In the April of 2003, I rented an apartment for a month in Chennai (Madras.) Though I had been to the northern parts of India several times, this was my first visit to the southeast coast. Walking in the early mornings, I'd find intricate knot work patterns drawn out free hand with flour on the streets in front of homes. Initially, my question was, how did these designs, so common in Celtic knot work, end up in India?
These artistic scrolls were known as Rangoli, which is a combination of two words: "Ranga" means God and "Oli" means to be pleased. A devout Hindu friend explained to me that the designs were a daily offering, an artful expression of worship not only for the deities, but also for the birds that feast on the flour designs during the day.
The tradition is truly ancient. Hindu epics thousands of years old describe cities where Rangolii were drawn with camphor powder or multicolored stones. One myth tells how a women's picture of flowers was so realistic that it attracted bees. The designs were also done with red earth and even depicted on top milk carefully poured in a water vessel. The ability to draw these designs was considered so important that it brought status, particularly to a daughter-in-law seeking to impress her new mother-in-law. Even today, there can be a bit of playful competition between house holds.
The technique looks simple enough, but really requires a skill since it is done free hand. Rangoli images start from a matrix of dots which are connected by lines to create images.
I saw floral and knot work motifs, but it is also common during festivals to depict Hindu iconography, such as the conch, lotus or sacred Sanskrit letters. In Rajastan, which is in the northwest part of India, the Rangoli images are painted on the handles of swords or knives carved into animals. Rangoli is also painted on coconut shell used as gifts during weddings. Since only a general outline is depicted, the images lean toward the abstract.
Rangoli designs can be seen as a form mandelas, which in essence is a sacred, archetypal symbol sometimes used in meditation practice. Zig-zags, circles, triangle or any shape and color effect consciousness.
Among the most elaborate mandalas are drawn by Tibetans who spend days creating detailed mandalas in sand before ceremonially wiping the image out.
Though the act of creating these patterns in ritualistic and domestic settings are layered with meanings rooted deeply in these cultures, I believe it is safe to say that Rangoli teaches about reverence and the transience in our human experience. The beauty of the moment, the sunrise and the day, comes and it goes.
For me, seeing the art drawn on the street was a fascinating and delightful experience which enabled me to connect with these people on a universal, human level.
Marc Choyt graduated from Brown University in 1984 with a degree in English. In 1995, he received an MA degree in Humanities from St. John's College. In 1996, he and his wife, Helen Chantler, founded Reflective Images, a designer jewelry company specializing in contemporary Celtic jewelry.
Please send email requests to marek@celticjewelry.com
http://www.artisanweddingrings.com
http://www.celticjewelry.com
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