““A Cup Is Useful Only When It Is Empty; And A Mind That Is Filled With Beliefs, With Dogmas, With

“My soul is alight with your infinitude of stars. Your world has broken upon me like a flood. The flowers of your garden blossom in my body. The joy of life that is everywhere burns like an incense in my heart.”

— Rabindranath Tagore

Academia Aesthetic But Make It Indian

Pulling an all - nighter fueled by a herbal concoction that is one of your family recipe.

Discussing literature with your friends on zoom call over a cup of masala chai and Parle - G.

Having an enviable collection of jumkas.

Visiting the libraries (with appropriate precautions), museums, art galleries, ancient buildings and temples.

Studying in the temples/gurudwaras (if permitted, with due respect and measures). The dhoop-batti infused tranquility transporting you to the ancient times.

Lightening up an agar-batti or a dhoop-batti because scented candles are a bit too expensive and you're broke from buying that recent stack of books.

Draping a shawl that you borrowed from your parent's/grandparent's collection on cool winter months. Feeling like a royalty everytime it flutters with the wind.

Learning a classical language out of sheer fascination.

Reading your notes pretentiously to anyone who's willing to listen.... even if they're your plants/pets.

Getting up super early in the morning to study and feeling like a scholar from ancient times.

Coming up with your own concoction for your favourite beverage but secretly loving the way your mum makes it.

Pairing your Punjabi/Rajasthani Juttis with your every fancy outfit and Kolhapuri Chhappals with your every casual outfits.

Reading The Ramayana, The Bhagwat Geeta, The Vedas, The Mahabharata for the fascination of it or just because you want to!

Mumbling a mantra or a shloka that you used to listen from people around you as a kid, under your breath.

Quoting Ambedkar in your conversations.

Discussing about the ancient Greek, Roman, Norse, Egyptian or Pagan beliefs with your friends or your cousins or anybody who's interested.

Reading about all the scientists and mathematicians from ancient India and thinking about the apparatuses they used to counduct their respective researches.

Putting up the posters of your favourite personalities from the past and sticking tiny notes stating the attributes you find fascinating.

Looking upon the local women who broke the traditional roles and appreciating their valor.

Drinking nimbu-paani/Glucon-D out of the cups reserved for guests and feeling like a royalty.

Sticking up calligraphically written derivations on the walls and desks and the doors of cupboards..... basically any available surface, displaying them like your trophies.

Ditching ridiculously expensive eyeliner for your dadi's homemade kajal.

Swinging your chunni pretentiously everytime you make a valid point in a friendly debate with your "enemy" on whom you've a crush, feeling like a Harry Potter character.

Having a signature attar that announces your presence before you enter.

Downloading banned books and reading them secretly in family functions.

Tucking wild flowers behind your best friends' ear as you braid each other's hair in the school's loo.

Getting into arguments into public transport, in the classroom, on the tea stall and citing relevant points with sources.

Being the "pleasure to have in class" but also "should listen more and involve less into arguments with teachers."

Discussing mantras with your friends and learning new ones together.

Arching one eyebrow and smirking as you listen to an excellent piece of music.

Sharing playlist as you and your love sits under a tree reciting poetries to each other.

Going on a "street food discovery spree" with your friends all the while discussing about the deadly chemical medleys you read about in your chemistry class.

Practicing meditation and yoga as the first rays of sun hit the ground. (taking care of your mental health is a part of aesthetic too)

Borrowing your family heirlooms for special occasions and treating them as your most prized possessions.

Practicing classical dance/music (for people like me, who haven't practiced any and would require to train for a long time for the aforementioned arts, Shankh/conch shell is one musical instrument that is probably the easiest to play and doesn't require any prior training.)

Wrapping yourself in your grandfather's coats and feeling his warmth seep in through that piece of clothing...... also, a slight smell of Vicks.

Visiting the local fair and buying more jhumkas because you can never have enough, tbh.

Listening to Agamani-Vijaya songs as you stroll through the College Street, browsing the books.

Addressing your beloved after the names of uncharted scientists and philosophers.

Dhoti pants and khadi tops are go to summer apparels.

Leaving your crush's favourite flowers in their notes with sweet poetries you wrote for them in the candle light.

Sending magniloquent letters to your best friends and pretending to be pen-pals.

Vibing to Bhatiyali as you walk through the Howrah Bridge, imagining yourself as the protagonist of one of Taslima Nasrin's books.

Please feel free to add more!

life would be so different if i was a bookshop owner in a small village near some forest, who has a secret affair with the local poet

it’s like insane that an ancient writer knew the words i needed to hear a thousand years on and could see me through all that time but also. it’s not surprising in the least bc they felt as i felt and they sang as i sang and they did everything i’ve ever done there is no state of being which they have not already passed i am nothing new i am not alone and that is a great joy to know

A dinner is cool but how about we spend the night staring at the moon together?

can’t believe there’s going to be a new generation of pjo fans who automatically picture walker scobell when they think of percy jackson and not a hodgepodge of viria and burdge’s fanart. does that make me old

love this bohemian maximalism

Not knowing names of songs I liked in a public place will forever come to haunt me in my dreams.

P.s. - photos belong to me, please don't repost without permission!!

Indian Dark Academia>>>>

(photos belong to me, do not repost without credits!)