FULL WORM MOON
March’s Full Moon is here! It is traditionally called the Full Worm Moon by the Native Americans who used the Moons to track the seasons. full moon names for March are largely based on these being considered the last full moons of winter: the crow caws its farewell to the season and worms start to surface at this time, signaling the retreat of winter and the marching in of springtime. As the temperature begins to warm and the ground begins to thaw, earthworm casts appear, heralding the return of the robins.
The more northern tribes knew this Moon as the Full Crow Moon, when the cawing of crows signaled the end of winter; or the Full Crust Moon, because the snow cover becomes crusted from thawing by day and freezing at night. The Full Sap Moon, marking the time of tapping maple trees, is another variation. To the settlers, it was also known as the Lenten Moon, and was considered to be the last full Moon of winter. The name Storm Moon comes from weather folklore, it is said to occur during shifting weather patterns in the northern hemisphere.
The full Moon each month marks a time of heightened energies and events and a lunar eclipse, even if it is penumbral, often marks the culmination of the energies released at the new Moon. Eclipses act as gateways to events; there can be big beginnings along with big endings. Emotions can be supercharged as the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the zodiac and illumination is increased - it's like we can see in the dark - and we can be hyper-aware as well as being hyper-awake. Sometimes, realisations or events that are unleashed, or unlocked, can stretch their meaning months and even years into the future. A lot can be learned at the time of the full Moon and whether it's lunacy or illumination, or a combination of both, there's magic unleashed with every full Moon.
Falling on the Super Galactic Center, this is a powerful eclipse, not because it is a penumbral eclipse: A penumbral eclipse is more subtle, and more difficult to observe, than a total or partial eclipse. They happen when the moon moves through the outer part of Earth's shadow. However, the fact that it occurs on that part of the zodiac that points to the Super Galactic Center, means that this eclipse could be even stronger than a total. The orb of the SGC is from approx 28+ Virgo to 6+ Libra. The Super Galactic Center is said to be where the 'Mind Of God' resides. Whether we believe in God, or that idea, or not, this is where we are said to be able to connect in with the Law of Attraction - to make affirmations and decisions about what we want in life and to see these things coming to pass. It is a very powerful part of the zodiac and the Sabian Symbols, too, reflect that fact.
The Sabian Symbols are a set of 360 phrases of words that correspond with each of the 360 degrees of the wheel of the zodiac. Each of the 360 symbols and explanations can be seen as a life mystery. Each of us will have our own personal take on it, and this can be as valid as any attempt the author makes to give objective meaning. It all depends on how capable you are at opening the subtle aspect of mind to unveil the mystery. It’s worth acknowledging two things – first, that intuition only deepens as you trust it, and second, that intuition is never entirely trustworthy. That’s how it is with the mysteries – they are in the end unknowable, at least not definitively and never as an objective, measured truth.
Keywords: Material concerns left behind. Pioneering with like minded others. Sweat lodges. Walks in the woods. Scouts and Girl Guides. Men's groups, women's groups. ESP. Kindred spirits. Soul mates. Unity. Fellowship. Campfires. Camping. Friends and companions. Spiritual circles. The Internet.
From this post throughout the year, I am going to incorporate Sabian Symbols into my full moon posts. (That's what I am exploring these days!) Sabian Symbols are images or metaphors, clairvoyantly derived by Elsie Wheeler in 1925, which were used by Marc Edmund Jones to trigger his understanding of each one of the 360 degrees of the zodiac separately. while exploring I found out that they are the most popularly used set of degree symbols today.
The full Moon each month marks a time of heightened energies and events and a lunar eclipse, even if it is penumbral, often marks the culmination of the energies released at the new Moon. Eclipses act as gateways to events; there can be big beginnings along with big endings. Emotions can be supercharged as the Sun and Moon are on opposite sides of the zodiac and illumination is increased - it's like we can see in the dark - and we can be hyper-aware as well as being hyper-awake. Sometimes, realisations or events that are unleashed, or unlocked, can stretch their meaning months and even years into the future. A lot can be learned at the time of the full Moon and whether it's lunacy or illumination, or a combination of both, there's magic unleashed with every full Moon.
