Seasonal Reflections and Indianness in Haiku

 

                                             Pravat Kumar Padhy                                            

 

Introduction

 

India has a wide spectrum of cultural and social diversity, language and literature. The country embodies the picturesque manifestation of a diverse climate: snowfall in the north and scorching summer in the south; varying dialects from one state to the other; rich classical culture to contemporary modernity; paintings: from rock art to modern portraitures and so on. It is bestowed with a magnificent landscape: snow-peaked mountain ranges to the desert, widespread blue glittering seas, hills and enchanting valleys. Generally, the seasons are the same across India, from north to south, with varying intensities: scorching hot in the south during summer and bitter cold in the north during winter. The main Southwest monsoon season is identical across the country. Southeast India witnesses rain for the second time during October-December. India is known as a ‘Land of Festivals’ with varied socio-cultural practices, attire and food habits.

 

Since ancient times, classical verses have explored on nature, spiritualism and humanity, all infused with a rich Indian cultural dimension. Many poets portrayed the beauty of nature with a touch of Indianness in the ancient Indian Sanskrit language. Kalidas’s Ritusamhara  (Pageant of the Seasons), written in the Sanskrit language, comprises classical poems  about seasons in India. It has six cantos for the six seasons:griṣma (summer), varsa/pavas (monsoon/rains), sarat (autumn), hemanta  (cool), sisira (winter), and vasanta (spring) ¹

 

Poetry with lyrical versification manifests the sublime touch of love, ecstasy, and natural beauty, with a touch of Indianness and exquisite linguistic subtlety. Sarojini Naidu (1879-1949), the Nightingale of India, in her poem

‘The Village Song’, a folk lyric, depicts narration between a mother and her daughter about the wedding of an Indian rural girl. The song portrays the daughter’s  yearning for freedom and aesthetic bliss of the world of nature.

 It is lyrical poetry on youth and love blending with the rural landscape and divine feeling:

 

“Mother mine, to wind forest i am going’

Where upon the champa boughs the champa buds are blowing;

To the koil-haunted river-isles where lotus lilies glisten,

The voices of the fairy folk are calling me: O listen” ²

 

In India, the history of haiku-like poems in English goes back to the beginning of the twentieth century. The Indian Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) visited Japan in 1916, and cited references to haiku poems in his travelogue “Japan-Jatri”. He was impressed by the beauty of haiku poetry by Basho and translated Basho’s two haiku into Bengali. Citing the brevity of the famous haiku ‘old pond’, Tagore comments, “That is all. And that is sufficient.” His collection “Fireflies” (1928) comprises epigrammatic poems. What a splendor with seasonal reference in the following aphoristic expression!

 

The jasmine's lisping of love to the sun is her flowers.

 

From 1950 to 2000, there was some degree of familiarity with haiku, the small form of poetry, and during the mid-1900s onward academicians like Prof. Saty Bhushan Verma,  Prof. R K Singh, Angelee Deodhar (a physician),  and others tried to make this genre in English, Hindi and other regional languages. Post-2000, plenty of information became easily available through the internet, and global connection thus facilitating the easy exchange of knowledge about Japanese short forms of poetry.  Rural themes, landscapes, festivals, and imagery rich in the Indian context began flourishing with contemporary haiku literature during the “Development Phase” (around 2000 onward) ³. Seasonal variations greatly influence human moods and psychology. The poets use rhythm, tonality and images with sensibility to showcase sublime Indianness in haiku writings.  The beauty of nature, livelihood, cultural aspects, socio-economics, etc  broadly occupy the central theme of the haiku genre.

 

A married Hindu woman in India wears a bindi (a small red coloured mark) on her forehead as a mark of sacredness. The cultural symbol of Indianness is serenely resonated by a student with a splendid juxtaposition ⁴

 

a bindi
on my mom’s forehead …
morning sun

Aashna Goyal (age 16) Mann Library’s Daily Haiku, Aug 28, 2018

 

 

Cycle of Seasons and Indianness

 

Seiko Ota writes “The main objective of this seasonal word is not to call nature into being but rather to amplify the world of the poem.” ⁵ The traditional Japanese haiku is known as "yuki-teikei" (kigo or yuki refers to season words,  teikei refers to 5-7-5 sound units). Japan experiences four main seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, with Tsuyu (the Rainy Season) associated with the summer. References to flora and fauna, animals, birds, seasonal specific cultural proclivity, livelihood etc have been used by Indian haijin to enrich haiku literature. The celebrations, marriages and festivals are closely related to seasonal time-frames and are often associated with places of historical importance. The linguistic and aesthetic values have been richly embedded with the regional and cultural-specific haiku literature.

