Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax niger) is a widespread resident in India.
, Little Cormorants are glossy black with a greenish tint . Non-breeding adults and juveniles are browner with a white throat patch. Sexes similar. Little Cormorant can dive to considerable depths to catch fish. After feeding it perches atop a rock or low branch to dry its feathers with the wings outstretched. Little Cormorants breed in freshwater wetlands and on coasts. In Malayalam,it is known as cheria neer kakka.
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Thiruvathira

Thruvathira festival  takes place on the full moon night in the tamil month of Margazhi and malayalam month Dhanu(December–January) and this is also the longest night in a year.Thiruvathira is essentially a women's festival.Ladies in this  day worship Lord Shiva and pray for conjugal harmony and marital bliss.The very interesting facet of this festival is the enchanting Thiruvathirakkali dance performed by women on this day.
Thiruvathira is said to be celebrated to commemorate The death of Kamadheva,The god of love according to Hindu mythology.. Some people also consider it auspicious to worship Lord Shiva on this day and take his Darshan in Shiva temples before sunrise.
This festival is extremely popular amongst womenfolk of Nambuthiri,Kshathriya and Nair communities in Kerala.Celebrations begin a week before from asterism Aswathi.Not withstanding the biting cold of the winter season,women wake up as early as 4 am and takes bath  in the pond.While taking bath they sing songs in worship of Lord Kamadheva on the rhythm produced by splashing of water with their fist.. At he end ,they will stand in a circle holding hands of each other and sing songs and perform Thiruvathirakkali..Women observe fast on thiruvathira .Instead of rice meal,they take preparations of Chama (Panicum miliaceum) or wheat dishes besides fruit.There is also a tradition to eat hundred betel leaves on this day.At night women wear ten types of flowers and it is known as 'Pathirappoochoodal',meaning 'wearing of flowers in midnight" An image of Lord Shiva is placed in the central court yard of  Kerala homes and a big brass lamp will be lit in front of it. Offerings of flowers, plantains and jaggery are made before  the god and then they will perform the very elegant Thiruvathira dance.  Women dressed in typical Kerala style with mundu and neriyathu and the hair bun adorned with jasmine garlands perform this dance
It is a wonderful sight to watch women dancing on the rhythm of the song and clapping their hands in unison.
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Gandhiji painting series- Remembering 26/11

The 2008 Mumbai attacks (often referred to as November 26 or 26/11) where more than 10 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across Mumbai India's largest city, by terrorists ,pictures of burning Taj Hotel made a deep impact all over the world .By choosing to attack Mumbai's  iconic hotel, the Islamist terrorists have sent a powerful message to India's leaders, foreign investors and tourists as well as the country's new economic elite.

Perhaps the terrorists intended, striking a blow against a symbol of Indian wealth and progress and sending shivers down the spine of some of the richest and most powerful people on the planet 

through the tragedy and loss of November 26, 2008, what has emerged are the acts of courage and generosity of lesser known heroes that held the city of Mumbai together on that day. This painting is a tribute to the resilient spirit of Mumbai, The city of dreams and the“ never say die” spirit of the city.

                                                    Hope-Acrylic on canvas

Nehru Trophy Boat race 2013

Comes Karkkidakam, the backwater of Kerala becomes alive to celebrate the exiting sport of snake boat racing. The spirits of rowers are not dampened by the pitter-patter rains or the thunder storms. There are many races in different areas of Kerala, but the most famous is the Nehru trophy boat race held in the punnamada kayal (Punnamada Lake) in Alappuzha usually conducted on the second Saturday of august .The race is celebrated to commemorate the visit of the late Prime Minister Pundit Jawaharlal Nehru in 1952. In this race, majestic boats measuring a length of 30 to 60 meters (over 100 ft) with a raised prow, are quite impressive and can accommodate around 100 rowers, 4 helmsmen and 25 cheer leaders

The snake boat race is the largest team sport in the world. Snake boats or chundan vallams as they are locally known, can carry scores of men. The origin of snake boats goes back to hundreds of years when the king of Chembakassery, ordered that a war ship be built which can carry soldiers as well as a canon so that he gets an upper hand in the war against the king of Kayamkulam .One Mr.Narayanachari designed the chundan vallam which with its speed and agility won the war for the king of Chembakassery.Other boats also take part in the boat races.Most of them have military lineages.

                                                  
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Bird Painting

                                                 #Egretpainting      -water color on paper
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Lillies

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flowers

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Tanjore paintings-Indian Traditional Art

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Tanjore paintings originally belong to Tamilnadu and dates back to 1600 AC or so. The art form flourished under the patronage of Maratha Kings. The art could only be fostered by royal patronage as it wasn't just limited to drawing and painting,but also involved the usage of  gem stones and gold sheets. These original 24carat gold embellished paintings catered to palaces and temples in South India and decorated the royal homes. They were once part of the wedding gifts of rich south Indians. The art can be seen adorning the walls and ceilings of Madurai Meenakshi Temple and other big temples in the South. These paintings were gifted to dear ones, in special occasions also. Nowadays #Tanjorepaintings are the  ‘in' things in the interiors of the rich and famous as interior designers too wanted it to be a part of home décor.

In times when the art connoisseurs were Rajas and Maharajas, it is told that original precious stones were used to adorn these paintings. It is also believed that if a Tanjore painting of infant Krishna is kept in the room, a new born will resemble him. Likewise, a Radha-Krishna painting will help you to have a love laden married life.

Each painstakingly done works reflects the dedication and commitment of artists. Usually god and goddesses are the main subjects’ .Avoiding any kind of mixtures, the paintings with primary colours and generally made on cloth pasted on to a wooden plank. A special adhesive (Arabian gum and flour) is used in raised levels for jewels, drapery and architectural elements like pillars and temple pavilions. This is then embedded with semi-precious stones and pearls and covered with 24-carat gold leaf. The cost ranges from Rs. 1000 for miniature paintings to lakhs for gigantic ones, based on the size, embellishments, quality of work, and artistic details.

 Tanjore paintings are deeply rooted in tradition, hence innovative within certain limits only. This ancient art form flourished during 16th to18th century, when many striking temples were created by the rulers. Hence the deities were portrayed according to the mural art measurements. Nowadays more proportionate figures are made.. Today, just as any other form of art, Tanjore paintings is undergoing changes, and the evolution is seeing finer versions taking shape, and newer colours are also being introduced. In the place of wooden planks, now marine plies are used. Natural colours are replaced by acrylics, or poster colours. Teak wood frames are replaced by synthetic frames. But the procedure and use of gold foils and stones are still the same.
How Tanjore paintings are made-

1. The first step  is Board preparation. On a Waterproof wooden board, white cotton cloth is pasted and coating work is done with mixture of lime stone powder and gum so that the meshes of cloth are closed. Then polishing is done for a smoother painting surface.

2. Next outline of the painting is drawn

3. In this step is the fixing of the Stones, in ornaments and other decorative areas.

4. Muck work is done with lime stone powder and Arabic Gum. The base for ornaments and embossed areas are done.

5. Fine designs are made over Base Muck work, where ornaments, are drawn with thick muck compound and will be left to dry completely. 24ct Pure gold foils is pasted over the embossed work and Brush design work. The gold foil is cut in suitable shape and size to suit the paintings and will be pasted with gum.

6. The finished paintings are coloured using either using natural colours,or acrylic paint. Then Framing of the painting is done.

&7.Finished painting....

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