Monday 3 March 2008

kolam 2









To continue; these coloured kolam, or rangoli, is not for everyday, but for celebrations (let's celebrate Monday!). Same grid of dots behind as the white.

Photos from Auroville, a huge alternative community in Southeast India, some years ago when I still hadn't got a digital camera. I have boxes and drawers full of slides I can't really use. Last week I ordered a scanner, think it will mean a deep dive into memories. My guess is you will see a few old pictures, too.

Tamil culture Tamilnation.org, tutorial and links for kolam knowledge.
Pongal celebration kolams.

On You Tube I found a few kolam videos
Kolam based tiles
Mylapore festival

Now I'm off to the studio, finally a full day. Hope your Monday is fine!

PS masala chai posts lovely Indian craft today

7 comments:

MASALA CHAI said...

Bibbi, If ever you plan another trip here , let me know. Will be happy to show you around :)

marie-louise said...

Intressant, båda inläggen om kolam.

Bibbi said...

Ms Masala, that is so sweet of you :) I will definately remember your words, but I think there will not be any trip in maybe a few years. India is fascinating, I dream of going back.

Glad du gillade kolam, Marie-Louise!

mansuetude said...

i was thinking last week of scanning in some color slides, then i thought, big eat my time!! So many images, so many memories... lots of lots of lots. : )

(a leap frog, is just a kids game. A whole group of kids lines up. One kid bends down, the next kid behind in line "leaps" or jumps over the kid on his knees, and then also (in front now) gets on his knees till all the kids in line leap and then they start getting up and continue the whole chain of leaping and standing and moving forward. (I am laughing my head off here, to even try to explain this. feel very, very silly. (can i properly say Puh? here).

like the concept of the village with peace at its core...it is so hard to keep all those ideas to work. It would be interesting to hear more. There is so much rich, powerful religious power in India.

heather smith jones said...

Hooray for a full studio day! those days are precious are they not? I do hope to see some old images from your slides, and hear about some memories too.

Bibbi said...

Mansuetude, "big eat my time" is the name. I'm turning 50 in a few weeks and will need a number of photos for slideshows I'm preparing, highlights of my life (so far). I really want to celebrate all the life I've lived.

Yes, it's difficult to reach a vision, like in Auroville, but at least they are trying :)

It's not a religious place, which makes it easier to include people from all over the world, but spiritual.

Now I wish you were closer, we could have a fika and I would tell you all I can. Think you would like to be there.

Heather, in time, in time you will :)Hope your week will give you creative space too!

mansuetude said...

i'd love to hear, and talk about such a place, yes! Wonderful thought. You can always write a bit to me... when time allows.

Happy memories--happy almost birthday. You make me think: every day goes so fast... it takes so so looong to learn so so much, too. Doesn't it?

Peace, sweet dreams!