Form versus Function

I am not quite sure where I stand when balancing form with function in my home.
A couple of months back, when I bought a veena, it seemed I had decidedly plumped for ornamentation over practicality:
I cannot play the instrument and have left it a little late to learn.

The appeal was purely visual.

But my friend Robin kept fingering the veena’s strings,
and yesterday embarked on a course of classes.

Now I find my enjoyment of the veena is considerably enhanced by hearing someone play it.
A modest perfection of both form and function:
harmony achieved.
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Strike Up The Band!

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The sound of fire-crackers and drums was unmistakable.

Another festival had started.

This time it was celebrating the patron saint of the small chapel at the end of my lane:

St Anthony of Padua.

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We emerged from the house in time to follow the sound of music –

A fusion of Tijuana brass and Dravidian percussion.

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Fr. Martin, our local Catholic priest, walks in the heart of the procession.

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Men wait their turn for the honour of carrying the statue of Saint Anthony bearing the Christ Child.

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The drum beats intensify.

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The perfectly synchronised, varying and complex rhythms are intensely powerful.

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The procession stops at intervals, allowing the drummers to perform special sequences in well-rehearsed formations.

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Once again, I find myself blinking back tears of sheer joy and excitement.

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