Torans-2

MAMIDI TORANALU-Mango Leaves

Torans or Toranaalu as known in Telugu are valences hung across the door ways. My previous post on the topic is here:

http://summersofindia.blogspot.com/search/label/Torans

Torans made of green Mango Leaves are considered very good. No auspicious occasion be it marriages, festivals or any other happy occasion is complete with out the torans hung at all the doors- leading to out side of the house or even inner doors. But if one cannot hang torans on all doors at least decorating the main door and the back door is a must. 

Torans made from natural and traditional products, like fruits, flowers etc are quite cheap, healthy, environmental friendly and add beauty, colour and fragrance to the surroundings. These also take very little time to make and are use and throw type.  In olden days, when a toran was hung on the main door of any house, it indicated that something good or happy occasion was being celebrated in the house. Even today, we practise this.

Though these days people are using other artificial materials, for us South indians, especially Andhra people, using of Mango leaves for torans on the main door is a must. At least a bunch of mango leaves are hung at both sides of the entrance if one doesn't or can't make a toran.

Green symbolises auspiciousness, fertility, prosperity, health and wealth. 

Here is a very simple or basic toran made from from fresh mango leaves:

        Mamidi Toranam-Mango Leaves Toran

This is the basic version. I have used simple cotton thread which is used for making flower garlands. To this I have attached Mango leaves. I could not get more leaves so I just put a few. But if more leaves are used to fit the entire doorway, it looks very good. One can grade the leaves according to the size and use to make different torans. 

• Big ones in the center and then smallers ones on either side, 
• use same sized leaves for entire toran
• Small ones in the center and bigger ones (gradual increase in size) on either side 
• Use flowers-orange, yellow or red Marigold in between
• The combinations as above are many according to our creativity
• I have used two strands of cotton thread-which is like candle wick yarn. Some use other treads or yarn made of jute or wool

Here are some illustrations I made. Sorry I could not get real pictures. Hope you can follow them:

All the leaves are of equal size 

The leaves in the center are larger and decreasing in size towards the ends.

The leaves in the center are small gradually increasing in size towards the ends.
  

Here alternate leaves are big and small.

Here marigold flowers have been used in between the leaves.

Here too marigold flowers have been used but strung sideways-you can see the green stalks

Hope this is informative. One of my friends wanted it.