Tanjore Paintings
Bipin bihari
There is no aspect of…….
There is no aspect of life, culture and civilization which is not influenced by Krishna theme and thoughts, be it Indian philosophy and religion, mysticism and poetry, painting and sculpture, music and dance. Every aspect of Krishna’s life with deep mystical symbol indicates the highest Truth. Krishna in blue form clothed in yellow suggests Pure Infinite Consciousness on earth in The Finite form since blue is the colour associated with infinitude and yellow as the colour of earth . Lord Krishna is identified with flute which is an inert insentient piece of matter but when played by lord emanates divine music. Like wise this human body is, by itself, inert and insentient Through the five sense organs and mind-and-intellect the consciousness expresses itself and brings out divine harmony and peace both within and without, which in itself is melody and music of life. In this painting since Krishna is standing ina pose so as bending his body at three places hence he is called " Tribhangi Lal ".
tirupati bala ji
Situated at Thirumalai hills….
Situated at Thirumalai hills in Andhra Pradesh (India), Thirupati balaji is believed to be reincarnation of lord Vishnu whereas Thirumalai hills symbolizes His holy abode on this earth. Other names Lord is known as are Balaji, Bithala, Venkateshwara, Venkateshwer, and Venkatachalapathi Balaji. The Idol made of black granite, is adorned with cloths and many precious jewels. It is the richest Hindu deity in the world. Balaji holds the conch shell, which represents the first sound of creation, the lotus symbolizing the unfolding universe, the mace interpreted as the power of knowledge, conquering time and the discus(chakra) symbolizing the conquering of evil and ignorance. Balaji devotees are recognized by the “U” shaped symbol on their forehead.
Abhaya daan
“O! Lord Ganesha…….
“O! Lord Ganesha, radiant, supreme being, omni potent and omnipresent grant us a many faceted knowledge of the ultimate reality” Lord Ganesha represents a successful grahastha who is prosperous, intelligent, and full of luxuries, spiritual, knowledgeable and the one who has controlled his desires. Here in this picture he is granting blessings to one and all hence the name “Abhaya Daan”.
Leaf Krishna
this particular pose of Lord Krishna depicts …………..
this particular pose of Lord Krishna depict the Lord's love for his devotees. according to scriptures since devotees touches HIS feet in reverence so by sucking HIS thumb Lord tries to suck all the love showered on him through HIS devotees
Ohm Namah Shivay
Shiva is the third member……..
Shiva is the third member of the Hindu trinity representing Godhead in its aspect of annihilator, in charge of the “constructive –destruction” in the continuous process of creation, preservation destruction and re-creation or transformation. The eternal truth is expressed through his personality more in dignified silence than in vociferous eloquence. He is the god of austerity. The name “neel kantha”, the blue neck god symbolizes the pervasiveness of Maya. The third eye in the center of the forehead represents the eye of wisdom as well as annihilation. When the eye of wisdom opens, the universe of names, forms and duality must stand annihilated. Supreme knowledge can not but is followed by austerity. The tiger skin and holy ash that besmears the body symbolizes complete dehydration of the Vasanas at the mental level. The trident stands for Sama, dama and vairagya which dispel and destroy the six qualities Kama, krodh, lobh, moha, mada and ahmkara. Shiva by his tapas, austerities and consequent wisdom has conquered the concept of death and all its hideous retinue and they are all under his lordship and command. The kundala he is wearing represents the feminity hidden in every male thus signifying the ancient concept of ardha narishwara i.e. half male and half female. Shiva not only destroys the universe but also one’s illusions about the cycles of birth and death which binds us to this world.
Kamalasana(Goddess Lakshmi)
She is often depicted ….
Lakshmi, the consort of lord Vishnu, one of the forms of the Mother Goddess, is the goddess of fortune and wealth and. She is associated with the festival of Divali as the source of blessings for the New Year. She is often depicted seated on a lotus being showered by two elephants who are pouring pots of water over her head. The lotus is a symbol of fertility and purity as it grows from the mud both in power and beauty, where as water depicts plenty, purity and continuity.
