Located on the border of Maharashtra and Karnataka, I visited 'Gokarna' which means 'Cows ear'. It has the most untouched expanses of beaches and pink skies that one could ever see. What makes it interesting is the cultural mix of the Kannadiga population with Maharashtrian surnames. The architecture has a distinct style that is visible in the small town and its temples. The photos document hand painted signs, patterns, elements and moments that we experienced in the sleepy town of Gokarna with its scenic beaches.
SRI LANKA - SERENDI’PRETTY
My friend, colleague and calligrapher Pradnya Naik and me were invited to be a part of Typoday 2017, Sri Lanka. We were conducting a Tact-Type workshop combining everyday materials and local scripts. Typoday is a design conference which is a celebration of Indian typography, calligraphy and font design. Designers, students and agencies from all over Asia and beyond come to attend this conference. After completing the 3 day conference and workshop hosted at the University of Moratuwa, Colombo. We explored different parts of Sri Lanka, staying with local families, traveling by public transport and depending heavily upon Google Maps. The tear-dropped island of Lanka is surrounded by the sea on all sides, making it a coastal land, with scenic beaches that have clean water and beautiful marine life. But as you move towards the centre it becomes forested, and densely green with plush hillsides, tea gardens and old English towns. We travelled from Colombo to Kandy by train, made a days trip to Dambulla and Sigiriya, then headed off for Nuwara Eliya by a local bus and then drove down to the Akurla beach near Hikkaduwa in Southern Province, Sri Lanka. A muggy weather, with spicy local seafood, warm-hearted families, clean but traffic-filled roads, neat urban architecture, different car models from China, Japan and Europe, and peace-loving friendly people. Most of Sri Lanka follows Buddhism and hence the influence can be seen in the architecture, across caves, monuments or temples.
LADAKH - LIFE, LEARNINGS AND MORE
This trip is what changed my outlook towards life. It was my sister's idea to travel as voluntary teachers in Ladakh. We had the opportunity to visit a number of different schools and regions where we worked with children, conversed with monks and also painted a few walls. Because I am a children's book illustrator with numerous books published - The Avalokitesvara Trust invited both of us to work there. My sister works in the field of education and ecology at grass root level, so we decided to turn this into a longer voluntary trip which would really allow us to understand the region, its people and their day-to-day struggles. There is something about the atmosphere and locals that makes you connect to them at once. There pervades a type of slowness in their day to day life, which disperses a feeling of calm and peace. The locals radiate happy vibes and their constant dealings with the forces of nature, both beautiful and brutal has resulted in them in being united and trusting of each other. We saw some breath taking views, snow covered mountains, calm and clear lakes. This journey was about giving and consequently about getting some of the best things that life could bring my way.
SHANGHAI - A SHOWPIECE OF CHINA'S BOOMING ECONOMY
I was traveling to China for the first time and it was a challenge owing to the fact that neither my number, network, Whatsapp or Facebook would work in China. It is one of the most restricted countries in the world in terms of internet. But being technologically smarter and businessmen by nature - they have created a variety of their own social media platforms which are popular but work only in Chinese languages! The first place I saw was Shanghai - as the Maersk event was held here. The name Shanghai is derived from shàng/zan, "upon and hǎi/hae, "sea", together meaning "Upon the Sea". It is easily one of the largest port cities which is second largest in population. All around you'll see well made roads, lit up skylines, slick salesmen, amidst a muggy climates, dirty smelling water bodies, strange food smells and great infrastructure - it boasts of some of the tallest buildings in the world ... and then again more buildings, and ghost towns, the sheer number of people moving around can be overwhelming. In spite of trees and gardens one can see that urbanization has taken over most of the land here. According to me Shanghai did not look very different from any other metro in India. I was used to the crowds, the bargaining, figuring out the public transport and so on. The challenge was when things were written only in Chinese with no translation in English. And occasionally the food. Being a vegetarian is difficult while traveling in other parts of Asia but cosmopolitan places like Shanghai & Beijing are far more easier to travel in than other parts of China.
BEIJING - A COLLECTION OF THE OLD AND NEW
I was invited to be a Graphic Facilitator for a project with Maersk (China) - one of the worlds largest shipping corporations. They had an event and workshop which comprised of members from most teams across South East Asia - they came coming to brainstorm on different ideas. I had to play the role of the person who can give this idea a form, identify a story around it and make the data look meaningful. Also since it was too many numbers/data a happier, brighter hand-drawn presentation was preferable. After the work was completed. We headed to Beijing! via the popular overnight sleeper trains. Beijing, means "Northern Capital". It is the sprawling, large, and most populated city of China. While walking through the streets you will note different styles of architecture. - The traditional architecture of Imperial China (Tian'anmen Square, Forbidden City etc.) And then some poorly designed buildings referred to as the "Sino-Sov" style, with boxy structures. The city is also has more modern architecture in certain newly developed districts. I found Beijing to be more cultural and touristy with some old, rich architecture in bold beautiful colors like red and yellow (but with hardly any conservation being done to preserve it). A revolutionary art scene at their art district brought in themes of communism, graffiti, along with world art styles visible in art galleries and delicate products designed in clay and porcelain. It is an old city with ancient houses, hostels for travelers, malls and high streets with every possible brand. It is a city of contradictions, like most capitals across the world.
QIBAO - WANDERING AROUND A WATER TOWN
I was invited to be a Graphic Facilitator for a project with Maersk (China) - one of the worlds largest shipping corporations. They had an event and workshop which comprised of members from most teams across South East Asia - they came coming to brainstorm on different ideas. I had to play the role of the person who can give this idea a form, identify a story around it and make the data look meaningful. Also since it was too many numbers/data a happier, brighter hand-drawn presentation was preferable. After the project was completed and while we were in Shanghai - we visited Qibao It is an ancient water town that was established during the Song dynasty; it is a must-see place, which is easily accessible from Shanghai via the metro line. Qibao in Chinese means ‘seven treasures'. There are different myths behind this name - One theory states the name was due to the steady financial growth of the town, another one talks about seven mysteriously appearing treasures - Buddha, bell, lotus scriptures, sacred trees, a gold chicken, a jade axe and jade chopsticks. It is said that originally there were eight treasures, but apparently one was stolen. So, the town was named as Seven Treasures! While walking through the streets I felt that Quibao is like a small quaint town, almost like an organic niche within (or rather close to...) a modern urban bustling Shanghai. Qibao has a canal running through it - dotted with some old architecture and buildings which house numerous shops, galleries and street food cafes. There are winding lanes and small alleys with artists selling local crafts and handmade wares. Tiny bridges and hidden temples too, if you venture for a long walk through it. Some pockets are almost 'chawl' system like. A classic case of where traditionally richer architecture is lined up next to drab, dull matchbox houses.