NAVARATHRI FESTIVAL KOLAMS

NAVAVIDHA  KOLAMS  FOR NAVARATHRI FESTIVAL

SIGNIFICANCE OF NAVARATHRI FESTIVAL

         Navarathri means nine nights. Darkness is associated with night. What is this darkness? It is the   darkness of ignorance.   The purpose of the Navarathri celebration is to enable man to get rid of  nine types of darkness which have taken hold of him. When a reference is made to Goddess Devi, it  signifies the unified form of three Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. The three together represent Shakthi.
  
         I  have posted nine  kolams  which can be compared to  nine types of devotion (Nava Vidha Bhakthi) and by drawing these kolams infront of bomma kolu can be considered as rendering the Nava-Vidha Bhakthi. I would like to surrender Nava Vidha Bhakthi in the form of these kolams to  Bhagwan  Sri Sathya Sai  Baba(Sai  Matha) for NAVARATHRI.

Each kolam  is  considered   as each  type  of  Devotion.


1.   Shravanam:



 2.  Keerthanam:



3. Vishnu Smaranam:



 4.  Pada Sevanam:





 5.  Archanam:



7.  Saakyam:



   8.  Dhasyam:




9. Atma Nivedanam:

CHAKRA KOLAM

Here  is a kolam  which  resembles chakras   in  our  National  Flag.

VINAYAKA CHATHURTHI KOLAM

Significance of Ganesha Chaturthi

On the day of Ganesha Chaturthi, people worship the Ashtavinayakas referred to the eight embodiments of Lord Ganesha that abolished the negative powers of the evil elements that existed in this planet. The belief that adds the significance of Ganesh Chaturthi is that "Lord Ganesha always comes to abolish the negative forms in every period and every age".


Here  is  a  kolam,  which  can  be  drawn  on "VINAYAKA  CHATHURTHI DAY"

FLOWER BUDS KOLAM

Here  is  a  kolam,  which  contains  the  design  of  creepers  with  flowers.

LORD KUBERA POOJA KOLAM

Kubera  Yantra:

      Why  Kubera  Yantra? Here is the answer :


           Kubera Yanthra is  a positive  energy  device which  is  engraved  with  luck lines  for  each one of us.  Lord  Kubera,  the  God  of  riches  and  material wealth, showers  his  blessings  on  us  through  this  Yantra. Thursdays  and  Friday are  very  auspicious  for Lord Kubera. 


          The specially of this Yantra is the number 72 (7+2=9) should come in all the sides if we add the numbers from each and every side (vertically, horizontally and also diagonally). The Number '9' is very auspicious for Lord Kubera.


          Here  is  the Kubera Pooja Kolam  which  can  be  drawn  on  Thursdays in  our Pooja room.

GRAPHICAL SCALLOPING KOLAM

Here is a simple Graphical Scalloping Kolam. This Kolam can be drawn as Kanya Kolam on auspicious days.

KARTHIGAI DEEPAM KOLAM

As per Hindu religion, Karthigai Penngal are six in number. Similarly, the six deepams in this kolam can be depicted as six penngal. This kolam can be drawn on "Karthigai Deepam" festival at our houses.

PADI KOLAM

Here  is a designed Padi kolam  drawn on the  occasion  of  "ESWARAMBA  DAY" which is celebrated on May 6th of every year. Eashwaramma was the mother of  Bhagwan Sri  Sathya Sai Baba.

Floral Design

Here is a free-handed floral design:

Kannadi Pallakku(glass palanquin) Kolam

This kolam was drawn on the day of Sapthasthanam. Sapthasthanam is a 10 day festival conducted at Thiruvaiyaaru(birth place of carnatic music) during April every year.  Thiruvaiyaaru is a town near Thanjavur. On that day of Sapthasthanam, principal dieties of seven temples in and around Thiruvaiyaaru are decorated in the glass pallakku(palanquins).  Hundreds of people witness the convergence of seven dieties of respective temples from seven places at Tiruvaiyaaru. 


