A Timeless Tapestry: An Indian Perspective
Image Courtesy: Justin Joseph Rotolo
In an age where time feels like it can slip away from us, it can be comforting to turn back on the practices and truths of Ancient Indian customs and culture.
Time is a fickle thing, and in many Hindu teachings, it follows a cyclical, rather than linear, path. A recurring cycle of the past, present, and future which represents birth, death, and reincarnation. One fraction of time. This concept is difficult to grasp, especially in Western cultures. As a child, I struggled. As an adult, I realize that the concept of time is so ingrained into Indian culture, as traditions and fashion become age-old and classic.
After adopting a cyclical view on time, it’s easy to find comfort in it. You never have to chase after the time you want, in fact, it’s all you have. You’ll never outgrow your jewelry, outfits, or even tradition itself. In fact, it represents the amount of time it takes for something to become a civilization, something illustrious.
Culture can’t escape the past, I find that the past will always come to engulf tradition again, making Indian culture absolutely timeless.
Image Courtesy: Justin Joseph Rotolo
In many South Asian cultures, time is polychronic. Polychronic is a concept representing the ability to visit multiple ideas of time in one setting. The past, present and future are all one fraction or segment of time itself, therefore, polychronic.
This emphasizes the fact that time is a mere illusion. Automatically, it redirects cultural traditions to emphasize the timeless nature of reality and the nature of eternality. Thus, spirituality, in this sense, remains cyclical, some scientific examples being the cycle of the solar system, cycle of measurements, and the cycle of life itself. These ideas will never end. '
How does this impact culture, and how does culture impact South Asian youth?
The polychronic view of time is a Hindu practice. Indian civilization as a whole is deeply rooted within its diverse history, yet again emphasizing how culture cannot escape the past. With the concept of time so ingrained into culture, we can shift attention into ideas of karma, destiny and the fluidity of time.
We can take into account Indian fashion and iconography within film culture for example, since when was culture so interconnected with mainstream media? It always has been, and will be as time flows on.
Image Courtesy: Justin Joseph Rotolo
Even though Indian culture has changed over time with motifs, fabrics, and outside influences from Mughal cultures. Even more recently, Bollywood film cultures have explored the progression of time that has never taken away from the culture of India. India, still to this day, emphasizes its own traditional clothing of sarees, lehengas, kurtis, and traditional jewelry.
Fashion in India is the concept of time, and it shows us just how much time has passed only to be solidified within our culture once again. The looks of the saree, lehenga, and textiles have not been modified much since they were utilized in ancient fashions. Has anything truly changed, or has everything changed? Maybe, fashion changed all at once. Indian culture encompasses a culture of timelessness, we see it every day.
In India, history doesn’t just repeat itself–it lives and breathes with our culture as if we never left it in the past.
But time isn’t just fashion, time is a lifestyle. It affects so much more.
We revolve our days with the passing of trends, styles and choices. We influence so much of our time with the lifestyle of cyclical patterns. The sky's the limit, neverending with the choices we make.
Image Courtesy: Justin Joseph Rotolo
The cultural aspects that time established within my childhood can be applicable to teach our youth today, how to balance our time and how to engage ourselves within a culture that goes beyond surface-level traditions. Vedic concepts of time teach a great deal about self-respect, awareness, and management.
As a college student today, it feels disheartening to see people rushing, eager to accomplish all their life goals within a set number of deadlines. Why is it so ingrained into Western culture that we are constantly running out of time?
We get so tired of rushing to meet all our deadlines and running out to see the latest fashions, or even to get back home to our lovers. When can one take the time to slow down, and not have to be someone rising to the top, but to just be a human again?
Image Courtesy: Justin Joseph Rotolo
Do you feel like you’re running out of time?
We can all take comfort in the traditions of the East which simply teach us that we aren’t running out of time, it’s impossible to hunt the end of a rhythm that’s been happening since the beginning of man.
A rhythm that we simply cannot surpass.
So now, we can all encourage one another to look at our age-old history and take our time. Why feel like you’re running out of time when we know that everything will always happen again?
Image Courtesy: Justin Joseph Rotolo
Strike Out,
Orlando
Writer: Arsheeya Garg
Editor: Krizia J. Figueroa & Nina Rueda
Photo Model: Arsheeya Garg
Arsheeya Garg is a staff writer for Strike Magazine Orlando. She has a deep talent for the performing arts, and hopes to entertain her career as an actress/performance critic. She loves coffee, rainy Sunday afternoons, and a good book. Reach out to her at arsheeya.g@gmail.com or @arsheeya_g on Instagram!