Vishva Vinayaka
Ganesha, the son of……..
Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati is the first deity to be worshipped during any religious ritual as he is considered the remover of obstacles. His huge body represents the Universe and trunk the Pranava or Ohm, the symbol of the Brahman. His elephant’s head denotes superior intelligence. The noose he held in his hand reminds us that worldly attachments are a noose. The hook in his hand is to prod us towards the path of righteousness. The broken tusk in his hand used as pen is symbol of knowledge and sacrifice which he used to write the epic Mahabharta .The modaka in his hand remind us of the sweetness of one’s inner self. The physical form of Ganesha reminds us that real beauty is inner beauty, the spiritual perfection. Similarly his vehicle, the rat tells us the importance of smallest of things existing in universe.
Simha Vahini( Ma Durga)
Cosmic energy in its…..
Cosmic energy in its dynamic form is symbolized for us ordinary mortals in the form of “Shakti”, the World Mother. She is the power and energy by which the Great God creates, preserves and destroys the world. Shakti is worshipped in many different forms. As “Uma” or “Parvati”, she is the gentle consort of “Shiva”. As “Kamakshi”, she is the Great Mother. In the form of Durga, she rides the lion,the symbol of ego and arrogance that Man has to subdue. So she is the one who has powers to conquer these evils. With the weapons in her hand she fights the eight evils (hate, greed, passion, vanity, contempt of others, envy, jealously and the illusions with which man binds himself).
Natraj Ganesha
Nataraja, lord of dance…….
Nataraja, lord of dance is not just a meaningless object but a symbol of highest teaching which can inspire and elevate. Nataraja, the Guru teaches that Maya (illusion) should be crushed down. World should be subjugate to us not we to world. And we as human being should ascend to the region of pure, unconditioned consciousness, free from passion and deception. One should enjoy the bliss of calmness and truth that form the Self.
Deen-E-Ilahi
The word “Mosque”……..
The word "Mosque" literally means a place of prostration. In Qur'an, the proper word is Masjid, derived from the word 'Sadj' which means the place where one prostrates oneself. Mosque serves as an institution in which the focal point of religious and social activities are combined beautifully and with conscious relevance to please Allah. It is a humble way for followers of the Islamic faith, to recreate pure divine presence on earth. Mihrab, a niche in the wall having no doors is mandatory structure to indicate the direction of Mecca (this direction is called Qibla).
Holy Cross
The “Cross” is one of …….
Holy Cross The “Cross” is one of the oldest symbols found in almost all civilizations. Since the time Christ sacrificed his life on cross it has become the very symbol of Christian religion. Thus it represents the self sacrifice and redemptive love of Christ for man kind. There are various forms of cross, out of which Greek, Latin, and the Calvary cross are more frequently used. The basic difference in all of them is regarding their dimensions and the church they represent. When a figure of crucified Christ is attached to the cross it is called the “Crucifix”. The three steps on which it stands signify faith, love and hope.
Radha Krishna On Swing
Radha Krishan on swing……
Swing has special meaning in indian culture. during the month of Basant ( spring) , known as Ritu Raj, the king of all weathers,whole nature is blooming as if struck by god of love kama dev. the soft wind blowing , sweet smell of flowring in environment encourages eveyr one to be with one's beloved. same kind of moment sharing betwen Radha and Krishna is depicted here in this painting. The love of radha and Krishna is symbolic of the eternal love affair between devoted mortal and the Devine. Radha’s yearning for union with her beloved Krishna is the soul’s longing for spiritual awakening to be united with the One Source of peace and bliss form which it has got separated. This pain of separation is the root cause of all suffering. To rediscover our Oneness is the source of fulfillment and happiness
Isckon Krishna
Lord Krishna is identified ….