Falling on the Super Galactic Center, this is a powerful eclipse, not because it is a penumbral eclipse: A penumbral eclipse is more subtle, and more difficult to observe, than a total or partial eclipse. They happen when the moon moves through the outer part of Earth's shadow. However, the fact that it occurs on that part of the zodiac that points to the Super Galactic Center, means that this eclipse could be even stronger than a total. The orb of the SGC is from approx 28+ Virgo to 6+ Libra. The Super Galactic Center is said to be where the 'Mind Of God' resides. Whether we believe in God, or that idea, or not, this is where we are said to be able to connect in with the Law of Attraction - to make affirmations and decisions about what we want in life and to see these things coming to pass. It is a very powerful part of the zodiac and the Sabian Symbols, too, reflect that fact.
The Sabian Symbols are a set of 360 phrases of words that correspond with each of the 360 degrees of the wheel of the zodiac. Each of the 360 symbols and explanations can be seen as a life mystery. Each of us will have our own personal take on it, and this can be as valid as any attempt the author makes to give objective meaning. It all depends on how capable you are at opening the subtle aspect of mind to unveil the mystery. It’s worth acknowledging two things – first, that intuition only deepens as you trust it, and second, that intuition is never entirely trustworthy. That’s how it is with the mysteries – they are in the end unknowable, at least not definitively and never as an objective, measured truth.
Keywords: Material concerns left behind. Pioneering with like minded others. Sweat lodges. Walks in the woods. Scouts and Girl Guides. Men's groups, women's groups. ESP. Kindred spirits. Soul mates. Unity. Fellowship. Campfires. Camping. Friends and companions. Spiritual circles. The Internet.
From this post throughout the year, I am going to incorporate Sabian Symbols into my full moon posts. (That's what I am exploring these days!) Sabian Symbols are images or metaphors, clairvoyantly derived by Elsie Wheeler in 1925, which were used by Marc Edmund Jones to trigger his understanding of each one of the 360 degrees of the zodiac separately. while exploring I found out that they are the most popularly used set of degree symbols today.
So, here is the first take on Sabian Symbolism! The Moon at the lunar eclipse on March 23, 2016 is on Libra 4. The Symbol refers to the need of individuals to convene to share with each other their deepest longings to connect.
A GROUP OF YOUNG PEOPLE SIT IN SPIRITUAL COMMUNION AROUND A CAMPFIRE
Its keynote is “the necessity to unite with kindred spirits as one enters unbeaten paths ilumined by the still-insecure light of a dawning intuition and new values. (Again I remind you that these images were chosen at random and yet we see how they seamlessly fall into a 360° cycle-system.)
The Caution: Being too dependent on others. Feeling left out and having to fend for one's self. Rejecting fellowship because of feeling lost or alone. Obsession with objectives.
The Moon symbolizes: Emotions, moods, mother, family, clan, domestic issues, relationship to home and country. Feelings, sentiments, nourishment, emotional nurturing, monkey chatter mind, lunar and menstrual cycles, clarity of emotions or lunacy. Female energy - yours and others.
