Ambassador's
Message
I am very pleased to know that the Indian Bonsai Association is
going to hold its annual Bonsai exhibition in April 2007.
It is already a well-known fact that the year 2007 is being celebrated
as the “Japan-India Friendship
Year” with the primary aims of expanding on
people-to-people exchange and deepening the mutual understanding
between Japan and India. As part of the 'Japan Year in India',
over 90 Japanese cultural events will be organized in different
cities of India during the year, to highlight the historical and
cultural interchange between our two countries.
Bonsai is a graceful Japanese art that involves growing of miniature
trees or plants as they appear in nature. A unique aesthetic sense
is expressed through the vigour, shape and structure of the plant.
Bonsai is gaining in popularity all over the world as a constructive
pastime appealing to one's sense of visual beauty and nurturing.
I hope this Bonsai exhibition being held by the Indian Bonsai
Association would help familiarize the Indian audience with one
of the integral and popular aspects of Japanese culture.
YASUKUNI ENOKI
Ambassador of Japan to India
From
The Editor's Desk
It gives me great pleasure to be writing this editorial. The Indian
Bonsai Association has come a long way from its inception . Our
Annual Exhibition is an important event on the Delhi Cultural
calendar. This year the Japanese Embassy is celebrating 'Indo-Japanese
Friendship Year' and our exhibition is one of the official events
on their calendar.
Bonsai as an art form is really growing and more and more people
want to learn this art. This is amply demonstrated by the number
of people who visit our annual exhibitions. Bonsai teach us the
virtue of 'patience' without which we cannot exist in this fast
moving world.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs. Shiela Dikshit
and the Delhi Government for putting us on the International Bonsai
Map by sponsoring our International Bonsai convention in 2005.
It was a great success. Also the participation by Bonsai clubs
from all over India helped create a bond at the national level.
Our annual exhibition is being held at ITC Hotel Maurya Sheraton
and Towers for over 22 years. We thank them for their support
and may this bond grow stronger.
I would also like to thank the Japanese Embassy and Japan Foundation
for their continued support to our Association over the past few
years.
May I request all the members to share their Bonsai experience
with other’s by writing articles for the Bulletin. Our Bulletin
is an informal way in which we communicate with other Bonsai enthusiasts,
so please write and share, that is the way we will grow and learn
from each others experiences. All Bonsai articles will also be
added to our website www.indianbonsaiassociation .com.
Finally I would like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity
to edit this Bulletin because I actually learnt a lot along the
way!
Saveena Gadhoke
President’s
Message
Our Association has grown over the years to become an internationally
recognized body. The guiding principle of keeping it as a hobby
group of non-commercial nature has helped in maintaining high
ethical standards. Indian Bonsai Association runs on mutual trust,
sharing and collective decision making, this approach has insulated
us from groupism and fragmentation. We are indebted to our Late
Founder Dr.(Mrs) Leila Dhanda for her foresight in instilling
these values since the very beginning.
We are fortunate to have Past Presidents and other senior members
who are always ready to guide, teach and work. No work is small
for them as it was amply demonstrated by our past president Mrs.
Neera Neelambra who stepped in to take charge as Secretary, which
happens to be the most difficult task in our organization.
We have several shortcomings and efforts should be made to overcome
them. Participation by members in workshops and exhibitions is
not optimum. Members should do basic work like soil preparation,
pruning, wiring and watering themselves and not depend on helpers.
We are planning to set up meeting timings to suit males and working
ladies. We should make efforts to have activities on weekends
to encourage participation by this sub-group. There is scope for
starting Bonsai School, counter for sale of Bonsai material and
pots etc. at reasonable price to encourage beginners. The regular
complaint of non-receipt of letters can be rectified by using
Internet.
Members should visit our website www.indianbonsaiassociation.com
as we plan to use our website for giving a lot of information
in the near future. You will be glad to know that our annual exhibition
is one of the official events celebrating the Indo-Japanese Friendship
year 2007.
I thank all fellow bonsai lovers for giving full support and co-operation
during my tenure.
Dr.H.OmAhuja
