Anupama - Strings of Heritage

The Puppet Show

by Anupama | Nov 17, 2017 | Art & The Artist

Looks like its Raining Puppets! After my post on the Puppet Making Workshop, I had an opportunity to see a Puppet show at Sankalpa School. I could feel their excitement in the air. They were all curious to see what it was that would enfold before them when the curtains were raised. As an introduction to puppets in India began and the curtain was raised on the Puppet Show, the kids burst out clapping.

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa- The Tenali Raman Troupe of puppets

With the Ganapathi puppet seated on a pedestal, the other two puppets were singing and dancing, praising lord Ganapathi. Right from a burning aarathi for the lord’s pooja to the garland of flowers to decorate the Lord, it was as real as it could get. One of the puppets also brought out a placard wishing the children a ‘Happy Children’s Day’. The prayer ended with the two of them falling at the feet of the diety. Mr. Vijay, who is one of the sons of M R Ranganatha Rao, the legendary puppeteer tells me that the Ganapathi puppet in wood is more than 250 years old and has been in their family for generations. They use the ancient form of Mysore Rod Puppetry and also the string puppets. The puppets are all beautifully carved in wood and dressed resplendently.

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa- 250 years old Ganapathi Puppet in wood

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa- The Aarati used is quite real with the diya burning!

After the prayer, the children were introduced to the dandiya group of puppets. Let me tell you, they were the centre of attraction for the kids in the entire Puppet Show. This was a set of puppets all attached to one ring and the loop at the centre controls their hands. Believe me! The set is quite heavy, though the dexterity with which it was being wielded by the puppeteer, you wouldn’t know it. In fact when they winded up the puppet show, they took the puppets among the kids and all of them held the puppet strings and made them dance. When I was offered a chance, I immediately took it up. It was so much fun…but lots of muscle power too.

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa

Then there was the snake and the snake charmer. Right from the dressing of the snake charmer to the snake in banares silk, it was an entertainer. In fact Mr. Vijay jovially brought the snake puppet out among the kids even as the show was going on…some were quite brave and didn’t flinch. I quite remembered my daughter…as we were watching Snow White on TV, I was in tears as the dwarfs were mourning for Snow White and my daughter says, “Why are you crying Amma? It’s not real!” Off course…Silly me! So these days kids are more alert to what’s real and what’s not!

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa- The Mysore Rod Puppet

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa- The Dandiya Puppet set

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa -Curious hands at the strings

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa

The Puppet Show also had a play on Tenali Rama and the king. For every dialogue, you could see the corresponding movement and body language of the puppet. It was the scene of the king asking the ministers to tell him the total number of crows in the kingdom and Tenali Rama cleverly says that they are as many as the majesty’s hair. When the king asks for a number, he gives a random number. But the king is not satisfied and says that he will have them counted. To which Tenali Rama replies that if they are found to be less, the crows would be visiting their relatives and if more, then the neighbouring crows must have come for a visit. With this the whole court bursts out laughing and so do we, as we remember this story. The Puppet Show is a beautiful way to remember these stories which lie forgotten in our own childhood.

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa -Tenali Rama

The Puppet Show ends on a joyous note where the stage setting is removed and the puppeteers join the kids for a dance along with the puppets…some of the kids being as big and some smaller than the puppets!

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa -The child was smaller than the puppet!

It was a lovely thought to have the kids see something as special as a puppet show. In this day and age where there is no dearth of entertainment on TV and tabs, it becomes important to expose this generation to the only entertainment that the earlier generations had. If not for our encouragement and patronage, this art will surely not survive. Sankalpa Montessori school is definitely doing a great job in encouraging the artists to continue the legacy. Kudos to the school and Rangaputhali for continuing the legacy of puppets which began with M R Ranganatha Rao.

The Puppet show by Rangaputhali at Sankalpa

More on Rangaputhali and the making of these puppets in another post! In the meanwhile they can be contacted at or 08022428313 for programs and puppet shows.

Hope you enjoyed the show. The video will be uploaded soon on this show.

Lots of Twinkles to you.

Have a great weekend.

Anupama

Puppet Making Workshop

by Anupama | Nov 13, 2017 | Tours & Experiences

Having a child who is five and loves watching TV, I am always on the lookout for activities beyond the couch. When Taneira Jayanagar organised the puppet making workshop, I was among the first to register. The puppet making workshop was in line with their philosophy of working with hands in an age where we are forgetting the value of handmade.

Puppet making workshop. Swatches of fabric from across India brought together by Puthali Toys.