I have been following the Moon cycle for a very long time now but today was the first time when I actually started a "ritual". We, group of like-minded went to a farm where we performed ritual under the moonlight. It was powerful! The energy around was so intense and wild. music helped us to get in trance state. I have believed that spending time with like minded people can bring wonderful results as the moon continues it’s journey through the next few degrees over the next couple of days. So as we venture out in a new role we find like minds who are likewise doing so-kindred spirits kindling the same fire. We are “young” because we are trodding a new path with a refreshed spirit. We have the urge to create new society, having perhaps rid ourselves of old ties that bound us to an identity we no longer express. We are in the forest because we haven’t yet built our new culture, though we are stoking our desired plans to do so. The fire is the emblem of spiritual communion; we are burning to venture out once we are warmed by mutual inspiration. Together we who are alight with inspiration for a more ideal world of our own creation form a crucible. Our doubts may be purified in that fire. We form a circle of fire for protection as well, becoming the receptors, the grail, if you will, of grace as we embark on our quest. We can find ourselves splitting off from people who don't share the same ideas, visions, ambitions, spiritual, ethical or moral ideas. To a certain extent, of course, this can be OK! we can still get along just fine while having different ideas or viewpoints. But, this is an Eclipse! and a powerful one!! at that, and we might find issues to do with feeling 'eclipsed' coming up. Arguments can come about from people not accepting each other's beliefs. Having said that:
The concept of ‘communion,’ as in spiritual sharing, feels like a particularly apt symbol. It implies the desire or need to be with others who share similar feelings, aspirations, goals and beliefs. There is a common focus here amongst the “Group” that opens up to creative and enlivening possibilities. There may be the feeling of being ‘out there’, in the ‘wilderness’, and you may be in some way, whether you’re miles from anywhere or you’ve been bought together by something very unique or unusual. It may be important to keep in mind that you don’t have to go alone; there is a “Group” of people who share the same beliefs and concerns. Gathering with them will lift your spirits. ‘Young people,’ points towards future possibilities that may arise from this gathering of like hearted souls. The “Campfire” can be anything that unites people in a common cause. Campfires have been depicted since time immemorial as a gathering place where important decisions are made, as well as where food (nurturance) is cooked and heat is generated. Sitting around a campfire means being in a circle which is based on the equal recognition of everyone. Hence this Eclipse may bring us together with like-minded friends and loved ones to share our thoughts and feelings in a fair and balanced way.
This is quite an interesting, exciting journey! More to follow as I walk through my spiritual practices. Next Full Moon is on April 22, 2016.
Till then Stay Tuned!
Namaste.
In honor of World Forestry Day, Today I am sharing some pictures from my recent trip to an isolated forest in north India to remind all of us the liberating way of life that lets you disconnect with society in favor of connecting with nature.
Nature is all about the five elements(air, water, fire, earth and space) that primarily constitute a human body. Humans were never meant to forget this eternal connection with mother nature. But in order to satisfy our greed and ego we have forgotten our roots and filled our lives with so many superfluous and materialistic things of which we desire endlessly forgetting what we really are as humans.
Music festivals can be such a beautiful way to connect with nature. Like any other music festivals namely rock and electronic music festivals, Psytrance festivals in India have become a hit recently.
The recent one that I've shot is called 'Organic Jungle', that took place in Gypsyland on 31 Dec 2015 to 1 Jan 2016. Lot of hippies and dance music lovers from across the India gathered together to celebrate life and our connection with nature.
More photos and videos soon.
Namaste!
Happy Wildlife Day from Antelope family in Ahmedabad.
The full moon as seen over Ahmedabad, India on 22 Feb 2016. According to native american folklore, last night's full Moon was the "Snow Moon," Marks the month we historically receive heavy snow. It was also the most cleansing moon of the year.
We are in eclipse season and next full Moon is occurring on March 23, 2016 and It is an appulse lunar eclipse, otherwise known as a penumbral lunar eclipse. This eclipse is not a total eclipse, but rather the Sun will only be partially blocked out by the Moon's shadow. There is always a crescent of sunlight visible at an appulse lunar eclipse. It will be subtle rather than dark and blood red and can be seen in North America, Australia, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian Ocean, Arctic, Antartica, and in most of Asia and South America.
Falling on the Super Galactic Center, this is a powerful eclipse, not because it is a penumbral eclipse: A penumbral eclipse is more subtle, and more difficult to observe, than a total or partial eclipse. They happen when the moon moves through the outer part of Earth's shadow.
It is said that it is the potent time to set up new goals and intentions. so, get ready as we slowly enter into lunar effect.
Till then stay tuned!
Namaste.
Happy Republic Day to all my fellow Indians! After 5 years I am back to where I was born. Wadhwan state! On this special occasion I hereby take a moment to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the kind words and wishes on my Birthday. I'm truly touched and blessed. All the phone calls, messages, emails, texts, photos, videos, flowers have made my birthday special and worth remembering! I can't respond to all of them individually but I do appreciate the love. I feel the love and I give it right back. It was really overwhelming to receive greetings from so many different parts of the world. It means a lot to me and i hope to meet most of you sooner than later. I really feel great to have so many people be so positive and beautiful to have so many good people around me. The last year have been hard and full of life changing moments. but I'm moving forward. So many people.. I may never see again. So many memories left behind. I will miss them all. I am truly humbled and excited about this next chapter of my life! I hope this year brings me more travels, music, films, love and light. Thank you for following me on my journey around the sun. I am solely beginning to unravel the extent of all I shall be. We are not promised tomorrow, so I am thankful for another year in this thing we call life!
