Suling musician

As part of the Hindu diaspora that Siva Ashram will celebrate, at the entrance of our gardens, our very own gamelan (a traditional instrumental ensemble of Bali, Indonesia) will welcome our visitors. Suling is a flute made of a long bamboo tube and it has a mouthpiece circled with a thin band made of rattan. The suling is an essential instrument for every gamelan, no wonder why is here in our gardens, and it is necessary that the performers use a circular breathing technique to create a highly-strung sense of constancy that continues at all moments, especially around the dramatic turn points produced by the percussion instruments. The statue, based on a traditional Balinese design, has been carved in Bali exclusively for Siva Ashram and is awaiting shipment to Costa Rica to be installed on the grounds of our gardens. It is one of nine statues of musicians gracing the entrance to our gardens in celebration of life and the spiritual path. Line drawing courtesy of Manish Prajapati, @artbymanish.