Come away with me.
To a land filled with art from the forest of honey and visuals that conjure up Indian-ness with a touch of modernity.
Presenting to you Dvara.
A first of it's kind visual Indian fusion coffee table magazine.
A quarterly magazine, which aims to bridge the generational gap between the ancient art forms, culture and traditions from India and today's youth interested in fashion, cinema, music, colour and flare.
Dvara, means doorway.
It opens its doors to a picturesque world of different facets of Indian culture which transcends across time and across generations. It offers a glimpse into the old way of life with a modern twist. The goal of the magazine is to inspire people to adapt these old traditions seamlessly into modern everyday life.
Dvara is the brainchild of two Chicago based creative entrepreneurs, Karthika Gupta and Jayashree Rao, who are passionate about India and her stories. Dvara is their platform to showcase all things beautiful and unique about India ~ her art, culture, people, places and food in a way that is aesthetically appealing and visually captivating.
Karthika Gupta is the photographer and owner of Memorable Jaunts, an on-location photo studio specializing in weddings and family portraiture. She mentions that her style of photography is clean, crisp, organic and fresh.
Jayashree Rao is an ex-visual merchandising head at Ann Taylor, is also the blogger behind the very stylish blog Sage & Slingback, a space that predominantly showcases Indian fashion and art. She is a self-taught Madhubani artist who currently teaches this form of art.
Jayashree recalls how the two ladies met.
"We were introduced to each other through a common friend. Karthika came into my life as my Madhubani art student.
During one of our casual conversations at class, I came to know that she was a professional photographer. That intrigued me and I started following her work and vice versa. Though we are completely opposite in our personalities we soon realized that we both share the common love for all things unusual and uncommon….
Jayashree (Left) Karthika (Right) against the vibrant backdrop of Madhubani art painted by Jayashree...
Karthika had this idea of starting a unique Indian Fusion coffee table magazine for the longest time. Again out of the blue, one day at a YMCA parking lot, she asked me if I wanted to be a part of this initiative and within no time, I said yes. I knew I wanted to do something different, something that would encompass my love for Indian fashion, food, travel, art. Dvara happened at the right time and was just the right thing that I was looking for."
Celebrating Dvara with a scrumptious cake!
The ‘d’ in the logo is the lovely lady Dvara, standing tall and proud, ready to face the world. The two concentric circles signify endless possibilities with Dvara.
They state if Karthika loves her chai, Jayashree enjoys her countless cups of coffee. If one finds solace in tents and mountains, the other finds comfort in beaches and cabanas. Being complete opposites in their personalities and though it's a lens versus lipstick, hiking shoes versus stilettos kind of scenario between them, they still share the same passion and vision for their magazine.
Some visuals from events organised by them to introduce Dvara Magazine to the world. The fusion is definitely visible.
Karthika and Jayashree are also the photographer and stylist behind the magazine.
Speaking about their aspirations for the magazine~
"Our sincere hope is for Dvara to become a platform to showcase artists, artisans, independent designers and other creatives. We are working on a submissions mechanism for Dvara and will launch that in the coming months."
According to them, Dvara's audience is anyone and everyone who loves all things eclectic, beautiful, culturally rich and Indian. You don’t have to be an Indian to enjoy and appreciate her. As long as you have a love for anything related to Indian art, travel, lifestyle, food and fashion you will find inspiration in her pages and stories.
Rang Decor wishes the creative duo great success for their fusion magazine Dvara which launches on 21st April, 2015
Now for the most exciting part of the post. Dvara is having a giveaway exclusively for Rang Decor readers. The first of it's kind for Rang Decor.
The giveaway is the Inaugural issue of Dvara Magazine.
Here is what you need to do, answer the question below and click 'like' on Dvara Magazine and Rang Decor's Facebook pages & Instagram profiles to keep updated on the latest.
Now, how simple is that?:-)
1. Dvara is a doorway, a portal that provides a glimpse into various facets of India through it's visual stories. Please tell us in a couple of sentences what draws you to India, Indian culture and how do you assimilate that into your everyday?
The contest opens right now and ends on April 29rd, 2015. So get the answers ready.
The winner will be decided based on the best entry by the Dvara Team.