 

Prof. Satya Bhushan Verma aptly writes, “Haiku is known as the ‘poetry of nature’, but it is more a poetry of life through communion with nature.” ⁶ Poets have relied on specific kigo and seasonal topics (kidai) to enumerate their feelings. The  traditional Indian calendar consists of six ecological seasons with regional variations depending on socio-religious purposes. The six seasons  (two months each) in India are named Grishma Ritu (Summer: May and June), Varsha Ritu (monsoon: July and August),  Sharada Ritu (Autumn: September and October),  Hemanta Ritu  ( Frost or Pre-winter: November and December), Shishira Ritu (Winter: January and February) and Vasanta Ritu (Spring: March and April). Spring is considered the king of seasons and hence called Rituraj. 

  

Poets craft vivid observations of nature, childhood memories, human spirit, and cultural aspects through the prism of seasonal manifestations across the wide geographical spread. Primarily India is an agricultural country thus the festivals and cultural celebrations are largely associated with farming. The socio-cultural landscape has a close seasonal association. Here the serenity of Indianness has been exemplified in some of the selected haiku related to different seasons or rituas, each roughly lasting for two months (masas).

 

Summer (Gishma Ritu) Baisakh-Jyeshta

 

Māsa/ Month: Jyeshta and Aashaadha

 

Mango grows in the summer season (Grishma Ritu) and is considered the “king of fruits” in India. The ripened mango is aroma-filled and people enjoy eating it during the summer season. K Ramesh artfully writes the scent left in the empty bag:

 

back from my hometown . . .
scent of ripe mangoes
in the empty bag

K Ramesh (From the book, “Soap Bubble” 2007)

 

Water shortage in rural areas during summer is often seen and the village wells go dry. This has been depicted in the haiku by Sanjuktaa Asopa and the scarcity is metaphorically manifested as if the bucket is filled with summer:

 

dry well
I haul up a bucket
filled with summer

Sanjuktaa Asopa, Tinywords, September 2013

summer heat …

the smell of pickled garlic

from the kitchen

 

Shloka Shanker, Under the Basho 2014

 

In India, homemade pickle preparations are common. Traditionally in villages, grandma loves to make seasonal pickles of mango, garlic, lemon, chilli etc. Different types of spices and oil are mixed with the available fruits, vegetables, etc and are dried under the sun. Garlic pickle (Lahsun ka achaar) is considered good for the heart. The haiku rewinds the tradition of homemade items and its special aroma attracts kids to assemble around grandma for the taste.

 

Neena Singh annotates haiku with inventive tonality highlighting the importance of seasonal references. The poem below presents her keen observation of a village woman who returns home at the end of the day collecting the unsold corn. Here a rural woman’s  simple livelihood and human feelings have been depicted.

 

summer dusk...

the old woman gathers

her unsold corn

 

Neena Singh, Modern Haiku, Issue 52.3, October 2021

 

Cotton is harvested towards the end of summer. Milan Rajkumar artfully  encapsulates the ‘scent of the sun’ on the cotton flowers:

                  

quiet evening …

still on the cotton flowers

scent of the sun

 

Milan Rajkumar, World Haiku Review, February 2022

 

Monsoon (Varsha Ritu )  Aashaadha-Shravana

 

Māsa / Month: Shravana and Bhadrapada

 

In India, the Hindusthani classical ragas are closely associated with different seasons and are performed with reverence. These are raga Dipak (Grishma Ritu), raga Megha (Varsha Ritu), raga Bhairav (Sharada Ritu), raga Shree (Hemanta Ritu ), raga Malkos (Shishira Ritu) and raga Hindol (Vasanta Ritu). Different musical notes have unique effects and contextual significance. Rupa Anand symbolically juxtaposes the ‘swell and surge’ of the river with the Hindusthani classic raga “megh malhar’ which is associated with monsoon season. Megh is a Sanskrit word meaning cloud. Popularly the raga is sung to welcome rain to earth. In Indian Hindustani classic music, there are seven notes or Swaras viz. Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni. Each note and melodic structure (raga) have unique effect and contextual significance. The specific raga is associated with a particular season. For example, Raga Malhar , particularly Megh (cloud) Malhar is performed during the Monsoon season. Its resonant notes and rhythmic evoke sound of emotional tapestry related to rains. Pentatonic scale is played in Raga Megh and the popular scale  is Sa Re ma Pa ni.

