Transforming Spaces : The Power of Indian Classical Music

I adore that Indian Classical Music is a form of worship, the interconnectedness between Hinduism and Islam, the beautiful melodies and various ragas, has to power to transform and unite, but most of all it’s the way to reach the divine, who is LOVE!

appreciation, art, california, classical traditions, compassion, cross cultures, culture, cultures, desi american, diversity, educate, education, faith, friendship, global, global cultures, hindu, hindu temple, hinduism, history, impact, hometown, holiday, inspiration, indian american, interfaith, islam, language, languages, love, music, my story, nyc, oneness, prayer, reflections, religion, religions, spiritual activism, spirituality, tamil, tamil american, tamil nadu, temple, unityindiversity, unitysangeetha kowsikOctober 31, 2022music, musician, musicians, classical, classical music, inclusivity, indian, southindian, south india, tamil nadu, tamil, tamilnadu, tamil culture, tamilamerican, tamils, hinduism, hindustani, carnatic, Karnatic, raga, ragam, melody, temple, temples, hindu, hindu temple, hinduarchitecture, temple worship, worship, faith, international, interconnectedness, interfaith, islam, sarod, sarswati, sound, sounds, transformative, transform, bhakti, devotion, spiritual, spirituality, inspiration, sangeetha, sangeetham, sanathanadharma, sanatana dharma, vishnu, saraswati, tradition, traditions, ancient, ancient cultures, ancient traditions, contemporary, amir khusro, purandardasa, saint, ganapati, ganesha, ganesh, deepavali, diwali, festival, high holiday, holiday, ritual, rituals, practice, riyaaz, riyaz, lineage, spirtiuality, friendship, love, unity, unityindiversity, community, comm, history, educate, education, educateyourself, yoga, meditation, appreciation, creatives, creative, mughal, court, king, dynasty, family, cultures, culture, crosscultural, cultural diversity, south indian, bengal, bengali, indian arts, india, north india, southasia, asia, sufi islam, sufi, sufism, heritage, sacred, puja, prayer, mystory, story, experience, my experiences, my truth, truth, samaveda, veda

A Muslim Musician wrote a MANTRAM!

A mantram can be repetitive (but doesn’t have to be) and is used for meditation, prayer, and maybe even to set your intentions/goals. For me, Alam Khan’s album Mantram is a true spiritual/religious experience. I LOVE every single track and I am in tears by the end of it, but happy tears because I’ve seen my beloved Lord. It reminds us that no matter how much crap and emotional turmoil we’ve all gone through in life, HOPE & LOVE is what wins at the end.

appreciation, art, california, change in thinking, change, classical traditions, compassion, cross cultures, culture, cultures, education, educate, diversity, design, desi american, friendship, faith, global, global cultures, hindu, hindu temple, hinduism, history, hometown, impact, inspiration, interfaith, inclusion, indian american, islam, love, museum, my story, oneness, nyc, new york, reflections, religion, religions, spirituality, spiritual activism, south asia, tamil, travel, unique, unity, unityindiversitysangeetha kowsikOctober 1, 2022hindu, hindustani, hinduism, music, musician, musicians, islam, mantra, mantram, new music, classical music, indian classical dance, dharma, sanatana dharma, indian arts, india, indian, sarod, composer, community, unity, unique, unityindiversity, south asia, southasia, south indian, southindian, south india, temple, worship, aliakbarkhan, temples, hindu temple, cali, california, mystory, ritual, spiritual, spirituality, inspiration, friendship, muslims, muslim, ohm, japa, homam, designer, artist, creative, creatives, crosscultural, faith, belief, hope, love, compassion, shiva, vishnu, practice, prayer, sanskrit, sanathanadharma, sanathana

Faith, Fusion, ABCD, Cultural "Norms", it’s time to CHANGE!

This is the same issue many children of immigrants face if they don’t have light skin, light eyes, and a “white” name. We always have to prove our “Americaness” or our “Ethnic Identity” over and over again and frankly, it’s just EXHAUSTING.

I HATE the word “ETHNIC” which needs to be removed from the English language! Ethnic literally describes anyone who is not white! HOW RUDE!

I am sick/tired of folks confusing “Indian culture/communities/society” with the FAITH of Hinduism.

I always found solace, peace, and understanding in my faith in Hinduism though I grew up in a chaotic/mishmash often contradicting Indian/Hindu/American culture and society. For example, I never understood why “Brown/Indian” American women were made to feel ashamed to date, go to school dances, date/marry folks of other races, wear tank tops, bikinis, etc.

