The circle of life: On this Onam, a rumination on the recurrence of circle in nature, myths, and art

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An iconic scene from Stanley Kubrick directed movie  Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. In a circular war room, an insane American general orders a bombing attack on the Soviet Union, triggering the path to nuclear holocaust that a war room full of politicians and generals frantically try to stop. Dr. Strangelove explains what he thinks is the best thing to do to repopulate Earth in case of a nuclear war. With one of the best lines ever: “You can’t fight in here! It’s the war room!”

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A detail from an Egyptian sarcophagus depicting a scarab in the sundisc within a coiled serpent whose mouth meets its tail. Ouroboros or the tail-eating serpent is one of the oldest tales known to humans, variously signifying cyclic nature of renewal and the cycle of birth and death.

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An elderly Tibetan woman uses a prayer wheel at her family's nomadic summer grazing area on the Tibetan Plateau in Yushu County, Qinghai, China, on July 24, 2015. The wheel, spinning in her hand is a physical manifestation of the phrase "turning the wheel of Dharma",representing the continuous cycle of teaching and learning in Buddhist cosmology.

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An aerial view of a geometric crop circle, measuring approximately 100 metres, in a field of wheat in Hampshire, England, on July 29, 2023. These mysterious crop formations, that appear overnight have evolved into an international phenomenon, with hundreds seen around the world. Although many crop circles have been proven to be caused by intentional human action, and are considered a form of folk-art, there are many who choose to believe they are created by unexplained paranormal or extraterrestrial activity.

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People of all ages gather as a drum circle on Nokomis, Florida, beach at sunset. At its best, a drum circle offers equality because there is no ‘head or tail’, its main objective is to share the rhythm, raise a vibration and get in tune with themselves and with each other.

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A handmade Mola textile—reverse applique design worn on female blouse—by the indigenous Kuna people from Panama, depicting the tribal circle-dance at a Kuna celebration.

Image: Courtesy Museum of Art & Photography Bengaluru.

This art shows the Warli indigenous tribe of Maharashtra in a spiral formation inspired by the traditional Tarpa dance in which members of the community gather around a musician playing the Tarpa, a wind instrument made from a gourd. The word that the Warlis use to describe the act of painting ‘Lihane’, is also the word they use for writing.