30/01/2025
Many years ago, (and may I say I delight in the indeterminate nature of the phrase 'many years ago'- it elevates me somehow!), I chanced upon a mystical Kannada folktale in an anthology of translations by AK Ramanujan: A story about a girl who could turn into a flowering tree at will, and her subsequent fortunes and misfortunes. There was, embedded in the story, many learnings. The story stayed with me.
Not surprisingly, as is the nature of all my biblio-inspired discoveries, about two years ago while desultorily reading a voluminous book on the Dhvanyaloka, I encountered a term that caught my attention- 'dohada'. The word leapt up to me in all its teasing unfamiliarity and strange allure, leading me through a whirlwind of fascinating discoveries-sacred mystical connections couched in symbols and metaphors.
After much roiling about, navigating unchartered territories, I emerged with a nagging notion that there was a story building inside me, that needed to be let out. Out in a tangle came that girl who could turn into a flowering tree, and came along with her the romance of dohadas and shalabhanjikas. I gave it time- the magic potion that tempers all - and eventually, was born 'Vriksha Sakhi'.
'Vriksha Sakhi' is that ethereal creature that dwells upon trees, in the sylvan green, emerging, quite like a superhero, to protect and preserve those who need her!
'Vriksha Sakhi' came to life on the 18th of January, 2025. She was last seen going back to her home amid trees, into a thick cover of dark green. She will be back, before long.
PS: To know what a dohada is, you could watch Vriksha Sakhi :) or look it up!
Photography credits: JBA studios (Janardhan Korremulla)
