Dreams Without Measure

“When you were a wandering desire in the mist, I too was there, a wandering desire.
Then we sought one another, and out of our eagerness dreams were born.
And dreams were time limitless, and dreams were space without measure.”
(Kahlil Gibran – Lebanese-American artist, poet, and writer, 1883-1931)

The City Palace is a palace complex in Udaipur, the City of Lakes, in the Indian state Rajasthan.
It was built by the Maharana Udai Singh in 1559 in a flamboyant fusion of Rajasthani and Mughal architectural styles and stands on a hill top that gives a panoramic view of the city and the Lake Pichola.
This picture was shot in the Audience Room of the maharaja’s apartments and symbolizes what I always dreamt of India when I was younger.
Each time I have an opportunity to escape for a few days to Udaipur, I come back there and the dream is untouched, flawless and without measure…

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The Power Of Celebration

“People of our time are losing the power of celebration.
Instead of celebrating we seek to be amused or entertained.
Celebration is an active state, an act of expressing reverence or appreciation.
To be entertained is a passive state–it is to receive pleasure afforded by an amusing act or a spectacle….
Celebration is a confrontation, giving attention to the transcendent meaning of one’s actions.”
(From “The Wisdom of Heschel” by Abraham Joshua Heschel)

This was shot from the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras) during the celebrations of Dev Diwali on the occasion of Kartik Poornima.
The festival of Lights is a mark of welcome to the Gods as it is believed that they descend on earth on that special day.
In the evening under the full moon reflecting in the holy waters each ghat is performing Ganga Aarti with vedic hymns chanted by priests in order to please and welcome the Gods.

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“A Guit Your” – “Shana Tova”

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”
(From “A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches” by Martin Luther King Jr.)

Amazing symbols gathered all together on a huge bowl in the gardens of the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in New Delhi.
With “Om” everything begins, it is a mantra and mystical Sanskrit sound of Hindu origin sacred and important in various Dharmic religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Like Ganesha who is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, he is the patron of arts and sciences and the deva of intellect and wisdom, the god of beginnings and therefore he is honoured at the start of rituals and ceremonies.
Then the hexagram which has deep significance in most of the Dharmic and Abrahamic religions.
In Christianity it is often called the star of creation, while it is known as Najmat Dāwūd (Star of David) or Khātem Sulaymān (Seal of Solomon) in Islam and becomes the Magen David when it is recognized as the symbol of Judaism.

In many ways this picture unites us all and allows me to wish everyone, whatever your faith is, “A Guit Your”, “Shana Tova” or, in other words, a Happy New Year.
It is easier to love than to hate, and as we are at the edge of a new conflict I truly want peace to prevail.
May this year be peaceful for all of us…

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Iconic Poetess

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” It’s all about laughter, love, and living fiction.
Poetry in Motion.
The stuff of dreams and making them come true.
The stuff of life…. Making tunes, making art, making in art and making out art.
Pink and Green.
Harmony through music, melody, loving Tai-Chi, Yoga, and things that nature teaches.
Reminder: Pay attention to your teachers and stay in the present tense…..”
(Yianna Katsoulos)

 

This is a portrait of Yianna Katsoulos.
The American pop singer became an icon of the 80’s and of Paris nights with her single “Les autres sont jaloux” which was a top hit in France.
She carried her amazing life following her heart while her music and sweet poetry remained in several movies and TV commercials.
The revival of the 80’s and the demand of her many fans made her come back with a new song, “Fais moi l’amour comme un français”, which should become a new hit on the dancefloors.
“Pour raison X, Y ou Z, French men are always better in bed
C’est le secret national, Les hommes français sont femmes fatales”
The video is being shot today and will be soon on internet.

www.katsoulos.com
www.yiannakatsoulos.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“A Lamp Placed in Darkness”

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“Thomas was a lamp placed in darkness to illuminate the earth filled with the smoke of false sacrifices.
It was to a land of dark people he was sent, to clothe them by Baptism in white robes.
His grateful dawn dispelled India’s painful darkness.
He, one of the Twelve, like a great lamp with oil from the Cross replenished, flooded India’s dark night with light.It was his mission to espouse India to the One-Begotten…
Edessa thus became the blessed city by possessing the greatest pearl India could yield.
Thomas works miracles in India, and at Edessa Thomas is destined to baptize peoples perverse and steeped in darkness, and that in the land of India.”
(From the “Hymns of Saint Ephraem (Ephrem) the Syrian, on Apostle Thomas and India” – Ephr. Hymni et Sermones, IV)

