AAW #108

The 108th edition of Ahmedabad Art Weekly is up, and the numeric significance of 108 is considered influential in varied aspects. It is believed that there are entirely 108 beads in a prayer Garland, the average distance of the sun and the moon to the earth is 108 times their particular diameters. It is also believed that there are total 108 Pithas (holy spots) all across India and it is also said that there are cumulatively 108 Upanishads (Religious Scriptures) written till date and 108 Marma Points (Sacred places) within on our body. The 108 significance can go on and on like this but most important feature of 108 today is that it has now arrived in our AAW and we want you to refer this one to replenish your cultural and aesthetic needs.

Our AAW initiative every week features influential creators and reflects a short glimpse of their life and this week we chose Dhirubhai Thaker as our core inspiration. Thaker was a prolific writer and is renowned for making the Gujarati Vishwakosh, an encyclopedia of 25 volumes of Gujarati language. The Padma Bhushan author who had mobilised 1700 subject aficionados to develop the Gujarati Vishwakosh contains more 25000 pages. Thaker will always be remembered for his flawless contribution in uplifting the value of regional language, and AAW 108 is a salute to this great human being.

Illustration : Nilesh Ramani