 

in tune

the waters swell and surge

raga megh malhar

 

Rupa Anand, The Haiku Foundation Per Diem 19^th August 2023

 

Onam swing –
the rhythm of grandma’s songs
life after life

 

Vidya Venkatramani (From Hibiscus Haibun, Festive Haiku, Café Haiku Blog, December 2020

 

Onam is a 10-day-day long harvest festival celebrated in Kerala state of southern India with much fervor. Floral rangloi (arrangement of flowers) are designed in front of the entrance of homes and temples. The festival also marks the end of the monsoon season. In the above haiku, Vidya reminisces about the traditional folk songs (Onappaattu) sung during the festival with devotion.

 

 

In India, Raksha  Bandhan (the bond or knot of protection) is celebrated with a pump and ceremony. Sisters of all ages tie the sacred threads on the wrists of the

brothers as a mark of protection for the sisters by the brothers. Sandip presents the ‘sacred thread’ as a symbol of the harmonious brother-sister relationship:

 

lives entwine
brother and sister --
sacred thread

 

Sandip Sital Chauhan, India Saijiki, World Kigo Database

Poetess Shloka in a mystical sense compliments the sound of rain with the awakening of meditation in her following monoku:

 

tapping into my kundalini this rain

 

Shloka Shankar, Under the Basho 2015

 

In yogic practice, “Kundalini” in the ancient Indian Vedic texts is regarded as the awakening of feminine energy at the base of the spinal cord and is considered the life force coiled up through the body. Shloka poignantly sparks the sensation of rinse of rain with the awakening of the embodied consciousness and craftily blends the ancient Indian philosophy in her above monoku.

 

Autumn (Sharada Ritu) Bhadrapada-Ashwin

Māsa / Month: Ashwin and Kartik

 

Sharad Purnima (full moon in the Autumn) is celebrated as an auspicious day on the full moon night marking the end of monsoon season and arrival of autumn. Moon is the symbol of purity and calmness. People offer kheer (a traditional sweet dish made with rice, milk and sugar) on the occasion. Offering Kheer to the Moon God is revered to bring  blessings of peace and prosperity.

 

sharad purnima –

my pet overturning a bowl

of a rice pudding

 

Priti Aisola, Under the Basho, 2023

 

Autumn equinox marks the beginning of autumn when the sun reaches the equator from the northern to the southern hemisphere. It is celebrated as the Sharada Navaratri in India. It is celebrated over a nine nights worshipping Goddess Durga. The flower rajanigandha blossoms at night with its elegance and exotic fragrance. Sandip Chouhan relishes ‘the scent of rajanigandha’: The Fragrance of the Night:

 

autumn equinox ...
the scent of rajanigandha lingers
outside my window

Sandip Sital Chauhan, India Saijiki, World Kigo Database

 

Pitri Paksha

my offering caws

across the sky

Daipayan Nair (From the book, “tilt of the winnowing fan” 2022)

 

In North India, Pitri Paksha (Pitri means “ancestors” and Paksha means “fortnight”) falls during the month of “Ashwin” (September-October). This day (Mahalaya Amavasya) is considered the most auspicious day and people observe the 15-day Sharaddha ritual in memory of the revered departed souls of the family members.  The poet writes about the tradition of observing Pitri Paksha with devotion and offering cooked food to the crows.

 

post Diwali day
a sweeper carries
the fallen sky

 

Srinivas Rao Sambangi, Muse India, Issue 108, March-April 2023

 

Diwali (The Festival of Lights) is one of the grand festivals celebrated across India. In early Autumn, Diwali (Deepavali ) is commemorated  as the day of the return of Lord Ram with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman to his kingdom after 14 years of exile. As a mark of devotion and reverence, houses are decked with lights and people celebrate it with firecrackers. Srinivas Rao observes and expresses the post- Diwali scene in a poetic style.

 

floating lamps—

ancestors’ voyage from

Kalinga  to Java, Sumatra

 

Pravat Kumar Padhy, Editor’s Choice, Haiku Thread, Sketchbook, Vol.6, No. 6 Nov-Dec 2011

 

The marine merchants (“Sadhabas”) from the erstwhile Kalinga (present-day Odisha state on the eastern coast of India) used to trade in the far Southeast  Asian countries  which are the present day Bali, Java ,Sumatra and Borneo of Indonesia, as well as Sri Lanka, Thailand and other places. The trade practices date back to the 3^rd century BC and women used to celebrate the occasion with festivity wishing the safe return of their brother sailors. To commemorate the legacy of ancestors’ voyages, people celebrate the day (Kartika Purnima, full moon day of the Kartika month) by sailing boats made of dried banana tree barks, coloured papers with lighted lamps in rivers and ponds. In Odisha, it is observed as the “Bali Jatra” (Voyage to Bali) or Boita Bandana (boat worshipped with lighted lamps).  

