I decided to write this blog to actually describe what Mandala Project means to me!!
The meaning of Mandala comes from Sanskrit meaning "circle." Even though it may be dominated by squares or triangles, a mandala has a concentric structure. Mandalas offer balancing visual elements, symbolizing unity and harmony.
The goal of the mandala is to serve as a tool on our spiritual journey as it symbolizes cosmic and psychic order.
Living outside India for now a couple of years I have traveled all over the world on work!! But whenever I travel outside I am asked a dozen of questions about India and our culture and even though most of relate it with Yoga and the Taj Mahal no one knows the real India!!
Then the question which I am asked about is which part are you from?? I reply I am from Orissa!! And the most common expression I get from 99% of the people is of confusion!!
Being an Oriya guy who spent some substantial time there I am continuously shocked that even though we are very much a part of India we are hardly recognized anywhere in this world !! And it really hurt whenever even in Kuwait or in parts of India where Orissa is not recognized!!
And even for people in Orissa how many actually have seen this part of Orissa!! Yes maybe they have been to Puri to the local beaches but how many have taken the time to get lost in the forests or even taken time to sit down and actually do NOTHING!!
Orissa is blessed with around 500 km long coastline and has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Kalinga(Present day Orissa) in 261 BC was a state that prided itself on its sovereignty and democracy. With its monarchical parliamentary democracy it was quite an exception in ancient Bharata where there existed the concept of Rajdharma. Rajdharma means the duty of the rulers, which was intrinsically entwined with the concept of bravery and Kshatriya dharma.
Ashoka the Great embraced Buddhism and the path of Ahimsa after witnessing the mass deaths of the war of Kalinga. He was later dedicated to the propagation of Buddhism across Asia and established monuments marking several significant sites in the life of Gautama Buddha. How many people know that this actually happened very near to Bhubaneshwar the capital of Orissa called Dhauli!! 8kms!! That’s all!! Distance you would drive to have a cup of coffee at your local Starbucks or Café Coffee Day.
I have been there and it’s like an escape from this world all together!! Peaceful and enlightening experience. Makes you stop and think!! It was a dark and grey evening with rains calling and I felt a cleansing experience I have never before!! And with the rains I felt like a dirty part of me had been washed away!!
I can’t pay to drag all the tourists to Orissa but yes what I can do is use music which I love and I have been associated with to be pulled to Orissa!! Last year I made a loss investing in Mandala Project. I choose to be truthful because I want people to know that I this was my small effort towards making Orissa to be know on the global map.
It’s not easy doing something especially with a genre of music i.e. electronic music which is always associated with drugs and other banned substances. Yet tell me how many of the big artists besides the boys we usually bring down to Orissa would actually take the time or even the effort to travel down to Orissa for minimal money and just promises of having a good time and promoting their genre of music not inside the confines of a club as a DJ but on an island surrounded by beautiful flora and fauna!!
Yet last year was beautiful with people from all over India and even from around the world!! Let me be very clear!!
Mandala Project is NOT a rave party It’s a festival of color, music, the beautiful outdoors alone with the pristine beaches of Orissa never explored by almost 80 percent of the tourists in India!! I made it to this part of Orissa by chance and what an encounter it was!! A journey which usually takes 2 hours i.e. from Puri to Bhubaneshwar took me 9 hours because I was with people I loved and every location begged me to stop and have a look and I couldn’t refuse.
The next day I though how can I show this part of the world to the rest of the world and with some input from various people I was able to put together what now stands as Mandala Project!! Lot of obstacles later we were able to put together the first edition of Mandala Project and what an experience it has been since day one
Sweat and tears mixed with relief of a festival enjoyed loved and cherished by all the guests of last year has encouraged us to go forward and make Mandala Project a recurring event with good vibes and good music. Please promote the good word because we at Mandala promise to deliver only good times and good music along with a healthy does of good old Orissa.