Proud to be an Indian and proud to share my birthday with Republic day of India, 26th January. Here’s to the spirit of the nation with many cultures and dialects. Wishing for peace, love and togetherness.
Jai Hind!
Proud to be an Indian and proud to share my birthday with Republic day of India, 26th January. Here’s to the spirit of the nation with many cultures and dialects. Wishing for peace, love and togetherness.
love and peace.
My interests in science and photography has taken me to a new journey and that is space exploration. so I will be posting more photos of the sun and moon throughout this year. Here is the first full moon of 2016.
In Native American and early Colonial times, the Full Moon for January was called the Full Wolf Moon. It appeared when wolves howled in hunger outside the villages. Traditionally, the January Moon is also known as the Old Moon. To some Native American tribes, this was the Snow Moon, but most applied that name to the next full Moon, in February.
Next full Moon is occurring on 22 Feb, 2016.
Sending love and light,
from my heart to yours!
Namaste!
Despite its barrenness, the Moon has been a fixation for humans since the origin of our species. I have been following the Moon cycle for a very long time. I am by nature crepuscular. Twilight is and always has been my favorite time of day, so I'm more attracted to the Moon because it reminds me of the beauty one can bring even in the darkest of moments. The moon for me brings feelings of whimsy, mystery and serenity. Also, I lean more towards 'Night Owl' than 'Early Bird,' in terms of my sleep schedule. Moon brings out a dark creativity in me which is very seductive.My imagination runs wild in the moon light. Alignment of planets and wonders of the night sky fascinates me and makes me think about all the magical wonders that make up the universe.
'Dark Side of the Moon' by "Pink Floyd" has been my favorite album of all time. I love patterns and the changing face of the Moon. The time of the full moon represents the time that the male and female energies (animus and anima) are at their most distant, and, yet, this is the time when they can most clearly see each other. The full moon is, therefore, a time of projection - we often project onto others, onto things, onto events, those things that we think we see outside of ourselves, we really these energies are inside of us.
With photograph comes Native Wisdom for Moon Gazers. Many human cultures have given names to the full moon throughout the year. Different full moon names can be found among the Chinese, Celtic, Old English, and New Guinea cultures, to name a few. In addition, Native American tribes often used moon phases and cycles to keep track of the seasons and gave a unique name to each recurring full moon. The full moon names were used to identify the entire month during which each occurred.
Native American full moon names were established by eastern and northern tribes such as the Algonquin and the Iroquois Confederacy. Although many Native American Tribes gave distinct names to the full moon, the most well known names of the full moon come from the Algonquin tribes. The Algonquin tribes had perhaps the greatest effect on the early European settlers in America, and the settlers adopted the Native American habit of naming the moons. They even invented some of their own names that have been passed down through time.
Consider the month in which you were born, and liken it to the Native American full moon names. Perhaps you can resonate with some of the symbolic meanings our Native lineage identified with. We can use these symbolic monthly-markers as a method of self-exploration, growth and grounding. Take the time to step into the sacredness each month provides in the glory of her own fullest moon. Better yet, take a few moments to honor the full moon as she reveals herself each month. In doing this, we gain expanded awareness - widening our psychic view to a broader setting.
Here's to more magic!
Namaste.
My time in the mountains has been well spent. It has been a lot of reflecting on how drastically my life has changed in last year. I know everything happens for a reason, but sometimes i wish i knew what the reason was. I'm really not worried about losing anyone or anything right now because what's meant to be will always be. I am coming back with new energies and refreshed mind. Here's to continued adventures and new beginnings!
I have been going through a midlife crisis. My personal and
professional life is deeply disturbed. So I'm taking it under serious
consideration and i have made my decision i am going to reinvent myself. Won't
come back until I feel better. I'll come back refreshed and full of energy and
ideas! I am going to stay off all social media until I find my way.
