Sudha's Creative Journey
I watch as fickle time passes on
Standing as an oak among my tribe...
The wind caresses memories of the past
And carries me on a distant ride;
Where under the watchful 'Risums' gaze
I frolicked around as a boisterous child
Among the yak herd's tinkling bells
Among the green tinted chilly dales
Where the Ha Chu flowed and as does now
And shall flow for times to come..
by Sudha Madhavan
The Bhutanese Man
Oil on Canvas
60” x 40” (5 feet x 3.3 feet)
Conceptualised in the Haa Valley, Western Bhutan
What inspired me
As I delve deeper into information on the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan and form my own database of places that tease the curiosity...where each mountainside, each birdcall, each step of a mountain trail holds meaning and carries one deeper into an experience to be etched in the memory forever.
I happen on the 'Haa (pronounced 'Hay' with its esoteric significance) Valley at the Western extreme of Bhutan, sandwiched between tall mountains and scarcely touristed. It is the land of the Haaps, followers of Animism and unique ancient customs...
And there in the remote village of Dumchoe in the homestay of Ugyen and his wife Dole Bida, in their large, ancient, three level country house we meet Ugyen's nonagenarian father who poses for a photograph with the enthusiasm of a child, his hand busy at his rosary beads. The warmth of the Bokhari lends to the warmth of genial atmosphere...And it is a memorable moment.