Artistic Adventures - eCAPA 2025 , Bangalore [Sep 26-28 ]

Five of Nishant’s  art works were part of eCAPA  exhibition organised by The Art Sanctuary  .Though his works have been selected for this consistently since 2020 for online exhibitions , twice at STIR galley , New Delhi and Salarjung Museum , Hyderabad last year – this one was extra special as we could attend it in person as a family .  I still am in amazement of the treat for the eyes – 150 + art works of 50 neurodiverse artists – a glimpse into their beautiful minds – each unique and evocative !!

The D’Tale gallery itself was very well organized and apt for this display – only thing missing was its curator Bose Krishnamachari – we were really looking forward to meeting him . In his absence Priti Vadakkath  an artist herself and mom to a neurodiverse young man had done a wonderful job over 3 tiring  days of arranging the artworks in the gallery – each piece could be savored individually as well as with the themes they were part of  . Kudos to Priti and Abhirami from the gallery who supported the entire effort  .

We met Shalini Gupta of “The Art Sanctuary “ for the first time .We have been closely connected over the past 5-6 years and it was lovely to meet her in person. She has brought this wonderful show together time and again  - and I am in awe of her dedication  and grace . Her attention to detail and hard work to get the best exposure of our artists are commendable !!

On the premier night, 26^th September  it was exciting to meet with all the other artists and their families and spend time with them and their art . It was heartwarming to catch up with old friends and make new ones too  .The next 2 days the exhibition was open to all and I am really touched by all the family and friends who battled Bangalore’s terrible traffic for hours to reach the venue and spend time with us and the  exhibition  .Feel so held and connected with both our close circle of support and friends from the neurodiverse tribe .

Each painting of Nishant’s is a labour of love – he ideates, I help plan how to execute – he tries , corrects , smells , savors …he enjoys the process so much . For us who see him do this week after week on our dining table, it was mind blowing to see these pieces take a place of pride among the other art works. One more thing to be proud about was that 3 of Amaze interns /students – Nishant , Gokul and Inian  -  were part of this exhibition and their digital art was intricate and eye catching . Kudos to Saravanan  [Sir] our Graphic arts instructor from Amaze who has been guiding them over the years  . It was also heart warming to see so many familiar names in the artist lists - friends from Adventure camps , art festivals , part of WhatsApp groups - we are indeed a robust, thriving community now - this is a dream come true !!

                             

The journey from Coimbatore and back was also eventful and challenging. We had to cancel and change our tickets for 26^th morning due to train delays and took an earlier train so had to leave home at 6 am on 26^th.We reached our service apartment and they had reserved a 1 bedroom apartment instead of the 2 bedroom that I had paid for and we had to convince them to give us one more unit and close by . We were 5 of us – Nishant, Nivriti, my 81 year old mother, Ramesh  [Nishant’s aide] and me  ].We managed to settle down but it was quite late and were not sure how Nishant would behave at the preview without a proper dinner  . He was ravenous as expected by7 pm and initially did not want to see the exhibition and kept looking for food. Nivriti saved the day by ordering him some noodles .After that he was in good cheer  and everything went ok.We all reached back and had dinner at 10 pm. Next morning was a bit relaxed and we went back to the gallery to receive all our friends and family – We were done by 5 pm  .

However, the next challenge was to to get to Chowdiah memorial hall which was a 2 hour drive across town to listen to a concert “Pankh” led by Kaushiki Chakraborty which my niece Apoorva Krishna  was a part of  as a violinist . Again, we were nervous about how Nishant would deal with the traffic and no food – Noodle did the trick again and he had some just before we reached the venue  .It was a treat to see him thoroughly enjoy the concert and though we left early by 9.15 pm and reached our accommodation close to 11 pm .  Nishant was calm all through and the adventure  was worth the risk we took  . We are touched by my cousin Murali’s  [Apoorva’s dad ] gesture – he ensured we  had the best seats in the concert and arranged for our transport  to and fro – the previous day he came all the way to view the ECAPA exhibition . It is a matter of family pride for Nishant’s and Apoorva’s great grandmothers [my grandmother and her sister  ] -  that these two children who are about the same age are doing so well in their chosen fields  . We shared the pictures in our family groups and every one was happy and proud of Nishant ,

