Margazhi Musings is a celebration of the divine and a glimpse of the contemporary nuances of the Margazhi month and what it means to the ‘Creative City’ of Chennai.
Collaborating with Rakesh Raghunathan, food heirloom curator and founder Puliyogare Travels to present a curated evening of food inspired by art and art inspired by food adds a culinary perspective to the exhibition. As an equally accomplished Carnatic Vocalist Rakesh renders songs and recites poetry to complement his narratives.
Heightened activity in the wee hours of dawn marks the onset of the auspicious month of Margazhi! Mylapore, the seat of activity where temple bells ring in every corner welcoming the bhaktas, the aroma of idli dosa sambar and kaapi filling the air, the ‘Jannal kadai’ even more busier than ever, the humdrum of NRI’s sporting an American accent descending on us, … and as the day progresses a fenzy of Rasikas thronging the Sabhas are all Mylapore Margazhi vignettes! If you have been a witness to this, somewhere in the back of your mind you can feel there is an awakening of the inner soul as you walk by the temple tank as these stirring images resonate with a feeling of having been blessed with the Lord’s grace to be here and now and enjoying the moment! Madras is indeed a ‘Creative City’ in the month of Margazhi and we are all delighted to be residents of namma ooru.
As an artist the pictorial imagery that comes to my mind in the month of Margazhi is Andal and her devotion to lord Vishnu. She is the sensuous heroine of the month enthralled in her passionate love and yearning for her Ishwara. As we explore how various artists have rendered her we realize that there are many facets to Andal that lends itself to a plethora of expressions.
A.V.Ilango interprets a verse from the Thiruppavai a set of 30 Pasurams sung by Andal where the symbolic undertone behind Andal’s entreaty to her friends is to wake up and seek Krishna. To A.V.Ilango in his characteristic style, Andal is a perfect example of complete surrender. She is enveloped in laughter and love as she strikes a pose with her playmates chiding them to awaken their soul to the glory of the Lord.
Manisha Raju’s women are always serene and introspective. She captures Andal in a trance; in deep meditation as she is locked in communion soul to soul with her higher nature!
Biswajit Balasubramanian’s works give Andal a contemporary feel, a woman of the present living in samsara yet not fooled by her worldly trappings. She remains focused on her goal, which was Ishwara. He also sees her as a goddess seated on a lotus with the 11 Alwars beside her as she establishes her divine connection.
Lord Vishnu has been interpreted in His essence and glory in the works of Ramesh Gorjala, Chandra Morkonda, Thejomaye Menon and Shalini Biswajit.
Ramesh Gorjala’s paintings in kalamkari style are narratives that document the Lord in his various avatars.
Chandra Morkonda visualizes the Kalpavriksha, the wish fulfilling tree as Vishnu from whose navel emerges the lotus.
Thejomaye Menon’s ‘Aatmavaan’ is dedicated to the manifestation of the lord in his entirety. The image of the blue faced Vishnu emerging from the ocean atop a bloomed lotus and the naamam and the peacock feather are the elements that signify the subtle imagery of His omnipotent power. The facial features are in the Kathakali mode as portrayal of Ishwara is mandatory in the dance form. The tightly written background in which He rests is the Prana of every individual who worships him... it is written in different directions to denote the entire universe and so too a mantra to remove obstacles, pain and bondage... Hari: the name of Maha Vishnu and Om: the truth.
Thejomaye Menon’s Shriman : The lord in a reclining position over the celestial serpent Adisesha in the sea of cosmic dissolution (pralaya).. This image is Vishnu at his purest. This pure Vishnu principle is the source and plan of life. It is identified with the world of dream, where things are conceived as prototypes yet to be realized. The real, lasting creation is this mental creation.. The ocean and the serpent are part of his identity in this painting . Though reclining the lord seen here is always the one we reach out to at all times. Here he in the stage of yoganidhra and yet watches over the universe he protects and preserves.
Shalini Biswajit’s ‘ Vishnu Pada ’ is inspired by Sankaracharya’s Bhajagovindam that warns us about the fragility of life that is compared to a drop of water on the lotus leaf and that one must stay focused on the one goal in life, that is to discover the inner self. She reflects that as knowledge is assimilated there is a shift from Dvaita to Advaita where the form recedes and ‘Jeevatma and Paramatma aiykyam’ takes place.
Photographer D.Shasikanth captures refreshing images of the idli, vada and dosa that could safely be declared as the most preferred breakfast food of India. –With reference to lord Vishnu installed beside it are the Kanchipuram Idli served in the Varadaraja Perumal Temple in Kanchipuram, the famous Azhagar kovil dosa from Madurai. They are temple prasadams that connect us to our faith. They have been presented here with reference to the curatorial element of food inspired by art.
Chennai has the unique privilege of sporting the ‘Creative City’ tag with reference to art, music and dance that is celebrated in the city in the month of December and January. The dynamics of the city is forever in motion and there is no dearth of inspiration that acts as a fodder for Biswajit the cartoonist. There is an abundance of light hearted moments that the Margazhi season provides. A happy congregation of people populates Biswajit’s cartoons that document the humour in the lives of Sabha goers, child prodigies in the making, and tiffin taking precedence over the performer where Mountbatten Mani wields the ladle in the kitchen. What is a Season without these quirks?
On an interesting note artist designer Lakshmi Srinath presents a collection of sarees and jewllery inspired by the essence of Margazhi.
The break of dawn,
The beautiful morning laden with dew,
The echo of Andal’s Thiruppavai,
The intricate kolams as she circumambulates the streets around the temple,
The yellow flowers of the pumpkin creeper placed in the middle of a mound of cowdung...
“Of the months, she is Marghazhi”
The “Margazhi poo” adorns the entrance of every home, placed atop a mound of cow dung set in the centre of an elaborate kolam. These sentiments are echoed in the work of A.V.Ilango’s painting. The sarees and jewellery too capture the essence of the brilliant yellow flower amidst tendrils and leaves of the pumpkin creeper creating what can only be described as wearable art!
Much has been written, sung, poeticized on the subject.
Uma Gowrishankar is a poet, author and an education consultant. Her eloquently written blog on the significance of Andal, the Tiruppavai and the month of Margazhi has been included in the exhibition and catalogue.
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