With love and patience, I am learning to make order out of my personal chaos. A work of art is in the making.
- Jayrajsinh Chavda
With love and patience, I am learning to make order out of my personal chaos. A work of art is in the making.
- Jayrajsinh Chavda
There's a slum area in Ahmedabad called 'Hollywood'. I have been wondering why it has been popularly known as Hollywood? it has no resemblance to real Hollywood which is located in Los Angeles, California. There's no similarities between both the places. In fact, geographically it is far apart from each other. lot of you might be interested in knowing the story behind this. So i might incorporate it in my documentary 'The Connoisseur's Journal' or else may be I'll do a separate story. Wait and Watch!
The first teaser trailer for The Connoisseurs Journal is here! Check it out and tell us what you think!
I was in Nepal to
shoot a documentary for a psytrance music festival. On the 24th of April,
2015 I reached kathmandu. The hotel I was staying at was next to kathmandu
durbar Square.
On the morning of the
earthquake, lot of hippies and dance music lovers from all around the
world gathered at thamel to catch a bus to himalayan height resort,
haatiban which was the venue for the festival. Festival was already
delayed, but the people still had that mood to party. The bus was moving ahead
with loud music and suddenly we were interrupted. The earth was shaking. At
first, we had no idea what was going on but the continuous shakes made us realize
it was an earthquake. It lasted about 30 seconds. I noticed everyone was coming
out from buildings and running around, tall buildings were turning into rubble.
I didn't panic, thought lots of people around us did. After the shaking
stopped, people were shocked but it was necessary to get out of the affected
area so bus moved ahead and get to an open space. We were safe in the bus but
we were close enough to feel the fear. The roads were damaged and there were
also cases of land sliding so we didn’t go ahead without making sure that the
road ahead is safe.
We were in Kathmandu
city area for only a short period of time after the earthquake so we didn’t see
too much of a response from the city and locals at the time. Once the
earthquake occurred we could see everyone huddled in open fields and on the
streets.
We took 2-3 breaks in
between and we reached the mountains. The venue was 5 km up in the hill.
Everyone took a deep breath for a while and got ready to reach up on the
mountain. With all the bags and luggage everyone moved on towards their
calling. Upon reaching the venue, people got to know that festival is
cancelled due to earthquake. But organizers had the possession of venue so they
said everyone not to leave and stay at the camp at the pine forest. People
started pitching their tents, those who had come without tents, were provided a
tent.
Connectivity was a big
issue, we tried calling immediately after the quake but our mobile phones had
no reception. Our phones were useless once the battery was down and it was
difficult to find a place to charge them. The internet was up for a short while
after the earthquake which was critical for us to get in touch with our family,
but once it went offline we had to rely on telephones. And telephones on the
mountains were not working.
After 3 Days I found
someone whose phone was working on the mountains, on a request he let me use
his phone to call Indian embassy. Embassy official asked me to reach the
airport. Gas stations were non-operational so a lot of taxis and other
vehicles were of no use. Somehow I managed to join a bus with our fellow
campers to the airport. the reality was totally different from what I
heard in the news. When I reached airport I saw lot of people were left
stranded, wanting to go back to their country. airport was jam-packed with
tourists from all around the world. The chaos was enough for me to understand
the situation. Thousands of people from different countries were waiting in separate, long-winding queues for evacuation,
the line to get in for Indian nationals, which looked like it had more than
3,000 people, was snaking all the way out to the entrance of the airport. There
were people who had been in that queue since last three days. I also joined the
queue with a hope to catch a rescue flight but unfortunately the queue wasn’t
moving at all and people were really pissed off. Upon asking the officials they
said there are no flights coming from India, flights are not coming because of
bad weather conditions etc. more than 2000 people stranded for 4 days without
food, water and shelter. Many of them were beaten by Nepalese police as well, I
was one of them. There were no network connectivity but I was getting WiFi
signals from somewhere so i just informed one of my friend in Gujarat and asked
if she could help anyway, she given me some numbers of Indian embassy
officials. Then I spoke to one of the embassy officials, asked about the next
rescue flight, officer replied she has no idea and she don’t have any schedule.
