The golden art of Cholamandala

Crafted with meticulous care the Tanjore pictures are unique. What sets them apart from Indian paintings in general are the embellishments made over the basic drawings with precious and semi-precious stones as well as the relief work which gives them a three dimensional effect.

Tanjore painting is an important form of classical South Indian painting native to the town of Tanjore in Tamil Nadu about 350 Km south of Chennai.

The art form dates back to the early 9th Century, a period dominated by the Chola rulers, who encouraged art and literature. The Chola empire was later was ruled by the Marathas in the 17th century. The Maratha rulers encouraged this art in Tanjore. In Mysore the art was patronized by Maharaja Mummadi Krishnarajendra Wodeyar. This form of art is unique.

The paintings are known for their elegance, rich colours, and attention to detail. No two paintings can be alike and no two artists can give the same effects on the work.

The themes for most of these paintings are Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology because this art of painting flourished at a time when fine-looking and striking temples were being constructed by rulers of several dynasties.

The Tanjore School of paintings dates back to the 16th century. However, there are only a few paintings that date back that far. The fact remains that most of the paintings that exist today are not even a hundred years old.

The paintings are notable for their adornment in the form of semi-precious stones, pearls, glass pieces and gold. The rich vibrant colors, dashes of gold, semi-precious stones and fine artistic work are characteristics of these paintings. They add beauty and culture to a variety of surroundings and décor. The figures in these paintings are large and the faces are round and divine. The pictures are of various sizes, ranging from huge works spanning whole walls to small miniatures no longer than 6-inch square.

In modern times, these paintings have become a much sought after souvenir during festive occasions in South India.

Gurubaran Tanjore art gallery has more than 30 dedicated artists who make tanjore paintings. These artists are well experienced and very quality conscious. We source all the raw materials directly and hence maintain excellent quality control, says Parthiban, owner of this famous shop in Mylapore, Chennai.

Subjects drawn here are different postures of Hindu gods and goddesses like Krishna, Ganesha, Lakshmi, Vishnu, Hanuman and others. We also make non religious subjects like raja, rani and animals like horse, elephant, peacock and others, he adds.

Materials used in this sector are good at eminence, borer and heat resistant plywood is used. We use 22ct gold foils and first quality colour stones, says Ramaswamy a co-worker.

Framed Stone Idols are made out of an alloy of lead and tin. Plated with gold and studded with swaroski stones, the subjects are Lord Ganesha and Lord Balaji. They are framed to adorn the walls or can be kept in acrylic boxes.

The art has undergone quite a bit of change, not in the style of the painting, but in the use of raw material for preparing the board and the use of painting material as well as the use of synthetic material in place of precious stones.

The use of pure gold foil of 22/ 24 carat continues and the life of such paintings is long if done and preserved in a correct manner.

Seven Steps to the Art of Tanjore Painting:

1. Prepare the board to make the painting

2. Sketch the figure and fixing the stones

3. Fill around the stone work with a thin mix of gum and chalk powder. Inlay and relief work around the stone setting with a thicker mix

4. Clean the work and fixing the gold foil over the stones and relief work

5. Cut the gold foil to expose the stone work

6. Paint the figures and the background

7. Check for flaws, correct and fix the glass and frame.

While each of the steps appears to be easy and simple, a lot of care is needed at every step to ensure that the final product is flawless and superb.

The power of prayer.....

Praying has many different forms. Prayer may be done privately and individually, or it may be done corporately in the presence of fellow believers. Prayer is a splendid knack which has to be incorporated into our daily life in which one is in constant communication with god. The Vedic faith system has taught us the art of living, now we are lugging the little out of the copious works done on Vedas. In this lesson we are going to learn the procedure to pray.

The Vedic lifestyle:
Over its lifetime, it has incorporated all sorts of prayer systems from fire-based rituals to philosophical musings. Prayer was part and parcel of the Vedic lifestyle, and as such permeated its books. Indeed, the highest sacred texts of the Hindus, the Vedas, are a large collection of mantras (sacred hymns of Hindus) and prayer rituals extolling a single supreme force, Brahman. Hindus in India have numerous devotional movements. The Brahmin prayer is considered to be the highest in values, discipline and rituals pertaining to the human aspiration and highest truth, this is the essence of the Vedic system. Stemming from the universal Soul Brahman prayer is focused on the personal forms of God such as Shiva, Vishnu or Vishnu's avatars, Rama and Krishna.

The power of mantras:
A mantra (or mantram) is a religious or mystical syllable or poem, typically from the Sanskrit language. Their use varies according to the school and philosophy associated with the mantra. They are primarily used as spiritual conduits, words or vibrations that instill one-pointed concentration in the devotee. Mantras originated in the Vedic religion of India, later becoming an essential part of the Hindu tradition. Mantras are interpreted to be effective as sound (vibration), to the effect that great emphasis is put on correct pronunciation (resulting in an early development of a science of phonetics in India). They are intended to divert the mind from illusion and material inclinations. Chanting is the process of repeating a mantra.
 