Lord Krishna is identified with flute which is an inert insentient piece of matter but when played by lord emanates divine music. Like wise this human body is inert and insentient. The consciousness expresses itself through the five sense organs and mind-and-intellect, and brings out divine harmony and peace both within and without, which in itself is melody and music of life. This painting is an effort to bring together north and south Indian art culture. Here Krishna as we know in north India is depicted in Tanjore art work.
Meera_Tanjore
this work is an humble effort ……..
this work is an humble effort to bring together the miniature art of rajasthan and tanjore painting of tamil nadu together. here relief work m gold work or tanjore style is fused with the colour , pattern and back ground of rajasthani miniature work and result has been rather too good
Lotus_ganesha
“O! Lord Ganesha, radiant, supreme being,……….
“O! Lord Ganesha, radiant, supreme being, omni potent and omnipresent grant us a many faceted knowledge of the ultimate reality”. This is the Prayer to invoke Lord Ganesha’s blessings . Lord Ganesha is worshipped first before any auspicious beginning.Lord Ganesha represents a successful grahastha who is prosperous, intelligent, full of luxuries, spiritual, knowledgeable and the one who has controlled his desires. The symbols Swastika represents Ganesha family. Main body represents four hands of Ganesha with rope, axe, modakam and blessings. Four lines on both sides represent his two wives RIDDHI-SIDDHI and two sons SHUBH-LABH Different names of lord Ganesha Gana nayakam, kapil, vikat, ganadhyaksha, ohm, herve, vighna vinashak, vighna raj, lambodara, vakra tunda, gajanana, ek danta, dhumra ketu, morya
Vishva_Vinayaka( with arch)
this painting is an experiment….
this painting is an experiment of using only hues of one single dark colour so as to enhance the effect of gold and i must say result has been highly satisfying. for this particular work i even tried using only white stones agian a bold experiment. thissi one work which is very popular with people who have a keen eye for apreciating art are ready to accpet n give accolade to experiments.
golden_ leaf_krishna
this particular pose of Lord Krishna …..
this particular pose of Lord Krishna is in fact depict the Lords love for his devotees. according to scriptures since devotees of lord touches HIS feet in reverence so by sucking HIS thumb he tries to suck all that love showered on him through HIS devotees.
Radha Krishna On Swing(north indian style)
Swing has special meaning in indian culture………..
Swing has special meaning in indian culture. during the month of Basant ( spring) , known as Ritu Raj, the king of all weathers,whole nature is blooming as if struck by god of love kama dev. the soft wind blowing , sweet smell of flowring in environment encourages eveyr one to be with one's beloved. same kind of moment sharing betwen Radha and Krishna is depicted here in this painting. The love of radha and Krishna is symbolic of the eternal love affair between devoted mortal and the Devine. Radha’s yearning for union with her beloved Krishna is the soul’s longing for spiritual awakening to be united with the One Source of peace and bliss form which it has got separated. This pain of separation is the root cause of all suffering. To rediscover our Oneness is the source of fulfillment and happines
Shubh Darshan
here lord Krishna is depicted in all his glory hence the name “ Shubh darshan”…….
Lord Krishna was the dynamic incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The word Krishna means ‘dark’ symbolizing supreme consciousness. Consciousness is said to be dark since it is unseen by or unknown to human being as he remains rooted in terrestrial experiences. Krishna, the Consciousness resides in the core of one’s personality. It remains confined, as it were, within the five layers of matter constituting the human personality. Here in this picture lord Krishna is depicted in all his glory hence the name “ Shubh darshan”.
Yugal Jori
The love of Radha and Krishna is symbolic of…………
The love of Radha and Krishna is symbolic of the eternal love affair between the devoted mortal and the divine…..Radha’s yearning for union with her beloved Krishna is the soul’s longing for spiritual awakening.
