Colour of Sun

Yellow is the colour of the sun, of gold, and of fields of grain in the autumn just prior to harvest. Hence it is associated with richness, abundance, and fecundity. The sun is probably the most important thing in India and features in the mythologies of all the various sub-cultures. It is also a potent symbol.
The sun is the key to everything. Just enough and the plants grow and ripen, but too much and plants, animals and people start to die. The sun has many names in India - Surya, Vairocana, Prabhakara, Aditya, Mitra, Savitri, etc. Gold is a precious substance where ever it is found. Gold does not tarnish. It is both ductile and malleable and can be made into any shape, or beaten so thin that light passes through it, picking up a greenish tinge on the way.

Lavani

Lavani is a combination of traditional song and dance, which particulary performed to the enchanting beats of 'Dholak', an drum like instrument. This dance is performed by attractive women wearing nine-yard saris. The women gyrate on the pulsating beats of traditional music.

The word Lavani originates from "Lavanya", meaning beauty. Earlier, this art form dealt with different and varied subject matters such as society, religion, politics, romance, etc.
Lavani was used as a form of entertainment and morale booster to the tired soldiers during the 18th and 19th century Maratha battle.

KAMSALE

Kamsale is a unique folk art performed by the devotees of God Mahadeshwara - Lord Shiva. Kamsale is a brass made musical instrument. Its origin is traced to the mythological period. Kamsale is closely connected with a tradition of Shiva worship. The artists who have vowed to live a life of devotion to lord Mahadeswara are supposed to performs Kamsale. The Dance is a part of diksha or oath and is taught by the teacher and spiritual leader.

The Kamsale dance is named after the instrument held in the hands of the dancer. The artists, with the Kamsale in the left hand, expose it to be hit by the Kamsale held in the right hand.The instruments, in the course of the vigorous rhythmic beatings are moved around the body of the dancer in innumerable patterns manifesting both skill and art.

Dollu Kunitha

Dollu Kunitha (dance), is a major form of art, occupies the pride of place among folk dances. Dollu Kunitha is a popular drum dance of Karnataka accompanied by singing.

In all temples of Beereshwara, it is a religious practice that the major instrument Dollu be hung in the premises of the temple by means of a thick thread tied up to the hooks fixed in the ceiling. Every time pooja is offered to Beereshwara, the custom demands that there should be an instantaneous beating of the Dollu as an accompanying act of worship. Dollu dance has gone on uninterruptedly generation after generation with renewed vigour and raciness of performance. Hardly any religious performance of a ritualistic ceremony or any village festival can ever take place without this dance, especially in North Karnataka.

Goravara kunita

The ritualistic dances of Karnataka are known as Kunitha. Gorava dance (goravara kunita) a dance of the Shiva cult is popular in North Karnataka regions. The Goravas worship Mylara linga (Shiva), wear the costume of black woolen rug, on shoulder hanging bag made out of skin, some of them wear black coat and white dhoti. In traditional context the Gorava devotees who dance in trance, some time bark like dogs, It is believed that the totem of the Mylaralinga is dog. The dancers foot moves in clock wise and zig zag form. Gorava's wears the yellow powder on his forehead and gives to his believed devotees. Artiste holds instrument like damaru (percussion) sometime holds kolalu (flute) and few artiste wear on shoulder a small bronze bell few followers hold cowbells called paarigante.

Yakshagana

Yakshagana is a dance drama popular in the state of Karnataka. It is believed to have evolved from pre classical music form and theatrical arts. Yakshagana is a traditional theater form combining dance, music, spoken word, costume-makeup, and stage technique with a distinct style and form. The origin of any art form is in a way difficult to fix and the time and process of formation conceived is often arbitrary.

Lotus

The lotus flower is one of the most ancient and deepest symbols of our planet. The lotus flower grows in muddy water and rises above the surface to bloom with remarkable beauty. At night the flower closes and sinks underwater, at dawn it rises and opens again. Untouched by the impurity, lotus symbolizes the purity of heart and mind. The lotus flower represents long life, health, honor and good luck.

Eastern lotus flower

The Lotus flower is viewed as a representation of spirituality according to the eastern culture. The lotus flower is often viewed as a symbol of aspirations to rise towards the light as the roots of the lotus flower has its roots in the mud but it grows in the upward direction. 

