"Mirabai" - A Paragon of her kind

It is 2020, and yet, it is oftentimes an uphill struggle for women to live a fulfilled and creative life. The expectations of the society are for women to marry, settle down, and devote their lifetime to familial and domestic responsibilities, duties, and obligations.

Parallels can be drawn to the life of Mirabai. At a time(early 17th century) when women were thought to be subordinate to men and were meant to mostly just go down to the male and patriarchal agenda of the religious and worldly pursuits, Mirabai demonstrated subversion via the way she chose to live her life and via the poetry that she wrote. She defied the creative canon of those times and also showed open disregard for the contemporary Rajput customs. She refused to commit Sati, after her husband's death and instead, chose to dedicate her entire life to the worship of Lord Krishna. She overstepped the boundary lines, drawn by the upper castes, and mingled with other worshipers. She chose to live the life of a Mendicant and chose austerity and poverty to pursue spirituality.

In the book "Songs of the Saints of India", John Stratton Hawley, writes about Mirabai, "She fired her imagination with her fearless defiance..the only one of her gender to have earned a place on the Honor roll of North Indian Bhakti Saints, she exerts a fascination that none of her male counterparts can match".

Here was a woman that had no shame or fear of authority and walked the streets fearlessly. Her poems became a means of rebellion against the unfair expectations of contemporary society and were a perfect mix of asceticism and aesthetics.

Women of this day and age can draw from Mirabai's example in making their own choices and stick to them, and in living an independent and creative public life...

Words of Anghrija Chakraborty

Art by Swasthi

PS: Check out my few other Coffee paintings in the next article

Unique ways of collecting Memories

Memories live longer than things, or even more, memories live longer than we do! And the best about memory is creating them!!

In the olden days, memories were preserved by either of the following ways:

Writing a personal diary, collecting letters & inland postcards, printing the best set of pictures of the whole lot and making an album, preserving keepsake things in a memory trunk box... Later, collecting mementos like key chains, magnets, wall hangs, or even coins, postal stamps became the trend...

In recent times, memories are preserved in many ways, and many forms such as:

1. Recording a video, making a short film of occasions, vacations, or even emotions...

 

2. Make a traditional collage out of Newspaper cuttings of "the most important event" in the history

3. Write a blog with very special memories, life events close to heart ..

4. Collect as many precious things as possible that are a part of "the most favorite memory"

5. Sketch & Paint away "the life-changing moment"

6. Handmade Photo Scrapbook - Memory Book

9 Innovative ideas to collect memories

1. Travel Memory Box

"Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in this world"

If you are a traveler or have traveled to many places, then make it even more memorable by preserving its wonderful memories. Make a simple Travel Memory Box!

2. Memory Tree

"The best things in life are the people we love, places we have been, and the memories we have made along" and another form to re-create such memories is to make a Memory tree. You can make one by just arranging the photos of memorable occasions chronologically in a family tree form!!

3. Bullet Journal - My memory spread

Doodling your memory is a quick, enjoyable way which is thinking & making stuff at the same time. You start with nothing and end up sketching your memory in a new & creative way.

4. Memory Jar - Jar of Dates

You know the best (or the worst) part about remembering the dates are, you recall everything that happened on that day and secretly wish that the year never changed!! We usually do not remember days or dates but we remember the moments associated with it. Won't it be satisfying if you can reminisce your memories by looking at the cute notes stored inside a jar?! Yes...Make your own Memory Jar.

5. Memory Cabinet - Shadowbox Memory board

There is something special about collecting memorabilia especially the fascination it gives when you look at the collection after many years. And this love for collecting memorabilia can often be taken to another level and allows you to venture into a whole new hobby!

Make a typical shadow box and present your memorable objects by grouping thematically or chronologically or in order of your personal significance.

6. Memory Cube

This idea emerged from the concept of Rubik's cube and as the name suggests, Memory cube is, having your memorable photos stuck on each face or each box in a face. Each face of the cube can signify each memory of your vacation or any occasion.

7. Memory Frame

"It is the frame which makes some memories more important and makes moments lively and highlighted". Frame your favorite memory with a collage of photos with its significance including its date, place, and give it a caption.

You can make a frame of the most important dates in your life, time, favorite quotes, funny moments & facts.

8. Memory Collage - Word Archives

Memory collage can be in the form of a word archive and is a fitting idea to preserve many photos of a memorable moment or a person. This is also a great idea to make your everlasting memorabilia and gift to those who share your memory!!

9. Gift your memorabilia

Gifting your favorite memory to the person who holds a special place in it, is the best way to multiply the life of your memory and prove that memory lives longer, merrier than the person himself/herself. 

PS: You can check out creative gifting ideas & Web links that enable you to make extraordinary gifts with your ordinary photos, in my future posts.

Pictures from Pinterest

Words reference from Google