Vardhaman Book on Jainism

Author(s): Jayshree Menon
Publisher: Bennete Coleman & Co Ltd

Page 89

the dignity of the moving sight before her. "Initially, I didn't think much of 1000 gallons of milk being poured over a statue in a country where children could be fed the same. But I was compelled to revise my opinion. It was mind-blowing to see the beatific expression on the faces of hundreds of devotees dancing under the statue in the hope of catching stray drops of milk flowing down. In a flash it came to me that religious ecstasy can never be computed in strictly practical terms, there is a certain place in life for specific rituals too."
What does Jainism mean to her personally? “There are two very definite aspects to it for me. For one, like most Jains, I strictly adhere to our basic tenet of reverence for life. I'm a staunch vegetarian and I don't pluck flowers, etc. Equally vital is the sense of detachment I try to apply to various situations daily. There is a certain attempt to not lust after possessions. Surround yourself with lovely things, appreciate them, but don't stay bound to them. This way it is not as if you don't feel any loss, but without attachment, it's that much easier to come to terms with it. The West sadly lacks this beautiful Indian concept."
Appointed honorary director of the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) when it opened in 1996, she has steered the show here admirably, considering the fact that she has had only a limited background in contemporary art and never administered a museum before. Curating innumerable shows herself, she confesses she is partial to those displaying local talents. "Although a national museum, I believe we owe Mumbai artists first. And, ideally, I should like the NGMA to go beyond an exhibition gallery and serve as an area for a permanent collection."
How does she reconcile the scholar in her with the socialite people see with as obvious visibility? At once erudite and extremely popular on the social circuit, she revels in cultivating both sides to her personality. Accordingly, she is an impeccably groomed silk sari-and-pearls Rotarian, city grand dame and charming hostess to international litterateurs and political ambassadors alike.
Gliding with seemingly effortless ease between these worlds, she manages to make time to play the "fastidious housewife" and doting grandmother to Maitreya's seven-year-old son Sahir, besides indulging in her love for classical music and Indian film music with equal fervour.
The wisdom of her words stays with you: "Ultimately, everything is about craftsmanship. I relish a good thriller novel if its language is superbly crafted-which is why I prefer a Robert Ludlum over a John Grisham novel, no matter how gripping the latter story. Life is all about harmonious crafting, be it in the elements of a miniature painting, the lines of a poem, the stringing of a necklace or a human relationship." Touché
89 VARDHAMAN
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