Egyptian lotus flower


According to the Egyptian culture the lotus flower symbol was known by the name of 'Sesan'. As per the mythology of Egypt the lotus flower symbolized the sun as well as formation and revival. 

Christian lotus flower

The lotus flower is a representation of piousness and fertility. The lily flower in the Christian culture basically replaces the lotus flower. The lily flower according to the Christian culture is associated with Mary who is known as the queen of heaven.

The lotus flower has been given a sacred place in Indian culture. It plays a huge role in the art and mythology there and has done so for centuries. In Indian society, the lotus represents divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge, and enlightenment. Perhaps the reverence of the flower stems from the fact that is an unquestionable beauty despite the fact that it grows out of murky waters and mud. Because of its ability to grow in the water, the lotus is often referred to as the water lily.It is mentioned in all the Hindu scriptures because it is very sacred to the Gods.

The indian poets have used the lotus as a simile in praise of the feet of the Gods and Goddesses. All the Vedas sing in praise of the lotus. In the Yogasastra, the six Chakras are depicted with the lotus as the base. According to the Mahayana sect of Buddhism, all the souls originate from the lotus.

Bihu

Bihu denotes a set of three different largely secular festivals of Assam. The Bihu dance is a folk dance from the Indian state of Assam related to the festival of Bihu. This joyous dance is performed by both young men and women, and is characterized by brisk dance steps,and rapid hand movement. Dancers wear traditionally colorful Assamese clothing.

Panchari Melam

Panchari Melam is a percussion ensemble, canonically lasting more than four hours, performed during temple festivals in Kerala, India. Panchari Melam (or, simply, panchari), is one of the major forms of chenda melam (ethnic drum ensemble), and is the best-known and most popular kshetram vadyam (temple percussion) genre. Panchari melam, comprising instruments like chenda, ilathalam, kombu and kuzhal, is performed during virtually every temple festival in central Kerala, where it is arguably presented in the most classical manner.

Ghatam

Ghatam is one of the oldest carnatic instrument used in the percussion side. However this is made up of clay and iron ore which makes it a good solid body to play.
Round the globe, with a ghatam, the globetrotting ghatam genius "Vikku" Vinayakaram is a pioneer. He is the first Carnatic percussionist to try his hand at Western and fusion music. He is part of a new generation devoted to extending and expanding ancient Indian traditions. On the Carnatic music platform he is renowned for his crisp play and deep knowledge of rhythm.
He first became known in the West in the mid 1970s as a member of the group Shakti, which consisted of the jazz guitarist John McLaughlin, violinist L. Shankar, tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain, and Vikku Vinayakaram. The extraordinary speed and precision of his duets with Zakir Hussain captivated international audiences. Vinayakram is the first South Indian artist to ever receive a Grammy Award in 1991 for Best World Music Album for his participation in Mickey Hart's "Planet Drum" in which he played ghatam and morsingh.

A live performance cum instructional DVD on South Indian percussion, played and taught by India's greatest percussion maestro Vikku Vinayakram and his sons:

Mridangam

The mridangam is a percussion instrument used in carnatic music, the form of music from South India. Mridangams are referred to in many scriptures of India. It is said that this was one of the instruments that formed a part of the entertainment for Gods.
Mridangams are usually played by men. There are very few female mridangam players even in the modern times.

Many people usually get confused regarding the mridangam and the tabla. The major differences are the genre of music and the structure of the two. Tabla is played as an accompaniment for Hindustani music and Mridangam is played with Carnatic music. Both the instruments have the variation of membranes.

Pulikali

Puli Kali ("Puli" = Tiger & "Kali" = Play in Malayalam language) also known as Kaduvakali is a common sight during Onam season, an annual harvest festival, celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala. On the fourth day of Onam celebrations (Nalaam Onam), performers painted like tigers and hunters in bright yellow, red, and black dance to the beats of instruments like Udukku and Thakil. There is a procession by members of different clubs from all over the city who are wearing tiger make-up.

Murals of Kerala

Kerala, popularly called the God’s own country, has a rich tradition of ancient murals.Just as the paintings of Ajanta are considered unique for their colour and form, the murals of Kerala stand out for their emphasis on beauty, clarity and symmetry. These predominantly depict religious and mystic themes.
The colour symbolism generally follows the permutations of the psychological qualities of embodied in the quasi-scientific philosophical systems of the gunas the triple division of all reality with satva or balanced, pure, divine; rajas or active, dynamic, irascible; and tamas or inert, impure, base. The colour symbolism of the triad is traditionally green for satvic, red and a mixture of red and yellows for the rajasic and black (Shivite) and White (Vaishanavite) for the tamasic deities. Saffron-red is the most predominant colour of the Kerala murals.

