Lunar Leela - The Divine Play of M oon Light and Shadows
By Dhava l Rajen Jhaveri
Lunar Leela - The Divine Play of M
oon Light and Shadows
By Dhava
l Rajen Jhaveri
Originally from Ahmedabad India\, I now reside with my family in Old Bethpage\, New Y ork.
\nWhy the Full M
oon\, You May Ask
The
Moon and the Sun are the two celestial bodies most visible to us. Yes\, s
tars are visible too\, but size matters. And unlike the Sun\, we can gaze
at the Moon for hours without straining our eyes. The majestic Moon\, floa
ting serenely in the sky\, offers us glimpses into the dazzling universe b
eyond. One glance at a Full Moon\, and you might find yourself\, as I did\
, completely in love with the cosmos!
A Childhood Memory
My fascination with the Moon began around age 10 on a roa
d trip to Rajasthan (India). Near Jaisalmer\, I watched a Full Moon rise—h
uge\, surreal\, almost planet-like. I didn’t have a camera\, but the memor
y is vivid: sunlight shimmering on a massive pink-orange sphere with a mir
age-like glow. It was my first encounter with the Moon’s grandeur\, and it
left me awestruck. An object floating 382\,500 km away somehow made the u
niverse feel closer.
Growing up\, we celebrated various auspicious Poonams (Full Moon nights
)\, with the Moon shining brightly above. That connection stayed with me\,
even as life moved on\, filled with work\, family\, hustle\, and the inev
itable rat race.
Ca
pturing the Moon
Ther
e’s a unique excitement in waiting for the Full Moon to make its appearanc
e. I often wait for it to rise high enough to be visible from my home - we
ather permitting\, of course. Over the years\, I’ve missed many Full Moons
due to overcast skies\, but that is nature’s way. I often walk or drive a
round\, searching for that perfect view.
During one of these walks\, I discovered the beauty of th
e Full Moon framed by trees\, vines\, and branches. Since then\, I’ve focu
sed on capturing these natural silhouettes against the luminous backdrop o
f the Moon. Each season offers a different view\; even a few steps right o
r left completely change the perspective. Sometimes\, I find myself bravin
g extreme cold\, but the reward is always worth it. What you see h
ere today are some of those moments captured through my lens.
Remember\, there ar
e only 12 Full Moons in a year\, and weather permitting\, you might catch
only a few of them. My point is—each Full Moon is precious\, beautiful\, a
nd quite literally out of this world. So\, step outside\, watch the Full M
oon with your loved ones\, and let yourself fall in love with this magnifi
cent universe!
Lunar Leela - The
Divine Play of Moon Light and Shadows
By Dhaval Rajen Jhaveri
Originally from Ahmedabad India\, I now reside with my family in Old Bethpage\, New York.
\n
The Moon and the Sun are the two celestial bodies most visib
le to us. Yes\, stars are visible too\, but size matters. And unlike the S
un\, we can gaze at the Moon for hours without straining our eyes. The maj
estic Moon\, floating serenely in the sky\, offers us glimpses into the da
zzling universe beyond. One glance at a Full Moon\, and you might find you
rself\, as I did\, completely in love with the cosmos!
My fascination with the Moon began aroun
d age 10 on a road trip to Rajasthan (India). Near Jaisalmer\, I watched a
Full Moon rise—huge\, surreal\, almost planet-like. I didn’t have a camer
a\, but the memory is vivid: sunlight shimmering on a massive pink-orange
sphere with a mirage-like glow. It was my first encounter with the Moon’s
grandeur\, and it left me awestruck. An object floating 382\,500 km away s
omehow made the universe feel closer.
A Lifelong Connection
Growing up\, we celebrated various auspicious Poonams
(Full Moon nights)\, with the Moon shining brightly above. That connection
stayed with me\, even as life moved on\, filled with work\, family\, hust
le\, and the inevitable rat race.
Capturing the Moon
There’s a unique excitement in waiting for the Full Moon to m
ake its appearance. I often wait for it to rise high enough to be visible
from my home - weather permitting\, of course. Over the years\, I’ve misse
d many Full Moons due to overcast skies\, but that is nature’s way. I ofte
n walk or drive around\, searching for that perfect view.
During one of these walks\, I discovered
the beauty of the Full Moon framed by trees\, vines\, and branches. Since
then\, I’ve focused on capturing these natural silhouettes against the lu
minous backdrop of the Moon. Each season offers a different view\; even a
few steps right or left completely change the perspective. Sometimes\, I f
ind myself braving extreme cold\, but the reward is always worth it.
Re
member\, there are only 12 Full Moons in a year\, and weather permitting\,
you might catch only a few of them. My point is—each Full Moon is preciou
s\, beautiful\, and quite literally out of this world. So\, step outside\,
watch the Full Moon with your loved ones\, and let yourself fall in love
with this magnificent universe!