 

Ramesh Anand’s haiku portrays paddy reaping in the late autumn depicting the agrarian life sketch in the rural areas. The use of the poetic twist “a bent woman reaping gossip” is a vivid display of common conversion by the women in the

paddy fields in Indian villages. Allegorical manifestation adds a brilliant visual delight:

 

rice fields …

a bent woman reaping

gossip

 

Ramesh Anand (From the book “Newborn Smiles” 2012)

 

 

Pre-Winter (Hemanta  Ritu) Kartika-Margashira

Māsa/ Month: Margashira and Pausha

 

In India, the Pre-Winter is designated as Hemanta  Ritu. The weather is pleasant and people enjoy the outing. The Hemanta Ritu ends with Winter Solstice. In the haiku below, the preparation of tea is beautifully depicted at an open-air stall on the streets of India. The tea-seller (chai-wallah) holds two glasses and pours hot tea up and down the air and churns humorously in the air. The haiku depicts the sense of happiness in the simple livelihood of the tea maker:

 

first frost . . .
chai-wallah froths up the tea
as it churns in the air

Kala Ramesh, World Kigo Database

 

In Nagaland, a northeast state of India, the Hornbill Festival is celebrated with dance and music by the local tribal. The bird, the hornbill, is revered by the warrior tribes and is widely cited in their folklore. The unique reference to the bird is aptly represented by Angelee Deodhar in her haiku:

 

loud cackling
from the hollow tree-
a Hornbill calls

 

Angelee Deodhar, India Saijiki, World Kigo Database

 

Winter (Shishira Ritu) Pausha-Magh

Māsa/ Month:  Magha and Phalguna

 

Rohini Gupta captures the visual delight symphony of Dal Lake in winter with a profound skill.

 

dawn over Dal lake

emerging from the mist

the flower boat

    

Rohini Gupta, Heron's Nest, Vol. X, Number 1: March 2008

 

Dal Lake is one of the picturesque spots in Srinagar, the capital city of Jammu and Kashmir. Dal is referred to in ancient Sanskrit texts as Mahasarit. Thousands of tourists visit to enjoy the picturesque beauty of nature. Houseboats decorated with wonderful designs are in plenty in Dal Lake and are called ‘floating palaces’.Small boats known as ‘shikaras’ are used for ferrying tourists and for vending purposes.

 

 

During winter, the lake is frozen and limited shikara are seen. Rohini portrays the exquisite scene of spotting a beautiful florist’s shikara boat in the early winter dawn. The serenity of dawn, silence over the misty lake and gentle floating of flower-filled boat sublimely unearth a Zen-feeling.

 

Republic day

the fruit seller’s flag is stuck

into a banana

 

Johannes  Manjrekar ( Source: https://india.tempslibres.org/aphp/idxhku.php?id=e)

 

Republic Day of India is officially celebrated on January 26^th commemorating the adoption of the constitution of India. The President of India unfurls the national flag at the historic Red Fort in New Delhi. The parade features contingents of the armed forces and  various tableaux from states and union territories showcasing India’s  rich cultural traditions and diversities. The Republic Day is celebrated in all government offices and schools. Cultural events are organized in all government offices and schools with jubilant.

In the haiku, Johannes highlights the significance of the occasion through a vivid image: a fruit seller joyfully celebrates the day by sticking a flag into a banana.

 

Geethanjali  Rajan skillfully introduces the sensory element of the muse of anklets with the ‘cowbell’s tinkle’:

 

Pongal

her anklets follow

a cowbell’s tinkle

 

Geethanjali Rajan, Chrysanthemum, II #3, April 2008

 

The harvest festival is celebrated in different regional names in India. In the southern state, Tamil Nadu, it is observed as “Pongal ” (means boiling over)  making traditional dish by boiling rice with milk and jaggery. People perform Surya Puja (worship of the Sun God) coinciding with the start of the sun’s northward journey. The Pongal date corresponds to the winter solstice in the Hindu solar calendar. The cattle are bathed and decorated with colourful clothes on Mattu Pongal, the third date of the four-day Pongal celebration. Tinkling bells and flower garlands are tied around their necks. Women ceremoniously boil the newly harvested rice with milk and cane sugar outside under the sunlight and offer it to gods, goddesses and decorated cows.