The most basic mantra is Aum, which in Hinduism is known as the "pranava mantra," the source of all mantras. The philosophy behind this is the Hindu idea of nama-rupa (name-form), which supposes that all things, ideas or entities in existence, within the phenomenological cosmos, have name and form of some sort. The most basic name and form is the primordial vibration of Aum, as it is the first manifested nama-rupa of Brahman. Aum is considered to be the most fundamental and powerful mantra, and thus is prefixed and suffixed to all Hindu prayers. While some mantras may invoke individual Gods or principles, the most fundamental mantras, like 'Aum,' the 'Shanti Mantra,' the 'Gayatri Mantra' and others all ultimately focus on the One reality.
 
The procedure to pray:
The ideal times for chanting mantra are three times a day - at dawn, mid-day, and at dusk. These times are known as the three sandhyas (morning, mid-day and evening). The maximum benefit of chanting the mantra is said to be obtained by chanting it 108 times. However, one may chant it for 3, 9, or 18 times when pressed for time. The syllables of the mantra are said to positively affect all the chakras or energy centers in the human body hence, proper pronunciation and enunciation are very important. Hindus pray with their hands (the palms) joined together. The hand gesture is similar to the popular Indian greeting namaste. The following prayer was part and parcel of all the Vedic ceremonies and continues to be invoked even today in Hindu temples all over India and other countries around the world, and exemplifies this essence:

Asato Ma Sat Gamaya
Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya
Mrityor Ma Amritam Gamaya
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti.
 
This means:
Lead Us from the Unreal to Real,
Lead Us from Darkness to Light,
Lead Us from Death to Immortality,
Aum (the universal sound of God)
Let There Be Peace Peace Peace.
 
The Gayatri mantra:
The Gayatri mantra is Hinduism's most representative prayer. Hindus recite it on a daily basis, not only contemplating its straightforward meaning, but also dwelling on and imbibing its sound, regarded to be pregnant with spiritual meaning. For this reason nearly all Hindu prayers and mantras are sung. Rishis selected the words of the Gayatri Mantra and arranged them so that they not only convey meaning but also create specific power of righteous wisdom through their utterance. The Gayatri was first recorded in the Rig Veda which was written in Sanskrit about 2500 to 3500 years ago, and by some reports, the mantra may have been chanted for many generations before that.
 
om bhur bhuvah svah
tat savitur varenyam
bhargo devasya dhimahi
dhiyo yo nah prachodayat
 
Western interpretation of mantra:
"Let us adore the supremacy of that Divine Sun, the Godhead, who illuminates all, who recreates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understanding aright in our progress towards his holy seat."
 
Hindu interpretation of mantra:
"O God, Thou art the giver of life, the remover of pain and sorrow, the bestower of happiness; O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy supreme sin-destroying light; may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction."

Sixth sense is vital to use the Civic sense

I strongly feel that the civic sense should be flaunted with the sixth sense.This issue has been bothering me for so many years, I dont know whether there'll be any change in our society after reading this article but atleast this can be a protest to the current occurence. When the issue of cleanliness arises we tend to blame the uneducated ones, but how many of us are willing to keep the city clean, doing a gaffe deliberately is shoddier than doing it unknowingly, even though we’ve learnt about cleanliness, health and hygiene, we fail to implement the same in our milieu in order to keep it dirt free.

We follow sanitation at home but we fall short follow the same the minute we step out of our home, do we feel that our environment is a huge dustbin? We need not take a broom to clean the roads, but we can to simpler things to keep our society clean.

Many commers are found urinating on the roads and walls, how irritating it sounds regardsless of the education this act does, infact why education is needed to keep the city clean?? we can use the government toilets instead of using the roadside, instead of throwing the squanders on the road we can put in the dustbin set aside on the road, many people vomit on the road and just move away on the contrary we can get/buy a water bottle/packets and dislodge the grime, if that’s not possible we can at least put some mud on the it so that the vomited area looks spotless.

Another major issue is we should avoid spitting on the road, how unclean it looks if we spit on the road, its not hygienic also, many people walk with bare foot, the might stamp on it. Most of us treat the waste lands as dust bins by this practice the environment gets disturbed by insects and other irritants. Above all we should treat our surrounding as our home.

Roads under maintenance are not completed properly due to tis people fall and get hurt badly, this becomes a dangerous issue in rainy season and when the water logs on road and when the pit becomes unseen and sub-merged. Only when the water gets drained we are able to see the pit being opened. How risky and hazarduos is it?

