Samandhipu (Saa/mun/dhi/poo) Study
Through this piece, I invite you to meditate on these questions and access the ends of your imagination: In a world so broken, so torn by harm, how do we begin to repair-for ourselves, each other, our communities and the earth? How will we access ways what was given to us from the past? What do we carry with us to the world we are creating? What will we birth? How will we move towards that which is abundant? What can flowers and seeds teach us about what we want to see for each other? Can we turn to their abundance for answers to these?
This piece is a flower and seed study of marigolds/samandhipu(in tamil) and seeks to communicate the importance and effectiveness of seeds, particularly marigold seeds in mending and transforming our environment and futures through abundance. It is a meditative and playful space for people to discover seeds and think about the possibilities inherent in them for a world we wish to see; how seeds contain life, possibilities for hope, repair, and abundance.
Samandhipu/marigolds have many names and share cultural relevance across the globe- for birth, death, weddings and celebrations. My farming grandparents and aunt, marigolds were truly golden, keeping pests away; for me and my cousins, they were a great snack while we waited at boring long weddings; for my uncle, they were gorgeous garlands for the idols; for my mom, they were fun flowers to wear in her hair. These flowers hold so many of my stories and our ancestors’. Each flower shows us the innumerable stories and possibilities, contained within them.