My child was totally excited and couldn’t stop talking about it all week. She’s quite a fashionista…and was totally fascinated with all the beautiful sarees, gorgeous colours and lovely ambience. She couldn’t get enough of the beautiful motifs and weaves in the catalogues and was full of advice on which saree I should pick. But I am on this “very difficult to keep promise” of no shopping. Though I did earmark a few sarees I loved, especially the Ikat.

Puppet making workshop.

As the Children’s day is being celebrated in November, Taneira organised the puppet making workshop on the 12^th of November with Puthali toys who keep conducting such workshops. Mr. Chaitra Kumar represents a lineage of artists and puppeteers from four generations and is the founder of Puthali toys. They make toys and puppets from wood and paper mache and also conduct workshops. The best part in this puppet making workshop was that there was no benchmark, no puppet so see and make. With just a cotton glove, bits of paper, lots of glue and colours, we created the face and the neck. My daughter also added her own touch of blush. Kids picked chits which were based on different weaves and they had to dress up their puppet based on the weave. This was a wonderful way to help them identify the weaves and introduce them to the different textures. We had the south silk and the motif was ‘the tree of life’. It was also an opportunity for us to rediscover the child in us. So though we were clueless in this department, the team from Puthali toys helped us navigate and we easily created masterpieces in puppets.

Three generations at work.

Within a matter of 2 hours we had a beautiful puppet. Parents were as involved as the children and it was a sight to behold…where everyone was busy with glue and swatches of fabric instead of mobile phones. I am sure the puppet making workshop was a great bonding experience for all involved. With similar pieces of paper, different puppets emerged- the expressions, dress, fashion sense and creativity of kids creating individual beauties. All the materials required for the puppet making was provided by the team from Puthali Toys. There were also the props, the trees, grass, cattle, horses and elephants, all beautifully recreated by the kids, guided by the experts in puppet making from Puthali toys. The parents were then asked to leave the kids to plan and bring together the puppet show.

Puppet making workshop.

The story was narrated by one of the kids. The story of the saree seller who thought he had the most beautiful collection of sarees, but was ousted by the queen Sitara Devi who had a saree collection like no other. It was the saree seller’s challenge that nobody had weaves like his and he goes on to display sarees in Kanjeevaram, Ikat from Orissa, Rajkot, Paithani, Banares and Chatthisgarh. The queen inturn displays six sarees in Ilkal, Bengal, Jamini Roy Motif saree, SouthSilk, Kasuti from Karnataka and Jamdani. Parents and the children were introduced to the different weaves as the puppets made their entry with kids wriggling their puppets quite vigorously. This workshop was a beautiful blend of knowledge and fun. After the contest, the queen Sitara Devi, admonishes the saree vendor that each saree is different and has a rich culture and history behind it. So the weaves cannot be compared. She advices him, “Use the opportunity to spread our rich cultural heritage and diversity”. The saree vendor is reformed and becomes the ambassador of our great weaving history.

Puppet making workshop. Sarees, motifs and puppets

Puppet making workshop. Chaitra Kumar and team from Puthali Toys.

With this puppet making workshop, the children couldn’t stop smiling, their pride and sense of achievement shining through. I had no idea I would enjoy this puppet making workshop as much as my child. It created wonderful memories for us, which will go much beyond this workshop and Children’s Day. Thank you to the wonderful people at Taneira and Puthali toys for this day.

A Hundred Hands

by Anupama | Nov 7, 2017 | Tours & Experiences

‘A Hundred Hands’ brings home the realisation, that the beauty and sense of satisfaction that we get in anything handmade is unparalleled. And we are lucky that we come from centuries of this tradition. Our independence is also a witness to this phenomenal movement of the charakha where we went back to khadi and handspun. Today we are at the crossroads where we have to choose between handmade and a product of the machine. It is a conscious choice we make to empower our economy and our artisans. The Dhawan sisters, Ms. Mala Dhawan and Dr. Sonia Dhawan started the NGO ‘A Hundred Hands’ seven years ago with just this intention. To empower the unknown karigar and help him create a brand and identity for himself. Having started as an annual bazaar in their garden, it has now over 100 artisans as members with a wait list of another 200. In a candid talk with Ms. Mala Dhawan, she speaks of the need to scale up with corporate funding. Not taking any commission for themselves, it is a tough journey. It is rare to find such generosity of spirit, especially when the years of work is paying off and the annual collective is a big hit among patrons and consumers. Though they belong to neither the NGO nor the Design world, they are determined to make a difference. And this love that they have for ‘A Hundred Hands’ is seeing them through the many hurdles they have come across. I have been following their initiatives for quite some time now and am mighty impressed with not just their zeal but also the results in terms of the innovation and creativity that they are helping foster among the artisans.

