It was a great pleasure to welcome Sydney based textile designer Sally Campbell and her partner Greg (sallycampbell.com.au) to the studio. It was a beautiful time and hope both of you will visit us again soon!

In Swastika studio we have received 11students from different parts of India who are participating a one month long Swadharma program (http://www.swadharma.auroville.org). Swadharma is a self-discovery program dedicated to youth in India. We had brief introduction of our activity and it was followed by casual interaction.

“I met a well known block print fabric maker in Ajrakpur in Bhuj. His name is Sufiyan Khatri -son of renowned master craftsman Dr. Ismail Mohammad Khatri. It was a short visit but really an inspiring moment. Thank you Sufiyan for your heartwarming welcome!” JNE
グジャラートの片田舎、ブジという地にある有名な更紗工房へと訪れました。次代を担う若きスフィアンとの出会いは毎回新鮮で、作品制作に役立ついろいろなアイデアを交換することができました。

Thanks to Jonathan & Shayna Kay for passing by and played a soothing Shakuhachi piece at Swastika – ONE ASIA studio.
Jonathan is a virtuosic multi-woodwind instrumentalist from Canada. He is a well known Indo-Jazz musician and currently studies Shakuhachi in Japan.
Here is the link to his website: http://www.jonathankay.ca

Our natural Indigo art project continues with kind support of the Colours of Nature, Auroville. It’s so refreshing to explore this beautiful gift from the nature. We are planning to exhibit some artworks in this Autumn. Stay tuned!
天然藍の顔料、染料を使ったアートプロジェクトは試行錯誤を繰り返しながら前進しています。今秋にはいろいろな具体的な形になってくると思います。乞うご期待！

Our new collections of Ayurvedic handmade incense have arrived. Now we have brand new original blend incense and also Agar wood. It is a joint project with Meditations, Kyoto and Mereville, Auroville. Package design was done by Swastika – ONE ASIA studio. For mail order please check http://www.meditations.jp  They will be shipped to worldwide.

[A photo exhibition of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan at BHU, Varanasi, “Supported by City of Kyoto”]
Ishita -one of the most active NGOs in Varanasi- and the ONE ASIA project from Auroville have jointly coordinated a photo exhibition of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Japan at BHU in Varanasi. All the photos were taken by the renowned Japanese photographer Mr Kazuyoshi Miyoshi. This exhibition is traveling all over the world through the sponsorship of the Japan Foundation.
This exhibition starts today(25th from 11am) and will be held until 18th March. Please visit if you are in Varanasi or share this information to your family and friends in/around the city.
写真家・三好和義氏によるユネスコ指定の日本の世界遺産
写真展がヴァラナシのベナレス・ヒンドゥー大学にて執り行われます。本日２５日から３月１８日まで同大学の視覚芸術ギャラリーにて展示されます。この展覧会は国際交流基金の主導で世界を巡回しており今回はヴァラナシの NGOであるIshitaとともにthe ONE ASIA projectがコーディネーションをお手伝いさせていただきました。[後援: 京都市]

We wish Parvathy Baul all the best to Tantidhatri International Women’s Performing Arts Festival in Bangalore!

Our lotus incense burner was safely delivered to “Stop by Tea house in Taipei-串門子茶館”. This tea house is run by Mr Shen – a well known product designer in Taiwan. He has hosted a music and tea ceremony program during ONE ASIA 2014 in Taipei. It is nice to see our product became part of his collection. Thank you Mr Shen and the Stop by team!
蓮の花の香炉が台北の串門子茶館に収まりました。オーナーの沈さんは台湾では有名なプロダクト・デザイナーでお店には内外からのコレクションが展示されています。ONE ASIA 2014 in Taipei以来のご縁です。沈さんどうもありがとうございました！

It was a great pleasure to welcome Mr Aoyagi – the director of UNESCO in India in Swastika – ONE ASIA studio. Many thanks to Mr Srinivasmurthy, Hemant and Inge for the coordination and accompanying Japanese tea ceremony!
UNESCOのインド支局長・青柳さまがSwastika – ONE ASIA studioにお越し下さり、略式のお茶をふるまわせていただきました。光栄で有意義なひと時となりました。

“Nikheel was Here”.
Thank you for leaving your beautiful calligraphy of the poet Kabir’s famous “Jhini Jhini Bini Chadariya” in Swastika. It added a special charm to the building. Our special thanks goes to the Colours of Nature, Auroville for offering us this special opportunity to use the natural colour pigments.

Interpretation:
This body is nothing but clothing on the soul, as scriptures state it. In Sri Bhagwadgita it is said that as we drop one old cloth and wear a new one, so our soul drops its body when it gets too old and torn and gets a new one. But what this cloth is made of? Kabir says this cloth (chadar, shawl) is made by thin linings. What are the Tana(Warp) and Bana(Weft) and which thread is used to weave this cloth? Ingala (one nadi of three main nadees i.e. Ingala, Pingala and Sushmana) and Pingala are like taana and baana (linings of weaver’s tool on which he weaves cloths) and Sushmana thread is used to weave it. In this cloth, there are eight lotuses flowering (corresponding to eight chakras), and ten doors (charkha, exit organs of body ), five elements (earth, water,air, fire and ether) and three gunas (SAT, RAJ and TAM). My Lord weaved this great cloth in ten months (fertilization to full grown fetus or baby of human being). He made it with great love and care. All deities, humans and monks wore this cloth and made it dirty. Blessed is Kabir who wore it with great care and put it down as pure as it was given to him by Lord. This clothing is not only this physical body but all layers of the soul. We get our body dirty and wash it with soap and water, but what about the filth of mind and heart?? We should keep cleaning them as well by doing meditation and devotion to Lord, so we could submit this soul as pure as he has made it.

Calligraphy collaboration project with the Colours of Nature, Auroville chapter two. Batik! Special thanks to Jesus @ Tcon !