Kathakali-2

     Kathakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance drama which has its origin in the Indian state of Kerala in the 17th century. Traditionally there are 101 stories which are enacted in this form. Earlier the performances were designed to last the whole night however they have been modified with the changing times. Now they last for 3-4 hours. This dance form is noted for its colourful make-up, elaborate costumes, detailed gestures and well defined body movement. Percussion is the main accompaniment. The stage actually becomes a riot of colors. It becomes too tempting to resist painting. Hope this work conveys the story...!

Monstera Deliciosa

     Had spoilt two watercolors one after the other. Probably because of not getting enough time or too many distractions. Decided to paint some thing that would take a little less time and concentration. These lovely leaves have always fascinated me. They are called 'Monstera Deliciosa'. Have done two works earlier of the same subject. This was a quick fire work and was happy. Hope you all like it.

Jaguar

     Pilots always love their aircraft and military pilots treat their machine as an extension of themselves. This large work was done for a pilot who had stopped flying this aircraft, 'a Jaguar', quite some time back but could not get over it. I am so happy that this work of mine has a home where it will be loved and taken care of. Hope you all love it too. 

Mystic

     Although this picture is of a 'Sadhu' or an ascetic I prefer to call it Mystic because there is a veil of mystery surrounding them. Sadhus are ascetics, who have left behind all material attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India and Nepal. They are revered for the life style that they adopt to attain Moksha or liberation. They have no material belongings and lead the life of a gypsy. Some sects do not wear any clothes even in sub zero temperatures! The only thing that they use is ash to cover their body to give them warmth (It also gives them a scary look). However, reverence of sadhus is by no means universal in India. Historically and contemporarily, sadhus have often been viewed with a certain degree of suspicion, particularly amongst the urban populations of India. This is because of the rampant use of hash and opium. Also there are many who are actually not ascetics but posing as one to cover up some nefarious activities.

     Anyway found this pic of a sadhu clicked by my friend Debesh Sharma quite interesting and decided to paint it in oils on paper. Hope it portrays the mystery surrounding them.

I got to move it move it !

     Well I was a bit tired of painting straight lines of old architecture which I found quite tedious. I was also in mood for some light work.Found this subject right in front of me while flying for offshore rigs. These oil rigs are massive structures. Some of them are self contained structures which can house 200 workers and in addition the machinery etc. Helicopters land on their helidecks. In fact they are an engineering marvel. Many of these rigs can be moved from one location to another. And to move them these small tug boats are used. The first time I saw them I could not believe it. Three or four of them together can shift these huge structures. Moral of the story.... 'United we stand, divided we fall.' 

     Enjoy !

Somnath

 

     This is a painting of the Somnath temple, which has been a symbol of the resilience of the Hindu faith. No one knows when this temple was built originally. After the first time it was destroyed, it was rebuilt in 649 AD. This temple has been destroyed nearly a dozen times.... by the Persians, Arabs, Mughals, by rulers within the country and outside the country. It was looted of it's riches over and over and left to crumble. But some how faith always brought it back. It was finally rebuilt after India gained independence. Some additions are still being made! For reference I am also adding a picture of the state this temple was in before it was last built.

    This temple happened to be very close to where I am currently flying. So what better subject than this to paint. Hope you all found the story interesting and like the work above.

Huzoor Palace @ Porbandar

     I am in the land of 'The Mahatma' or 'Bapu' or 'Mahatma Gandhi' as the world knows him. Porbandar is his place of birth. This painting is of the 150 room palace of the erstwhile King of the erstwhile state of Porbandar. It was built in the early 20th century by the then King Natwar Singh. He named it 'Huzoor Palace'. Huzoor can be roughly translated as 'My Lord'. But before he could enjoy the fruits of his labour, India gained independence and his kingdom became a part of the Indian Union. Devastated, he migrated to UK. His son who inherited this palace keeps visiting but either due to lack of interest or resources, the palace is in a state of disrepair. What surprised me most was that the locals do not even know his name... so neither do I. What an irony, all this wealth and prosperity could not give him recognition. But, the whole world remembers Mahatma Gandhi who was born in a small house in this same place. It goes to prove that all your wealth cannot buy you what your good deeds can.

     Hope you all enjoyed this small bit of history and also like this work.