Sri Chitra Art Gallery....and the zoo, Trivandrum

The painter, Raja Ravi Varma was a trail-blazer when it came to depiction of mythological and religious figures in the last century. Since then, prints of his works have found a place in every traditional home across the country. When we think of a Krishna or a Lakshmi or a Saraswati, the standard is Ravi Varma. If Lord Krishna appears before us, and looks any different from these paintings, for sure, we will reject the original! In terms of grandeur, grace and beauty, Ravi Varma's paintings have no parallel.


Many a budding artist tries his hand to copy these works. We get elated when our amateurish painting gets a few words of praise! To know where we stand, in comparison to the Master, the original paintings are a must-see. It is a humbling experience.


Ravi Varma's works are predominantly found in two galleries: The Jaganmohan Art Gallery at Mysore and the Sri Chitra Art Gallery at Trivandrum. If you've not seen either of them, plan for it! It's time...well spent!


The Sri Chitra Art Gallery is housed in a 160 year-old structure. In 1935, the monarch of Travancore converted the building into a guest-house. Today, it showcases several Ravi Varma paintings.


It is difficult to do justice to these paintings in the short time at our disposal. We look at the plaintive expression of the little girl clasping her knee in "The Beggars". Soon, Damayanti's radiant face drags us! Before we can see the picture in full, we get distracted by Shakuntala! And immediately get pulled into Draupadi sprawled on the ground at King Virata's palace. In a moment, the eyes have moved onto "Rukmangada". And ere long, to Ravana, Sita and Jatayu! You get the feeling now.....? It is simply a problem of plenty! We are spoilt with such riches, heaped and piled up, all in one place!


We gaze at each painting, studying it now from far, now from close-quarters.....trying to take in......as much as we can, the technique used for the face, for the "zari-work" on the sari, for the backdrop, for the multitude of expressive figures in each composition!


Apart from Ravi Varma, the gallery has other exhibits- works by his uncle, his brother, his sister and son! Evidently, painting runs in the whole family! Roerich's paintings form an entire section.....in their characteristic flat tones and predominant usage of blues and violets. It's impressive.
We glossed over the rest of the sections....Tibetan "thangas", Balinese paintings, Japanese works, miniature paintings, calligraphy from the days of Aurangzeb, a Persian translation of the Mahabharata....it's an assorted collection.


As we wear our slippers and head out of Sri Chitra, we are truly inspired. The mind is full, the ideas are many....and the hands twitch in impatience! It's time to take the oil-paints out of the shelf .....get a new canvas board....and paint away!


Who knows....who knows...the next work to rival a Ravi Varma......may take shape in our own garage!!! Inspiration is such..... it often borders on childishness!!!


The zoo!


Sri Chitra is part of the same museum complex as the zoo. Spent the rest of the morning ambling around the zoo.


The zoo is a debatable topic. Part of us says it's wrong to keep animals in captivity. The other half says...at least they are cared for! They get regular food without having to hunt! How bad can that be!?


The Trivandrum zoo has a nice collection. The big ones- lion, tiger, leopard, hippo and rhino. The also-rans like deer and bison and monkey. The "I don't care" ones like peacocks and owls and parrots. And a section for reptiles.
As it turned out, the bear was in hibernation and couldn't be spotted. The lion was sleepy and crouched in the distance. The rhino merged with the rock-formation and could barely be seen except when the rock appeared to be on the move!


The most interesting were the hippos. Five of them....and a loner...all in one pond! When it was time to feed, five social hippos egged each other with loud grunts.... and trooped out of the pond to the open-area close to the enclosure. Their biological clock was spot-on! Within minutes, food was served by the attendant. The hippos cleaned it up in no time!
The loner continued to sulk in the water!! Poor thing! Wonder what upset him so much! May be, the rest of them ganged up and cut a joke, which was in poor taste? May be!

Hippo at T'drum zoo....ink and water-colors

As we turned the corner, a tiger paced about his cage impatiently. There was anger in the gait, ferocity in the heavy breath and displeasure in the low-growl. May be, the food was late. He looked plain menacing. The deduction was on the dot! As the attendant walked to the cage (thankfully, from the outside) and held the bar, the tiger pounced at him....in one lightning move! Had the bars been absent, it would have been all over! Such was the strength and the awe-inspiring....raw...power!
In High School, we read this poem by Harindranath Chattopadhyaya.


I am not afraid of a tiger,
I am seven years of age,
I am not afraid of a tiger,
When it rumbles and roars in rage,
I am not afraid of a tiger,
Provided..........it is in a cage!!!


