part 3: The Japanese sense of Aesthetics

The concept of mono no aware that I discussed in part 2 finds expression in Japanese art and literature including in the works of the latest Nobel laureate Kazuo Ishiguro. Even though the concept originated in the Heian Era (8th-12th century), it started gaining prominence in Japanese culture with the works of the 18th century … Continue reading part 3: The Japanese sense of Aesthetics →

Part-2: The Japanese sense of Aesthetics

The Japanese sense of aesthetics is a fine combination of the awareness about the impermanence of things on one hand and appreciation of the inherent beauty of the moment on the other hand. The emphasis on the element of transience or the changing nature of things in Japanese culture and art comes from not only … Continue reading Part-2: The Japanese sense of Aesthetics →

The Japanese Sense of Aesthetics

The word Haiku reminds me of millions of awful micro poetic compositions that pass for as haikus in the blogosphere. The other day I came across a couple of such alleged haikus. I don't remember the wordings but one was about the miserable office wage and another was about the boss who was an asshole. … Continue reading The Japanese Sense of Aesthetics →

my book will be available for free download

My book IDLE HOURS will be available for free download between 1st and 3rd December 2017. I have made minor revisions recently and those who have already got it may download it again to get the latest version. Meanwhile here are a few reviews / feedbacks: https://twitter.com/s_k_pathak/status/932085793618763776 Enjoyed reading the book. At places the humour … Continue reading my book will be available for free download →

heights of beauty

Can't one be lovely without being fair? Is beauty only skin deep? The facts, of a CBSE topper becoming the miss world this year and the balanced mix of whites, blacks, and browns in top ten of the Miss World pageant, are more than enough to bust these myths. But one disconcerting question remains. One … Continue reading heights of beauty →

Thus, here is my first published book

My first published book was supposed to be a book of poetry to celebrate the labours of love of an unsung poet who has been writing poetry off and on for the last three decades. Being a professional procrastinator I had also set a deadline for the completion and the publication of the book. My … Continue reading Thus, here is my first published book →

cities inhabitable

Hawa mein udta jae, mora lal dupatta malmal ka ooo... ji... ooo ji Hey girl. Don't let your dupatta fly off your soft hands. Delhi is approaching. You will need it to cover your nose and mouth. The air pollution in Delhi reaching alarming proportions is the top trending news these days. Of course for … Continue reading cities inhabitable →

Remembering those notebandi days

Remembering those notebandi days ( Originally written after a few days of demonetization)

Bangalore Literature Festival 2017

While last Sunday was spent hearing the sales pitch of established authors at the Bangalore Literature Festival, this Sunday I am taking the first step towards establishing myself as a book author. Or, so do I think. I have finalised my first book which is a compilation of selected articles from my armory of published … Continue reading Bangalore Literature Festival 2017 →

today flowers blossom in me

Usually, the commuting to and from the office is the most unpleasant experiences of a working day in a city like Bengaluru so much so that when someone asks, 'what is the distance of your office from home', I say, 'it is one and a half hours to two hours depending upon the mood of … Continue reading today flowers blossom in me →