7’-0” X 7’-0” X 7” depth approx.
Box ply-paper, MDF, wood, coir rope and paint

Beyond the very obvious emotional connect any national anthem would have, the Indian National Anthem “Jana Gana Mana Adhinayak” touches on something deeper. Written in the pre-independence era (1911), when the nation was bleeding from its colonial wounds, this song (being a part of a larger literary work “Bharat Bhaagya Bidhata” by poet of the world Rabindranath Tagore), not only describes the vibrant diversity coexisting in harmony and the inclusivity of Indian culture, it is also a ‘Jayagatha’ or call for a hero that dwells within all of us - to break bondages of all kinds that hold us back and unshackle our true potential, individually and as a leader of the collective that we call our nation. The artists infer that the call is still on, and the leader we seek is within us. The artwork is structured by the visual sheet music of the anthem and its ‘Laya-Taal’ or beat framework (represented visually by the wooden verticals and the coir-rope horizontals). The protagonist has liberated himself but is not yet free till his fellow countrymen are also lifted out of the miseries of centuries of economic and intellectual deprivations. He cannot rest until the downtrodden keep on getting exploited in the name of caste, creed and religious divisions, against the ethos of inclusivity that defines India. The Golden Mirror in the Eye of the Adhinayak (Leader) depicting not only a golden future but also reflecting the eye of YOU - the viewer), exhorting YOU to be the ONE to lead, as the Captain of your Mind, and collectively of ours.