On the occasion of the 179th aradhana tribute to saint Thyagaraja, Carnatic music’s foremost composer, which is marked today, January 7, CIT Colony resident of kolam expert and scholar Gayathri Shankaranarayan designed a theme kolam this morning at the doorstep of her residence.
Explaining the theme kolam, she said –
At the heart of this mandala lies the soul of Carnatic music: the tambura, flanked by the violin and the mridangam.
Moving outward, the ‘Solfa’ syllables (swaras) dance in a circle, leading toward the sacred feet of lord Rama—Thyagaraja’s eternal muse.
Surrounded by lamps (deepams) and flowers, the outer ring represents the sapthaswaras, the seven steps one takes to reach the divine centre of Nada Vidya.
During the margazhi season, Gayathri designs intricate kolams every morning when she is in town.
