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Kathak Room.
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Mandala Room: Mandala is derived from the Sanskrit word manda meaning essence, and the suffix la which means container. So it means container of the essence of energy. The mandala represents wholeness and can be seen as a geometrical cosmic diagram which connects the finite to the infinite, the world that exists both beyond and within our mind.

The Shri Yantra, which is considered the greatest and the most auspicious of all yantras, displays the splendour of the male and female principles to manifest the root principles of life (tattvas).

The centre of this yantra is the bindu, which represents the union of the manifest and unmanifest worlds. It is surrounded by nine interlocking triangles – five representing the female principle and four representing the male principle. The Mandala chair shows a lotus in full bloom, symbolising enlightenment.

It depicts the thousand petal chakra or Sahasra chakra, which is the seat of control of cosmic energy linking the microcosm to the macrocosm.

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Level 2: Rajas
Dyuutya Room: Gambling (dyoot) was the royal pastime of the kings of yore. The painting represents various elements of gambling: chess, cards, horses and elephants, while the Saap Seedi Chair is a depiction of the game of Snakes (saanp) and Ladders (seedhi).

Kathak Room: The word kathak comes from the Sanskrit word katha meaning story – so the ‘kathak’ is a storyteller. Patronised by the Kings of the Mughal era, this is the ancient art of storytelling through dance.

The artwork shows two dancers, male and female, with different hand postures and ghungroos or bells. The painting has a portrait of Wajid Ali Shah of Oudh – a connoisseur of Kathak. The Sarangi chair is a depiction of the Sarangi, a musical instrument carved out of a single block of red cedar and used as an accompaniment for the dance.

Shringar Room: Shringar is the art of adornment, romance and beauty. The painting showcases the different moods of a woman. The Peacock chair is a symbol of beauty and grace; while the peacock feather, which takes the form of an eye, represents knowledge. So, a complete woman has all three qualities: beauty, knowledge and grace.

Karna Room: Many believe that the true hero of the Mahabharata was Karna and not Arjun – as his valour, generosity, forgiveness, loyalty and hard work gave Karna his power. The painting shows the hero in the battlefield. The Wheel chair depicts Karna’s hand trying to pull out a chariot wheel from the mud during battle.

Now that the Rajsik floor has been unveiled and the top two levels of Le Sutra are ready for occupation, we must say we admire the detail and determination with which the design concept has been executed. The rooms may be small in size, but they are big on design. While there is scope for improvement in the quality of art in some rooms, this project is not just a pretentious bid to be different – but shows a commitment to the cause of promoting Indian art and culture.