Monday, May 9, 2011

A Fun Evening With Labu Senapati And His Bonsai Collection

There are really three types of people :those who make things happen ,those who watch things happen and those who say "'What Happened " ?
Labu Da as we fondly call him has been a close  family friend for many years .Our families share a common 'Shillong Background'.A former AIR( All India Radio ) announcer Labu Da is a man of many interests  and talents .It is his love for the nature and environment that brings out an outstanding artist , designer ,craftsman,painter ,photographer in him. He designed pavilion for NEDFi which bagged special commendation prize in International Trade Fare . He is also an avid Bonsai collector .This living art form has interested him since his childhood  days .Over past fifty years he has amassed a huge individual collection of over seven hundred Bonsai .All the plants in his collection are his own creations.

.We always meet  each other in various functions ,festivals and social gatherings.On one such occasion he invited us to his house for a chit chat .Last Thursday we visited his house .His beautiful house looks like a mini Botanical Garden.His living room wall is adorned by this eye catching art work (the second picture ).He made it with the cross sections in  different sizes of a  dried  tree branch .After a brief chat he took us to the terrace  of  this double floored  building which stands just  few metres away from his house .

This beautiful forty eight year Bonsai welcomes you as you step into the  terrace . Labu Da explained us a lot about Bonsai -like how they are created ,developed and maintained .It was enlightening as well as amazing .Taking care of such huge collection without any help  is not an easy task.

Here is another one of the oldest from his collection  - if i remember right ,this too is nearly forty eight years old.His collection represents most styles of Bonsai .

This one with pretty pink flowers  .
I thought of counting all of them but after few hundreds i gave up . 
My son found a way to entertain himself  while we talked .
Here are more and some more ...........................................
This particular style is known as Landscape Bonsai.After spending more than an hour we came back to his living room .Aunty (his wife ) arranged   true Assamese style evening tea snacks for us .
Just before we sat for  tea ,Labu Da showed us this beautiful calendar titled 'Dreamz -2011 " which he made by himself .It contained twelve pictures of faces of tea tribe youngsters  of Assam working in various fields like agriculture ,medicine ,sports etc .He made only three copies of which two he gifted to his friends.
We talked a lot about different hand work .When my mother -in-law told him that she learnt American Quilting art during her four year long stay in USA , Labu Da brought out this attractive  hand stitched stole -do i need to tell that he did it himself.
The dining table had this very innovative plant arrangement -- it had mint leaves ,curry leaves ,masundari leaves ----all these plants are frequently  used in Assamese cuisine.
We had such a good time - one evening that i will never forget .

48 comments:

  1. Kavita,

    So nice to see a post from you after some time. Very nice to know more about Labu Senapati. I always like to read (and will write too) about people.

    ReplyDelete
  2. gr8 2 c ya back.......feeling good..

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a fascinating man!!! He is so creative -- not only as a gardener, but also as an artist and handstitcher as well. Don't tell me he cooks, too!!! lol. Amazing!

    ReplyDelete
  4. An enjoyable visit, Kavita




    Aloha from Waikiki


    Comfort Spiral

    ><}}(°>


    ><}}(°>

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is so much fun. The bonsai collection is really amazing and nurtured by an amazing man. Thank you for sharing this happy, interesting time with us.

    By the way, I love your first line about different kinds of people. So true, so true.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'll have to add you back to my list of blogging buddies after a long absence...

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wonderful post!
    So enjoyed it Kavita.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I missed you and your posts of this type, Kavita! Each and every post of yours is informative.

    So many plants and it must be taking a long long time to maintain so neatly.

    Great man.

    ReplyDelete
  9. BEautiful I want to take some lessons here ... I have tried a couple of times to get a bonsai working but sadly never managed ot get them right ...

    Bikram's

    ReplyDelete
  10. wow that pink flower one is just beautiful :)
    I have always admired this art, thanks for sharing ...

    ReplyDelete
  11. A fascinating effort indeed!
    Some one once made a remark that "bonsai" way of horticulture is in fact constricting the unimpeded growth of nature. I'm not sure if that is true or a conjecture.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Glad to be hearing from you again.

    What a wonderful tribute to such a creative man - how I wish I had been as successful with my one attempt at bonsai.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Thanks a lot to all of you .Feels great to be back in blogger.