Megh Vernam
here lord Ganesha is shown blue coloured in body thus the name ‘Megha varnam”………
Ganesha idol signifies the qualities of a perfect manager. elephant head : wisdom and intelligence long trunk : sixth sense to anticipate danger in advance big ears : to listen carefully small eyes : to investigate minutely big belly : to keep secret, and maintain balance in all experience of life small mouth : very minimum talking sitting positing : patience axe : to keep control over desires rope : to pull devotees near truth modakam : represents fruits of worship and Devotion rat : represents power of desire which like rat can slowly eat away all the merits of devotee. simhasana : represents king ship vastra & jewelry : represents the grandeur thus blessings of Goddess Lakshmi. abhaya mudra : giving blessings to devotees
Parvati Nandan
Lord Subramanian (Kartikeya) represents
Lord Subramanian (Kartikeya) represents such a Man-of-Perfection who has discovered the supreme self. Lord Subrahmanya is an Avatara of Lord Siva. To proclaim his infinite status he carries in his hand the Sakti or Velayudha (a sort of spear). The wielding of this instrument of annihilation symbolizes the destruction of all negative tendencies (Vasanas) through penetrating spiritual knowledge, which veil the Devine self.
Nav_Yugal
The etrenal love of radha and Krishna is symbolic ……..
The love of radha and Krishna is symbolic of the eternal love affair between devoted mortal and the Devine. Radha’s yearning for union with her beloved Krishna is the soul’s longing for spiritual awakening to be united with the One Source of peace and bliss form which it has got separated. This pain of separation is the root cause of all suffering. To rediscover our Oneness is the source of fulfillment and happiness
Sculpture Ganesha(sand)
sculptures always ……
sculptures always fascinated me, but never had heart and opportunity to learn and do one. then i got this idea to do one piece in sculpture style using sand . result is here for you all to see.
WORK IN ACRYLIC
This painting was ……..
This painting was done on hard board using acrylic paints while nursing my ailing mom-in-law. i loved working in this medium.
ManMohana
Lord Krishna was the dynamic incarnation ………
Lord Krishna was the dynamic incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The word Krishna means ‘dark’ symbolizing supreme consciousness. Consciousness is said to be dark since it is unseen by or unknown to human being as he remains rooted in terrestrial experiences. Krishna, the Consciousness resides in the core of one’s personality. It remains confined, as it were, within the five layers of matter constituting the human personality. Here in this picture lord Krishna as a child is captivates one's heart, hence the name "Man Mohana"
Tribhangi LAl
There is no aspect of life………
There is no aspect of life, culture and civilization which is not influenced by Krishna theme and thoughts, be it Indian philosophy and religion, mysticism and poetry, painting and sculpture, music and dance. Every aspect of Krishna’s life with deep mystical symbol indicates the highest Truth. Krishna in blue form clothed in yellow suggests Pure Infinite Consciousness on earth in The Finite form since blue is the colour associated with infinitude and yellow as the colour of earth . Lord Krishna is identified with flute which is an inert insentient piece of matter but when played by lord emanates divine music. Like wise this human body is, by itself, inert and insentient Through the five sense organs and mind-and-intellect the consciousness expresses itself and brings out divine harmony and peace both within and without, which in itself is melody and music of life. In this painting since Krishna is standing in a pose so as bending his body at three places hence he is called " Tribhangi Lal ".
Pendent Krishna
Tanjore work has a interesting tradition…….
Tanjore work has a interesting tradition of giving self explanatory titles to various tanjore paintings. this paintings is a traditional pattern done time and again by artists of different era. here the beautiful face of Lord Krishna is adorning the pendent worn by a child hence this painting is given title "pendent Krishna"
Thirupati Balaji 1
Situated at Thirumalai hills in Andhra Pradesh (India)……..
