Good evening everybody!

I hope that you are all doing well and have a positive start to the semester. This is the final out of the three posts on my most recent painting. This week, I will be explaining the story behind the gorgeous scene, a moment in which Krishna saves all of the people of his home against the angry and jealous God of Weather. Enjoy!

Lord Indra controls the rain and the thunderstorms. He resides in the heavens and controls the weather, watching over the citizens of Earth and blessing them with rainfall to grow their crops and cattle. However, Indra has some vices as well. He is very easily pleased and angered by the acts of those he considers to be beneath him.

Vrindavan is a beautiful town in which Krishna lived and played. The residents of this gorgeous town were very dependent on agriculture and cattle for their living and relied heavily upon timely rains for their livelihood. This made Indra very important. One year, there were exceptionally good rains. The villagers decided to host a festival for Lord Indra to thank him for all of his kindness and mercy. When Krishna found out, he told the villagers that Indra was not responsible for the good weather, rather that it was the nearby mountain Govardhan, and that they should be praying to it instead.

This angered Indra severely. He decided to teach the town of Vrindavan a lesson. He brought down horrible rain and thunder on the villagers. Krishna, however, was not at all frightened. He assured all of his friends and family, placed his small pink hand under the mountain and lifted it entirely with his pinky. He started playing a gorgeous intoxicating melody with his flute and all of the fears of the villagers were dissipated. They gathered under Govardhan and started dancing and singing.

It rained non stop for seven days and nights and all the while, Krishna kept the massive mountain stable on his pinky finger. This affirmed that Krishna was never and would never be just an ordinary child. He was God himself. Indra witnessed this as well and suddenly was ashamed of his actions. He begged for forgiveness in front of Krishna and was forgiven.

This story teaches us that power, if not handles with care, compassion, and humility, can corrode even gods, let alone a person.

As always, if anything that I discussed in this post stands out, or if any questions arise please feel free to comment and share your thoughts! And for all other artists out there, take that leap of faith. Step our of your comfort zone. Who knows, it may turn your whole word upside down.

Looking forward to next Monday!

~ Riya

Personal website:   https://riyarts.weebly.com/

I wasn’t ready for the first day of classes this semester. Two weeks—which were spent working on my two honors theses, applying to jobs, and working my part-time job from home—left much to be desired rest and relaxation-wise. But burnout aside, my biggest concerns resided in stress over how fast time was passing.

With the winter 2022 semester underway, feelings of disappointment about “losing out” due to the coronavirus pandemic are persistent, and questions about life after graduation seem to be closing in from all directions. Moving forward, however, I’m working on what it means to focus on my path and what’s important to me. I can’t change the past, but I can make the most of the present.

I’m very excited for the role the arts will play in my last semester at Michigan. I look forward to continuing work on my novella, which is the senior thesis I am doing in the RC’s creative writing and literature program. I am also looking forward to continuing my carillon studies with Dr. Tiffany Ng. Learning how to play the carillon has been an enriching experience, and I enjoyed my time last semester making music in the Burton Memorial Tower and Lurie Tower.

As far as music goes, I’ll also be a member of the U-M Women’s Glee Club for one last semester. I auditioned for the group during my sophomore year of college, and it remains one of my favorite extracurriculars (as exhibited by the number of arts, ink. posts I have about glee club concerts/events).

Lastly, I’m taking a sculpture class through the RC. In this class, a small cohort of students meet twice a week in the East Quadrangle basement for three-hour workshops. I lived in East Quadrangle for my first two years in college, so it’s nice to have a reason to visit on a weekly basis. Although my experience with crafting and analyzing sculptures is limited, I love engaging with different art forms and participating in events that increase my exposure to them. I’m very much looking forward to learning more about the visual arts and getting hands-on experience with different tools and art mediums.

When I talk to people who have graduated, their general tips for making the most of senior year include dedicating time to do fun things with friends and checking off all of the final items on a college bucket list. Many of my friends are lightening their course loads this semester, which is well-deserved after three and a half years of hard work. Although I’m taking a different route and packing my schedule to the brim, I’m excited to partake in some of the awesome classes and arts opportunities at Michigan. Schoolwork and studying remain high priorities, but it’s nice to know that I’ve enrolled in some classes where the homework won’t feel like work. Overall, I’ve loved college, and while I’m not ready to leave just yet, I find comfort in the art opportunities and other experiences I get to take advantage of this semester.