Tag Archives: art

design Ganesha

15/09/2007 DesignFlute 18 Comments

In modern times, in changing India, I think He defines among other things Design. People portray Him in as many avatars as you could imagine. You can take any form, any material, you can also experiment. Devotee community is not going to pour wrath on you. Even lord Ganesha does not mind having as many avataras. He is the most loved one.

The lord Ganesha has become the true epitome of omnipresent God. He has many names. People start any kind of new work with His auspicious name. His 10 day worship-celebration starts today.

For me it is design celebration too. I will be posting one image everyday in my sidebar. I just love him (no, not religiously). I love the elements he stands for.

It is very difficult to take out a few from thousands of images but as promised here are few I love most….

Durga with Ganesha

This is a Jamini Roy (1887-1972) painting. I am having this in form of a newspaper cutting since I was a teenager. It is yellowed and edges torn, still I refuse to throw it.

Ganesha with banana leaves

Read here his story in detail with illustrations.

We, Indians try to search him everywhere. He is here in a flower. (via flickr-by Rakesh Soni)

Legend behind legend tells us that Ganesha was the best writer, the one who did not make any mistake, the one who could write non-stop. This was the reason Vedvyasa chose him as the writer and he himself narrated the epic Mahabharata.

Read here legends of Ganesha.

Dancing Ganesha

So interiory-fabriki Ganesha I had seen this year only.

Ganesha with flute

How will you draw him, how will you craft him?

Edit: I had put 10 images everyday during Ganesha Chaturthi in my sidebar. Here are those images.

barren walls

dance with peacock

13/09/2007 DesignFlute 4 Comments

In all pristine glory he is ready to dance for her, too woo her. He is all decked up as there is competition. Not a feather without preening as she is going to select.Nature has her strange reasons to make males rather beautiful in animal kingdom. Female species are not that attractive but mostly in position to choose.Once again I have chosen him (earlier as simplest mor), now as most fabulous peacock. He is my favourite craft-bird.See how all over the world (mainly in public places) this bird is loved in mosaic magic. Let’s start the peacock dance now….. Mor chowk, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. Via songsuponsea

Udaipur, India

In Libya

Detroit Zoo,Michigan,USA

the photo is of not good quality and he is also not in his colourful glory but I like this one too. It was a private home in Paphos, Cyprus

In Santa Barbara, flickr photo by jimkster

This is on garden wall of a private home. This is one of my what I call ‘enduring images’! via Plasitasartists

How can I not include her! Anyway she is not to be left behind.The she-pecock mosaic some where in Florence, Italy. Photo on flickr by Gauis Caecilius.

I just love this pebbled peacock, cover of The complete Pebble Mosaic Handbook, via builders booksource

This is not a display at any public or private place, This one is straight from artist Martin Cheek. It is available in kit-form .

Indian architecture, Indian interiors & architecture

water temples of India

03/09/2007 DesignFlute 15 Comments

When we stored water that too we did in style. Style is incorrect. Splendour or magnificence is the right word for it.

We stored water in stepwells. Stepwells (bawdi or baoli or vav) are in essence wells in which the water can be reached by descending a set of steps.

Stepwells are most certainly one of India’s most unique, but little-known, contributions to architecture.

Stepwells were most common in western India, especially in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

stepwell- Adalaj, Gujarat

stepwell-Adalaj-Gujarat

Stepwells were built deep into the earth about 5 to6 storeys in height. These wells were designed to bring people & god and water & life together. These wells meant to entice everyone to leave their abode for a cool drink of water and retreat.These were for dependable, year-round groundwater.

Stepwell-Bundi, Rajasthan

Stepwell carvings

stepwell-Pushkarni,Vijayanagara-Karnataka

Rani ki vav, Patan, Gujarat

The vavs or baolis (stepwells) consisted of two parts, a vertical shaft from which water was drawn and the surrounding it were the inclined subterranean passageways, chambers and steps, which provided access to the well. The galleries and chambers surrounding these wells were carved generously, which became cool retreats during summers.

Walls of stepwells were lined with blocks of stone, without mortar, and created stairs leading up to the water.

While appreciating the carvings let us not forget the science and engineering skills behind these. So many pillars and lintels are made to support the five or seven storeys and that too everything under the surface of the earth.

Stepwells have also withstood the earthquakes in the range of 7.6 on the Richter scale – the large flat stones joined superbly are hard to move.

These were rainwater harvesting methods of that period.

(An immensely practical idea, the stepwell lost out with the advent of British Raj, who were extremely unhappy with the quality of hygiene that existed in these wells, they installed pipes and pumps.)

Stepwell-Imambara and Adalaj

click to enlarge

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