Kala, a little room for play
14 small practices for attention and imagination, inspired by the sixty-four kalas. Nothing to install, no account needed.
- Avadhana. Remember letters, count bells, and keep many things in mind at once.
- Kolam. Make a kolam from one single line, draw your own with your finger, or trace a lotus. Then read what science really knows about it.
- Hidden in Words. How India kept secrets and numbers in words: the Kamasutra’s secret writing, raga names, famous verses, one moon and two eyes, Aryabhata’s giant numbers, and whole lists held in a few syllables.
- Scattered Verse. A line arrives in pieces, out of order. Keep it in mind through small sums, then put it back together. Bring your own verse, or send one to a friend.
- Magic Squares. Fill 3 × 3, 4 × 4 and 5 × 5 squares so that every line adds up to the same number. Find the magic square in an old perfume recipe.
- Sequence Trail. Numbers, letters and words. Remember where they belong.
- Word Loom. Get three words. Write one small story that uses all three.
- Rope Geometry. Twelve problems inspired by the Śulba Sūtras: find east with a shadow, stretch a rope, turn a rectangle into a square, and lay out a great altar.
- Another Life. What else can an everyday object be used for?
- Rhythm Echo. Listen to a short beat pattern, then play it back.
- Petal Garden. Arrange flowers, leaves and seeds on dots or a classic grid.
- Sacred Geometry. Draw shapes, follow a pattern, and colour its spaces.
- Secret Letters. Every number stands for a letter. Find the message, or send one to a friend.
- Heart of the Dice. Nuts fall on a cloth for a moment. Count them in fours, guess the fruits on a tree, and catch Śakuni when he cheats. Then walk into a temple courtyard and notice everything.