Pashmina, The Treasure of Kashmir

If you wish to see “paradise on earth” then there is one place in India which would fit the bill perfectly “Kashmir”. It is known for its endless wonders such as streams, lakes, flowers and fruits etc. Such is the place that once a person sets foot on this land he would wish to stay on for eternity. Kashmir is also well known for its art and craft.Each spring, Himalayan mountain goats shed their winter coat. Fibers are collected by villagers and hand-woven into pashmina shawls. High altitudes create fleeces of very fine fiber, making pashmina the softest grade of cashmere and a naturally renewable resource. Because of the rarity and expense of pure pashmina, cashmere and silk are often woven together to create a similar weight and sheen.


Josephine Bonaparte wrapped in pashmina, a gift from the governor of Kashmir in the 1790's.

Blue City

Jodhpur — known as the Blue City for the color of its buildings — is the second largest city in Rajasthan, the largest state of the Republic of India, standing at the edge of the large Thar Desert, which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with Pakistan.

Most of the buildings in the old quarter are painted blue to signify the Bhraman (Priest) class, but non-Brahmins soon followed suit, as the color was said to deflect the heat and deter mosquitoes, and suddenly everything turned blue, creating a broad vision of indigo from the hilltops.






Photo Tom Maisey

Puppetry in Rajasthan

Traditionally, Rajasthan has shared a rich heritage of puppetry. Still in some parts of Rajasthan, the Ramayana and Mahabarata epics are communicated through puppetry. Today, puppeteer's travel from one village to another to communicate meaningful messages to educate people and create general awareness.


The dancing dolls present a life full of colour and fun but the lives of their masters lack the sheen. The traditional puppeteers are leading a hand-to-mouth existence due to the declining patronage of the once-popular art form, which can be used to entertain and educate both children and adults.

Kadayawan

The Kadayawan Festival is an annual festival in the city of Davao in the Philippines. Its name derives from the friendly greeting "Madayaw", from the Dabawenyo word "dayaw", meaning good, valuable, superior or beautiful. The festival is a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living.
Today, Kadayawan has transformed into a festival of festivals, with a number of spin-off festivals in the region.




Once every year, when the harvests are in and the smell of fresh cut grass and a thousand waling-waling blooms fill the night with their heady, sweet smell, the streets of Davao are transformed into wildly pulsating rivers of color by endless rows of parades and flower-decked floats. Like a torrent of rainbows winding wildly around the usually drab black asphalt of this southernmost of Philippine cities, Davao comes alive in an explosion of music, dancing and feasting!

Truly, bangles

Bangles, the decorative ornaments of women, have over the centuries acquired a socio-cultural-religious significance.The ornament was purely a decorative accessory in the pre-Vedic era and even in the post-Vedic times until the medieval period.
A woman is incomplete without bangles. They are not just ornaments but a part of womanhood and honour.From a suckling to the grey-haired they lend an inexplicable charm and dignity. They are as varied as the womanfolk itself in their appeal and beauty. The tender feminine grace acquires an additional sheen with them. They are as old as the Vedas. Whatever the impact of changing times and fashions, bangles continue to have their undiminished sway particularly in the celebration of any occasion from a simple birthday to a grand marriage.

Koodiyattam

Koodiyattam, Sanskrit drama performed in Kerala, India,has been recognised by UNESCO as a Human Heritage Art. Rightly so. It is the oldest existing classical theatre form in the entire world, having originated much before Kathakali and most other theatrical forms. It is considered to be at least 2000 years old.
Koodiyattam [kutiyattam], meaning 'combined acting' signifies Sanskrit drama presented in the traditional style in temple theatres of Kerala and is the only surviving specimen of the ancient Sanskrit theatre. It has an attested history of a thousand years in Kerala, but its origin and evolution are shrouded in mystery. It seems that Kutiyattam is an amalgam of the classical Sanskrit theatre of ancient India and the regional theatre of Kerala.

Samir Sarcar

Samir Sarcar - it's a modern beginning indian artist. More is not known about it - only its works. But it is enough to become interested...