Then I opened my bag, grabbed my camera and started taking videos of the
situation. After some time, a group of Nepalese police and military came to me
and told me to do not shoot there. Respectively, I stopped filming and joined
the queue again. 12 at the night they said you all may go as there are no
flights. People were getting panic and i had nothing better to do so i kept on
filming the scene. check out video to know the ground reality. This video is a
testimony of the plight of stranded Indian nationals at Tribhuvan International
Airport, Kathmandu, Nepal.
after 5 days of
continuous efforts, I got a reply from Indian embassy of kathmandu. but it was
worthless because i already got my ticket booked for commercial flight to
India. Most of the people who waited for four days, realized that waiting in
this queue obediently would be pointless. So they left airport and took a train
or bus.
Authority and
organization is critical in disaster situations – for example, when the
military was distributing food and water in the airport, everything was a
free-for-all. I didn’t even have a chance to get food; people were pushing and
shoving like a riot so I didn’t even bother. The problem I found was that we
didn’t need the food and water as much as those living in the villages that
lost everything – including drinking water - so it should have been given to
them. It made little sense to give the resources to those that were leaving the
country.
I stayed at Kathmandu
International airport for five days, during that time at the airport,
aftershocks kept occurring, spreading fresh bouts of panic every now and then.
I am thankful to a couple who donated me a tent. Also thankful to all my
friends and relatives in India, for their constant efforts, support and love.
I look at life a bit
differently now knowing how that one event has changed us. It still shocks me
how much destruction had occurred. I look back at the photos of durbur square I
just took a day before earthquake hit, and the photos of the rubble that now
sit there. I guess it scared me because I was there just 24 hours before the
earthquake. Life is miracle.
On Saturday, April 25th, 2015 a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal and other surrounding areas, such as India, China, Bangladesh, and Bhutan. This devastating earthquake, as well as the aftershocks has so far caused the death of 9000 individuals and the number is rising. The situation is very severe.
A second major earthquake occurred on 12 May of 7.3 magnitude. More than 120 people met death and again thousands got injured. Many buildings, including homes, schools, government buildings, religious sites (many of them UNESCO world heritage sites), etc. have been destroyed. Health care for people is not easily accessible, as hospitals are turning people away as there are not enough resources. For a country that thrives on tourism, many historical monuments have been demolished. Being here, there is not much we can do. However, we can keep the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers. Please join us for a candle light march ceremony for the people affected by this. Together, we can make a difference.
Let’s commemorate those who have died or are suffering in Nepal, Bangladesh, Tibet and Northern India from the recent earthquakes.
Event Schedule:
On 17th May at 5.00 P.M citizen of Ahmedabad are requested to gather at Vastrapur Lake to pray for the victims, to play music for their wounded souls, to hear their stories, to join the debate. From 6:00 P.M march will began to reach it's destination by 7:00 P.M holding candles chanting songs of peace and hoping well for Nepal.
Agenda:
• Songs for peace,
• Moment of silence,
• Candle light march and
• Awareness on Earthquake.
Songs for Peace:
This is a musical tribute for all the people that lost their lives due to earthquake in Nepal, Tibet and India. Students, singers, musicians and artists of different fraternity along with the common citizens will dedicate their songs and music as prayers for the people of Nepal who have suffered.
Debate:
Ahmedabad has seen its share of death, broken homes and shattered dreams. Still the earthquake resistant constructions are not made compulsory, still every day, thousands of buildings and flyovers are erected just to fall down one day. This is simply for us to come together and remember those who've lost their lives and those who struggle to rebuild.
Through this march we aim to create awareness about the non-compatible constructions in the seismic zones. Most of the buildings falling down with hundreds of lives due to earthquake or aftershock, are not designed to suit the geographical requirements. This is not a problem of Nepal. This is a worldwide phenomenon and thousands of people die because of cheap raw materials, shoddy construction techniques and deadly greed of Builders and Constructors.
We want to request the governments worldwide, to make sure that the earthquake resistant guidelines are brought in place, to reduce the death toll. We want to request all the universities to make the knowledge of earthquake resistant technology covered in their syllabus. We want to request all the builders in the world, to show some mercy, and construct sustainable cities in future.
