now between that leaf and the other leaf from the other branch you see the sky? Yes! We would cry in chorus! Now look straight ahead into the night sky, do you see that thin white line? There would be great excitement. Yes we have ‘discovered’ the new moon. The adult can lead the child only to that last leaf, after that, the child needs to take that leap into space to find the moon!

The voice cannot carry the tongue
and the lips that gave it wings.
Alone must it seek the ether-

said Kahlil Gibran most poetically.

Divine music and dance has to enable us to have a taste of that which is ‘sacred’. But humans with our imperfections can never do that. All the great artists, be it in music, dance or in any other art form take the rasika figuratively by the hand and lead him towards the ‘unknown’. But there is that vast expanse of ‘space’ between the human effort and the Unknown?

In music, this space; this short gap in time is Silence.
Arya Maun.

When,
Time stands still.

Is it this silence that makes music divine?
The deep silences-
And, behind this silence?
Void or Shoonyata which we can say equals Creative Energy?

The seers say that to go beyond time and space is Mukti [liberation]

singer sings
the inner silences
- concert hall

What are the seven notes of a scale? Have you ever wondered?

Your base note might be different from mine. Out of thin air, your whole scale - the full octave - is built on your base note! You give it a concrete shape and a form, a roop to call it a raga. This whole creation has come out of that “great sacred void’’ and it needs to return to its source. And this is what Silence does in a silent way to music. This is why those half pauses, full pauses or being completely enveloped by that over powering silence for sometime is so essential in a music recital.

This adds vitality and poignancy to the Art. The greatness of a musician is evident when this silence does not seem contrived but is the natural and simple sequence to his thought process. All great Art is simple. It seems simple.

the pot emerges from clay
and to clay it returns

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

Back to Kala Ramesh
More about Music of India

***** Back to ... Silence (maun)

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Back to the WHC Worldkigo Index