Embracing unity in cultural diversity
Author: Aarya Chavda (written at the age of 15 years)
Illustrator: Aarya Chavda
First Copy presented to:
Foreword by: Mr. Tim Curtis, Director and UNESCO Representative, UNESCO New Delhi office,
Introduction by: Hon’ble Shri Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat. India
Message by: Hon’ble Smt. Pratibha Jain, Mayor of Ahmedabad
Book Supported by: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Ahmedabad World Heritage City Trust.
Digital Version of the book available on:
Description:
We are one.
During Navratri, every year, it is a ritual in 14 year old Aarya’s family to attend the dances in the old city pols of Ahmedabad. At this time of the year, the pol houses are decorated with beautiful lights and torans. On the 4th night of this 9-day festival, everyone is dancing around in circles in their glamorous yet traditional outfits. Aarya observes the spirit of the young women, dancing Sheri Garba, with the drum beats in their embellishing, flowing chanya-cholis and silk saris, embroidered with different hues and designs. Running over to them, she joins the energetic young women and while whirling, and twirling around, mastering the complex steps of the young women, who are dancing gracefully, she rhythmizes, in sync to the traditional folk songs at once. As she dances around to the traditional drumbeats, her mind starts to think and retrospect about the special festivals and celebrations of her city, Ahmedabad.
While swirling around in her beautiful chaniya choli elaborately embroidered in vibrant hues of the rainbow, from violet to red, Aarya looks down, and as she swirls round and round, faster and faster, she observes all the colours merging to form a distinctive shade of white in her chanya-choli, as if the colours are engulfed in the unity of white. At that very moment, she realizes that, ‘Just as all the 7 colours of a rainbow blend up to form white, in the same way, the true sense of our culture and identity lies deep within us, and when united, binds us together with different religions, regions, and races, and connect us in an expression of harmony. As this sudden thought twirled in her mind, while she was swirling around, her mind was spiralling with an epiphany, ‘we are one’.
Were the hues of the young girl’s chaniya choli signalling her towards something?
Over the following days, the young girl further decides to explore the truth behind her epiphany, and begins to venture her city’s architectural monuments, featuring marvelling elegance. As she explores the old city to spot for signs and symbols that might prove her epiphany right, she introspects, that there must be so many various heritage sites, and celebrated cultures, that must represent the amalgamations of several different cultures or regions. To know more about these sites, that include such epitomes of harmony and unity across cultures, Aarya makes a list of all such heritage sites in her city, Ahmedabad, that include a confluence of more than one culture, which binds us all together.
The different glorious symbols of religious forbearance and magnanimity of each site, blends in seamlessly with different cultures, such as epitomized in the architecture of Jama Masjid, Sidi Saiyyed ni Jali and the bracket of Hutheesing, amongst many others, in her city. Her journey proves to us that we indeed have been binded together from the past, and we should remain united as one, now, and in the future. Through her expeditions recorded in this book, Aarya realizes that, there should be no religion, regional, racial, physical, or political barrier amongst us, it is upon us, present generation to stand together as we are one.
Embracing unity in cultural diversity
Author: Aarya Chavda (written at the age of 15 years)
Illustrator: Aarya Chavda
First Copy presented to:
Foreword by: Mr. Tim Curtis, Director and UNESCO Representative, UNESCO New Delhi office,
Introduction by: Hon’ble Shri Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat. India
Message by: Hon’ble Smt. Pratibha Jain, Mayor of Ahmedabad
Book Supported by: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Ahmedabad World Heritage City Trust.
Digital Version of the book available on:
Description:
We are one.
During Navratri, every year, it is a ritual in 14 year old Aarya’s family to attend the dances in the old city pols of Ahmedabad. At this time of the year, the pol houses are decorated with beautiful lights and torans. On the 4th night of this 9-day festival, everyone is dancing around in circles in their glamorous yet traditional outfits. Aarya observes the spirit of the young women, dancing Sheri Garba, with the drum beats in their embellishing, flowing chanya-cholis and silk saris, embroidered with different hues and designs. Running over to them, she joins the energetic young women and while whirling, and twirling around, mastering the complex steps of the young women, who are dancing gracefully, she rhythmizes, in sync to the traditional folk songs at once. As she dances around to the traditional drumbeats, her mind starts to think and retrospect about the special festivals and celebrations of her city, Ahmedabad.
