Surya Mandala - Solar Harmony
Where the Sun Without Meets the Sun Within
Size: 48 x 48 inches (Circle)
Medium: Different kinds of glass and golden tiles on acrylic substrate.
iNSPIRATION
My school years in Welhams’, a North Indian boarding school, began each day before dawn with yoga under the rising sun. At 5:30 a.m., we greeted the first light with Surya Namaskar — a ritual that instilled focus, vitality, and calm for the day ahead. Our instructor often said, “If you cannot do any other asana, just perform Surya Namaskar — it will clear the path to a calm, yet productive day.” Those words became a lifelong mantra.
In ancient Hindu tradition, the sun is revered as Surya Devata, the source of vitality and consciousness. I conceived the Surya Mandala mosaic as a sacred offering — a meditative salutation to the divine energy that illuminates all creation. Through colour, rhythm, and the circular mandala form, I have tried to reflect the outer radiance of the sun and the inner flame we awaken through yoga and meditation — a sacred circle that mirrors the soul’s journey towards wholeness.
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eXPRESSION
The Mandala’s central geometry radiates like an inner sun, symbolizing the still core of consciousness from which all light emanates. The rhythmic motifs encircling the core suggest movement, breath, and the ceaseless turning of time.
The mandala’s symmetry evokes the cosmic order that underlies all existence, while its glowing hues — from the deep rusts of the awakening earth to the molten golds of ascendant light — capture the warmth of divine radiance. The mosaic invites contemplation — a pause to recognize that the same solar flame which rises on the horizon also burns quietly within. The flowing Roman mosaic style outer border, woven in red and blue, balances the fire of energy with the calm of infinity, much like the balance sought through yoga.
Each tesserae is placed as if in silent prayer, transforming the act of creation into a meditative offering. Thus, the mosaic does not merely depict the sun — it embodies its spirit, radiating an inner luminosity that invites the viewer into stillness, reverence, and renewal.