A Hundred Hands

The ME2WE project is one such initiative started last year. It has gained momentum and you will be astounded with the results. The eighth annual collective will feature all these artists and more. You can only imagine the deadly combination when two creative minds collaborate! Absolutely stunning collection of products, a creative journey which has witnessed and transcended barriers of language, location, sensibilities merging onto a whole new plane. The fresh colourful kanchi cotton sarees with lambadi embroidery, the globes of glass created to become aeriums or glass gardens, handwoven fabric with banjara embroidery, accessories made of crochet with patwa embroidery, handloom fabric from ‘Charaka’ lining newspaper rolled picnic baskets, soft ajrakh block printed fabric lining wool knitted scarves, beautiful mirrors which have brought together encaustic art and corrugated discs…are but some of the many collaborations.

A Hundred Hands. A collaboration

A Hundred Hands

Their journey has not been easy but the beauty that has emerged, the collective learning on both sides, the appreciation of each others’ art and process, has enriched the artisan, the art and the patron. The willingness to share their knowledge passed on from generations, enriching the art, learning to blend the different materials and processes to create a new handmade product makes ME2WE a unique collaboration.

A Hundred Hands

‘Blanket of love’ spreads the warmth of ‘A Hundred Hands’ and aims at educating a girl child. A volunteer run programme, knitters and crocheters are encouraged to contribute blankets, the sale proceeds of which, will be used to educate a girl child. So any purchase you make at this counter will see you making a positive difference to a child.

A Hundred Hands

The Denim project is a recycling project which also provides a means of livelihood. This was started in collaboration with NIMHANS where the women undergoing treatment wanted to earn their livelihood but lacked the means. Their tailoring skills were put to good use with ‘A Hundred Hands’ taking care of the raw materials, contemporary designs and marketing of the end product. This beautiful initiative resulted in the trendy bum bags, clutches, mojris, iPad covers, jholas and so many other products.

Diwali

by Anupama | Oct 28, 2017 | Festivals & Celebrations

A long break from writing…and not by design let me tell you. Immediately after Diwali I was all set to share my Diwali with all of you. But that weekend my friend who visited me told me to start immediately with the school hunting for my child and I was already late. And lone week on, there’s not much in terms of progress. At this rate, I think my child is destined for home schooling. So this school thing has been messing my life real time. I just could not sit still and write. But I have realised that life has to go on… so today I have chucked the worry under the carpet and decided to tell you all about my Diwali.

It is such a lovely festival…a favourite with everyone. Even one week on, we see that Facebook and Instagram are still lighted up with images from Diwali. Diwali conjures up images of Diyas, flowers, sparklers, new clothes, yummy sweets, a lot of laughter, get-togethers and all things nice.

Diwali Decor. Pic Credit – Preethi Prabhu

This Diwali was really special for me as it was all about feeling good. I intentionally decided to light up from within. You know I am a great gal…but I have a very bad habit of hoarding. To the point that when my friend sent the carpenter for repairs and some changes, we did not have to buy a thing….I had everything he needed! Well times like these I feel good about my hoarding habit…but what about all the 364 days…even I was fed up with the clutter. This Diwali was a time for resolutions and changes. And how! I am so super pleased, I can’t stop smiling.

7 Tips for a clutter free home from a novice

All that needs to be sorted has to be boxed and labelled. Keep it in storage, go through in phases and clear it. I used to have it lying around, until I got down to sorting and it was so messy I couldn’t think and felt like a failure just looking around my home.

Nooks for display

A gallery wall- this one’s a gem. Preethi Prabhu from Transforminions helped me do a gallery wall and style my work space. Until then, I did not appreciate the wonderful collection that I had of paintings, masks and displays. It was only when it was arranged and put up that I could feel the impact. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has no reservations about nails. This one took some cajoling and convincing as my hubby was totally against drilling the wall. But it’s all worthwhile… especially when I see it every day. First measure the wall and arrange it on the floor. Only when you are happy with the arrangement go for the wall and the drilling machine (This gyan is from Preethi. Hop over to her blog to check out interesting DIYs in home decor)

Gallery wall for Diwali

Those repairs…my kitchen was in dire need of a carpenter. A drawer had caved in, a cupboard door had come off and it was a catastrophe waiting to happen. I got those fixed and so many items went to their rightful places. A stitch in time saves nine…so true!

