Article by Preeta Dutta. Founder & CEO, MiradorLife
Great art comes from the heart and speaks to the heart.
It is in the depths of all artistic work, that we experience some of the most fundamental principles of life – joy, happiness, sorrow, fear etc. It’s one of the main reasons that artists create their work and we as people appreciate and value them. We connect to those pieces that help us build a bridge between our mind and our emotions.
There is no other art that encompasses inner growth and mediation at its fundamental core, than the art of making mandalas. Its complex circular matrix involves healing, growth; spirituality and inspiration guided by a universal consciousness of the world outside vis a vis our own personal growth. Though it is more popular in Buddhist and Hindu philosophy, this cosmic diagram was used by every religion to symbolize the universe and the concept of infinity.
Ujwal Gulati is a techie turned Mandala artist based in Bangalore who inspired me to go further into the depth of mandala art and explained his perspective on the art form. He believes that as an artist creating mandalas, it is not only about the end product but more about the process.
“This practice has acted as a powerful self-healing tool, and has guided me to become an immensely self-aware and conscious individual, so I have come to perceive and experience a Mandala as a gateway that connects the lower realms of reality to the higher realms of consciousness.”
The famous psychiatrist Jung would ask his patients to draw mandalas as a form of therapy. He believed that this practice would allow his patients to work their way through the outer chaos of their lives and get in touch with their inner center and relax and calm them. To him the Mandala signified the wholeness of the self.
Ujwal similarly believes that mandalas can find its way into modern meditation and energy healing practices as it helps individuals tune into their positive inner energies, leading to a synergy between the artist and his audience.Ujwal similarly believes that mandalas can find its way into modern meditation and energy healing practices as it helps individuals tune into their positive inner energies, leading to a synergy between the artist and his audience.
Today, Ujwal the self-taught artist has evolved and grown along with his art. He is continuously experimenting with mediums such as concreate and wood. His form of mandala art is more contemporary and minimal.
To me, a mandala in the home sphere is an excellent way to imbibe positive energy into our homes, a lot like having good vaastu or following feng shui principles. Not only is the art a direct result of several hours of meditative energy, but staring at it over time will also affect our physical and emotional well being, As Ujwal says “The symmetric layers of repeating patterns are said to resonate within us at a cellular level…. causing our body to reach a calm and collected space.”
In essence the Mandala or the magic circle is everywhere in life. Known from time immemorial, this circular design is a reminder that life is cyclical and never ending. Our earth is a mandala, so is the sun, the moon. So many things in nature follow – the petals in a flower, a spider web, the rings of a tree bark etc. Beautiful, simple and symmetrical a mandala is one of nature’s most perfect configurations.
Passionate about Mandalas and art Ujwal is also the founder of ‘Mindfulness with Mandalas™’ – an experiential wellness workshop program through which he promotes the sacred practice of mandala creation as an alternative meditation and self-healing tool. Ujwal tells all beginners that one should not get so obsessed with the technique of mandala art that we forget its spiritual aspect.
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