Thursday, March 29, 2012

Something from Rumi

One day I feel confused and down,
the next I can reach the sky
without you I am never calm.
In your absence people ridicule me,
but when you come
I don't mind what they think or say.
I refuse to feast or be merry without my Beloved.

Rumi

Friday, March 16, 2012

Passing Thought!

It is not without reason that we are given troubles and turmoils. We deserve whatever we end up having in our lives. Brooding over them is not a wise choice. Either silently bear the punishment/torment without any grudges or keep complaining and cribbing. But whichever choice you make, Life has to be lived in its wholesome pattern and skipping any one portion is not going to make your life complete in the final reckoning!!!

Review - The Fabric of Our Lives: The Story of Fabindia

Image Source - Fabindia.com
The Fabric of Our Lives: The Story of Fabindia, by Radhika Singh 
Fabindia has been my favorite retail brand ever since one of my long-lost friends introduced me to it. I am thinking as to what makes Fabindia a special thing to me and these are some of the answers that I could come up with - an exhibition of tradition and ethnicity, vivid and vibrant colors, natural fabrics and other items, aesthetics of the shop interiors, the lighting, the mixed aroma of wood, clothes and other items. For me, Fabindia is synonymous to sensuousness, but wait, am I here to talk about the book or the brand?!!!

This book is a treat for the fans of Fabindia and it gives a complete account of the brand, since it's humble beginning as an export company due to the efforts of an American who was fascinated by Indian crafts and fabrics.

The book begins with how John Bissell arrived in India as a normal executive to assist the revival of Indian handicrafts/handlooms industry and how he ended up changing the lives of so many artisans and revived some of the dying (pun unintended) art of handlooms in the country. The book moves chronologically from formation of an export firm to formulation of one of the famous retail brands of the country. John Bissell is the protagonist of this book and as can be expected, after his demise, the book tends to get a little – only a little – uninteresting, focusing mainly on business figures and strategy rather than emotions and enthusiasm that till then entwines the flow. One eerie event during the reading of the book though is that of reading about the founder’s demise exactly on the day of his demise - 03rd of March.

Started by John Bissell more for emotional and aesthetic tenets, Fabindia has been doing good now and has become a household name literally, having shifted its focus from selling just durries to a whole spectrum of clothing, furniture, fashion accessories, organic foods and health products, and even special stationery. The founder has been an epitome of emotions, passion, compassion, integrity and assiduousness. Now, if only I could emulate him!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Thirukkural

அறத்துப்பால்
கடவுள் வாழ்த்து

1. அகர முதல எழுத்தெல்லாம் ஆதி
பகவன் முதற்றே உலகு.

2. கற்றதனால் ஆய பயனென்கொல் வாலறிவன்
நற்றாள் தொழாஅர் எனின்.

3. மலர்மிசை ஏகினான் மாணடி சேர்ந்தார்
நிலமிசை நீடுவாழ் வார்.

4. வேண்டுதல் வேண்டாமை இலானடி சேர்ந்தார்க்கு
யாண்டும் இடும்பை இல.

5. இருள்சேர் இருவினையும் சேரா இறைவன்
பொருள்சேர் புகழ்புரிந்தார் மாட்டு.

6. பொறிவாயில் ஐந்தவித்தான் பொய்தீர் ஒழுக்க
நெறிநின்றார் நீடுவாழ் வார்.

7. தனக்குவமை இல்லாதான் தாள்சேர்ந்தார்க் கல்லால்
மனக்கவலை மாற்றல் அரிது.

8. அறவாழி அந்தணன் தாள்சேர்ந்தார்க் கல்லால்
பிறவாழி நீந்தல் அரிது.

9. கோளில் பொறியின் குணமிலவே எண்குணத்தான்
தாளை வணங்காத் தலை.

10. பிறவிப் பெருங்கடல் நீந்துவர் நீந்தார்
இறைவன் அடிசேரா தார்.
 
Source - http://kural.muthu.org/

Happy New Year 2024!

As the first Sun of 2024 went back home, I was busy preparing my new diary and journal, packing off the old ones to their crammed space insi...