Coorg Calling!
BY GARGI SEN GUPTA
Coorg Calling!
AUGUST 23, 2022 / BY GARGI SEN GUPTA
It’s been 5 months since the Artcation, but it’s still as fresh in my mind as it was yesterday. An experience unlike any I have had, or perhaps will have.
Oftentimes, we go about our daily routine without any seeming stress or the need to do something out of routine. As Winter gave way to Spring, I was in the throes of an unexplained restlessness. This was signal enough for me to break the routine. I could not have seen the Artcation posts on Insta at a better time!
Coorg was on my travel list for a really long time. This was an opportunity - and as it turned out an experience - I couldn’t miss. Honestly, I was not so sure about the ‘Arty’ bit. But I looked at the itinerary, the location, and decided to take the plunge anyway.
For a Bengali kid, Aanka shekha (Drawing Classes) was a quintessential part of growing up in the 90s. Looking back, I never really derived any joy from those mundane lessons. Neither did I pursue it for long (not to say I couldn’t draw at all)!
I was to discover soon that art can be an extremely therapeutic and relaxing experience, if done the right way.
Sketches and pastel shades were not an issue with me. Water color, however, was where the pin did prick. And pricked real bad! Strangely enough, the first activity that required us to just paint whatever we felt like, turned out quite well. The myriad colors on my canvas magically poured in to create an abstract sunset. This was a good start!
Another one of my favorites has to be the session we had by a stream. It was both an individual, and team activity. While we picked up rocks to paint, a large canvas was kept at the other end of the stream. Each one of us would add one element to it to continue and eventually finish the piece. It is nothing short of a miracle when a bunch of 15 odd strangers with different backgrounds, ages, and personalities put their heads together to create something beautiful. The end result was eclectic to say the least.
It is nothing short of a miracle when a bunch of 15 odd strangers with different backgrounds, ages, and personalities put their heads together to create something beautiful. The end result was eclectic to say the least.
Art as an expression of self and one’s immediate surroundings was the overarching theme of this less than ordinary vacation. We were not just painting or drawing. Sitting in circles, we were also articulating what went through our heads when we picked up those paint brushes.
Project Aaina’s well-curated program is in no way unidimensional. It is truly a cleanser for the mind, body, and soul. Notwithstanding the fact that the major focus is on paint, brush, canvas, and its corollaries, sound healing, drum circle, and movement therapy were also an essential part of the well-rounded 4 day itinerary. Why, we even had a tie dying activity to get a taste of how much effort and skill go into the making of handcrafted products. It was an eye-opener for most of us, so used to picking up stuff online and/or at the mall.
Last but not the least, for a retreat like this, the stay had to be unique and far removed from the average touristy places. Rosewood Stay was the perfect foil to that end. Set within a coffee estate with vast, undulating expanses of green, it was a sight for sore eyes.
Far away from the crowd and humdrum of everyday life, I met some extraordinary human beings, made memories, and learnt to enjoy art (as against anka shekha!).
At the risk of sounding corny - Thank you Project Aaina for this unique experience!
