THE TEMPLE STATE: FIRE, SALT & STONE

The Journal Entry: The journey south is a journey into density. In Tamil Nadu, the divine is not hidden; it is carved into colossal stone and locked into the earth.

This chapter of the Yatra traces the energy lines from the urban chaos of Chennai to the coastal stillness of Pondicherry and Rameswaram. It moves through the labyrinthine corridors of Madurai Meenakshi, pulsating with the fierce energy of the Mother, and finally dissolves at the feet of the holy mountain, Arunachala, in Thiruvannamalai.

These artifacts explore the contrast between the fluid expansiveness of the ocean and the immovable silence of the mountain.

THE SIDDHAR'S PULSE

The Origin Story:

Thiruvannamalai is the axis of Fire (Agni), but its deepest secrets are held by the lineage of the 18 Siddhars.

During his Sadhana on the Girivalam path, Ishwar was granted the rare privilege to reopen and enter the Idaikadar Siddhar Samadhi. In that confined, consecrated space, the concept of 'time' dissolved. This painting documents the massive surge of energy that followed; a direct transmission from the Samadhi that flooded the body with heat and vibration.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Oil, Red Soil & Gold Leaf on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Thiruvannamalai

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

THE LABYRINTH OF ABUNDANCE

The Origin Story:

Madurai is not just a city of the Mother; it is a fortress guarded by history.

This piece was born from Ishwar’s journey to uncover the roots of Madurai Veeran, the fierce guardian deity (Kaval Deivam) who protects the city gates. The investigation revealed the deep symbiosis between his protective force and the overwhelming, chaotic abundance of the Goddess Meenakshi.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Mixed Media, Turmeric (Kumkum), & Temple Red Earth on Linen

• Location of Origin: Madurai (The Inner Sanctum)

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

THE MERGER

The Origin Story:

Rameswaram is the confluence of oceans, but for Ishwar, it became the confluence of lineages.This piece documents a pivotal moment: the artist’s first encounter with the Jeeva Samadhi of Patanjali Siddhar within the temple complex. In the presence of the father of Yoga, the intellectual mind ceased. Simultaneously, the non-dual truth (Advaita) of Adi Shankaracharya shifted from a philosophical concept into a felt experience.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Fluid Acrylic, Sea Salt (from Dhanushkodi) & Temple Camphor on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Rameswaram (Patanjali Shrine)

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

Archive #IND004 : The Mountain of Fire

Archive #IND008: The Guardian and the Goddess

Archive #IND007: The Ocean Samadhi (Rameshwaram)

THE VEL FREQUENCY

The Origin Story:

Palani is a hill of penance, home to Murugan in his aspect as the ascetic warrior, Dhandayuthapani; the one who wields the staff of wisdom.The climb to the hilltop temple is an act of shedding burdens. This piece was conceived during that ascent. It explores the energy of the Vel (Spear); not as a weapon of violence, but as an instrument that pierces through ignorance. The canvas utilises heavy layers of turmeric and sandalwood yellows, punctuated by sharp, rising gold structures that symbolise the ascending kundalini and the piercing nature of divine insight."

The Specifications:

• Medium: Mixed Media, Turmeric, Sandalwood Paste & Gold Leaf on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Palani Hill

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

Archive #IND009: The Ascetic Warrior (Palani)

MUTTAI SIDDHAR

The Origin Story: "In the lineage of the Tamil Siddhars, enlightenment often hides in plain sight. Alukku Muttai Sami ('The Saint in Dirty Rags') was a master who cloaked his immense power beneath an exterior of madness and filth to avoid worldly attention.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Oil, Raw Earth Pigments, Tar & Gold Underpainting on Burlap/Linen

• Location of Origin: Tamil Nadu (Siddhar Shrine)

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

Archive #IND010: The Hidden Radiance (Alukku Muttai Siddhar)

Archive #IND005 : Iddaikadar SIddhar (Digital)

Archive #IND006 : The Anahata Surge

THE UNCARVED SAINT (SWAYAMBU)

Archive #IND011: The Earth Element (Swayambu Sai)

ADI ARUNACHALESWARI (THE HANDS OF DESTINY)

Archive #IND012: The Cosmic Healer (Ayur Devi)

The Origin Story:

Usually, we carve God out of stone. Here, God emerged from the stone. The Swayambu (Self-Manifested) Baba is not an idol; it is an event. This piece explores the energy of 'Auto-Genesis.' It avoids the polished look of traditional Sai portraits and instead focuses on the raw, rudra-like power of the earth birthing a saint.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Mixed Media, Temple Soil, Granite Dust & Raw Ochre on Burlap