As someone famous once said "Baar Baar dhekhe, hazaar Baar dhekhe, dhekhne ki cheez hain...." Loosely translated into " See once - see a thousand times, she is meant to be seen..."- such is India. In her chaos lies beauty. Her simple traditions belie deep thought provoking beliefs. Assimilating India in every day life is as simple as having elaichi chai in my favourite Anthropolgie mug. Or Throwing on an infinity bhandini print scarf to protect against the nip in the air. And when night falls, tucking my son into a soft Mangalgiri cotton quilt and reminding him to dream of chanda mama( the uncle on the moon)
ReplyDeleteIncorporating India and indian culture in my day to day life happens on a subconscious level.. Bright colors and vivid patterns find their way in to my home decor, indian spices find their way in to my fusion cooking and simple traditions are easily incorporated in my day to day routine with my daughters :)
ReplyDeleteIndia to me is "yaad a gaya mujko zaika zamana,bhini bhini khushboo.."!India to me is all the 5 essence that Dvara is going to capture and put together for me on my coffee table- food,fashion, travel,art and lifestyle and as I will flick through those pages it will bring back memories from past and shows me the present that I crave to visit again and again! I never left India behind I don't assimilate it , I live it everyday!!!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely magical possibilities ahead with the vision and talent(s) of such creative artists coming together. This kind of jugalbandi is a win win for all lovers of creativity. Wish them all the very best and would love to know how to access the magazine here in India.
ReplyDeleteNivedita
www.limegreenwalls.blogspot.com
Wah, thank you for introducing this, no doubt, an awesome project by a great duo of very talented ladies! Can't wait to have a copy of my own!!! India is a fabulous country, incredibly rich in traditions, arts & crafts, food and music.
ReplyDeleteI always love bringing India into our home through these little bits of magic! :)
" There are very famous and top coffee brands available in US but my day starts with a strong cup of filter coffee, Puja mandir in my home is example of how close India and my cultures are to me and my family, "
ReplyDeleteNo matter where I continue to live and grow, India always means home and home always means Bangalore.I was born and raised in south Bangalore and it will always be my area, my home town, my country, my world. It is a huge part of my identity, my personality, my values and my choices. Being respectful of the elders, offering water/kaapi/tea to guests, ladling an extra helping of eats onto the plates of those who are guests , taking off your footwear when you enter someone's home, enjoying shorts and skirts but being truly comfortable in a salwar kurti, eating with my hands and licking my fingers to truly enjoy my meal are some of my truly Indian ways. All this comes naturally to me and is a huge part of my everyday Indian culture. In this fast paced life, my need to belong somewhere in this world is what draws me to India. I am truly excited for Dvara to help me stay connected with my motherland through Food, Fashion, Art and Travel, a "dvara" to enrich and nurture my purely Indian soul.
ReplyDeleteIndian culture is having mixture of colors, traditions and science. Indian "Vastu" blessed our houses with increments. Indian traditional decorative items gives royal look to out houses.
ReplyDeleteYou can add few of mine collection into your magazine. they are Dhola-Maru spoon stand, tortoise paper weight for money increments, sandooks to safe your costly items etc.
Ladies, the magazine looks like a visual feast! I was born in India but have been in and out of the country all my life. To me, India represents family, summer vacations, All India Radio, Bollywood, handcrafted traditions and infinite combinations of colors, prints and patterns. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteIt's the spirituality, followed by a morning cup of filter coffee draws me to India... Though we are here in the USA, it's the tradition, we wake up, saying the morning prayer.."karagre vasate Lakshmi..." Along with my 9 year son.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see this interesting magazine
Thank you
~ Divya
i have never been in india but i love the Food, the colours whenever i cook Indian dishes ( i cook a lot ) i feel the fab Country the traditions and that strong inhabitants.. thanks for showing this !
ReplyDeleteregrads from vienna
Birgit
http://mode-im-kopf.blogspot.co.at/
What a wonderful post,can't take my eyes off ..
ReplyDeleteSparkling# pics full of rangdecor
ReplyDeleteBeing as plain old American as they come (true Minnesota girl) my introduction to India and Indian culture was like going through a doorway- seeing light underneath, opening the door and then being immersed. Through my study of Oriental Dance and American Tribal Style Dance- slices of Indian influence were always peaking through and presenting themselves as hints of movement, color, costume, etc. I was immediately drawn to these aspects and once the interests were peaked I dove right in. Now jumping into studying Bharata Natyam and Odissi as well as Ashtanga Yoga- these daily activities are permeating into my home decor, my food, my visual arts and my daily rituals. Dvara Magazine would be a great peak into how it influences and inspires others... <3
ReplyDelete