It says it all!!!!

Trivandrum and the Padmanabhaswamy Temple

Kerala is surely God's own country! In these cash-crunch times, there are no lines at the ATMs and yes, these ATMs are actually functional! It was not an isolated incident- we withdrew cash multiple times, at the airport and elsewhere too. May be, God's own country has a divine currency....all its own- they don't seem to care for our measly 100 and 500 rupee notes!


Trivandrum is simple, much like its Domestic Airport. The monstrosity of mall-culture....is yet to take over the city. There is a languid feel to life on the street, none of the ugly traffic snarls which plague the metros for instance. Don't know if it is a reflection of Kerala's literacy numbers, or the place we stayed, but MG Road, Trivandrum's MG Road that is.....abounds with book-shops. It's a bookworm's delight!


A few things caught the eye......public-transport, not overly crowded and the buses- all new and gleaming....with full, open windows (no window-bars). A swanky next-gen bus-stop.....with elegant seating arrangement and catchy billboards.
And yes, an ongoing protest of sorts....with a little group camped on the footpath, and a rhythmic chorus...to give expression to the voice of dissent!
The weather.....comfortably humid at this time of the year.


 Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of Trivandrum's main attractions. The gopuram is characteristic.  It's as if the gopuram was made with the usual proportions and then, someone changed the mind and patted the whole structure down, as one would...a sand-castle! The result- it falls really wide at the base....but the height doesn't quite match the width. The gopuram has an off-white coat of paint, which masks the antiquity of the structure.

Quick Ink and water-color sketch- Just after temple visit!

Padmanabhaswamy is Lord Vishnu. He reclines on the serpent Adi Shesha. What distinguishes this pose from Lord Ranganatha at the Srirangam Temple, is the right-hand hanging down. The finger-tips touch a shiva-linga.


"Padmanabha" is the one.... from whose navel....(naabhi), a lotus (padma) emerges. The lotus signifies this world.  Like a lotus, everything in the world has a symmetry, a pattern, an order....and to the eye of the beholder....it is attractive and a source of wonder!
Through the lotus-metaphor, it shows that the world has its origin and being in the Lord.
Where do we find this interpretation? In the Purusha Sukta. It says... "naabhyaam aaseet antariksham". "Space" (antariksham)....emerged from the "naabhi" of the Lord. And by extension..."space" includes all the five-elements. And the world is but a combination of these five-elements (space, air, fire, water, earth). Thus, we can relate the imagery of Padmanabhaswamy to this grand vision.....a vision wherein...whatever we see in the world....is but Him. And He cares for us, and nourishes us, through that lotus stalk as it were, like a mother through her umbilical cord!


While our mind is occupied in these lofty thoughts, it is jolted with practical issues which hold us hostage before the temple-entry. Mainly, the dress-code. For the uninformed, you cannot enter the temple in a regular shirt-trousers or salwar. Men should be in a dhoti and no shirt. Women have to be in a sari or its equivalent. There are enough eyes to confirm whether you subscribe to the dress-code or not...as you walk down the street to the temple. If you're caught napping, you can always purchase a dress which meets the requirements. The shops are well stocked. Cell-phones, cameras and eatables have to be deposited in a cloak-room to be claimed later. All this takes time. Give yourself that time.


Don't worry....we were well-prepared! It allowed us the luxury to scour the crowd...in their quaint dresses. Men in first-time dhotis...which clung to them dangerously....and women in a newly purchased off-white drapery wrapped right over their tucked-in Punjabi-suits!


The temple is crowded, but not to a point where it becomes irksome and you want to give-up. Plus, for a little price, there is provision to skirt the crowd and surge ahead in line for an exclusive darshan.
The interiors of the temple are grand- with sculpted, stone pillars...and exquisite figurines on each pillar....down the entire corridor. There are open sand-courtyards to give a welcome break from the labyrinthine corridors and crowd.
The details become sketchy after a point. We catch an "ugra narasimha" shrine just before the main-canopy. The main-mandapa is all gold. Three doors give us a quick glimpse- one to His face, the second to his middle and the third...to his feet. The dwara-paalaka (door-keepers) figures are special. They majestically rest their foot over a hooded snake as if it were a footstool!
With milling crowd, it's tough to register details of the Lord. The hand hanging down....a faint outline of the feet....is all that stays with us. It's enough. We pass by the Rama-Lakshmana and the Kshetra-paalaka shrine followed by "Tiruvembadu" Krishna....an alluring idol of Krishna...smeared in sandal-paste and with beady eyes!


