Monks and the Monsoon

” Do not speak — unless it improves on the silence. “

~ Buddhist saying

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During a quiet road trip recently to Bylakuppe — an exceptionally peacelful Tibetan settlement in the Coorg district,

South of India, there seemed to be a myriad of invigorating Reds in the air, water and the earth . . .

The deeply reflective quality of the color Red drew me in. The wetness of the Monsoon pronounced it further.

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The color red is auspicious in Tibetan culture. It is a sacred color, one of the colors of the five Buddhas and the color of the monk’s

garments. It is believed to have protective qualities and is therefore often used to paint sacred buildings.

Red throughout the development of civilization has had connotations with life and things considered sacred in some way.

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On a separate note : I find that the colors of a landscape are so much more intense and pure during/before/after the rains.

The clouds allow for the clean, even light and the rain water brings so much texture and freshness to everything. I so enjoy

photographing in the rain and the Indian monsoon has always been a muse of mine, despite the fact that she’s a paradox–She

takes as generously as she gives. Exploring her various facets and studying color have been on my mind lately. I was thinking

I’d tie both the explorations together and see what happens. It could potentially grow into a series of sorts . . . I’ll start posting

color captures of the monsoon along with some notes, from the places that touch my life, as these wet months go by and in the

monsoons to come . . .  these posts can be found under the category called Monsoon Colors in this blog. Do stay tuned . . . !

Tagged as: bylakuppe, Color, india, monsoon, tibetan, travel