May 26, 2017

Rangoli Workshop with Yasha Dabas

Location: West Gorord Hotel, Cebu City, Cebu (province), Philippines
GPS coordinate: 10°19'02.7"N 123°54'00.9"E

What is Rangoli?
Rangoli is not a familiar word in the Philippines. But in India, it's part of culture and tradition that's deeply steeped in Hinduism. It is an ancient folk art made on a floor or boxed wooden background. A design pattern is drawn, mostly geometric, nature or deity. The pattern is filled-in using colorful beads, stones, powder, flowers, paints, coloured rice-water, gypsum powder, coloured sand or dry pigments. It is deconstructed when done, similar to the Tibetan Mandala.

Yasha Dabas
Yasha Dabas, an Indian Rangoli expert, conducted the free workshop at the West Gorordo Hotel. She's not your typical Rangoli expert whom you might suspect is deep into Indian mysticism. Yasha is a banker, having graduated at Indian Institute of Banking and Finance. She worked as a Team Lead for Front office Prime Brokerage for JP Morgan-India. Currently, she's an Agile Transformation Agent with the Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. If she can be allowed to follow her bliss, she'll be doing Rangoli fulltime.

Gabii Sa Kabilin
The Rangoli workshop is part of the GSK 2017's Gabii Sa Kabilin celebration at the Museum of Naive Art [MoNA] spearheaded by naive artist, Paulina Constancia. The event is a 3-hotel venue featuring the Mayflower Inn with its Museum of Heritage and Folk Art (MoHFA) and the Elicon House with its launching of the Museum of Bicycling (MoB).

Ending Thoughts
Rangoli is a meditative art as you enter into your own world, getting absorbed into the reality you architecture on your wooden background. After all the artistic flow and release, it is deconstructed. Like Burningman where art installation that took a year to develop is taken to the desert only to be burned, rangoli is a meditative exercise in artistic expression, impermanence and non-attachment.

--- TheLoneRider

colored powder, beads, shells and stones for fillers

External Links

NascentBreeze by Yasha Dabas
Rangoli Art Community Workshop

Reader Comments:

Joel Lee
(May 29, 2017) hi Yasha. joel lee here, the brother of paulina. thank you for coming to cebu to share your wonderful tradition and talent. unfortunately i was unable to speak with you after the event, as we were all dead tired after all the preps and activities. i learned that you are interested to know more about permaculture, and that you may have the possibility to apply it back in India. i recommend that you take up a course on permaculture, perhaps at Bali. there are several courses offered there. the bamboo school could be very interesting. check out their site: http://kulkulfarmbali.com/bali-permaculture-design-course. then i learned that the next international permaculture convergence will be held in Hyderabad, India: http://ipcindia2017.org/ this will be a good opportunity for you to meet up with permaculture people from india and elsewhere. let me know if there is any other information i could provide you. cheers. joel lee

Cebu City, Philippines

tourist attractions

Tops - hilltop offering panoramic view of the city
Taoist Temple - temple on a hillslope in Lahug with panoramic view of the city

hotel

Hostel Seven Cebu - newly opened, resto/bar, central location, solo/group travellers
Juana Osmeña Street, Cebu City
S Hotel & Residences - new hotel, luxury rooms, central location
827 M. Velez corner Andres Abellana St.

resto / cafe / bar

Fujinoya - new and refreshing twists to Western style desserts using Japanese techniques
Wilson St., Lahug, Cebu City - tel. 888.6075
Bad Boys Wingz - Buffalo Wings, unique versions of sauces! Great service, accommodating staff, bad boys vibe
Kasambagan, Cebu City | (032) 415 4811

yoga

Love Yoga World - yoga studio
11/fl, Skyrise 2 Tower, IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City
Yoga Now - first Yoga and Wellness studio in Mactan offering daily Yoga Classes
at The Yacht Club Mactan

mountain biking

Cebu Mountain Bike Adventure - MTB tours, bike sales and repairs. Bed and Breakfast + Resto Cafe + wifi
1298-b V.Rama Ave, Guadalupe, Cebu City | 0942.959.7451