A pick-up of  delicious "Aravana paayasam" prasada-tins and a stop at the gift-shop complete the visit. Our hands are full with a clutch of curios and knick-knacks for the mantle-piece- wooden procession elephants, elephant heads, picture-frames of the Lord and the temple. It's been a full-morning.....and an experience, at once....rich and divine!

At the park....

At the railway station....

A concert...with a difference!

With TM Krishna, we expect the unexpected! May be, if we had a traditional concert by him, we would feel terribly cheated! We need some conversation, some discussion at the end of it. It has to provoke us in some way, stir some debate, ruffle a few feathers, raise some questions at least.  As they say, agree with, disagree with him....we can do all that, but for sure, we cannot ignore him! End of the day, the differences if any, are about packaging- packaging Carnatic music. TM Krishna questions the packaging...if I understand him correctly. Let him package music whichever way he wants. It's entirely his choice and mission. As far as we are concerned, we care about the content! We go to listen to his sublime Thodi, to his expansive Kedaragaula....to his soulful Yadukula Kambhoji. In that, he has never let us down! The rest....as they say....is detail!


It was a concert with a difference. It was a veena, violin, vocal trio...with ghatam and mridangam for percussion. And this time, none would follow the vocalist. That was the whole idea. They would each be on their own, creating their own music-scapes.....and feeding off each others' ideas.
The concert started with "mallaari"- a composition traditionally played when the temple-deity is taken around in a procession. It is set to the raga Gambhira-naattai. You can feel the rhythm in the composition- it's as if the deity is being gently rocked...a swerve here, a little toss there....as it makes its way through the streets of the temple-town! If we were edgy about what kind of musical fare would be dished out in this concert, we settled down....comfortable....wrapped in the arms of mallaari! "Augurs well...", a voice chuckled through the darkness of the hall, "to open the concert with Gambhira-naattai. Isn't Gambhir the opening batsman in the ongoing Test match!!?"


The next composition started off with a string of short raga-forays. It started with Shanmukhapriya played on the veena and covered several raga-terrains by the trio, before settling on Thodi raga. Some of the ragas weren't easy- there was Saalaka Bhairavi and Manirangu and some....which couldn't be fully deciphered. The more informed in the audience....reeled out ragas which couldn't be authentically verified. Multiple options floated around in whispers and hushed voices, and settled down only when the next raga was unfurled. It would be more obscure than the previous one. Thankfully, there was Desh and Kapi and Dwijavanti.....with their indelible signature. You can't miss them. And finally....the raga Thodi....stately as ever!


The Dikshitar kriti "Shri Krishnam bhaja maanasa" was presented elaborately. As the lines "guru pavana pura" was sung, our minds traveled to Guruvayur. "Guru-pavana-pura" is "Guru-vayu-oor". Dikshitar composed this magnum opus at Guruvayur.


The main piece of the concert was a varnam (traditionally, the opening batsman in a concert)! Yes, an opening batsman can bat lower down the order too! Why not!! The trio took up the nava-raga-maalika varnam and dealt with it elaborately. All the nine ragas were detailed, there were mini-thaanams played, followed by the actual varnam and kalpana swaras to round it off!


In fact, this opening batsman batted so low down the batting order, that there was time only for a tail-ender! The varnam was actually followed by a Thillana- Lalgudi's thillana in the raga Mohana Kalyani. If ever there is a raga which exudes happiness....undiluted, unalloyed, concentrated happiness...it has to be Mohana Kalyani! There is no other! And Lalgudi's thillana is a treat!


The concert came to a close with one of Dikshitar's "note-compositions"- a scottish tune with Sanskrit lyrics. When Dikshitar stayed at Manali (near Madras), he was influenced by the English band. We have about 38 compositions of Dikshitar in this genre. Needless to say, these compositions are a big hit with the audience! It's like tucking a "beeda" after a hearty meal!


It was time to head home. The night was still young....and cars whizzed past the road. Saturday night has a relaxed feel to it. Monday is still very far away!
People hung around..... in animated conversation... with an acquaintance here, an old friend there....a rather barmy atmosphere you can say.

