Vishu

is the astrological new year of Kerala, where the sun transits into Aries (Mesha Sankramana) when sun is exactly on the equator and the duration of day and night will be almost same.This describes the origin of the word "Vishu" which in Sanskrit means "equal". Also, on the day of vishu, Malayalis start the farm activities for the year. TheTrikodithanam Shasanam by Bhaskara Ravivarman who ruled Kerala between AD 962 and 1021 mentions Chithira Vishu. It is believed that Lord Sree Krishna killed the demon Narakasura on the Vishu day.

Kanikkonna

The golden yellow flowers of Kanikkonna (Cassia fistula) or Indian Labrunum is the state flower of Kerala due to it's significance in vishu festival. This enchanting yellow blooms signals the arrival of Vishu , became the symbol of vishu festival. 

'ഏതു ധൂസരസങ്കല്‍പ്പത്തില്‍ വളര്‍ന്നാലും, 

ഏതു യന്ത്രവത്കൃത ലോകത്തില്‍ പുലര്‍ന്നാലും, 

മനസ്സിലുണ്ടാകട്ടെ ഗ്രാമത്തിന്‍ വെളിച്ചവും

 മണവും മമതയും ഇത്തിരി കൊന്നപ്പൂവും' 

- വൈലോപ്പിള്ളി (കയ്പവല്ലരി) 

Vishukkani

'Kani' means that which is seen first at the start of the day. The night before Vishu, konna flowers (Cassia fistula) nellu/unnakallari(rice/paddy), kodi vastram (new clothes), golden cucumber, betel leaves, coins, gold ornaments and a holy text preferably 'Ramayanam' in a 'uruli' (shallow panchloham vessel) etc are arranged infront of Lord Krishna's idol with a mirror behind. This is the Kani for the Vishu - Vishukkani -auspicious beginning of the new year as it is believed that a good kani will bring luck and prosperity through out the year. Since, only the 'one' female member of the family knows what is in the Kani, it adds a tint of mystery to the viewers in the morning. Families wake up early in the morning to view the kani and then burst crackers in joy. After wearing new clothes (Vishu kodi) they  together eat the festive lunch (Vishu sadya) the traditional Kerala meal on bananaleaves. 

Village

പ്രപഞ്ചമേ, നീ പല ദുഃഖജാലം
നിറഞ്ഞതാണെങ്കിലുമിത്രമാത്രം
ചേതോഹരക്കാഴ്ചകള്‍ നിങ്കലുള്ള
കാലത്തു നിന്‍ പേരിലെവന്‍ വെറുക്കും?
-- വള്ളത്തോള്

Indian Village

Setting sun

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” -- Tagore  

Sun set

One of the incredible sunsets seen from the pristine beaches of Kerala 

"He saw all these forms and faces in a thousand relationships… become newly born. Each one was mortal, a passionate, painful example of all that is transitory. Yet none of them died, they only changed, were always reborn, continually had a new face: only time stood between one face and another."  Herman Hesse 

എനിയ്ക്കു രസമീ നിമ്നോന്നതമാംവഴിയ്ക്കു തേരുരുള്‍ പായിക്കല്‍;ഇതേതിരുള്‍ക്കുഴിമേലുരുളട്ടേ,വിടില്ല ഞാനീ രശ്മികളെ. -- ഇടശ്ശേരി ഗോവിന്ദന്‍ നായര്‍

A moody monsoon day

“The rain to the wind said,You push and I'll pelt. 'They so smote the garden bed That the flowers actually knelt, And lay lodged - though not dead. I know how the flowers felt.” 
Robert frost

A moody monsoon day

Magical experience of monsoon in Kerala. Flooded paddy fields stretching to the horizon seen through misty rain drops.....

മിഴിക്ക് നിലാഞ്ജന പുഞ്ജമായും 
ചെവിക്കു സംഗീതക സാരമായും 
മെയ്യിന് കര്‍പ്പൂരക പൂരമായും 
പുലര്‍ന്നവല്ലോ പുതുവര്‍ഷകാലം - വൈലോപ്പിള്ളി 

in to the wild

“We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature.”      Thoreau  

in to the wild

Wayanad - A picturesque plateau among the mountains of Western Ghats which is at the end of the Deccan Plateau. The land of paddy fields also has lofty ridges bestrewd with dense forests and deep valleys through which misty streams flow.

Works of my School days

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.” -- Pablo Picasso

In my Kindergarten, I happend to win a 4th prize for a painting competition. It inspired my mother to buy paint and other articles for me. She asked the drawing teacher of the school where she was working, to give me some guidance. Luckily, then onwards, I won prizes in various painting competitions conducted in Kerala. 

Since I am not a patient perfectionist, I was more comfortable with watercolour. You decide what to draw and just do it. No scope for retouch and no need for spending too much time on one picture. Just enjoy the soothing serenity of  the painting... I love this pleasure.   

Here comes Mom

 "Here comes Mom" (1997) -- I was 14 years old. An attempt to try out Monochrome imagery in watercolour. 

"If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him" -- John F kennedy

Ariyidikkunna Sthree

"Ariyidikkunna sthree"- women pounding rice (2001) : A common sight of the afternoons in the village houses of Kerala during my childhood - women pounding rice in to flour for the next day's breakfast; mostly to make puttu, idiyappam, pathiri etc. The equipment is called 'Ural and ulakka' a bigger version of mortar and pezzle made of wood and stone.

Village well

"Village well" (1997) - women carrying water from the communal well : a forgotten system of drinking water facility in Kerala villages, public wells built and maintained by the local government.  These water wells are dug manually with shovels. Water is drawn using a small bucket tied to a long coconut coir cord, pulled of  by a pulley fixed to a log on the top of the well. Women used to share gossips and stories with her friends while filling their water pots. It was her 'social media' of the time.

Water carrier

"Water carrier"(2001) -  Girl carrying water from the village well                            

Fisher woman

Fisher woman

"Fisherwomen" of Kerala (2002) - the men catch fish and women sell it in market : The imagery of fisherwomen for me is inspired by 'Karuthamma' of the famous Malayalam novel 'Chemmeen'  

It's planting time

"It's planting time" (1999) - Wayanad is the land of paddy fields. I have been seeing different stages of paddy cultivation which inspired my works during my childhood. 

"The creative act lasts but a brief moment, a lightning instant of give-and-take, just long enough for you to level the camera and to trap the fleeting prey in your little box."   - Henri Cartier-Bresso

Chemparathipoovu - Hibiscus flower

Red Hibiscus plants - the walls between to neighbourhood in Kerala villages. The flowers are part of childhood memories of every malayali who enjoyed the good old childhood days.

Chemparathipoovu

The red hibiscus is the flower of the Hindu goddess Kali, and appears frequently in depictions of her in the art of Bengal. This flower is also used as an offering to goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha in Hindu worship.

The Pharoahs used hibiscus tea, and today it's still common as a toast in Egyptian weddings

Red Hibiscus flower is the national flower of Malyasia. 

Hibiscus Flowers where ever I look,
Reds and blues and the pretty white,
Freshly taken from a picture book,
They fill me with great delight.
Indoor Hibiscus Flowers delicate yellow,
Potted plants in my snug flat,
Great beauty that turns me mellow,
To all Gardeners I take off my hat.
The hibiscus is a flower to please,
Grown in a warm and temperate clime.
Reds, blues and whites do tease,
With glowing colours so sublime. 
 -- Bernard Shaw