• Location of Origin: Thaanthondri Rudra Sai Baba Temple

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

The Origin Story:

This is the supreme form of Adi Arunachaleswari Akhilandeswari Ayur Devi. She is not merely the Goddess of medicine; she is the presider over Life and Death. While Chitragupta catalogs karma and Yama waits for orders, the Mother holds the greatest healers and sages (The Siddhas) in her very hands, protecting them. She holds the Amrutham pot containing the secrets of immortality. This piece captures the hierarchy of the cosmos: even the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer stand in reverence of the Mother who holds the cure for the ultimate disease; the cycle of birth and death.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Mixed Media, Temple Soil, Granite Dust & Raw Ochre on Burlap

• Location of Origin: Thaanthondri Rudra Sai Baba Temple

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

SHATAKSHI (THE 100 EYES)

Archive #IND013: The Endless Nourishment (Shakambari Devi)

The Origin Story:

Shakambari is the Goddess who fed the world from her own body during a hundred-year drought. She is the ultimate mother who becomes the meal to sustain her children. This piece is about 'Sacrifice' and 'Abundance.' It captures the intense, weeping compassion of the Earth that continues to feed us despite our neglect.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Oil, Vegetable Dyes, Roots & River Clay on Linen

• Location of Origin: Thaanthondri Rudra Sai Baba Temple

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

THE SMOKE WIDOW (DHOOMAVATI)

The Origin Story:

Dhoomavati is the 'Widow Goddess'; the one who swallows the world. She represents the time after destruction and before creation. She is the terrifying silence of the void. This artwork acknowledges the beauty in the breakdown. It is a portrait of the wisdom that only comes when everything else has been stripped away.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Gold Flakes, Charcoal, Wood Ash, Bone Dust & Black Ink on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Thaanthondri Rudra Sai Baba Temple

• Era: Yatra Phase II (2018)

Archive #IND014: The Primordial Void (Dhoomavati Devi)

GANGTOK: THE CONVERGENCE OF GUARDIANS

The Journal Entry: "In the mist of Sikkim, lines blur. Here, the Vedic and the Tantric do not compete; they coexist as guardians of the peaks.

Ishwar’s time in Gangtok was defined by three distinct frequencies. First, the thunderous presence of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), the 'Second Buddha' who tamed the land with magic. Second, the unwavering devotion of Hanuman at the windswept heights of Hanuman Tok.

And finally, the descent into the streetswalking the mist-covered roads of MG Marg, where the spirituality of the Himalayas translates into the warmth of its food and the rhythm of its people."

THE SECOND BUDDHA (GURU RINPOCHE)

The Origin Story:

Padmasambhava is the master of transformation. Experiencing his energy in the monastery was not subtle; it was electric. He represents the 'Vajra'—the diamond will that cuts through illusion.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Acrylic, Gold Leaf & Himalayan Rock Salt on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Gangtok (Monastery Precinct)

• Era: Yatra Phase III (2019)

SANJEEVANI (HANUMAN TOK)

The Origin Story:

High above the city, maintained by the Indian Army, sits the temple of Hanuman. Unlike the fierce tantra of the valley, the energy here is pure, wind-swept devotion (Bhakti).

The Specifications:

• Medium: Oil, Cold Wax & Temple Sindoor on Linen

• Location of Origin: Hanuman Tok, Gangtok

• Era: Yatra Phase III (2019)

KRIYA MIST (THE SEARCH FOR BABAJI)

The Origin Story:

In the high peaks of the Himalayas, every shadow looks like a sage. The final frequency Ishwar sought in Sikkim was that of Mahavatar Babaji, the deathless Yogi.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Oil, Copper Leaf & Himalayan Glacial Water on Linen

• Location of Origin: North Sikkim / High Altitude Passes

• Era: Yatra Phase III (2019)

Archive #IND015 : The Lotus Born (Padmasambhava)

Archive #IND016: The Air Guardian

Archive #IND017: The Eternal Yogi (The Search)

THE EASTERN VEIN

The Journal Entry: "The journey east is a descent into the raw, unfiltered current of creation. In Assam and West Bengal, spirituality is not polite; it is visceral. It smells of wet earth, burning pyres, and deep red hibiscus.

This is the land of the Mother in her fiercest forms. From the bleeding womb of the earth at Kamakhya to the smoky cremation grounds of Tara Pith and the chaotic intensity of Kali Ghat in Kolkata. Here, Ishwar confronted the energy that births universes and destroys egos—a frequency that can only be understood through surrender.