Nature is not to be blamed, it’s us the humans, we create infrastructure that cannot endure natural forces. Earthquakes, Floods and Global Warming are some of the problems that need confrontation.
If you would like to be involved in any capacity, please fill out the following google form at your earliest convenience: https://docs.google.com/
Important Notes:
• Please bring your own music instruments for the special music jamming session. Please inform in advance if you are participating in jamming.
• Please feel free to bring your own candles/torch. If possible bring for others as well. We will also have candles available. We request you to wear cloths with ‘White’ color code, it is not mandatory.
• We are not accepting any relief material or cash to send to Nepal, just the prayers and songs will do.
• You can bring the plea cards, banners or posters with your message for Nepal and world.
• Please park vehicles responsibly.
• All are invited. There are no religious obligations.
for further queries Contact: +91 85 11 9191126, 9824642246 or Songsforpeace@jayrajsinhch
Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you all this Sunday.
Check out my interview with Stagephod.org
I have always believed that a moving picture has a great power if you know the proper ingredients- Jayrajsinh Chavda
I have always believed that a moving picture has a great power if you know the proper ingredients- Jayrajsinh Chavda
It is said that music has no boundary. I have seen people travelling thousands of miles to attend a music festival. Music festivals are not only about music. They are beyond music. It is an experience. It is about creating and spreading good vibes. It is about meeting like-minded people and singing songs with someone you have never met before. For some people it may be an escape from the rigid conventional lifestyle.
Music is like self evolution. It helps us connect with our inner self. You start listening to certain kind of music and it evolves as your sub-conscious mind demands something different or music with some deeper state of consciousness especially when it comes to psytrance music. Psytrance music and culture has been growing and continuously rising since early 1970s, because of the internet. In this era of cutting edge technology, people are connected to each other from all over the world and via internet. Thus, Internet unites them all.
Nepal Calling:
In April 2015, lot of hippies and electronic music lovers from all around the world gathered at Kathmandu, Nepal for ‘Universal Religion – A Psytrance Music Festival’. This four-day event was to feature electronic dance music (EDM) artistes from all over the world. Several sub-genres of psychedelic trance music and has been dubbed as the festival of music, love and peace.
The festival, which was scheduled to be held from April 24 in Kakani, Nuwakot, unfortunately, has just been cancelled, 36 hours before its start. On their Facebook page, the organizing team mentioned ‘some unexpected last moment serious legal issues involving safety of the participants’ to explain the sudden cancellation. Many tourists travelled from different countries to attend Universal Religion. More than 1,000 people were expected to attend this festival. lot of people were on their way to Nepal. The post on Universal Religion’s Facebook page provoked different reactions from the festival-goers. Some showed their support to the organizers stating that cancellation is always a possibility here for psyche events. Still, most of those who had already bought their tickets were criticizing the lack of professionalism of Universal Religion. No one could actually modify their plans. Festival organizers were still trying to get it sorted. In the meantime, people who have already arrived in Nepal, started looking for an alternatives. No matter how small the country Nepal is but culturally it is very rich, there were lots of things happening around.
It is said that when lot of people gather at one place with pure intentions, the energy of each counts and that makes the way for everyone. That’s what happened in Kathmandu. By late evening, the latest news was saying the organizers had managed to set up a mini-version of the festival at a new venue in the valley of Kathmandu, Hattiban. With free bus rides starting from a popular local bar-café called Funky Buddha. In just 24 hours, they have shifted everything to new venue. Nobody opposed but everyone appreciated the continuous efforts of organizers to make it happen.
The Earthquake:
The next day, Curios backpackers were ready with their bags and tents, standing outside the café to catch the bus to new venue. Around 50 to 70 people left for new venue Himalayan height resort, which was somewhere in the mountains, in outskirts of Kathmandu city. Festival was already delayed, but the people still had that mood to party. The bus was moving ahead with loud music and suddenly we were interrupted. The earth was shaking. At first, we had no idea what was going on but the continuous shakes made us realize it was an earthquake. It lasted about 30 seconds. I noticed everyone was coming out from buildings and running around, tall buildings were turning into rubble. I didn't panic, thought lots of people around us did. After the shaking stopped, people were shocked but it was necessary to get out of the affected area so bus moved ahead and get to an open space. We were safe in the bus but we were close enough to feel the fear. The roads were damaged and there were also cases of land sliding so we didn’t go ahead without making sure that the road ahead is safe. We took 2-3 breaks in between and we reached the mountains. The venue was 5 km up in the hill. Everyone took a deep breath for a while and got ready to reach up on the mountain. With all the luggage and camping gears everyone moved on towards their calling.