You cannot slink away from a TM Krishna concert quietly. Soon, we had a huddle of our own. "So..... gentlemen! Gentlemen!.....A varnam...a varnam... as the main-item! Of course, it was brilliant....most undoubtedly. Don't get me wrong on that. But.....but... a varnam. Next, what are we going to hear.....as the piece-de-resistance......may I ask? A mangalam...may be... in the next concert? May be...the National-Anthem...with a raga-alapana....and a thaanam ....while we all stand in attention for two hours?" We cleared our throat to find an answer. Someone shot back, "Why not! Why not.....!? And who said varnam was the main piece? To me, all the pieces were equally important!"


Evidently, this debate could go nowhere! TM Krishna had made his point! I took the easiest option out. "Cheerio! Getting late... mate! Catch you another day!" As we got onto the main-road with a left-turn at the lights, the mind was on a high. A dash of Mallaari, a dollop of Thodi, a scoop of Mohana Kalyani, the finest Scottish brew....all blended effortlessly.... to make it the most engaging cocktail! Now, now...who is complaining!!!?

Vignettes of Chennai

There is little to match the pleasure of the aimless stroll- you  go where your legs take you! You can start from anywhere. I did just that each day....took an auto-rickshaw and got down at the "tank"- Mylapore tank. From then on, I let my feet take complete control- choosing this lane over the other, turning into a little street here at the roundabout, an alley there....and simply soaked in.... the sights and sounds of Chennai. The smells couldn't be missed too- the fragrance of jasmine, the aroma of rich, freshly-ground coffee and the heady pull of "masaal-vadai" from the wayside hotels! 


But....the aimless stroll has one cardinal rule- you don't pause and get caught-up in any particular topic. That's the trick. You "observe" with a keen eye.....and register all the details...the cyclist, the auto-rickshaw, the car, the cow, the crow, the people, the tiffin-menu.... but you let-go each time...and walk past. You walk, observe, walk, observe...walk....
It's therapeutic....I tell you... and the perfect antidote to break the tedium of routine, the routine of our lives....the "triteness of being"!


It was thus that I found myself at Ramakrishna Mission as I turned the corner. The location changed...but not the approach-  I didn't rush to the main structure- the prayer hall, spend the ten-minutes and dash out! That routine will wait another day. Instead, I chose to linger around the satellite buildings.  The foundation stone went back to 1906 and the "Old-Temple" came up in 1916! Sri Ramakrishna's direct disciple, Swami Ramakrishnananda was sent by Vivekananda to Chennai...and the mission's activities in the south started from this very site.....a hundred years ago! The plaques were informative and marked key spots around the entire campus.
I selected a spot facing the Library. To the right is the "Old Temple". To the left is a park with a monument. The sky....in swirls of grey...and the ground...damp...with a hint of overnight drizzle and strewn with yellowed leaves. A canopy of trees spread its gnarled fingers...over the entire pathway.

Perfect setting! Sitting down on the steps....I took out the sketch book and the sharpened, 2B pencil and drew. 

Just a rough, loose, breezy sketch....an attempt to convey the mood of the moment, without worrying about exactness or detail. In an hour, I was done....the outlines inked in black. It was time to head home. Later in the day, I faired it up, with water-colors and color-pencils.


The next day, my stroll took me to the Kapaleeshvara Temple, one of Chennai's most celebrated temples. I selected a remote spot, facing the shrine of "Punnai-vana-natha". Lord Shiva is Punnai-vana-natha....the Lord (natha) of the forest (vana) of "punnai" (punnaga, "Alexandrian Laurel" in English) trees. As per the Temple-Purana, Parvati, in the form of a peacock ("mayil") worshipped Lord Shiva at this very shrine. That's how "Mayilaapore" got its name!

 


People thronged the temple premises...to form queues to get to the main-sanctum and to see the "vahanas" on display. I chose to "observe".....the place, the people..... and a little cat which stretched itself on the stony-corridor...mindless of the commotion around!
And that's when the sketch was born...I drew what I saw....till it got so dark that I couldn't see any more! The next day, I faired it up at home, with black-ink and a quick, water-color wash!


Ultimately, Chennai is about having oodles of time on your hands. It's about that inexplicable feeling of leisure; it's about reconfirming from the clock that it's only 7:30 in the morn but you felt it should be 11 am,  it's about taking your time over a cup of hot filter-coffee tucked with the morning Hindu, it's about overhearing Carnatic music from the neighbor's, it's about the raucous caw of the crow at the window-sill, it's about the eye-piercing dazzle of the afternoon sun!!!

That's how the other home-sketches came up. Just drew what I saw each day. It's all about a box of colors and time....that's all you need!