While swirling around in her beautiful chaniya choli elaborately embroidered in vibrant hues of the rainbow, from violet to red, Aarya looks down, and as she swirls round and round, faster and faster, she observes all the colours merging to form a distinctive shade of white in her chanya-choli, as if the colours are engulfed in the unity of white. At that very moment, she realizes that, ‘Just as all the 7 colours of a rainbow blend up to form white, in the same way, the true sense of our culture and identity lies deep within us, and when united, binds us together with different religions, regions, and races, and connect us in an expression of harmony. As this sudden thought twirled in her mind, while she was swirling around, her mind was spiralling with an epiphany, ‘we are one’.
Were the hues of the young girl’s chaniya choli signalling her towards something?
Over the following days, the young girl further decides to explore the truth behind her epiphany, and begins to venture her city’s architectural monuments, featuring marvelling elegance. As she explores the old city to spot for signs and symbols that might prove her epiphany right, she introspects, that there must be so many various heritage sites, and celebrated cultures, that must represent the amalgamations of several different cultures or regions. To know more about these sites, that include such epitomes of harmony and unity across cultures, Aarya makes a list of all such heritage sites in her city, Ahmedabad, that include a confluence of more than one culture, which binds us all together.
The different glorious symbols of religious forbearance and magnanimity of each site, blends in seamlessly with different cultures, such as epitomized in the architecture of Jama Masjid, Sidi Saiyyed ni Jali and the bracket of Hutheesing, amongst many others, in her city. Her journey proves to us that we indeed have been binded together from the past, and we should remain united as one, now, and in the future. Through her expeditions recorded in this book, Aarya realizes that, there should be no religion, regional, racial, physical, or political barrier amongst us, it is upon us, present generation to stand together as we are one.
Exploring the World Heritage sites of India
Author: AaryaChavda( written at the age of 12 years)
Illustrator: Aarya Chavda
Patronage & Partnership: UNESCO, New Delhi
First Copy launched by: Mr Ernesto Ottone Ramirez, Additional Director-General, Cult, UNESCO Headquarters, Paris
Book Supported by:
– Ms.Jyoti Hosagrahar Deputy Director, World Heritages Centre, UNESCO, Paris
– H.E. Mr Javed Ashraf, Ambassador- Embassy of India, Paris
– H.E. Mr. Vishal Sharma, Ambassador/ Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO, Paris
– Mr. Eric Falt, Director UNESCO, New Delhi
– Hon’ble Shri Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, India
Foreword by: Mr.Eric Falt, Director and UNESCO Representative for the UNESCO New Delhi Cluster Office.
Publication in UNESCO Digital Library:
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381781.locale=en
Book Presentation at UNESCO HQ Paris:
Description:
Twelve year old Aarya is a bookworm, and was unsurprisingly quite bored during the COVID-19 pandemic. The heritage and culture of Ahmedabad, her hometown, occupies a big place in her heart. Aarya often visits the heritage sites and draws her own interpretations of these places. Ever since the COVID crisis began, she is sadly unable to visit the heritage sites of the city. But destiny has other plans for her, as Aarya soon finds herself undertaking a journey to discover India’s UNESCO listed World Heritage sites.
Does her Pa’s well preserved magical book on the Marvels of India help her on her journey? Placing her fingers on the pictures of the Heritage Sites she wanted to go to, Aarya twirls through different realms and finds herself teleported to the ancient marvels of India.
Agra Fort, Hawa Mahal, Rani Ki Vav, the Great Chola Temples are just a few of the sites that she explores to keep her sanity in this crisis. As the young girl hops from one site to another, she explores the dense forest trails of Kaziranga National park, the whispering statues of Mahabodhi temple complex at Bodh Gaya, the echoing caves of Ellora and the marveling architecture of Agra Fort. But that was not all, as she catches up with the galloping horses of the Sun God at Konark Sun temple, and the whistling Mountain Railways of Darjeeling.
Adventure follows Aarya as she decodes the cryptic texts of ancient Nalanda, traverses through the mighty Himalayan Ranges and its national parks, makes friends with a lone young golden langur and tries her hand in trying to budge the gigantic Krishna’s Butterball at Mahabalipuram monuments.
Memories of Taj Mahal flutter by, especially at night when the moon rays illuminate the monument to make it look like another moon on earth. Finding her way through this is easier said than done as Aarya traverses through wild forests, all the time keeping the ancient book in sight. She also keeps an eye the sites already visited and one on the golden langur following her for hours.
Alas! Time doesn’t last forever. Aarya travels back to Ahmedabad and explores the labyrinthine city and its Pols and loses herself in the moment before hearing the faint cooing of pigeons from the bird feeders. Her expedition has resulted in dirt all over her body, hair tangled with leaves and twigs and mud all over her dress. After having her day’s fill of adventure and sore feet, Aarya gets back home only to find that she may be a bit too late for dinner…