Camping at pine forest:
Upon reaching the venue, people found out that it had been cancelled due to earthquake. There was no option for to go through with the festival. Nepal was in ruins and after shakes were rolling in. But organizers now took on the responsibility to assist and secure the area and all its 500 + guests. They had provided an open space where people could pitch their tent and settle down. By now, it was evening and the enormity of the tragedy had begun to sink in and nearly 200 people — most of them tourists — were also taking refuge in the pine forest. They started pitching their tents, those who had come without tents, were provided a tent. In general, people had begun to settle down by then, but periodic aftershocks kept stirring up panic. Supply chains had been broken, electricity cut in periods of time, no network for our phones, but we were safe. Everyone had a place to sleep and food accessible to them.
Connectivity:
We tried calling immediately after the quake but our mobile phones had no reception. Our phones were useless once the battery was down and it was difficult to find a place to charge them. The internet was up for a short while after the earthquake which was critical for us to get in touch with our family, but once it went offline we had to rely on telephones. And telephones on the mountains were not working.
Help from Local Community:
We were in Kathmandu city area for only a short period of time after the earthquake so we didn’t see too much of a response from the city and locals at the time. Once the earthquake occurred we could see everyone huddled in open fields and on the streets.
However, there was an article in the newspaper I read that mocked the military and mentioned that the civilians did a better job helping one another. I can’t really say if this was true but yes, for the little time we were there after the quake, we saw locals helping one another out.
Authority and organization is critical in disaster situations – for example, when the military was distributing food and water in the airport, everything was a free-for-all. I didn’t even have a chance to get food; people were pushing and shoving like a riot so I didn’t even bother. The problem I found was that we didn’t need the food and water as much as those living in the villages that lost everything – including drinking water - so it should have been given to them. It made little sense to give the resources to those that were leaving the country.
Conclusion:
Whatever happened back in Kathmandu still haunts. I guess it scared me because I was in Nepal during the earthquake. It hasn’t been easy. I have been having recurring nightmares involving tremors, death, and destruction. I look at life a bit differently now knowing how that one event has changed us. It still shocks me how much destruction had occurred. I look back at the photos of durbur square I just took before a day, before it turned into rubble. The devastating earthquake left a trail of destruction, but the unwavering hippie trail of the Himalayan region still attracts thousands of travelers. Known as the Mecca of the hippies, thousands of hippies come to Kathmandu to enjoy the liberated life of love, drugs and spiritualism.
About me
Indian Filmmaker, Theatre Arts Graduate, Music Producer, Writer, Film Editor, Anthropologist, Video Journalist, Environmentalist, Free Spirit, Hippie by Heart.
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About Me
- Jayrajsinh Chavda 'Aazad'
- I did my bachelors in Performing Arts (Theatre Arts) and consistently pursuing the calling of my dreams and vision, making films, rather, the creative aspects of filmmaking. Theatre also holds a huge piece of my heart, so I love spending my time either on a set, or on a stage. I am interested to make thought provoking cinema, films which is highly visual, grand, epic, cinematic style, with unconventional narrative structures breaking form, blending reality and imagination, fantasy, dreams, scientific, philosophical, metaphysical and humanistic ideas. What I make reflects my experiences in life, my emotions, my feelings about certain things, my stories and of course, the many worlds that reside in my imagination. So when I say "I make films" it just means that I am manifesting bits and pieces of me in a motion. What I write is simply an overflow of interactions I have with the brokenness of the human condition. Some of it comes in dreams, other times it emerges from seasons of sorrow, humiliation, warfare, joy and pain. I am endlessly creating myself with nothing but peace, positivity, and good vibes. I Have been living quite of nomadic-hippie lifestyle.
