The Painting Exhibition Story

I thought of this story several years ago, and it remains one of my favorites. Often, while contemplating a topic or sometimes during one-on-one conversations, I used stories to illustrate a point or support an argument. Until now, most of these stories remained undocumented. Perhaps I was more interested in sharing my creations individually than with the wider world. However this approach hasn't been working. 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one.

The Painting Exhibition

The town of Bichitrapur, located somewhere in India, was abuzz with an unusual announcement. A special painting exhibition was set to take place at the town's Central Hall for a fortnight. For a small town, where movie theaters and a shopping mall were the usual draws, an art exhibition was truly a rare event.

The organisers started promoting the exhibition throughout Bichitrapur. There were mixed reactions, some townsfolk were genuinely interested, others remained indifferent to the arts, and a few were a little skeptical. Regardless, everyone knew something unique was happening.

As the exhibition opened, visitors trickled in. The first couple of days saw modest attendance, but by the third day, the Central Hall began to fill with more and more curious footsteps.

Among those who decided to visit was a group of five or six young women. On a pleasant afternoon, they made their way to the Central Hall.

Inside, the exhibition space was beautifully lit and decorated. Various paintings were displayed across two or three distinct galleries within the hall. Having already purchased their entry tickets, the women began to explore.

They wandered through galleries filled with numerous portraits: kings, queens, soldiers, and monarchs. As they moved from one painting to the next, they suddenly paused in front of a particular frame.

Image creation: Google Gemini

"Hey, look at this portrait!" one woman exclaimed, drawing her friends' attention. "What a lovely portrait of a princess!"

One of her friends stepped closer, peered at the frame, and then retorted, "How can you call this a good portrait? Look at the princess. Her face is so dull, there's no life in her expression."

Another woman chimed in, "Actually, her face looks very angry and depressed. Look at her eyes, it is painted really ugly."

The fourth woman in the group softly disagreed, "But I find this portrait quite beautiful. I don't see any dullness or anger. Her face looks delightful and full of life."

. . . It took them a moment to realise that the particular frame they were so intently examining was not a painting at all. It was, in fact, a mirror. They had been looking at, and commenting on, their own reflections.

The Andhra Meal Story

I thought of this Andhra Meal story a few years ago. So far, I didn't publish the story. I stayed in Bangalore for a few years, and have visited a few cities and towns in South India. I personally like Andhra Meal very much. 

Before we go to the story, possibly it would be helpful to briefly define what an Andhra Meal is. You may skip the introduction and jump to the main story directly.

Andhra Meal

Andhra Meal is a South Indian food platter, mostly vegetarian, that includes rice as a staple, a variety of curries, dal (pappu in Telugu), sambar, rasam, buttermilk, and spices (such as kandhi podi/gun powder). The name "Andhra Meal" comes from Andhra Pradesh; however, Andhra Meal is quite popular in all the states in South India. This is a complete meal (thali) that completely fills one's stomach and is generally consumed as lunch or dinner.

Andhra Meal includes rice and various curries
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The Andhra Meal Story

This was an early winter afternoon when a group of friends (or office colleagues) in Bengaluru (Bangalore) decided to have lunch at an Andhra restaurant. They each ordered an Andhra Meal, and as soon as the food arrived, everyone started to eat.

One if them started with rice and dal. Another paused briefly before pouring sambar over their rice. Someone asked for extra rasam, while another completely skipped that dish. One person took an extra portion of Kandhi podi, a spice mix, yet another friend declared they don't use it with their meal.

This brings up a question: were all of them truly having an "Andhra Meal"?

Yes! Despite their individual preferences, habits or methodology, every single one of them was indeed having an Andhra Meal. When food is served to a group, people will naturally customise it. Some might skip the rasam, others might ask for extra papad, but it remains, at its core, an Andhra Meal.

Thoughts

This "Andhra Meal" scenario happens frequently in groups, teams, and even societies. It's common to think that if others aren't doing something exactly as we would, then they must be incorrect. But that might not be true.

Consider any work, task, or project. Just because someone chooses a different process or pattern than the one we'd follow, we often quickly to dismiss and discredit their approach. Or they do the same for our approach.

Yet, as long as the overall structure or goal remains sound, individuals will naturally find their own methods. This could be called the "Andhra Meal Way."

Andhra Meal served in a restaurant in Domlur, Bangalore.
If we serve the Andhra Meal to a group of people, everyone will have it in their own way.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Caveat lector

This caveat lector is crucial. In "The Andhra Meal Story," we are assuming good faith that individuals are inherently honest and focused on the shared objectives and mission. If dishonesty or selfishness are at play, invoking this story would be inappropriate.

See also