Sketches
by Sumathi
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Kotikal
Mandapam, Mahabalipuram
Mahendra
type pillars
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Ganesha
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A Sketch of Mahishasuramardini,
Durga temple, Aihole, Karnataka
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Illustrations for stories/articles
Waxing and waning of the moon
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| As Ganesha is traveling
through a forest in the night on his vahanam (mount) minjur, a snake scares
the minjur and Ganesha falls off his mount. He has just had his meals
& his full tummy breaks open and all the sweets fall out. The
moon laughs at this sight. The angry Ganesha curses the moon to lose
his beauty. When the moon begs forgiveness, Ganesha grants that he
will wax & wane and appear in all his glory on the full moon day. |
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Illustration
for a booklet distributed on the occasion of the India tour of
'UTPALA... a thousand petals... a thousand lives', a dance theatre performance
by Anita Ratinam and Arangham Dance Theatre in 2004
Birth of Ganesha with his elephant
head
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| There are several versions
on how Lord Ganesha got his elephant head. The illustrations are
for one version.
Siva & Parvati live happily on
mount Kailasa. Parvati is blessed with a beautiful son. When
all the Gods & Devas bless the new born on the cradle ceremony, Lord
Saniswara avoids looking at the baby. Parvati considers this an insult
and asks Saniswara to bless the child. Saniswaran is afraid that
his glance will harm the baby, but on Parvati's insistence looks and blesses
the baby. The baby's head bursts into flames. Lord Siva provides
an elephant head to the baby and hence Lord Ganesha with his elephant head
was born (head in the shape of the Tamil letter OM). Thus Lord Saniswara's
glance turned out to be favourable to Lord Ganesha. |
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Thiruvalluvar
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Avvaiyar, Thriuvallauvar, king
and the sangam poets
at the potramarai kulam
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