Of course, all this joy is always bitter sweet for us as we dearly miss Ram – we could feel his presence with us every moment and  I am sure he is extremely proud of Nishant and happy for him – but it would have been so great if he had been there with us in person ,

The journey back home was an adventure no less – We reached the station at 1.30 pm and had to walk almost a kilometre in the hot sun to our compartment  .We had not eaten any lunch and we got to it only by 2.45 pm and till then made doo with some snacks and drinks and the lovely brownies that our cousin Kanna had brough us and the lovely peda’s that a friend brought us . Then of course since we were on Vande Bharat we were on a continuous eating binge  .Nishant enjoyed the train rides thoroughly – found a new hobby of clicking the photos of the scenery on his iPad  .He was very clued in with the announcements on the train and indicated to me we were nearing Coimbatore – as I was distracted by some phone calls  .We reached back home tired yet satiated and grateful for all the richness this experience had let us soak in  -  Art , music , food , family , friends and lots of love !!

Kummi adi !!

 Nishant as a child was always very social – smiling at the person on the lift, waving to the neighbors – being a perfect host to someone who comes home and so on . At school also he would try to include himself with children his age or size and try to play the games they were playing. Later in integrated school and special school also he found a few friends and connected with them in some way or the other. Once he moved into Amaze and skill training started – he was a bit taken aback as the students who joined were younger than him and often had more challenges with socializing. He made friends with the some of the staff initially. Overtime he formed “silent” bonds with his peers @Amaze and currently I am glad to see them connect and support each other. [even through meltdowns and anxiety]

https://www.patientsengage.com/personal-voices/forging-friendships-spectrum

During this period 2014-2020, we had several setbacks on the personal front – like Ram’s parent’s falling ill and then passing on, Nivi entering 8^th grade and becoming less available for social outings, my parents moving in and needing more support. Our “social circle” just shrunk and so did Nishant’s [and I must say Nivriti’s] social skills. However, we were still in touch with the extended family and weddings and events were opportunities to connect back with them. Then Covid struck and we were home bound for 2 years and for another two years we battled the illnesses of my dad’s and Ram and then suddenly lost both of them and we slid down to "zero" in terms of  socializing for more than 4 years.

In 2024 we started making concerted efforts to go out on trips, visit relatives again, go out for lunch or dinner with friends and other outings. Nishant struggled with reentering the “social” arena at times. Sometimes he would not be friendly and sometimes the whole gathering would be too overwhelming for him.  He had started being polite with the people he saw everyday acknowledging them in his own ways and connecting back with his teachers and friends too . He missed his Dad a lot so if he saw any uncle who was around his Dad’s age or had a balding head he would approach them and sometimes kiss them on the head like he would for his Dad  .It seemed inappropriate to some, but once I explained it they would not object .

Last weekend I had travelled out of town and he was at home with my mom and they had some unexpected guests. He discussed their visit with me today as follows.

 

Typed on Clicker 

Towards the end of December 2024, we went to Chennai on a 4-day trip. My aunt had arranged for a get together of the extended family. Nishant enjoyed the train travel [after 6 years] and stay at my uncle’s place [where he was pampered to the core]. He also liked interacting with his cousins who were also trying to include him as much as possible. It culminated in a whole day [9am – 5pm] meeting in a hall with a loosely held agenda as there was no formal function or event. We reached the event a bit late- at 11 am as I wanted him to at least have lunch there and not run out before that. However, Nishant was very chill and comfortable in the gathering . He was also accepted and included by the relatives [some who had never met him before – these were some distant aunts /uncles, grand aunts /uncles, and cousins]. Initially he typed that he did not know how to interact - but later figured out that he just had to go with the flow .

I made a small speech about my aunt who I love and admire a lot and I started tearing up – he came right up to me and wiped my tears and the whole hall clapped for him – it was such a poignant moment for all of us. He enjoyed the lunch and did not ask to go back after that - in fact  we stayed on till the end. My aunt had composed a “kummi” and her granddaughters had practiced to dance for it – he decided to spontaneously join them and they also sweetly included him – it was so endearing. Following hs lead everyone joined in the "kummi"  and danced with each other. It felt so nice to find unconditional acceptance from the extended family [close family was always very supportive of us]. 

