ZWT8~ Colors of India

[Debbie R.]

I have always loved the beautiful colors in Bollywood sari's. My place setting is based on that. I see a slightly pickled vegetable salad in the first bowl, a soupy curry in the second, a riesling in the wine glass, expresso in the small golden glass (I had to add some glitz for all the jewelry they wear!) and an Indian rice pudding in the orange glass.

[Susie D]

lazyme wrote:
Chefs in the Wild
3. Nif ~ pg 2 ~

Jammin' Jazzberries
1. bigbadbrenda ~pg 3 ~

moved.

[Susie D]

Chocolatl wrote:


Childhood's Colors of India

When I was a child, I loved reading stories about India. I devoured folk tales, Kipling's Jungle Book (not the movie), and "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi." I still remember the colors they evoked in my imagination--the buttery yellow of ghee, the bright blue of the sky and the shifting greens of the jungle, the pink flowers in Rikki's garden, and the varicolored, glittering jewels in the lost kings' treasure trove. Most of all I remember the white milk that Mowgli's mother gave him when he returned to "the Man Pack." Perhaps she served it in a mug like this one.

Nice Choco. I liked your use of a book for inspiration!

[Susie D]

Annacia wrote:


I have tried to evoke India using 2 pieces of sari fabric that I have had for years and dearly love. The second authentic piece of India is the red brass tray, again something that I have had for years a love much. For the rest I hope that the colors and pattern put you in an Indian mood.

My Colors of India

What a great use of color and items on hand!

[Susie D]

LifeIsGood wrote:


Putting aside my apprehension and volunteering for this challenge on behalf of the Herbaceous Curvaceous Honeys.

Such wonderful, colorful photos everyone! I hope I can do this challenge justice.

Just be inspired and have fun. That's the goal.

[Susie D]

Dreamer in Ontario wrote:


I'm also up to the challenge for the Honeys

Dreamer in Ontario 171790

I've noted you on the scorecard. Have fun!

[Susie D]

Jostlori wrote:


For Team Om Nom Nommers, here's my interpretation of the Colors of India...

In India, Holi is the festival of color - a festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil and a celebration of the arrival of spring and harvests to come. Come Holi, the country is painted in mesmerizing hues of blues, yellows, magentas, greens, violets, and more. It’s the festival of colors, emotions, and happiness. Brightly colored powders are the mainstay of the holiday, during which men, women, and children carry powders and liquid colors to throw and smear on the clothes and faces of neighbors and relatives. This is the central ritual of Holi, and thus its common name “Festival of Colors”.

For the Hindu, colors play a very important role in the religion and culture and have a very deep significance that transcends purely decorative values. And, there is a color for almost every occasion, moment, or celebration. Each color symbolizes a force in life, and thus color and life are inseparable.

For my Colors of India project, I’ve chosen Blue and Green because they are so predominant in my life here in the coastal jungle of Costa Rica.

Blue is the color of one of the revered gods in Hinduism, the lord Krishna. It represents characteristics such as bravery, determination, stability of mind and depth of character.

Green is a festive color, representing life, fertility and new beginnings. It symbolizes peace and happiness, and is said to stabilize the mind. It is also the sacred color of the Muslim community in India. The color is cool to the eyes and represents nature.

Both of these colors, blue and green, offer a vivid portrayal of the Indian people and are symbolic of their spiritual strength. They call to mind the harmony of nature in the blue of the sky and the green of the jungle.

The use of the white dishes is symbolic as well.

Stunning Lori! It's so peaceful I want to sit and stare.

[Susie D]

LifeIsGood wrote:


Here is my interpretation of the Colors of India, on behalf of the Herbaceous Curvaceous Honeys:

In a country that is as diverse as India, it is the simple expressions of color that hold together the variety of lifestyles, cultures and traditions. The symbolism of color is important and represents every aspect of life in India: religion, politics, festivals, and celebrations. Color and culture go hand in hand in India.

White is a good choice as a base to showcase the bright colors. Side note about white: it is the only color widows are allowed to wear. It is the acceptable color at funerals, etc... that mark death in the family. When a widow wears white, she disconnects herself from the pleasures and luxuries of society. White also represents peace and purity.

I chose the bright colors of blues, reds and yellows to represent my tablescape for India.

The color blue is associated with Lord Krishna, one of the more favored gods in India.