A corner in my Kitchen

Less is more…this one’s a real treasure. My display nooks which were cramped with collectibles were also contributing to the overall chaos. So these spaces were first cleaned up and just two large pieces were assigned in each nook instead of the earlier six or seven. This brought in a sense of calm.

Less is more. Pic Credit – Preethi Prabhu

A place for everything and everything in its place. Let me not go over the top. I am still working on this one. In fact, I am still “a work in progress” where being clutter free is concerned. But I work on it every day in small ways. So I am sure I will get there one day.

The Foyer

Just don’t buy it. Resist and resist. I don’t think our ancestors ever had this problem of clearing clutter. For one thing this consumerism is the bane of our generation and the next. We tend to buy even before we think it out. So hold your horses before you splurge.

My work space for diwali

Share and gift. Sometimes we end up with a lot of things that we bought say in a sale. I especially do this with handicrafts and home decor items. I had three dhokra wall hangings which I had bought and never used. This time we gifted two of them to the people we loved. Look around you…I am sure you will find something to gift or share.

Diwali décor from my home

For me it was all about going clutter free. How was it for you? What was your focus?

Clutter free Diwali decor

I also needed a pleasing space to work in. So I happily got a lively shade of blue. Not one but four shades in small 200 ml boxes. This was the first time I tried painting a wall and I should say that it was wonderful. Though I wanted to do an ombre wall, that is four shades in gradation, when I saw the last shade, I so loved it that I made waves with this shade all over. What do you think? How’s it come? Then it was time to style it with a bookshelf, that I already had elsewhere (I just moved it to my blue wall) and a pin up board. Tada…

Diwali decor

DIY Pin up board– I had seen an ikat fabric covered pin up board in Preethi’s office (You can see her office tour here) and that was when I decided I wanted a custom made one. Half pin up and half black board. I already had this board from Amazon. Preethi and me brainstormed on how to achieve the look I wanted. It was a pin up on one side and a black board on the other. After removing the frames, we cut up the black board halfway and a foam sheet (I already had this!) was replaced, covered with a kakamkari cloth (I was supposed to get a kurti made out of it). This was all glued together and the frames replaced…lo and behold I got this one-of-a-kind pin up cum black board. You could try this…let me know how it turns out.

The Sandalwood box from my granny resting on the cash box belonging to my hubby’s grandfather

Diwali involving kids– I want my child to feel a sense of involvement in all the festivals. So from last year, Diwali is the time to buy earthen Diyas in varied shapes, sizes and paint them in different hues. It’s a favourite bonding activity for both of us. Then she gifts them to her friends, my friends and relatives. We also use some…so each one of my Diya is unique and we light it with a sense of pride. And yes you can do it by yourself or with your spouse. Children are just an excuse to bring out the child in us.

Diyas in different shapes and colours

Also the savouries and snacks that I prepare, I enlist her help and she is all of five. But she loves that she gets to do something as important as laddoos and cut through for shankarpalis. In fact we are so used to doing things in one way, we stop thinking about them. My five year old wanted pyramids and smileys in her laddoos and that is exactly what she did. And off course I also got a Diwali Hamper from Sinful slices…they make the yummiest cakes and desserts.

Rava laddoos or pyramids or smileys?

Diwali Hamper from Sinful Slices

Even after so many days past Diwali, the glow of Diwali remains. It remains in my soul and my home because I intended for this Diwali to light my life from within. Try it for yourself, Diwali was just an excuse…and don’t forget to tell me about it.

Lots of Twinkles to all of you.

Anupama

Bakula Nayak

by Anupama | Oct 15, 2017 | Art & The Artist

Here I am writing of an artist, Bakula Nayak whose work is a love story with elements of the fairy tale and whimsy. And I can only think of what a lovely person she is. Shall I tell you of the artist, her journey, her work or her home? It’s been days since we met and the post is pending as I wanted to include her video, which is yet to happen. But even after so many days, I can still feel her exuberance, her positive vibes and her creative instincts. Having visited her home, seen the books she loves, the artwork she chooses to display (none of her own!), her notepad of sketches and ideas, her love for the ordinary and the extraordinary, I can see why I am so muddled and lost for words. Bakula is the fragrant flower who spreads the joy of love through art, but has a sad place in her heart from where soulful poetry flows.