    ReplyDelete
  14. beautiful...I love it!
    especially the calendar..its a very good idea!
    I will tell my photographer hubby to make a collage of loved and dear ones!

    ReplyDelete
  15. U always have such interesting things to share with us kavita.
    The stole, the calendar - loved it all :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Amazing personality. Creating 700 bonsai is really great.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nice to see a wonderful post after a long time. What a lovely and marvellous collection of bonsai. He seems to be a very very creative person. Its an amazing collection.
    You are welcome at my new posts-
    http://urmi-z-unique.blogspot.com
    http://amazing-shot.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. He does seems like someone with many many interests and talents! :) Thanks for sharing.

    ♡ from © tanvii.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. bom dia querida
    claro que nao entendi uma palavra,mas vim te desejar um excelente dia.

    um gran bacione








    !!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Beautiful....
    i found the bonsai collection by him really amazing....
    thanx for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  21. ciao tesouro obrigada por me seguir,fiquei feliz,e tambèm vou te seguir,
    vocè foi a seguidora 70,
    obrigado de coraçao.
    bacione

    ReplyDelete
  22. Good evening, How are you? Great post. Have a nice weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Saanjhh has left a new comment on your post "A Fun Evening With Labu Senapati And His Bonsai Co...":

    He does seems like someone with many many interests and talents! :) Thanks for sharing.

    ♡ from © tanvii.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. IRFANUDDIN has left a new comment on your post "A Fun Evening With Labu Senapati And His Bonsai Co...":

    Beautiful....
    i found the bonsai collection by him really amazing....
    thanx for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  25. edna has left a new comment on your post "A Fun Evening With Labu Senapati And His Bonsai Co...":

    bom dia querida
    claro que nao entendi uma palavra,mas vim te desejar um excelente dia.

    um gran bacione

    ReplyDelete
  26. Rajesh has left a new comment on your post "A Fun Evening With Labu Senapati And His Bonsai Co...":

    Amazing personality. Creating 700 bonsai is really great.

    ReplyDelete
  27. Babli has left a new comment on your post "A Fun Evening With Labu Senapati And His Bonsai Co...":

    Nice to see a wonderful post after a long time. What a lovely and marvellous collection of bonsai. He seems to be a very very creative person. Its an amazing collection.
    You are welcome at my new posts-
    http://urmi-z-unique.blogspot.com
    http://amazing-shot.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Really nice to see u again after so many days...i am a regular reader of your blog...i am from Guwahati presently staying in Kolkata...was curious to know about ur silence but bor bhal lagishe aji bohudin pisot apunak dekhi....God Bless U.....

    Luv Ranita

    ReplyDelete
  29. HEY FRIENDS ---due to the blogger-problem yesterday ,some of the comments are permanently deleted .I have pasted those missing comments here right from my comment notification mails.
    Thank you all for your beautiful comments and support.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Couldn't comment earlier.
    Great collection of Bonzai. Must have took years of patient effort.

    ReplyDelete
  31. What a remarkable man- with so many talents. Quite inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
  32. wonderful presentation of an amazing personality!

    good to see you back to blogging!!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Truly wonderful. Thank you, and wish you a nice Sunday

    ReplyDelete
  34. What a gorgeous post with all these beautiful and colourful flowers!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Amiga,
    Passei para uma visitinha.
    Eu também gosto de bonsai.
    Muito simpática e carinhosa a postagem sobre seu amigo.
    Beijinhos.
    °º♫
    °º✿ Brasil
    º° ✿♥ ♫° ·.

    ReplyDelete
  36. vim te sesejar um dia cheio de coisas boaaaaas!!!!!!
    obrigada por passar sempre na minhacasinha.


    bacione bella

    ReplyDelete
  37. So many on the terrace! Wow! its nice to know about Labu Senapati. the stole looks gorgeous.

    ReplyDelete
  38. The bonsai with pink flowers is just wonderful. I know how hard it is to keep it at home in good shape:(

    ReplyDelete
  39. nice read as usual.( Here goodness is not an act but a habit!)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Bonsais always have a unique expression of their own. To me they are like very people who are not bothered by their surrounding and they take their own time to grow and bloom.

    ReplyDelete
  41. It was wonderful reading it. I found the plant arrangement quite interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Bonsai is now Blogsai :) Amazing collections :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. It is bautiful! Loved the post. Good job.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Great to see such a huge Bonsai collection.

    ReplyDelete