Red is associated with Durga, one of the goddesses in Hindu mythology. Red also stands for purity and is considered the best color for a bride's garment. The red tikka (spot on the forehead) that a bride adorns after the wedding, is a sign of her commitment. Red also symbolizes fertility and prosperity.

The yellow color symbolizes sanctity. Turmeric, which is a vibrant yellow, is an essential herbal ingredient applied on the body and face by women.

I also included a blue pashmina scarf with my table setting. Pashmina refers to a type of fine cashmere wool and the textiles made from it.The wool comes from the pashmina goat, which is a special breed of goat indigenous to high altitudes of the Himalayas in Nepal, Pakistan and northern India. Pashmina shawls are hand spun, woven and embroidered in Kashmir, and made from fine cashmere fibre. My brother and sister-in-law were lucky enough to travel through India and gave us all pashminas as gifts.

Also pictured in my place setting is a moneky. Normally, in many places around the country of India, monkeys roam free in the streets and temples. They traditionally enjoy a large measure of respect that stems from their association with the Hindu deity Hanuman. However, many cities are becoming overrun with monkeys now, causing all sorts of problems.

Last but not least is the food of India. I couldn't set my table without representing some of the foods of this colorful country! The colors of the food in my photo didn't come out as vibrant as they looked to me originally. All of these recipes were found from the All Players Cookbook, and I think represent the varied food choices in India. Included here are:
The Better Butter Chicken #243805, Potatoes With Fresh Curry Leaves (Bhaji) #425084, Just Right Spinach & Chickpea Curry (Vegan) - Chole Palak #397640, Exotic Indian Tangy Rice #481926 and Spiced Chai Concentrate #469218. What a delicious meal we had!




P.S. Thank you for this challenge. I've been learning so much about India.

Well done! I love the monkey.

[Susie D]

Debbie R. wrote:


I have always loved the beautiful colors in Bollywood sari's. My place setting is based on that. I see a slightly pickled vegetable salad in the first bowl, a soupy curry in the second, a riesling in the wine glass, expresso in the small golden glass (I had to add some glitz for all the jewelry they wear!) and an Indian rice pudding in the orange glass.

I thought you illustrated Bollywood terrifically!

[Susie D]

threeovens wrote:


I'd like to sign up to do this challenge for my team!

I have both you & mersaydees noted. Have fun.

[Debbie R.]

Thanks, Susie.

[Susie D]

Notes current to here.

[mersaydees]

Susie D wrote:

LifeIsGood wrote:


Here is my interpretation of the Colors of India, on behalf of the Herbaceous Curvaceous Honeys:

In a country that is as diverse as India, it is the simple expressions of color that hold together the variety of lifestyles, cultures and traditions. The symbolism of color is important and represents every aspect of life in India: religion, politics, festivals, and celebrations. Color and culture go hand in hand in India.

White is a good choice as a base to showcase the bright colors. Side note about white: it is the only color widows are allowed to wear. It is the acceptable color at funerals, etc... that mark death in the family. When a widow wears white, she disconnects herself from the pleasures and luxuries of society. White also represents peace and purity.

Well done! I love the monkey.

LIG,

It's interesting your comments about wearing white at funerals. I once attended a funeral in San Francisco for a legend whom I never met yet worked at his design firm after he retired: Walter Landor of Landor Associates. A world-wide design firm. Our CFO, Jean Marc, I recall was Belgian and his wife a glamorous Asian. She was the only one in attendance at the funeral wearing white. She wasn't apologetic; however, she felt she needed to explain why she was wearing white because of the present cultural ignorance, and this is how she was raised to honor those passing. That's made an impression on me all these years since. Simply that our common place traditions are not the same in other cultures. I experienced so many eye-openers working for my first international company! It was great!

[mersaydees]

My place setting is inspired by the religious classic Bhagavad-Gita. I incorporated colors from my really old paperback book: red and gold with hints of blue. I also repeated the white from the dishes throughout. Thanks for a lovely visit to India!

[Rita~]

Spices are a part of yoga cooking, known to possess therapeutic and healing properties
The beautiful colors and ahh aromas of the spices will bring any dish from the ordinary to a supreme spiritual feast for the senses of sight, smell, and taste.
For an ultimate dining experience try Indian cuisine.
FYI: Herbs and spices have more disease-fighting antioxidants than most fruits and vegetables. maybe that is why those that enjoy Indian foods rich in herbs and spices are beautiful and healthy.
Namaste
Live, Love, & Laugh