Sunday, January 5, 2014

Rangoli-294


Friends, sorry I could not post these past two three days as I was very busy. Here is one more Rangoli for you:
 21 to 1 straight dots.

Here is a closer look at one section so that you can easily draw it.

Sankranti or Pongal and the one month(Dhanurmaasam) before it is basically a festival related to agriculture. This is a celebration of Harvest- Harvest festival. Sun entering in the Zodiac sign of Sagittarius is thanked this whole month, for, with out his heat and light this harvest would not be possible. So our South Indian villages basically dependent on agriculture celebrate this month long thanks giving to Sun, irrespective of cast or status with great devotion. 

The villages and small towns are where our culture and traditions are zealously followed even today. If one takes a walk early in the morning as the Sun is rising, one can see the front yards of the houses decorated with various Rangolis. The girls and women of the houses draw these Rangolis with great care showcasing their skills and creativity. 

As a child, I along with my cousins would take a walk(braving the chill) in our locality to note any designs we did not know or were new to us. We would note these designs mentally along with the dots, come back and try it on paper and file it for future use. 

All of our family would gather at our Granny's place every year to celebrate this festival.  We would always look forward to this festival as it was lot of fun meeting all of our kith and kin  and friends. New clothes, sweets and snacks, playing with friends, visiting each others houses, bonfires, entire family going to movies -well I miss all that now. 

So remembering those times, I have chosen huts, trees and kites for this Rangoli. No matter where we are our roots are tied to our villages or towns where we were born and brought up.