Situated at Thirumalai hills in Andhra Pradesh (India), Thirupati balaji is believed to be reincarnation of lord Vishnu whereas Thirumalai hills symbolizes His holy abode on this earth. Other names Lord is known as are Balaji, Bithala, Venkateshwara, Venkateshwer, and Venkatachalapathi Balaji. The Idol made of black granite, is adorned with cloths and many precious jewels. It is the richest Hindu deity in the world. Balaji holds the conch shell, which represents the first sound of creation, the lotus symbolizing the unfolding universe, the mace interpreted as the power of knowledge, conquering time and the discus(chakra) symbolizing the conquering of evil and ignorance. Balaji devotees are recognized by the “U” shaped symbol on their forehead.
Thirupati Balaji 2
Situated at Thirumalai hills in Andhra Pradesh…….
Situated at Thirumalai hills in Andhra Pradesh (India), Thirupati balaji is believed to be reincarnation of lord Vishnu whereas Thirumalai hills symbolizes His holy abode on this earth. Other names Lord is known as are Balaji, Bithala, Venkateshwara, Venkateshwer, and Venkatachalapathi Balaji. The Idol made of black granite, is adorned with cloths and many precious jewels. It is the richest Hindu deity in the world. Balaji holds the conch shell, which represents the first sound of creation, the lotus symbolizing the unfolding universe, the mace interpreted as the power of knowledge, conquering time and the discus(chakra) symbolizing the conquering of evil and ignorance. Balaji devotees are recognized by the “U” shaped symbol on their forehead.
Yugal Kishore
The love of Radha and Krishna is symbolic………
The love of Radha and Krishna is symbolic of the eternal love affair between the devoted mortal and the divine…..Radha’s yearning for union with her beloved Krishna is the soul’s longing for spiritual awakening.
Jagad Janani
Mother Durga, manifested out of the eternal truth…..
Mother Durga, manifested out of the eternal truth, is appalling power. She has in it all the powers, thus the name "Paripoorna”. Man, the imperfect is riddled with negative thoughts, fears, and yearnings. These are selfishness, jealousy, meanness, prejudice and hatred… just to mention a few. To eliminate these evils, no amount of soft persuasion can avail. There must be a deep, determined, adamantine resolve. Invoke the Mother supreme to help us annihilate within ourselves all negative forces; weaknesses and littlenesses. This particular form of mother supreme is worshipped in Bengal to guard away all the evils.
Venu Gopal
Lord Krishna is identified with flute which is an inert……….
Lord Krishna is identified with flute which is an inert insentient piece of matter but when played by lord emanates divine music. Like wise this human body is inert and insentient. The consciousness expresses itself through the five sense organs and mind-and-intellect, and brings out divine harmony and peace both within and without, which in itself is melody and music of life. here in this picture Krishan is standing under tree with cow as company so he is called Venu Gopal. Venu(Cow)
Simha Vahini(small size)
Cosmic energy in its dynamic form is symbolized …….
Cosmic energy in its dynamic form is symbolized for us ordinary mortals in the form of “Shakti”, the World Mother. She is the power and energy by which the Great God creates, preserves and destroys the world. Shakti is worshipped in many different forms. As “Uma” or “Parvati”, she is the gentle consort of “Shiva”. As “Kamakshi”, she is the Great Mother. In the form of Durga, she rides the lion,the symbol of ego and arrogance that Man has to subdue. So she is the one who has powers to conquer these evils. With the weapons in her hand she fights the eight evils (hate, greed, passion, vanity, contempt of others, envy, jealously and the illusions with which man binds himself).
Murlidhar Gopal
Lord Krishna is identified with flute which is an inert …….
Lord Krishna is identified with flute which is an inert insentient piece of matter but when played by lord emanates divine music. Like wise this human body is inert and insentient. The consciousness expresses itself through the five sense organs and mind-and-intellect, and brings out divine harmony and peace both within and without, which in itself is melody and music of life. this painting is given the name Murlidhar since here Lord Krishna is depicted playing the flute. the magenta colour in back ground is result of desire to try soem thing different than usual hues of red green etc used as back ground colours in tanjore painting.