 

Traditionally in northern India, people especially the Punjabi celebrate Lohri with a bonfire, dance and song.  The festival marks the harvest of rabi crops.  Sandeep Chouhan narrates the moment of joy on a moonlit night and discovers the melodious muse of folksong during harvesting. The rural scenic beauty with a somber touch of Indian tradition is aptly sketched:

 

moonglow -
the echoes of Lohri songs
in the paddies

 

Sandip Chauhan, Haiku Cultural Magazine, 2013, World Kigo Database

 

 

 

Spring (Vasanta Ritu) Phalguna-Chaitra

Māsa/ Month: Chaitra and Baisakh

 

Spring (Vasanta Ritu) is known as the ‘Queen of seasons’ due to the lush greenery, flowers of myriad colours, and melodious chirping of birds all around, manifesting the splendor of nature. The warmer sunlight rejuvenates new life in nature. People enjoy the serenity and sacredness associated with it. The Hindusthani, Raga Basanta originated from the 8^th century and is gently melodious. 

Generally most ragas are composed of seven notes. But Raga Basant is unique in using all 12 notes (swaras) within an octave derived from set of seven prime notes.The specific use of the notes for Raga Basant, associated with spring season, makes it melodic and vibrant. These 12 notes are Sa , re , Re , ga, Ga, ma, Ma, Pa, dha, Dha, ni, Ni. 

 

Spring is the season of hope and happiness. The dragonfly symbolizes hope and positive aspects of life. Metaphorically poet, Anitha Varma, unfolds the muse as gentle sun rays fall on the dragonfly wings for warm-up.

 

basant raga …

the bits of sun

on dragonfly wings

 

Anitha Varma, (From the book “The Salt of a Distant Sea” 2021)

 

Holi …

no one a stranger

at my doorstep

 

Pravat Kumar Padhy, Fresh Out, March 26, 2025

 

Holi, the festival of colours, is celebrated on the full moon day of the lunar month.  with pomp and ceremony. It marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring symbolizing the triumph of good over evil. The day signifies the eternal love of the deities Radha and Krishna. People play with coloured water and powder. The festive day is an occasion of love and forgetting and forgiving the differences with others.

  

Rangoli is a decorated artwork or design made in front of the house. On festive  occasions in different states, varieties of rangoli art forms are designed with flower petals, dry rice flour and coloured powders . Vishu is celebrated as Malayali spring festival or New Year’s Day in Kerala state, southern India. Vishu in Sanskrit means ‘equal’ when day and night are roughly equal in length (vernal equinox) . Women make rangoli in different geometric forms and fill them with flowers and fruits etc. The intricate geometric patterns of folk art (kolom rangoli during Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu) filled with coloured powders, rice flour, flowers etc symbolise prosperity and positive energy.  

 

blooming laburnum

the way life flows

in crests and troughs

 

Anitha Varma  (From the book “The Salt of a Distant Sea”, 2021)

 

The Indian laburnum (Golden Shower tree) is the state flower of Kerala in the southern Indian state. It blooms in late spring. Possibly the poet juxtaposes the abstract flow of life, and its ups and downs (borrowing from Geethanjali Rajan’s interpretation) with the rich flowers drip down from the tree. The bright yellow flower is considered  a symbol of purity and prosperity. The haiku metaphorically reveals a parallelism between the dripping down of the blooming laburnum and the flow of life.

 

new moon day

the Gudhi’s green brighter

than the mango leaves

Angelee Deodhar, Spring 2013 World Kigo Database

 

Gudhi Padwa is celebrated  in Maharashtra state and in parts of Goa state of western India. Gudi Padwa (Gudi means flag and Padwa means the first day of the lunar fortnight) marks the arrival of spring. It is also observed in many parts of India by different names. Gudi is fixed on a long bamboo. People decorate them on the doors, windows and terraces adorned with colourful clothes and garlanded with mango leaves, flowers etc. It is believed that this day symbolises the first day of

the creation of the universe and time by Lord Brahma. Here, poet, Angelee highlights the decorated cloth, ‘brighter than the mango leaves’. The occasion is fondly celebrated in Maharashtra state in central India, and parts of western India.