Christianity is India’s third-largest religion, with approximately 24 million followers, constituting 2.3% of India’s population.
The works of scholars and Eastern Christian writings state that Christianity was introduced to India by Thomas the Apostle, who visited Muziris (Kodungallur ) in Kerala in 52 CE to proselytize amongst Kerala’s Jewish settlements.
As with early Christianity in the Roman Empire, it is assumed that the initial converts were largely Jewish proselytes among the Cochin Jews who are believed to have arrived in India around 562BC, after the destruction of the First Temple.
Many of these Jews presumably spoke Aramaic like St. Thomas, also a Jew by birth, who is credited by tradition with evangelizing India.
Therefore Christianity in India is almost as old as Christianity itself and spread in India even before it spread in many predominantly Christian nations of Europe.
Today most Christians in India are Catholic following the Latin rite.
The Christian Church runs thousands of educational institutions and hospitals contributing significantly to the development of the nation.

This picture was shot at All Saints Cathedral ( known as Patthar Girja Ghar) in Allahabad in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, it was built in the 19th century in Gothic style and designed by Sir William Emerson, the eminent architect who designed the Victoria Memorial, Kolkata and it figures among the finest Cathedrals of India.

Wild Expressions

“Grant me some wild expressions, Heavens, or I shall burst.”
(George Farquhar – Irish Poet and Dramatist, 1677-1707)

Last afternoon I took several portraits of Abhishek at the upper terrace of our office in Vanarasi (Benaras).
I hope that he won’t mind that I have been uploading this one which is really wild and funny.

Mind Expressions

“Your world is a living expression of how you are using and have used your mind.”
(Earl Nightingale – American author, 1921–1989)

This is another portrait of Abhishek shot last afternoon at the upper terrace of our office in Vanarasi (Benaras).

Facial Expressions

“Comedy’s easy for me now – it’s all about timing and the way you deliver lines. 
I use facial expressions to get the point across.”
(Melissa Joan Hart – Actress, b.1976)

This is a portrait of Abhishek playing the man with a 1000 faces, it was shot last afternoon at the upper terrace of our office in Vanarasi (Benaras).

Drowned in My Ego

“Na thaa kuchh to Khudaa thaa, kuchh na hotaa to Khudaa hotaa
Duboyaa mujh ko hone ne, na hotaa mai.n to kyaa hotaa
huaa jab Gam se yuu.N behis to Gam kyaa sar ke kaTane kaa
na hotaa gar judaa tan se to zaa.Nno.n par dharaa hotaa
huii muddat ke ‘Ghalib’ mar gayaa par yaad aataa hai
wo har ek baat pe kahanaa ke yuu.N hotaa to kyaa hotaa”

“He was, when it was aught
He would still be, even if it might have been naught
Drowned I am in my ego
What would have happened if “I” was not
Laden with distraught and feeling apathetic
do I have to worry about the head being severed
If it did not severe from the body
The head would have simply reposed on the lap
It has been ages that “Ghalib” died
Yet the memories linger on
His saying this on every occasion
If it was “like this” then what it would be!”

(“He was, when it was aught” by Mirza Ghalib, 1597-1869)

Mirza Ghalib is considered to be the one of the most popular and influential poet of the Urdu language.
Ghazals using his words often remind me the music made by the many handloom machines in some Muslim areas of Varanasi (Benaras) where I always enjoy to come and work.
This picture was shot in one of our workshops there.

The Cloths Of Heaven

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“Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
(“He Wishes For The Cloths Of Heaven” by William Butler Yeats)

This throw made of wool and silk is woven with a Jamawar design on traditional handloom.
The lightness of the fabric allows to wear it like a scarf as well.
Abhijeet was modelling for the first time and he was very easy with the camera.
This picture was shot with natural light at the upper terrace which is on the top of our office in Varanasi (Benaras).
(Collection RED HALO – Throw style “NOOR” – Col. Blue Jean)

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