There are no srtict government officials to make this act come true, they (the govt) just leave it just like that and as a result our country turns out to be a waste silo. Animals wander on the roads, the owners leave them to go around hap haxard and finally they do dirty things. Why is our city has not woken up still?

The most important reason for not maintaining our city clean is there is no strong rule that has been imposed in our country. Our regime should take this as a serious issue and operate accordingly.

Padmapriya Manoj

Benefits of Computer Glasses

My brother- Kannan looks and feels better with glasses. Well, these are computer glasses. He has always wanted to wear one. Now he feels comfortable. These are not power glasses but Computer Glasses, these offer high quality types designed for men. Computer glasses allow you to see the text on the computer screen clearly while keeping your head the proper distance from the computer screen. This helps prevent blurred vision, eye strain, and headaches.

In this day and age man spends a good portion of his time staring at a big bright computer screen. He spends so much time in front of this big bright computer screen that his eyes become strained, his vision becomes blurred, his eyes get tired, and he develops headaches. This is known as Computer Vision Syndrome.

Well I realize this defect in my brother, after several research I realized Computer Glasses will work good for him. He's a workaholic and his work is fully computerized because of this he has to undergo many eye problems. Computer Glasses helped his a lot for his nature of job.

Over the past few decades, computers have begun to play an increasingly central role in the lives of many people. Some of us may use computers at work, some at school and others at home. Indeed, there are those of us who may even have a harder time recounting the periods of the day when they are not on a computer than the times when they are. Due to the numerous tasks that have been made easier and more enjoyable by computers, we now spend more and more time around them with our eyes glued to the screen.

However, along with the assistance provided by computers come some negative effects on the body. These “side effects” usually take a toll on the eyes due to the strain caused from looking at the screen for long periods and to the back and neck from the position one takes when using a computer. Luckily, there are products designed to help alleviate these physical effects of long hours on the computer. One such product is computer glasses.
Computer glasses help to treat the physical effects on the body that are caused by computer vision syndrome.

Computer vision syndrome affects people who spend multiple hours on the computer each day. The symptoms of computer vision syndrome include blurred vision, headaches, burning eyes, poor focus and other eye related problems. In addition to these eye issues, computer vision syndrome may cause neck, shoulder and back pain.

The effects on the eyes caused by computer vision syndrome are caused by the formation of fonts and characters on the screen. Computer characters are formed by very tiny dots called pixels. The formation of these characters naturally creates a strain on the eye. This pixilation, along with the glare produced by some screens causes many of the problems associated with computer vision syndrome. The problems with the neck and back occur when people experience the eye problems and adjust their position to look at the screen from a different angle. Both of these problems can be addressed by using computer glasses.

Computer glasses are designed specifically to assist the eyes in focusing at the distance that a computer screen usually is from the user. This distance is not as close as reading distance and is not as far as distance vision.

Computer glasses are designed specifically for this intermediate zone of vision and they assist the eyes in focusing on the characters, thereby alleviating many of the visual symptoms of computer vision syndrome. Since computer glasses help to prevent the eye problems associated with computer vision syndrome, they automatically help with the posture problems since both are related.

Computer glasses are highly beneficial for people who spend many hours on the computer as they can greatly reduce medical expenses that could be incurred due to computer vision syndrome and its worth getting one.

60 years of blissfull marriage........

Ha, now I got the time to inhale n exhale. I was a bit jumpy about Manoj's delay and handling the function all alone but Mahesh and my mom helped themselves in the initial stages, then the finale is the really hot topic to discuss, well may 1st was the function but all our relatives came home on april 30th, we were all busy in negotiating them.

I was so happy to see our house filled with people, throwing instructions unlike the usual elders, well that's my pleasure. I got the opportunity to confabulate n confide on our people. When I gel wit the peer group I'm able to judge my augmentation and was enjoying the freedom to decipher my thoughts.

May 1st was the real scenario- heart throbbing experience. I really worked hard, I was committed to the celebration, I allotted jobs to people "hey get match box, amma take care of the room, hey pls help me in this n that...." was so happy to dominate. Finally my fil(father-in-law) tied the not on my mil(mother-in-law), it was really nice to be on stage n smiling at everybody felt so warm. My mother-in-laws shyness peeped in when she was decorated as a bride groom on the contrary my father-in-law left a glimpse as when possible.

Even though Manoj came in the midst of April his planning was mind blowing, he worked out well in giving invitations, getting clothes etc. I admired his actions and his enthusiasm in the celebration. The real devotion and dedication was seen in his eyes.

The residue of the function was cribs and complains but utmost everyone was happy about the function and they gave good regards on us. I had a pat on my shoulder but the credit goes to Manoj and my mom. We worked by day and toiled all night, we gave up mirth and glee, slogged along with to accomplish the task, finally when we won men called it luck- never mind, we had fun.

Padmapriya Manoj