Shailaja Divekar tells Renu Dhole how she has been nurturing and helping keep the art of Ikenobo alive in Pune

In the ultra-busy neighbourhood of Nal Stop — a veritable microcosm of the maddening rush we live in — lies a quiet world of flowers, leaves and vases that encourages you to pause, think and create. Shailaja Divekar is at the heart of this universe, spreading the beauty and peace associated with an ancient Japanese art in a city that’s far removed from the centre of its origin. “Ikebana literally means ‘living with flowers’,” she tells us of the 600-year-old style of flower arrangement. “It has its origin in Buddhism. This art form is looked at with a lot of respect in Japan. Ikenobo is the oldest school of Ikebana,” she informs. With an aim to impart the teachings of Ikenobo, Shailaja formed the Ikenobo Ikebana Society, Pune Chapter — one of the society’s three branches in the country — in 1994.

“I was involved with Japan and its culture through my husband Ramesh Chandra Divekar, who developed a long-standing relationship with the country after he visited it on a scholarship for technical training. I started learning the art in 1979, became its teacher in 1989. The late Masuko Ebisuno, a senior teacher of Ikenobo, who’d visited us several times in India, wanted the art of Ikenobo to live here after her. She helped us get the permission to start this Chapter, from the society’s headquarters in Kyoto. And Sujata Pandit, and a few senior members, have provided great support all along,” Shailaja informs.

Many women, and some men too have, since then, learnt the art under her able guidance. Some, like Arundhati Deshpande, have travelled abroad and are keeping the spirit of Ikebana alive in their own ways, on different soils. “We have held demonstrations, exhibitions and workshops at various centres in the city. The AOTS Alumni Society of Central India, Pune, the Indo Japanese Association (IJA) and the Consulate General of Japan, Mumbai, have always supported us in our activities. Every two years, a senior Ikenobo teacher from Japan visits us. And every four years, we send some of our students to attend the international workshop in Japan,” Shailaja tells us.

But learning this art requires serious dedication. “People like to appreciate the arrangements, but not many come forward to learn it. There are several levels you need to pass before you can create complex arrangements. And one level takes about 12-15 lessons,” says Shailaja, who has completed 14 levels of Ikenobo.

Those, who take this art seriously, are rewarded with more than immense creative satisfaction. “Working on a flower arrangement with concentration, in silence, is like meditating. I tell students to forget about their worries, sort out their thoughts, to think twice before they cut a twig. Your mental state is reflected in your arrangement,” she says. For instance, in olden days, if a Japanese wife would be angry with her husband, the colours of her arrangement would show it. The husband would notice it and understand! So much for the eloquence of flowers...

There’s, however, a deeper philosophy that guides the flower arrangements in Ikenobo — bringing nature and humanity together symbolically in a flower pot. “One philosophy brings out the concept of family. The strongest part in the arrangement represents the man, the supporting element stands for the wife while the blooming flower may be used to signify the child. Another philosophy deals with the past, present and the future. A decaying leaf could symbolise the past, while a new bud could represent the future,” Shailaja explains.

With enthusiastic plans of holding shows and activities, Shailaja has, indeed, ensured a blooming future for Ikebana in the city.