Sunday, September 27, 2015

Nirmala Mayur Patil | Verses & Visuals.

Nirmala Mayur Patil is a kindred spirit.
A person I met through the algorithms of Instagram.

Rang Decor is full of colours but today it will be bathed in the serene whites of Nirmala's frames and words.

Birth of a new moon.

the new moon rises unseen
fleeting over treetops and the brooding hills of the west
it dusts the grey sky with its silver
and the evening with tender feelings.

standing at my kitchen window
i see it greet the earth in solitary silence
a few moments pass by, sweeping with it
noise and dark from my day
leaving behind a shimmering calm
and my own loneliness, to enfold.

the night is made new.

Nirmala is a freelance writer and photographer. 

She love evenings, quiet, words, starsong, good manners, heartmade things, hindustani classical music, her family and love. She holds a masters in communication and journalism, has taught as a lecturer and worked as a copywriter at an advertising firm before becoming mother to her precious girl.

GRĪṢMA RITU {Summer}
jyeṣṭha | āṣāḍha


Looking at her work one wonders if the visuals exist because of the words or the other way around.

Nirmala says, 'My relationship with words and writing was born very young in my heart. Although I didn't read or write much earlier, words in the form of handwritten letters and ghazals drew me into their deep folds. Later during college years, books flooded my life and I became a devotee. But it's a paradox that I equally worship silence. And photography walked in through my soulmate, who taught me its alchemy. Today, photography and writing, to me, are a means of preserving myself. Through them I make lyrics of my everyday.'

VARSHA RITU {Beginning of the Monsoons}


What draws me to Nirmala's work is that she is inspired by the essence of seasons, the principles of Ayurveda, deep respect of our Ancient Vedic traditions and tries incorporating them into her daily life.

VASANTA RITU {Spring}
chaitra | vaiśākha



Muslin

tender and eternal
like the wind.

a breath
a caress
a song of solace from the heat
weaving poetry on the loom of our skin.

ŚIŚRA RITU {Pre-Spring}
māgha | phālguna



'I love infusing our life with the essence of seasons and age-old traditions. Learning of our seasonal harvest and becoming aware of the meaning embedded in Indian festivals and rituals has made me feel more rooted in our ethnicity and respectful of our ancient Vedic wisdom. 
I practise through simple acts of observing the moon cycle, taking abayanga snans often, burning incense and vaporising essential oils, relying on home remedies as-much-as and whenever possible, and cooking with freshly ground spices.'

HEMANTA RITU {Winter}
mārgaśīrṣa | pauṣa




 Merry Christmas


Nirmala's verses & visuals cast a soothing spell on me as I witness the Harvest moon from my window.

each evening, for years... wrapped
in an old fraying shawl, she stood on
her terrace gazing at the sky... listening
to the stars coming out. their soft
twinkle filled her soul with a faraway
music and she whispered back
her wishes into the singing heavens.
on some very special days, when a fallen star or two drifted downward, she gently
gathered and braided their twinkling
magic in a secret jar... 

Her blog is where she chronicles her love for all these things ~ poetry, seasons and a natural lifestyle. 

You can read her soulful verses on her blog: Nirmala Mayur Patil
Enjoy her beautiful photography on instagram: niru (@nirmalamayurpatil)
Get inspired by her pinterest: Nirmala Mayur Patil

2 comments:

nirmalamayurpatil said...

Thank you for this lovely feature Archana.

Unknown said...

A beautiful gift to the most beautiful person I've known.. Thankyou for the gift of smile for her..