Intrinsic Changes

When I was younger, we would often travel by train to my grandmother’s house in Jammu. Typically we would take the overnight train that would reach just a bit before noon. My sister and I would spend these mornings in the train looking out of the window. We would see other trains pass by, a few settlements here and there but mostly just forests or fields. One fond memory that I have is of the sunflowers we would see in these fields. We were always fascinated to see the sunflowers change direction as the sun moved in the sky. It was like a magic trick to us.
Cut ahead to a few years after this and I joined an architecture college. The initial excitement was buried somewhere under piles and piles of work but from this pile also emerged zeal. In our very first semester we were taught about certain design principles – balance, rhythm, harmony, colours - we went through all of this. This was when we were also introduced to more nuanced concepts like anthropometry, golden ratios and the Fibonacci series. Once I had learnt of these, my perception of the sunflower had changed forever. It was no longer just a pretty flower that fascinated me, but rather now I understood the reason behind its appeal. Knowing that the seeds form Fibonacci spirals actually added to my appreciation of the same. Knowing did not take away from its beauty but rather added to it. This was a time that I realized that certain moments in life change the way you see things. I could not undo this knowing or realization, it was now embedded in me.
My time at Sandarbh has been another one of these realizations. I have changed intrinsically in ways I won’t be able to undo even if I wanted to!

Keep reading to know more…

-Mannat