Threshold Art-3

My previous posts on the topic are here;

http://summersofindia.blogspot.in/search/label/Threshold%20Art

Significance and Traditions:

As I mentioned earlier in my posts , it is believed that the threshold symbolises Goddess Lakshmi and also that she resides there. It is believed that beautifying the house and its surroundings will attract Her into the houses and the occupants will have health, wealth, prosperity and happiness. That is why the thresholds are decorated and offered prayers.

So many traditions are related with thresholds. Here are some:

1. On auspicious occasions: All the thresholds are smeared with turmeric and decorated with vermilion especially or Tuesdays and Fridays and also on all festivals or auspicious occasions celebrated by the household like marriages etc. 

Flowers are placed on either side of threshold as a mark of respect daily, or on Tuesdays, Fridays and on all auspicious occasions.

There is also the tradition of offering Tamboolam (2-3 betel leaves, areca nuts, fruits and flowers) to the Threshold considering it as Goddess Lakshmi or Goddess Gauri. 

This is done to all thresholds if not to all at least to the one at the main entrance  and the one which is leads to the back yard (in olden days many households had only two doorways-one main entrance from outside into the house and one leading from the house to the backyard-that is from inside the house to outside). All this is done by the lady of the house or women/young girls of the house.

In olden days when oil lamps were used, these were placed on either side of the thresholds in the evenings.

2. New House: When a new house is constructed or bought and the family is celebrating the house warming function Known as Ghriha Pravesham, first yellow pumpkin and ash gourds are broke open as a ritual symbolising the sacrifice or offering at the thresh hold of the main door. At each threshold coconuts are offered.

A cow with a calf is made to cross the main threshold and enter into the house. Only then the couple owning the house, enter carrying Lord Satyanarayana Swami's photo. Daughters of the house (including paternal aunts) carry vessels(silver copper or bronze pots) with water. Then come the other family members and friends carrying all auspicious things like turmeric, vermilion, flowers, fruits, milk etc used for Puja (offerings). 

3. Children crossing the thresholds: When a child of the house crosses the threshold for the first time, it is celebrated with much fervour among the family. Special dish called Vada (or Garelu) made of black gram flour is prepared (something like a Doughnut) and distributed among family and neighbours.

4. Bride: When a bride enters the house hold for the first time after the marriage, there is a ceremony at the threshold. Before crossing the main threshold, the couple have to say the name of each other. 

Groom's sisters stop the couple at the threshold for this. They will not allow unless the couple say each others name and their brother give them some hefty amount or gifts. Usually a newly wed bride is shy and may not tell her husband's name. There is also a tradition in our regions where a wife never calls her husband by his name. She would not even utter that name in front of others. Many still follow this. Well there are many ways in which the bride indirectly hints at her husbands name with out actually saying it. There are so many riddles or short verses we come across in our literature where in women have hinted their husband's name on such occasions. These are fun to read and decipher that name.

Now the smearing of turmeric has been replaced by painting it with yellow red, white and green colours at least in big cities and towns. I am fascinated by the art that is displayed on these thresholds. 

Here is one that caught my eye at the entrance of one of the temples. See the floral design.

In fact there will be vary massive thresholds in big temples.

Here is one where you can see one more design painted on the threshold.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anandgona/2476672057/

Some more of this art next time......Hope You can get a glimpse of our Indian customs and  traditions and enjoy reading them.....

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Bindi-The Forehead Art

Part-5

Why wear sticker Bindis? 

Do something different and daring.....Be creative, wear these new designs when you step out for functions and parties. Using colours matching to your dress where possible...or else use Black or Red

Do you like them? Try them out and let me know...

Watch out for more designs in my next posts.....

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Rangoli-187- Borders 19

Ugadi Special

I wanted to post these yesterday or at the most early this morning. But I had some problem with my computer and also there were frequent power cuts due to some problem in the power connection. In fact I scribbled these borders in a hurry. I had noted down so many but could not put them on paper properly so that I can post. Well I will keep on posting them when ever I can.

Actually these have been inspired by the Chaitra Maasam(The Month of Chaitra) when it is Spring season known as Vasanta Ruthuvu. So these can be drawn for the Ugadi or through out Chgaitra Navaratris starting from Today ending on 1st April with Rama Navami. Goddess Durga is worshiped like during Dussehara. Lord Rama is also worshiped.

 The inspiration for these borders are mango leaves and mangoes.

For some of these borders, I have shown you how to draw with dots. Because it is easy to draw on ground with dots. it is difficult to keep in mind the size and symmetry when we are actually drawing on the ground. If one is a good artist and is confident one need not use dots. These can be drawn free hand.


These can be drawn with white powder and filled with colour or only out lines can be drawn with coloured powders or use one colour for outline and one for filling.

Well watch out for more.......

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Rangoli-186

Ugadi Special

This is Ugadi Special Rangoli.

This is 21 to 1 dots.

