The Celestial Artwork

Baisakh (April) is so pleasant,

The branches blossom with new leaves.

The soul-bride yearns to see the Lord at her door.

Come, O Lord, and take pity on me!

-Bara Mah - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

April is the month of new leaves, ripening wheat and birdsong. The bare branches of trees bloom in to hues of reds and greens as leaves burst forth from bare branches.

Bougainvillea explodes into colours as birds sing their nesting songs.

This is the time when Mr. God sneaks in and paints everything in myriad hues of divinity. Winters are over and summer approaches. Plants and trees erupt into a riot of colour.

Mulberries are laden with luscious purple fruit. Ants, flies, bees, birds and squirrels flock to the trees gorging on fruit or each other. A bee eater in his robes of green, red cardinal’s cap and kohl lined eyes meditates on a branch. Suddenly it darts at an unsuspecting bee flying by and breaks his fast!

A grey partridge with its clutch of chicks feeds on ants gathered around the fallen fruit. It spies us and flies up into a mango tree clucking a warning. The chicks melt into dry grass and bushes, invisible to the eye.

A flutter of butterflies hovers over a bed of flowers. Pankhuri and I photograph them, trying to click one with its proboscis extended.

The bougainvilleas are resplendent in their colours. There is a thick pile of pink flowers that have fallen below the vines. Pankhuri shuffles through them raising subtle aromas in the early morning air.

We discuss the light, composition and subject. We use grids for one thirds, golden triangles and Divine proportions. We discuss raking light and back lighting. And we photograph the Curator of Divine Paintings who in her humility sweeps the dried leaves and litter away!