Thursday, July 10, 2014

Colour...the essence of life !

A warm hello from India to my blog family ! I know I am guilty of being away for the past few days, for not keeping you 'posted', and for not sharing my thoughts off late in this little space of mine in the blogosphere.  I have to share with you though that it has been a whirlwind of a fortnight, landing in my home country, spending time with my family, painting the town red with my Ma-in-law regardless of the relentless heat, shopping at my favourite haunts in the city, catching up with friends and in between all of this, pausing to notice the lovely 'bursts of colour' that adorn our home here.

What does colour mean to you? I was reflecting upon this as I started writing this post and various thoughts came to my mind...colour could mean the presence of grandchildren in the world of a grandparent, the thrill and delight of playing with them and spoiling them... :-) Or it could be the bright blush of vermillion on the cheeks of married Bengali women during 'sindoor khela',a significant ritual observed in Bengal as they bid goodbye to Goddess Durga during Pujo every year.

Colour could be an assortment of whole spices to a chef, turmeric sticks, fiery whole red chillies and brown cinnamon sticks  arranged in clear glass bottles, sitting pretty on the shelves in the kitchen. A cheering crowd adds colour to a lifeless stadium just as a puppy adds colour to the world of dog lovers. Colour of course means pigments to a blank canvas and paint stained aprons for an artist, it also means flowers to a brass vase and marigolds to a 'puja thali'.

Colour to me is also synonymous with first rains in the monsoons as they quench the thirst of the parched soil, raindrops kissing the scarlet hibiscus on the bush outside the house, or with plants serenading a bare balcony and with trailing climbers on wrought iron railings or with bright begonia creepers wrapping themselves around a spiral iron staircase. Colour also reminds me of a ferry with a bright red sail in the middle of the river under star-spangled skies, and of 'sarangi' players in Rajasthan, wearing red turbans as they romance their musical instrument against the weathered walls of their village homes... :-)

And most importantly, colour makes me think of some gorgeous spots of colour in my mother-in-law's home, which beautifully accentuate the neutral shades of the wall, the upholstery, the tables and the consoles...

I love how the greenery here offsets the gleaming brass tones of the Buddha...


...and how this beautiful fruit bowl makes for such an exquisite centrepiece...


...or how the dash of pink brings out the best in the paisley upholstery on the couch...


...or how lovely the red heliconias look against the ivory curtains...



I simply love how the shelves in the dining room come alive with the beautiful colours and gold carving of this gorgeous teapot...


...and how these lovely white and blue knick-knacks add character to the marble top coffee tables and consoles in their home...



I love the contrast of this green butter dish against the beautifully polished table, this is used more for decor than for doling out lashings of butter on the breakfast table and I wouldn't have it any other way :-)


...and of course her enviable collection of Ganeshas, of which this is a small glimpse. I love the way the colours of this beautiful wooden one stand out against the others that have grey and black tones...isn't this simply gorgeous ? :-)


Colour exists in all our homes just as it exists in our lives, it enlivens corners and brightens our souls, all you need to do is look around you (and within you) and notice it. Life is also all about contrasts, so why should your home not sport the 'contrast' look? Think how well grey and pink go together, club the indigo with a bright mustard and consider adding some fuchsia against purple vignettes and savour the splendid results ! :-) And the next time you see a shade bringing out the best in a corner in your home, do share it with me. I would love to hear about it, learn from you how it makes your world a more beautiful place and in the process add a little more colour to my day. Until my next post, stay smiling, stay colourful. See you ! :-)


Images : Pratibha & Anil Madan

4 comments:

  1. Lovely compilation of thoughts and pictures. Love them all. It shows that each object here has been collected with a lot of love and with an eye for beauty :)

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  2. Totally love the bursts of colour in your home!! *smiles*

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    1. Thank you, yes it is a beautiful blend of colours, all thanks to my Ma-in-law's aesthetic sensibilities :-)

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