SOCIETY & COMMUNITIES create stupid rules, divisions, racism, sexism, hate, patriarchy, and bigotry, not FAITH.

activism, activist, appreciation, art, artwork, change, change in thinking, childhood, classical traditions, create the change, cross cultures, cultures, desi american, design, diversity, educate, education, exhibition, faith, friendship, global, global cultures, hindu, hinduism, history, impact, indian american, inclusion, inspiration, interfaith, language, museum, languages, my story, music, oneness, religion, south asia, spiritual activism, spirituality, religions, tamil, tamil american, tamil nadu, travel, unity, temple, hindu temple, prayer, unique, culture, distinctivesangeetha kowsikJune 1, 2022hindu, hinduism, hindustani, hindu temple, hinduarchitecture, dancer, compassion, indian classical dance, classical, classical music, spiritual, spirituality, interfaith, faith, fashion, ethnic, community, communities, change, break stereotypes, kindness, immigrant, statues, museum, the metropolitan museum of art, art history, artwork, sanatana dharma, truth, one love, heritage, educate, education, educateyourself, racism, temples, temple, story, mystory, my truth, my life, life, love, bethechange, for change, language, society, culture, cultures, tamil, tamil nadu, tamil americna, tamils, tradition, traditions, ancient cultures, crosscultural, identity, american, feelings, desiart, desi artist, desi, design, dharma, designer, friendshp, friendship

Hindu/Religious VS. Spiritual/Dharmic/Vedic - Gym, Puja, Design

Since when did the word “RELIGION” or “RELIGIOUS” start to freak people out? It boggles my mind.

If a Muslim says they are religious they are immediately branded as a “Terrorist”, If a Christian says they are religious they are immediately branded as a “Bible-thumping, right-wing, Trump lover”
If a Hindu says they are religious they are immediately branded as a “Cow piss drinking, right-wing, Modi lover”

Becoming Chaplain was the first time I ever spoke up about “Being Hindu”. It was never an identifying mark for me, not something I went around proclaiming, I’ve always lived my faith, I just WAS, Gym, Puja, Design, every single day!

appreciation, california, art, artwork, change, change in thinking, childhood, classical traditions, create the change, cross cultures, cultures, desi american, design, diversity, educate, education, faith, friendship, global, global cultures, hindu, hinduism, history, inclusion, hometown, holiday, inspiration, interfaith, islam, language, oneness, religion, religions, south asia, spiritual activism, spirituality, tamil, tamil american, tamil nadu, unity, unityindiversitysangeetha kowsikFebruary 28, 2022hindu, hinduism, hindu temple, spiritual, spirituality, inspiration, dharma, sanskrit, sanatana dharma, india, south indian, southindian, south india, southasia, south aisa, southasianart, southasian, faith, interfaith, interconnectedness, puja, pujaqueen, ritual, prayer, meditation, journey, mystory, temple, hindustani, islam, islamicart, islamic, muslims, muslim, racism, partition, experience, my experiences, mytruth, my story, my life, my everything, authenticity, authentic self, truth, true love, love, gratitude, understanding, educate, unity, unityindiversity, compassion, community, communities, temples, hinduarchitecture, cultures, culture, museum, the metropolitan museum of art, fashion, design, designer, art print, artist, art

Eid Mubarak! Eid Ambarki Ighudan!

Ramadan concludes with morning Eid Prayers outside in Washington Square Park which is so special and absolute magic. Though I’m the Hindu Chaplain for NYU, my brothers have always included me in Eid prayers, I have celebrated with the Islamic Center any times.

classical traditions, cross cultures, design, diversity, faith, friendship, global, global cultures, hinduism, history, holiday, inspiration, oneness, islam, religion, travel, unitysangeetha kowsikMay 26, 2020hindu, hindustani, hinduism, archives, islamicarchitecture, hinduarchitecture, oneness, one world, one, interfaith, family, #zakirhussain #culturematters #islam #hinduism #tabla #oneness #tee #unity #understanding #interconnected #subhanallah #tablas #inclusion #muslimfashion #awareness #crossculture #meaningful #muslimwear #music #shoponline #fortheculture #multicultural #storyteller #unisex #arabictee #arabiccalligraphy #artist #apparel #fashion #contemporaryart, morocco, moroccan, amazigh, amazighs, tamazirt, tamazight, arabic calligraphy, arabic, calligrapher, calligraphy, designs, designer, design, devotion, divine, diversity, dharma, drawn, illustration, tamil, peacock, yali, lion, animal, figure, figurine, nyu, university, purple, higher enducation, college, true love, love, ramadan, ramadan mubarak, festival, peacock feather, together, corvid, corvid virus, corona, moon, islamicart, islamic, islamic art, ishwar, ihsan, ishan, unityindiversity, unity, understanding, dialogue, compassion, talk, conversation, conceptualart, concept, allah, gold

Ali Akbar Khan + Goddess Saraswati + Shiva Vishnu Temple = Bay Area, California

All Indian Classical Music and Dance traditions are rooted in worship and are ways to connect to the divine. The father of Hindustani music was a Muslim, the 13th C Sufi poet/musician/scholar Amir Khusrow. The father of Carnatic music was a Hindu, the 16th C saint/poet Purandara Dasa.

inspiration, friendship, diversity, faith, design, unity, hinduism, classical traditions, music, religion, islam, california, hometownsangeetha kowsikFebruary 6, 2020islamic, indian, india, classical music, music, musician, sarswati, hindu, hinduism, puja, pooja, prayer, faith, unity, unityindiversity, religion, oneness, interconnectedness, bay area, california, west, musicians, hindustani, history, culture, fortheculture, art print, art, artist, arabic calligraphy, designs, designer, desiart, southasianartist, southasia, southasianart, southasian, south asia, bhangladesh, bengali, bengal, school, college, knowledge, aliakbarkhan, tatoo, tattoo, ink, permanent, understanding, love, friendship, happiness, archives, ustad, islamicart, urud, urducalligraphy, urdu, cali, hometown