Music, Mandala and me

Ok so basically what is electronic music?? I don’t want to go into the technicalities of it but rather want to write about the emotions I feel when we listen to good music. May it be any form of music ….. I don’t hate any music!! Someone has actually put in the effort, time, sweat and tears into producing/creating something and even if it might not be good it deserves a listen. When I am listening to anything I give it the time it deserves. May it be Hip Hop, Rock, Bollywood or even something unknown to me.

Music is a universal language and everyone speaks it. Grooves with it and if two agreeable people love a certain new sound then a new genre is born. Give it a chance and don’t write something or someone off for something they have worked hard on. But don’t get me wrong …. Promote GOOD music, and never put down someone who doesn’t. Rather help them out!! Don’t criticize a listener for his lack of knowledge cos you just lost a future listener to your music.

Ok getting back what I feel when I listen to electronic music. Well I my mind shut’s off and my heart takes over. A smile spread across my face. My head nods in tempo with the music in the beginning. Every beat send ripples of energy through my body!! The smile grows by the second and slowly my hands and feet joins in sync with the nodding of my head!! I feel euphoria and happiness!! Sadness disappears with the second and for those fleeting moments I feel life is good and I fall into the hand of the person playing the music (Sometimes that being myself). I reach a stage where if I am allowed I could anything at that point of time. Work and worries take a back seat and that general feel of my heart beat increasing and getting in sync with the beats keeps me going. For those moments I leave the world behind and want to feel the passion what the artist must have felt while making the track. Music is just not music as my HOD (Head of Department) said. It’s Samsara or at least that’s what I feel.

When I first started listening to music … It was not the greatest music but I love it to date!! ABBA, The Beegees, The Beatles and few others who laid the foundation though I was a big follower of the Hindi music scene as well. But over the years I have become very picky about music I listen to. On entering my teens I started listening to Fat Boy Slim and other House and electronic/experimental music. I was into rock for some time and still am into rock main thanks to Bhaiya and the Krystal Krods. Their band room was an amazing escape and Ton was the best friend who made me addicted to Scorpions and Niravana.

But I guess my musical journey never stopped and it continued when I met the hippies in Goa who introduced me to a different experience!! I went crazy and was hooked the same instant!! Electronic music was an instant aphrodisiac and I fell in love. But somehow the confines of the club didn’t really let me enjoy and let loose!! I had spent 10 years in an educational institute. After my 10th grade I took the time off to travel and what an experience it was. Meeting people and good music with a healthy dose of love and hugs shaped me as I am today. There is bad and good so don’t always expect the good. But through that journey I felt that there were always more good and good people who were always ready to help. I don’t know but somehow feel that it was an enlightening experience. That and living in Keonjahr!! SORRY OFF TOPIC.

Coming back so when I started listening to electronic music I discovered that it’s not music it’s a language which spoke to me and its time I shared it with everyone. And not in a bloody club!! To experience it completely you need the space the sunshine the fog or even the cold weather to kiss on your cheeks and let your emotions run with you… When the winds plays with your hair and you feel that there are no worries holding your inner kid releasing itself you have truly started understanding and enjoying the music… Don’t hold back, don’t feel shy …. Just be yourself or rather be a happier version of you.

I have experienced it and this is a just what I want to share with everyone when you arrive at Mandala. Artists and good ones at that will take on a journey and keep you begging for more. Hope I haven’t ranted too long but just getting the message out Brother and Sisters cos its time we are in it for the music and only the music.

Why Mandala ??

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.