Here is the kolam of kannadi pallakku :

KANYA KOLAMS

Kanya Kolams are the kolams which are drawn on auspicious festivals and functions. In some houses, these are drawn even on every Tuesdays and Thursdays. 

Here is the another one :

Rajasthan Carpet Design

Here is the simple design of a mini mat

Graphical Designs - Peacock Based

Remembering the famous Carnatic song written by Oothukkadu Venkata Subbaier,

      "அசைந்தாடும் மயில் ஒன்று கண்டால்
       நம் அழகன் வந்தான் என்று சொல்வது போல் தோன்றும" 

Here are the Graphical Designs based on Peacock : 

Here is the another one :

Snake Kolam

Naaga Panchamī  is a festival during which religious Hindus in some parts of India worship either images of or live Naagas (cobras) on the fifth day after Amavasya of the month of Shraavana (July - August).  

In South India, on this day, married women and the girls wake up early in the morning, take head bath, arrange the things necessary for pooja and start to reach a nearest Ant Hill(Snake's Home). They offer pooja and Milk to the Ant Hill and pray to Snake God(Indian Cobra - Lord Subramanya's Incarnation) for the Wellness of their brothers and their family. This day is like Raksha Bandhan for South Indian Hindus. If there is no AntHill nearby, they offer milk and pooja to the snake statues erected in the nearby temples. A portion of Milk taken for pooja is taken back home and offered to everyone at home as prasadam(Thirtham).

Here is a Snake kolam which can be drawn on Naaga Panchami day.

Peacock - based Kolam

Here is the kolam based on our Beautiful National bird of India. 

Embroidery Design

Shivarathiri Festival Kolam

Why Lord Shiva is worshiped in the form of Linga?        

           Once upon a time Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu started quarreling. The topic was that who is stronger between them. Then Lord Shiva appeared as a Linga and said whoever reaches the top of the Linga will be declared the winner. Both of them started to climb on the Linga but none of them reached the top. From that day it was declared that Lord Shiva is the strongest of all. And this form of Shiva is mostly worshiped.

Why is Shivarathiri celebrated?

           According to a legend, Parvati performed tapas, prayed and meditated on this day to ward off any evil that might befall her husband on the moonless night. Since then, Maha Shivaratri is believed to be an auspicious occasion for women to pray for the well-being of their husbands and sons.  

          Here is the Kolam of Lord Shiva in the form of Linga drawn at our Pooja room:


 


Here is the same Kolam with two lamps near Lord Shiva: 

Maha Maham Festival Kolam

        Maha Maham is a Hindu festival celebrated every 12 years in the Mahamaham tank located in Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu, India. This tank is located at the entrance of the Maha Kumbeshwarar temple, Kumbakonam. This festival is celebrated once in twelve years, when the planet Guru (Jupiter) enters Simha (Leo) sign. This festival is celebrated each and every year, which is called Maasi Maham since that festival occurs in the Tamil Month of Maasi (February–March) in the star of Magam. 
         Hindus consider taking a holy dip at the Mahamaham tank on that day as sacred. All the rivers of India are believed to meet at the tank on this day and a purificatory bath in that tank is considered equal to the combined dips in all the holy rivers of India. Deities from all the temples in Kumbakonam arrive at the tank and at noon, all the deities bathe along with the devotees - it is called "Theerthavari".  
          This year, Maasi Maham festival was celebrated on March 7th. On that day, here is the Kolam of Maha Kumbeshwarar at our pooja room.

"ஆதி சிவன் தாள் பணிந்து அருள் பெறுவோமே 

         அந்த ஆதி சக்தி நாயகனின் துணை பெறுவோமே"

Mango - based Kolam

This is a free-hand Kolam (i.e drawn without keeping any dots)
 

Butterfly - based Kolam

This Kolam was drawn with the mixture of Kolam powder and rice powder.