Celebrating yoga day
Sculptor Arun Pandit has created a bronze sculpture of the seated yoga asana which goes back to ancient historical roots in India.
The beauty of Yoga Day is the truth that it binds together people of all nations, all castes, and creeds. The popularity of yoga all over the world as a lifestyle has developed into a deep and abiding interest in yoga and daily human practices of it.
Sculptor Arun Pandit has created a bronze sculpture of the seated yoga asana which goes back to ancient historical roots in India based on a far more wide-ranging spiritual and philosophical practice and meaning.
"I created this work keeping in mind the practice as well as the heritage symbol it contains," says Pandit who is a National Award winner as well as known for his Garuda at the Tirupathi Airport. "The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit term meaning 'union' and it is actually about connecting the mind, body, and soul," adds Pandit.
Pandit's bronze is a striking work that at once speaks to us about the truth that yoga harnesses the senses in an ever-flowing movement towards liberation, or the Absolute, which in yogic philosophy lies as much within the body as without. Indeed it is the meditation that gives us the power to visualize as also the practice of self-control and stillness. Yoga as a practice links us to the metaphysical and this image of the human in the mould is one that speaks to us about the many masks that we are surrounded by.
The outer mould is one that Pandit has used for more than 10 years. But this outer mould also speaks to us about shutting out everyday thoughts and emotions and focusing our energies forwards and upwards. Yoga practitioners say that it provides a clarity and peace, far removed from the distractions and stresses of the everyday world. This sculpture is a reflection of positive energies, it is a catalyst for spiritual enlightenment.
This yoga asana is like a spiritual roadmap that represents the body as a microcosm of the universe. This is the kind of sculpture that needs to be kept in one of the airports in the country. Making sculptures in bronze is a slow art form, with human hands – casting, made materials and its traditional processes, and the subject matter of yoga provides an inspiring signature.