 

sudden rain . . .
I pick magnolia blossoms
from Buddha’s lap

Neena Singh, Haiku of Merit, 13th Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum Contest, October 2021

The magnolia flower (Hema Champa in Hindi ) blooms in early spring.  Its shades of pink, white, and yellow symbolize purity and perseverance. In Theravada Buddhism, Champaca is revered as the tree of enlightenment.

 

Conclusions

 

Lee Gurga writes: “Season is the soul of haiku… The kigo (“season word”) invites both poets and readers to weave these perceptions of the seasons into their lives and to weave themselves into the rich brocade of poetry.” ⁶ Seasonal variations greatly influence human moods and psychology. It is unique to find that spiritual wisdom and cultural traditions are intrinsically connected with nature enumerated in ancient Indian culture and texts. The aesthetic sense of Indianness is embedded in day-to-day life. The Indian festivals are closely associated with the astronomical position of the celestial bodies. Based on the seasonal variations across the wide landscape, poets experiment and enrich haiku literature with linguistic inventiveness, visual imagery, textual virtuosity, usages of new idioms and poetic semblance. Thus the Indianness of haiku explores the poetry of science and spiritual sensibility. The splendour landscape of nature, familial aspects, livelihood, socio-cultural and socio-historical nuances have been showcased in haiku with cadence and skillful language. Seasonal reference has a cultural inheritance and it has been well crafted by the Indian haiku poets. Rob Scott writes, “One of the strengths of Japanese haiku has been its ability to reflect its own culture through the use of kigo…” ⁸

The cultural artistry elicits a way of living by blending traditionalism with modernity. The strings of Indian identity add a metaxic of inspiring journey of literature resonating with artistic sobriety and cultural entity.

 

The ceremonial observations, lifestyle, attire, food etc relate to different seasons and constitute “socic- seasonal  releane .” The poetic artistry associated with seasonal changes highlights the aesthetic spirit of Indian haiku. Over the years, Indian poets have composed haiku that reflect the socio-cultural tapestry, adding a unique flavor of Indianness.

 

 

References

 

1.Kalidas, Ṛtusaṃhāra

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%B9%9Atusa%E1%B9%83h%C4%81ra

2. Dubey, Bijay Kant, 2021, The Village Song by Sarojini Naidu, Literary Shelf, Bologi.com 15 May 2021.

https://www.boloji.com/articles/52526/the-village-song-by-sarojini-naidu

 

 

3. Padhy, Pravat Kumar, “History and Development of Haiku Poetry in India”, Indian Literature,Vol. LXVII, No.2, March-April, 334, pp. 106-126, 2023.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/27291751

 

4. Padhy, Pravat Kumar, “Shining a Light on Haiku by Indian Women Poets”, Juxtapositions 11, 2025.

5. Ota, Seiko, “Seis claves para leer y escribir haiku (Six keys to reading and writing haiku,”) translated from Castilian to English by  Gomez Moreno, Peace p. 172, ISBN: 978-84-9002-151-4, Spain ,2020.

 

6. Verma, Satya Bhusan, “Satori in 17 Syllabels,” (Life Positive Blog), 1997.

https://www.lifepositive.com/satori-in-17-syllabels/

 

7. Gurga Lee, “Haiku: A Poet’s Guide,” Modern Haiku Press, P.170 (2003).

 

8. Scott, Rob. “The History of Australian Haiku and the Emergence of a Local Accent.” Victoria University, MA Thesis. 168 P. 2014.

https://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond/2025-issue48-3/Padhy-Indianness-Frogpond-48-3.pdf

 

Pravat Kumar Padhy holds an MS and PhD from Indian Institute of Technology, ISM Dhanbad. He is a mainstream poet and a writer of Japanese short forms of poetry. His literary work cited in Interviews with Indian Writing in English, Spectrum History of Indian Literature in English, Alienation in Contemporary Indian English Poetry, Cultural and Philosophical Reflections in Indian Poetry in English, and History of Contemporary Indian English Poetry. His poem “How Beautiful” is included in the undergraduate syllabus at the university level. His haiku are published in many international journals and anthologies including in Red Moon Anthology. Pravat’s haiku won The Kloštar Ivanić International Haiku Award, the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Invitational Award, the IAFOR Vladimir Devidé Haiku Award, the Setouchi Matsuyama Photo Haiku Award, and others. He introduced new forms of poetry:  Hainka: the fusion of haiku and tanka, Micro-Haiga and Braided Haiku. He served as the panel judge of the Haiku Foundation Touchstone Awards and presently is on the editorial board of Under the Basho.

 

https://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond/2025-issue48-3/Padhy-Indianness-Frogpond-48-3.pdf