You can see sweets, jaggery, black peppers (in the center), green peppers, tamarind, raw mangoes, sugarcane, neem flowers and earthenware posts. All the ingredients are used for the special chutney made on Ugadi day in a new earthen ware pot. It is a combination of all six types of tastes. This chutney is eaten first thing in the morning and it is believed that the year ahead should be a combination of all things good and bad .

Read about how we celebrate our New Year day known as Ugadi here:
http://summersofindia.blogspot.in/2009/04/ugadi-our-new-year-day.html

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Rangoli-185

Ugadi Special

Here is one more Rangoli. A geometrical one with Lotuses and Swastika. This is simple and easy to draw as well as for colouring. Alternated Lotuses can be coloured differently.

13 to 1 Straight dots and join as shown above. 

Keep watching my blog for more Rangolis and Beautiful borders...

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Rangoli-184

Ugadi Special-Mangoes and Jasmine Flowers

Its time for Ugadi our New Year to be celebrated on 23rd of this month. When Mother Nature is celebrating spring, we celebrate our New Year. This is the time for small raw mangoes, which are a bit sour and a bit bitter. Time for the fragrant Jasmine flowers which bloom through out the hot summers...

15 X 1 straight dots. Join as shown above. 

Watch out for more.......

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Shisha (Mirror) Work-4

Frame Work Stitches-2

I have been wanting to post this for long. But photographing the shisha is really difficult. I wanted my photographs to be clear. Moreover writing the tutorials is also a bit difficult since the elaborate explanations should be simple and clear. Hope you are able to understand my posts.

My previous posts on this topic are here:

http://summersofindia.blogspot.com/search/label/Mirror%20Work

Continuing from my previous posts...

2. Square Frame: This is the traditional or most used method. I am posting for a circular Mirror. But the same goes well with a square mirror. Look at the pictures below:

Stick the mirror where you want to stitch it. Or if you can hold it with you fingers,  it is well and good

Bring the thread from under the fabric at A and insert at B making a long straight stitch. Again take out C and bring down at D.

Take out the thread to the surface at E and bring it under the fabric at F.

Finally take out the thread on to the surface of fabric at G and bring down at H. With this we have finished one square frame. But we need to stitch one more square frame intersecting this one.

 So start at I and finish it off as shown below.

This is the basic frame. For paillettes we can stop with this as they are very light and if the frame is tight they will not fall off. But for mirrors, we need to cover the rough edges as they will damage the fabric and also may be dangerous for the person wearing the dress. There are many ways or varieties of stitches covering the edges which I will be posting in the next posts.


3. Rectangular Frame:

This is stitched like in the above one. But here the frame is in the shape of rectangle. This is used for square as well as round mirrors.


4. Sri Chakra or Triangular or Six point Star Frame:

This is stitched the same way as in Square Frame. But instead of four only three stitches per frame are used. This is suitable only for round mirrors.


I hope my tutorials are clear. If they are not or you have any doubts, please mail me...


Wait for more posts.....on mirror work....

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Rangoli-183

Lotuses N Fishes


Friends it has been a long time since I posted Rangolis. Here I am posting a square one 11X11. Very simple and very easy.

Hope you like it.

Watch out for Ugadi and SriRamaNavami specials. Since Chaitra Navaratris start now and worshiping Mata Rani i.e Goddess Durga or Laitha for these 9 days is very good, we can  draw these Lotus or other Rangolis with Sri Chakra.

Keep a watch.....

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Whipped Wheel-1

TAST-2012-11th Week-Whipped Wheel

This weeks challenge announced by Sharon is Whipped Wheel. Here is the link you can visit her page:

http://www.pintangle.com/journal/2012/3/13/take-a-stitch-tuesday-week-11.html 

Though I knew about the whipped and woven wheels I never had a chance to explore them much. I also don't have much practice. But they both are very easy to stitch. Here are my first attempts. I need lot of doodling before I can think of something creative.

Any way I am using various other stitches (as per TAST rules)in combination with this stitch. Let us see how far I am successful.

I started with straight stitch base. Then Fly stitch and two Straight  Stitches.

Here I completed the whipping and in the second one I added a chain circle.

 This was my second one. 

 This is Detached Chain.

 This one is again fly stitch.

 This one is done on a base of Detached Chain Stitch.

I ended up adding some beads. 

This one is Pistil Stitch.

This is the whipped wheel on a frame work pf pistil stitch.


Well with heavy power cuts, severe back pain, I am not able to do much. But I will try and keep you p[posted.

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Running Stitch-3

TAST-2012-10th Week-Running Stitch

Here are some more of my explorations of the stitch:

I could have done better because I had so many ideas. But with constant power cuts and hot weather, it is difficult to find time for my hobbies. Any ways, I will work on them and post them later....I need to go along with all other TAST participants....

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Bindi-The Forehead Art

Part-4

Here are some more Bindi designs:

Hope you like them. Watch out for more......

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