Bakula Nayak – An Artist’s Journey

Two cozy rabbits – Art by Bakula Nayak

I first came across her artwork in Facebook, which had a lovely pair of birds having tea and her trademark was the vintage paper she used as her base and inspiration. One good thing about blogging is that you lose all inhibitions you would otherwise have. So I immediately connected with her and wanted to meet her. When I meet someone like Bakula Nayak, it makes me very grateful for my work. Otherwise how else would I have met such a wonderful person? Luckily we have a connection and she shares her life with me. Having lost her parents, she treasures their love letters she came across a long time after. Having only seen them as an ordinary couple who never publicly expressed their love, she tells me that it was a revelation for her. Seeing all her drawings treasured by them, brought it all back and she started drawing after a gap of nearly twenty years.

Birds! Seeing this my child asks me if they are her mummy and daddy? A child’s favorite subject…And yes they are her parents!

Birds, tea and a garden. All that Bakula loves.

Flashback -Though her first love was always design, she could not attend the interview at NID as her father was against her leaving Bangalore. With limited options she completed Architecture, but decided to study design in the US after her engineering. “It wasn’t easy, especially as I had to follow the heavy Southern accent, use the internet and live alone in a foreign country.” But she did manage and came back to be with her mother who was suffering from cancer. Her mother’s only wish was to see her daughter married and Bakula relented. With just a few emails she knew that she had found her soul mate in her husband and they got married. Her mother’s health improved dramatically after the marriage and she lived for some more months happy that her daughter was finally married. She talks of happier times, the drawing competitions she would prepare for, the prize that she received from Rekha (the popular Bollywood actress) and rolling shields. Her mother would always encourage her to conceptualize and plan before she started drawing. She had to draw events from the newspaper such as Indira Gandhi’s cremation and that habit helps her plan her sketches even to this day. She extends the same encouragement to her children and I saw one of her son’s painting which was awesome.

Bakula Nayak’s workspace

Motherhood

Inspiration –Bakula Nayak finds inspiration everywhere. Her Unplugged series is a witness to her curiosity and attempt to bring the extraordinary to the common man in a simplified and child like manner so as to render it accessible. Tyagayya unplugged, Sangam unplugged, In Adoration of Krishna are her unplugged series where she decodes and demystifies. What connects me to Bakula is that each of these unplugged series is her personal journey, her understanding of the each of these subjects “which picked her rather than the other way around”. I feel the same way with my blog posts, they are my journey, my learning and experience which I share with all of you.

Interpretation of the Pichwais . Art by Bakula Nayak

Unplugged –Tyagayya was one of the greatest composers of Carnatic music who wrote musical compositions in Telugu using that which he found in everyday life. Bakula Nayak happened upon the translation in English and rendered it in watercolours. This series sees Rama and Lakshmana sharing a moment of brotherly love but as birds. The Yamuna in another painting is shown in all her splendor as a kind mother who loves all the flora and fauna around and in her. I loved this elaborate painting. Nauka Charitham shows Krishna as a bird, where he works up a storm so that the Gopikas who were teasing him will have to ask his help and be humbled. Sangam unplugged is Tamil poetry on love and war. In Bakula’s words she “only knows Love” as a mother, an artist and a lover. With any tragedy in our lives, it becomes difficult to keep our faith in God and her faith was shaken with the death of her parents. ‘In Adoration of Krishna’ explores her relationship with Hari and the more formal settings of the Pichwai paintings find their place on Bakula’s canvas showing aspects of motherly love with a cow and calf, and divine love with a pair of herons. With the final painting, she says that she just could not do it and Hari had abandoned her. It is this creative honesty which is so much a part of Bakula that endears her. Her signature style of whimsical on vintage paper is usually presented in collaboration with artists from other spheres.

Romantic love -An interpretation of Romantic love. Art by Bakula Nayak

The Yamuna river forms a part of the Tyagayya Unplugged series

Collections –She collects anything and everything vintage. Right from matchboxes, matchbox holders, frames, mirrors, photos to aftershave lotion bottles fashioned like cars. I loved her collection of antiques and her ‘vintage stash’. But off course with Bakula, it’s the birds you see everywhere.

Bakula Nayak’s love for all that is old

Bakula Nayak – An Artist’s Journey

Bakula shows me a passage from a book that she is reading and it’s all about the ‘creative surplus’ in an artist which creates an interaction and ‘impels the artist to love and understand the world for its own sake.’ With inspiration, Bakula dips into books to understand and love the world. Bakula Nayak is an inspiration to explore all that is within you waiting to be explored and let free. It is not just her art, but her courage in exploring an aspect of herself which had not seen the light for twenty long years. Her courage in fighting back when her health is not great and losing herself in art which only shows love. Her poetry is a small window to her soul but she chooses to assert with love. Her home is a reflection of her personality and I have some lovely glimpses from her home. But that is for another day. Until then stay inspired. Light up from within.