THE NILACHAL BLEED (KAMAKHYA)

The Origin Story:

Kamakhya is the center of Tantric gravity, regarded as the yoni (womb) of the Earth Mother. It is a place where the divine feminine is revered not just as spirit, but as biological power.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Mixed Media, Kamakhya Red Earth (Sindoor) & Iron Oxide on Linen

• Location of Origin: Guwahati, Assam

• Era: Yatra Phase I (2016)

SHMASHANA TARA (THE CREMATION GROUND)

CITY OF THE BLACK MOTHER (KALIGHAT)

The Origin Story:

In the heart of Kolkata’s chaos sits Kali Ghat, one of the oldest and most potent seats of the Goddess Kali.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Heavy Impasto Acrylic, Tar-like Mediums & Vermilion on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Kolkata, West Bengal

• Era: Yatra Phase I (2016)

Archive #IND018 : The Earth's Menstruation (Kamakhya)

Archive #IND020: The Fierce Mother (Kali Ghat, Kolkata)

THE BURNING OF DESIRE (UMANANDA)

The Origin Story:

In the middle of the raging Brahmaputra River sits the Peacock Island, home to Umananda. Legend says this is Bhasmacala, the Hill of Ashes, where Shiva opened his Third Eye and burnt the God of Desire (Kamadeva) to nothingness.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Mixed Media, Brahmaputra River Sand, Charcoal & Blue Ink on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Umananda Island, Assam

• Era: Yatra Phase I (2016)

Archive #IND021: The Ash Island (Umananda)

Archive #IND019 : The Smoky Mother (Tara Pit, West Bengal)

The Origin Story:

Tara Pith exists on the threshold between the living and the dead. It is a major Shakti Peetha located within an active cremation ground, where tantrics perform sadhana amidst burning pyres.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Oil, Wood Ash & Deep Crimson Pigment on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Birbhum District, West Bengal

• Era: Yatra Phase I (2016)

THE VALLEY OF TANTRA

The Journal Entry: "In the bowl of the Kathmandu Valley, spirituality is not hidden, it is architectural. Every brick, every wooden strut, and every stone street is consecrated.

This chapter documents Ishwar’s time at the banks of the Bagmati River. It explores the relationship between Pashupatinath (The Lord of Life) and the potent Shakti Peeths that guard the valley. Here, the masculine and feminine energies are not separate; they are locked in an eternal, secret embrace."

THE LORD OF ANIMALS (PASHUPATINATH)

The Origin Story:

Pashupatinath is the Lord of all beings (Pashu). Standing by the cremation ghats of the Bagmati River, watching the smoke rise against the backdrop of the ancient pagoda, one realises the ultimate truth: Shiva is the master of our animalistic nature

The Specifications:

• Medium: Oil, River Clay (Bagmati), Wood Ash & Rudraksha Bead Impressions on Linen

• Location of Origin: Pashupatinath Temple, Kathmandu

• Era: Yatra Phase III (2019)

THE QUEEN OF SPACE (BHUVANESHWARI)

The Origin Story:

Bhuvaneshwari is the Fourth Mahavidya—the Goddess who embodies the physical universe itself. She is the space in which all things happen.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Mixed Media, Lapis Lazuli Dust & 24k Gold Leaf on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Kathmandu Valley

• Era: Yatra Phase III (2019)

THE SECRET CAVE (GUHESWARI)

The Origin Story:

Just across the river from Shiva lies Guheswari, the Shakti Peeth representing the 'Secret' (Guha). It is the root energy, the hidden power that fuels the masculine.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Heavy Impasto, Red Earth (Sindoor) & Black Wax on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Guheswari Temple Precinct

• Era: Yatra Phase III (2019)

Archive #IND022 : The Lord of Animals (Pashupainath)

Archive #IND023: The Cosmic Matrix (Bhuvaneswari)

Archive #IND024 : The Secret Root (Guheswari Shakti Peeth)

Archive #IND025 : The Silent Watcher (Swyambhunath)

THE UNBLINKING EYE (SWAYAMBHU)

The Origin Story:

High above the Kathmandu Valley sits Swayambhunath (The Monkey Temple). Here, the presence of the Buddha is not found in a statue, but in the eyes painted on the Stupa—watching the world with absolute compassion and zero judgment.

The Specifications:

• Medium: Acrylic, 24k Gold Leaf & Ritual Incense Ash on Canvas

• Location of Origin: Swayambhunath Stupa, Kathmandu

• Era: Yatra Phase III (2019)