Verundah Studio

This Bandi Chorr Diwas we celebrate the dignity and freedom that is innate to the natural world. This story we are highlighting, from Suraj Parkash, Chapter 45, Raas 8, explores Guru Hargobind’s revel at the beauty of flora, dignifying all living beings. With great detail Guru Hargobind admires the flowers and equally grieves their destruction by his own grandson, Har Rai. Teaching his grandson and us today, Guru Hargobind dignifies the trampled beautiful flowers, reminding us to be mindful of our mindless participation in the natural world. Similarly, as a child himself, Guru Hargobind, wrongfully imprisoned, negotiates his freedom and having leverage against Jahangir, he frees 52 feudal lords who were also wrongfully imprisoned. In light of Bandi Chorr Diwas, this story highlights our duty as caretakers and participators of any world to let freedom ring true, especially when we hold the power. For us, florists, farmers, and stewards of this Earth, this garden story is a vow to continue to move beautifully without harming Beauty in all its manifestations. The story also foreshadows Guru Har Rai’s lifelong path as an evident environmentalist, often considered the Green Guru.

Suraj Parkash, Chapter 45, Raas 8

Translation via @jvalaaa and @surajpodcast