Celebrate Margazhi with Kolam jewellery

“I have marked the concerts that I want to attend” says my mom and my Dad asks me to set a repeat alarm in his phone so that he can get up an hour early, make Pongal (a rice based dish) to offer to the Gods. Afterall, it is Margazhi.*

The Significance of Margazhi (Pronounced Maar gha zhi)

The Tamil month of Margazhi (December mid to January mid) is considered to be a magical time. It is a period of contemplation when you are supposed to reflect upon who you are and who you want to be. Hindu scriptures proclaim that this inner reflection can be achieved only through true devotion. Mediation or penance done during this period can stabilise the mind which will work smarter in the next cycle thereby bringing in prosperity.

*Margazhi is a month with 29 days (yes not all months have the same number of days in the Tamil Calendar) and began on 16th of December in 2017.

SNP1018 – MR Braided kolam addigai – Available for sale

Scientifically speaking this is the time of the year when Earth is closest to the sun. However, the northern face of the planet is facing away from it. Seeds planted during this month do not grow well and there is general tension in relationships.  Traditionally, the focus is more on self-preservation in inertia than in extending warmth or conceiving growth. Hence weddings are not performed during this month and abstinence is recommended. Not just weddings but people do not move houses, start a business or a relationship in this month. It is meant for attaining stability before the next month (Thai) which is all about the start of a new cycle with mobility.

SNP1016 – MC Orange kolam pendant with purple and green beads inspired by colourful rangoli. Comes with a beaded stud.  Available for sale

Margazhi and celebrations

However, you cannot keep an Indian away from celebrations for an entire month. Thus instead of celebrating human relationships, the focus is turned on religion and God. This devotion is celebrated with music, dance, art, and craft.

Lord Krishan (an avatar of Lord Vishnu) proclaims in the Bhagavad Gita that out of all the 12 months, he is Margazhi. Though this is the coldest month of the year, you would see many Vaishnavite Hindus (those Hindus who worship Lord Vishnu) visiting Vishnu temples at the crack of dawn. You would see groups of people (mostly men) singing Bhajans (devotional songs) and chanting in the streets at four or five in the mornings. Women draw beautiful Kolams in the threshold of their houses to invite this divinity inside. These activities are said to calm the mind and discipline it with austerities to rise above difficulties that surround us.

Celebrate Margazhi with Kolam jewellery

I have revisited the art of drawing Kolams in my recent post on Kolam ornaments.  In this post I am going to show your different types of Kolam jewelry based on two categories of Kolams – Pulli kolam and rangoli. A few of these kolams are drawn based on patterns shown in Kamalascorner.

Pulli Kolam (Kolams based on dots)

These are dot and lines based drawings made in a grid pattern. The dots are first marked and the lines are drawn to either connect them or go around them. In the first case, it creates geometric forms and in the second case endless knots. The first six images on this post showcase Kolam pendants that have Pulli kolams with different designs of endless knots.

After the Kolam Jewelry for Diwali sold out I made this range along with designs based on Rangoli. All the necklace sets and the hematite bracelet with Kolam focal are sold.

Margazhi or Dhanur maasam is incomplete without mentioning Andal and Thiruppavai but more on her in the next post. It will be followed by Rangoli for Pongal or Sankranthi- the next festival in the Indian Calendar.

This is my last post of the year 2017, so I wish you all a very happy, fun filled, healthy and prosperous New Year. Meet you next year.

Happy New Year 2018