 

I am so heartened by Nishant's intention to socialize and be included and that he is thinking of ways to connect and he is asking questions about how he can go about that. I really hope he can slowly increase his circle and connect to more and more friends and relatives and find joy in connecting.

Kummi:

Kumi is a traditional group dance from Tamilnadu and Kerala .Here Kummi is an important social activity which brings the community together especially during festivals, harvest seasons, and family occasions. Primarily performed by women, this vibrant dance form combines rhythmic clapping, dynamic movements, and heartfelt singing to create a captivating experience. Rooted in agrarian societies, Kummi reflects the simplicity and harmony of rural life, making it a treasured expression of collective joy and unity. [Explanation adapted from the internet]

 

 

A heartfelt tribute to Dr Parasuram Ramamoorthi

 

Words have literally failed me for the past few days as I come to terms with the passing on of Ram [more widely known as Dr  Parasuram Ramamoorthi ] .I could not bring myself to post this till today as I would break down each time I tried to do it .

Over the past 10 years we developed a close bond that is indescribable in common terms - he was so many things to me - mentor, friend, inspiration  . Few people have influenced me in this space, and he is certainly one of them. He opened a window called “Arts” in my life and that of Nishant’s and that has changed the course of our lives.

Initially I would call him “Sir” and then “Ram Sir” …but he would get very upset and insist I should call him “Ram” as that is how he feels comfortable. It was difficult for me on two counts – his seniority and also the fact that my husband was also “Ram “ [Sriram] .However he was persistent and over time I got used to calling him “Ram”.

He was a maverick of sorts and his ideas for Drama based intervention  , his brain child – The Velvi “Art for Autism” festival changed the landscape of the intervention space for Autism . His vision was that of Autistics being honed to their full potential and his belief was that each person has an interest or ability and if we focus on that it can transform their lives. He had complete faith in his methodology and in the client and that itself led to a high impact positive change for the clients whose lives he has touched. His courage of conviction was commendable.

He liked to liken himself to the Neem tree - and like the neem tree he was sought after for his transformative abilities and wide area of shade [read support ] he provided to those close to him . He could also be perceived as a bit harsh in his approach at times as he never minced his words – with him it was WYSIWYG [What you see is what you get]. He was the master of masks, yet he wore none in real life. He was the teacher of Drama but preferred “No Drama” in his life  .

Excerpt from his poems “The Neem Tree”

“A boy looked at my leaves

tasted the leaves

cried " oh bitter bitter"

A girl looked at the flowers

oh they look like beads, she said.

a woman vendor sat at my feet

oh how cool , love the neem breeze

A carpenter looked at my trunk

" not good for a table"

The crow came flying

with a mouse in her beak

sat at the farthest branch on the left

started pecking into the bowels of the mouse

"yummy yummy" the crow said

suddenly i heard a scream

" kill kill him"

a man came running

hid behind my trunk

fifteen men came running with sickles

they were looking for some one

my trunk grew large and broad

the man was totally hidden now

fifteen people passed by still shouting and screaming Kill kill him

He wants to start an industry in our village

how dare he

he is from the next village

How can he start an industry here?

They went away

the man in hiding came out

went away without even saying Thank You.”

 

He was also a very emotional person and experienced all the “Navarasas “with authenticity. He held those who he loved in his heart with deep feelings for them. I am privileged to have experienced that deep love and faith from him which itself gave me such energy to go forward. I have seen him do this for so many people, both facilitators and persons on the spectrum.

He had a deep love for his wife Nirmalaji and would treat her with so much care and respect. He really took to heart the loss of his close relatives and friends in the recent times, his mind was disturbed by the finality of death. He felt courted by death and literally died of a broken heart – so deep was his love.

He has left a void so deep that it will never be filled. He has also left a legacy of love and work that we all have to carry forward . He was and always be a legend. Bye dearest Ram  .see you in the ether world sometime …till we meet again ..adieu