Margazhyi kolams Day 29:

My kolam journey during this Tamil month of Margazhyi ends today. I am thankful to the Almighty that He gave me the enthusiasm, time, energy , interest to discover this new form of art that I seem to have started liking more.

I am glad that I have graduated from a 3×3 dot grid to a larger dot grid since last year .
I seem to enjoy drawing the Sikku kolam most as the curved lines that make an intricate pattern around the dots makes it challenging to figure out where the design begins from and where it ends. Thanks to Google and YouTube to have such a vast Kolam bank which makes it easy for people like me who start learning and practicing it after crossing mid forties.

Posting my kolam on a daily basis in a way also made me stick to a deadline to honour the commitment I made to myself.

Today is Bhogi , wherein people light a bonfire and old things are discarded.

A new Hindu tamil month of ” Thai” commences tomorrow on Pongal. We offer Thanksgiving to the Sun God, the cattle , the Mother Earth for a good harvest crop.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Pongal, Happy MakarShankranthi, Happy, Bihu and a Happy Lohri too

Day 29: I am drawn more towards hanging lamps and Sikku kolams. These are a few of my favorite things and I have tried to put them in an art form today

Margazhyi Kolams Day28:

Margazhyi month is synonymous with kolams, kacheris ( vocal carnatic musical concert) and devotion. It seems it is considered to be more of a spiritual month in South India.

In a musical concert among the many musical accompaniment instruments the Veena is a string instrument and the Mridangam is a percussion instrument.
Today is Sankatahara chaturthi ( Sankashthi) which happens to be an important day connected with Ganesha

Day 28: My kolam has the Vignahartha, the remover of obstacles on a Sankashti day along with the Veena and Mrindagam emanating melodious tones .

Margazhyi Kolams Day27:

Meerabai was a beloved and true devotee of Krishna who composed lots of bhajan for Lord Krishna and wanted to marry Krishna . finally she merges into the idol of Lord Krishna .
In South India , similar to Meerabai we have Aandal who composed songs for Lord Ranganatha( Vishnu) and was a true devotee of lord Ranganatha and wanted to marry him. Aandal’ s wish comes true and she gets fully decked up as a bride to marry the Lord and like Meerabai she too merges into Ranganatha’ s idol.
Margazhi day 27 is called ” koodarai” and is special for Aandal

A special hairdo is an important part of a south Indian bride’s attire similar to the bharatanatyam dance style. One of the ornaments worn on the hair is the ” Rakodi” .

Day 27: Today I have drawn a rangoli similar to the ornament “Rakodi “which Aandal would wear as one of the ornaments as a bride.

Margazhyi Kolams 2018-2019

Today after a year when I was looking at last year’ s Margazhyi kolams I felt nice that there is an improvement . The first thing that came to my mind is the saying that I have heard my Amma say. ” paada paada ragam, mooda mooda rogam, ezhadu ezhadu ezhatu, thakai Thakai  Thayhil, padika padika padippu.”

 In a nutshell it means practice,  practice,  practice is what is required to improve in any sphere.

Margazhyi Kolams Day26:

Day 26: On this Saturday a simple kolam depicting Hanuman , the monkey God,a true Bhakth of Lord Shri Ram wearing the ” Namam” which is one of the symbols of Lord Vishnu

Margazhyi Kolams Day25:

The festival of Arudra Darisanam also called Thiruvadirai . It is connected with the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva as Nataraja in Tamil month of margazhyi on the Full moon day.
Special pujas and rituals are done at the Chidambaram Nataraja Temple in Tamil Nadu
Shiva Carries a (trishul) trident, a damru , has serpents around his body, he is pleased when bilva leaves are offered to him. The bilva leaves are green in colour and three in a stalk resembling the trishul . Om namaha shivaya is a mantra associated with Lord Shiva.

Day 25: I have drawn a A radial kolam on the festival day
of ” Thiruvadirai” .
My kolam has a trishul, Om, damru , the three horizontal stripes of viboothi that a Shiva devotee wears ( Ravana was a staunch devotee of Shiva) and the third eye of Lord Shiva in the centre along with the bilva leaves at the top on either side of the kolam .
I have excluded the serpent as I am very scared of their sight.

Margazhyi Kolams Day24:

The kolam is drawn using two methods , the dry rice flour and the wet rice flour . The wet rice flour method is called the ” makolam” and is normally used for special occasions to hold on to the kolam for a longer time. I am not yet comfortable with this method.
In “makolam” a piece of cloth or paper is dipped into the wet rice flour liqid paste , placed between 3 fingers & pressed, the fingers act like a pen with the wet paste spreading evenly in a smooth continuous flow.

I also find the floral free hand patterns difficult. I feel both involve more dexterity, speed, concentration and coordination between hand and eye and practice too.

Day 24: I thought of attempting a bigger size free hand floral kolam since I have been avoiding it for long

Margazhyi Kolams Day23:

The 13th day of the fortnight and is connected with the worship of Lord Shiva and is called “Pradosham”

Day 23: A Sikku kolam depicting a Shivling on Pradosham day

Margazhyi Kolams Day22:

Ganesha is Mangala-Murti, the embodiment of auspiciousness.

Day 22: A cute chubby baby Ganesha with a cute Mooshik and yummy modakams on a Tuesday

Margazhyi Kolams Day21:

” Vaikunta Ekadashi” a very auspicious day in Hindu calendar . It is considered to be the day on which the doors of Vaikunta (heaven) will be kept open for the devotees. Special poojas are performed in all Vishnu temples . Many people fast on this day
Vishnu is identified with four symbols: (conch-shell) shankh, sudarshan chakra, (mace) gada and a lotus . Vishnu has a tilak on his forehead called the ” namam”
Vishnu devotees normally wear this namam symbol while Shiva devotees wear the three striped viboothi ( sacred ash).

Day 21: A Sikku kolam, with Lord Vishnu’ s Namam in the centre and the sudarshan chakra and shanka on either sides of the Namam.