Simran Agarwal is a researcher and writer based in Mumbai.
Simran Agarwal is a researcher and writer based in Mumbai. She holds an M.A. in Arts and Aesthetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and has worked with the MAP Academy and Sahapedia. Her writing has appeared in Aeon+Psyche, Scroll.in, The Wire, and Garland Magazine, among other forums. She is currently studying Persian and working as assistant editor at the Marg Foundation.
Buddhist ascetics, in early historic India referred to places of religious retreat and contemplation as vihāras or ārāmas, Sanskrit terms meaning ‘a place of recreation, pleasure-ground’ or a ‘place of pleasure, a garden’. Agarwal explains that the Buddhist garden harmonizes the tension between concepts of indulgence and asceticism.
Simran Agarwal finds an extraordinarily elaborate culture of fragrance in India’s Persianate world.
Agarwal describes the delightful art form known as Ragamala, meaning “garland of ragas” in Sanskrit. It is a set of miniature paintings depicting the ragas, a range of musical modes arranged in specific sequences. Each painting, therefore, represents a specific mood and is occasionally accompanied by a poetic inscription.
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Although contemporary rath yatras are predominantly associated with Hindu festivals, their historical roots extend beyond a single community.