More Information about Cebu City

Cebu City to Camotes Island

via Poro - from Pier One in Cebu City, take the Ocean Jet for Poro, 2 hours, daily trip - 6am and 3pm (0936.823.8762 |0956.270.6610 | 0999.889.9999).
via Consuelo - from Cebu City, take the northbound bus passing through Danao and get off at the Danao Port. At the Port, take a Jomalia Shipping boat for Consuelo (San Francisco, Camotes), P220/pax, a/c, 2 hours, daily trip - 5:30am, 7:00am (special trip), 8:30am, 12:00 noon (express), 2:30pm, 5:30pm and 9:00pm (express, Fri/Sat/Sun only).

Camotes Islands to Cebu City

Poro - Cebu City (fastest and most direct) - go to Poro and take the 8am or 5pm Ocean Jet to Pier One in Cebu City, P380/pax/aircon, 2 hours
Consuelo - Danao - Cebu City - go to Consuelo (San Francisco) and take the Jomalia Shipping boat to Danao, P220/pax, a/c, 2 hours, daily trip - 5:30am, 7:00am (special trip), 8:30am, 12:00 noon (express), 2:30pm, 5:30pm and 9:00pm (express, Fri/Sat/Sun only). From Danao, take the Ceres Bus to Cebu City

Cebu City to Dumaguete, Negros Oriental by Boat

George and Peter Lines - Mon/Thur/Sat/Sun 10pm, (035)225.4337, 0922.557.1023
Oceanjet - via Tagbilaran, daily 6am, dumticketing@oceanjet.net, 0918.898.2188
Cokaliong - Mon/Tue/Wed/Thur/Fri/Sat 7pm, Sun 12pm, 6 hours, (035)225.3599

Cebu City to Dumaguete via Liloan

Cebu City South Terminal - take the southbound Ceres bus to Liloan, P200, 5 hours
Liloan - the bus drops you off at the Liloan Port where you board the Fastcraft to Sibulan, Negros Oriental, P62, 30 mins
Sibulan - at the Sibulan Port, the jeeps wait for Fastcraft passengers to take them to the public market in Dumaguete, P12, 30 mins.
Public Market - at the market, you can take any tricycle to your hotel, P8 for short trips

Cebu City to Tagbilaran, Bohol

Weesam Express - Pier 4, departs 9:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 6:30 PM, 2 hours
one way: Economy (aircon) P500.00, Economy (non-aircon) P400.00, First Class P600.00
round trip promo (at least 2 days advance booking): Economy (aircon) P600, Economy(non-aircon) P500, First Class P1200
round trip promo (1 day or on the day booking): Economy (aircon) P800, Economy (non-aircon) P700, First Class P1200
Ocean Jet - Pier 1, departs 6-7-8-9:20-10:40-11:40AM, 1-2-4:20-6:35PM, 2 hours
Open Air / Tourist Class P800, Business Class P1000
+63 932 8734 885 / +63 922 8572 300
SuperCat (2GO) - Pier 1, departs 08:15-13:30-15:10-18:00-19:40
P 500.00
+63 32 233 7000
Lite Ferries - Pier 1, departs daily 12:30pm, 10:00pm and 1:00pm (Mon, Wed, Sat)
Standard (Lying) Php 150, Tourist (Lying Aircon) Php 340
+63 977.822.5483 / +63 998.999.5483 / +63 925.347.5483 / (032)255-1721 to 26 / (032)414-9001 to 03
info@liteferries.com / www.liteferries.com

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Suggested Destinations in Cebu

Camotes Islands - caves, beaches
Cebu City - rich in culture and history, 2nd largest city in the Philippines
Moalboal - amazing coral reef system, sardine bowl, deep drop-off for freediving
Oslob - Butanding (whale shark) watching
Bantayan Island - long stretch of fine white sand beach, Virgin Island for snorkeling
Malapascua Island - divers' paradise for seeing the rare Thresher Shark
Cantabaco Cave - Toledo
Barile Waterfalls - Barile
Whale Shark Tour - Oslob
Carcar - chicharon and lechon in public market