Flight Plight

Flight journeys are not for the squeamish...for the faint-hearted I mean. The human mind may soar, but the human body is intrinsically, firmly anchored to the earth. Little wonder, air travel is somehow not natural. There is an element of the bravado in it, almost like bungee-jumping!


Let's face it- we all go through it.　Our denial is not going to change the fact about Air Travel. It is just　not as easy as stepping inside a train compartment. We naturally relax into the environs of the train- slip our suitcases below the berth, kick-off the footwear in a hurry, change into some relaxed pajamas and have the liberty to stretch our legs in full　or sit cross-legged or even do a head-stand if　we chose to! The ease, the freedom and the informality of it all!

Air Travel presents a contrasting picture of sorts. It's a tight-fit from the moment you step in- like squeezing yourself in a size-0 skinny-pair of jeans, when you actually belong to a commodious extra-large and beyond!
The seat is compact and so is everything else.　A single　posture into which you compress your　whole frame and have to hold it for 16 hours flat! Every movement has to be measured.　　One　careless move and you would have jabbed your neighbor’s sides with your elbow or knocked his spectacles off...when you tried to stretch your arms. When food is served, it needs a different skill altogether- the table is miniscule, the items many and space at　an absolute　premium. It's like a Mumbai chawl.　Elbows tucked to the body, you nibble at it- as a squirrel would. Attention has to be full and complete- else,　you could topple and bring down the entire food-pyramid topped with a coffee-cup....and watch it helplessly run down your trousers, your neighbors and into the aisle! At the end of the journey, there is confirmation that you can successfully do another job- the job of a contortionist!


Part of the problem of Air-Travel is the fear-factor. Already the mode of travel is unnatural. The exaggerated safety-instructions kick off a few more butterflies in the belly! The seat has to be upright, the waist-belt fastened and the mobile switched off.　The cabin lights have to be dimmed and windows open in full. It's as if...if we got even one of these things wrong, the plane wouldn't take-off....or worse...leave it!　It needs just one non-compliant person to forget to switch off his mobile- it could completely upset this delicate apple-cart!


If we watch the safety drill, it's as if anything and everything　could happen. Forewarned is forearmed one might say....but the safety-information lets our imagination run riot!　Oxygen masks could rain down, the plane could land in water, you may have to bob around in the middle of the ocean on a　floatation-device (which is of course placed under the seat)..... and sometimes, use an enormous slide to slip out of the plane in a tearing hurry!
"Sir, are you ok sitting at the emergency-exit seat?" asks a polite airhostess. Ruffled as we already are, it's tough to give a cogent answer. Our gut-reaction is often, "Madam, am I at a greater risk　in sitting here?　Would I need to hold the door-shut if it were to accidentally open in mid-air? Is there any such possibility...and if there is, I am out of here...for sure!" Unfortunately, there is no exit-strategy, strapped as we are, to our safety-belt. We mumble a　quick yes...and resign ourselves to fate and a few prayers!


But once you are 20000 feet in the air, you're not edgy anymore. The jangled nerves relax, the seat-belt sign is off and　life is balmy once more! The dazzle of the sunshine, the ink-blue sky...and occasional wispy, cotton-like clouds floating by- air-travel has its unique window-shows!
You've eaten the choicest of chocolates of the world. It doesn't matter. When the airhostess gets the tray with the toffees.... all nicely arranged....and lights up the display with a brilliant smile, it's a different feeling altogether. It's suddenly tough to make a selection of one or two. There is an irresistible urge to reach for the candies by the fistful...or taking possession of the entire tray!
You hear the swish of the coke-cans　being opened, the orange-juice poured out, the aroma of fresh coffee and an occasional "Tomato-Juice, no ice please!"


The background sound fades away　to the　crisp voice of the pilot from the cockpit. "We've begun our descent...." He ends　his short speech with elan.　"As part of the crew, we thank you for flying our airlines. We wish you the very best in　your journey ahead!" Such elegance, such poise! Surely, train-travel cannot match this sophistication by a distance!


As the plane prepares for the final-landing, I can see my neighbor scrutinizing my features- my knuckles going white, my clenched jaw. "Relax...relax!! I told you　Air Travel is the safest means of transport! Haven't you seen the numbers? Getting knocked down when you are walking on the footpath has a higher probability!" The argument is compelling. I relaxed till he threw in the rider. "But yes, I do agree. It's a boolean!"　 "What do you mean...it is a boolean?" I shot back. "Well....it means the answer is 1...and sometimes, a 0...but never in-between!" he trailed away...before breaking into a fit of wicked laughter!