The M. RM Cultural Foundation

The Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu is considered the hometown of the Chettiar community, renowned for its business acumen and historical trade links across South East Asia. It is here that the seeds of a cultural revival have been sown by Visalakshi Ramaswamy and her M. Rm. Rm. Cultural Foundation.

When Visalakshi Ramaswamy set out to co-author a book called The Chettiar Heritage along with S. Muthiah and Meenakshi Meyappan, she found that the very heritage they were trying to document and photograph, was disappearing at a shocking rate. Traditional buildings were being razed to the ground or transformed beyond recognition. Craftspersons were giving up their skills to move on to better paying occupations or relocating to cities.
In the year 2000, Visalakshi Ramaswamy began the M. Rm. Rm. Cultural Foundation to ensure that these craftspersons from the Chettinad region were provided a steady income hoping that this would, in turn, infuse new life into those languishing traditions. The Foundation hopes to preserve the past by extensively documenting these traditions and hopes to also create future demand by roping in professionals and design students to contemporise the colours and design of the products.
In order to be a self-sustaining venture, the Foundation began work with the Kandaghi saree. The Kandanghi was traditionally woven as a thick drape, to be worn without a blouse or an in-skirt,and pleated at the back. The Foundation sourced old sarees from friends and family and then began the process of creating a design directory. The Foundation worked closely with weavers, even putting them on a payroll, to produce a more urban version, considerably lighter, and lending itself well to the contemporary saree wearing style. There is even a Kandanghi saree variety with a cotton body and a rich silk border, making it a comfortable alternative to all-silk sarees.
The Foundation is now reviving the Kottan palm leaf baskets, traditionally used for ritualistic purposes, and now repositioned as elegant gift boxes for weddings and Diwali. The Foundation coordinates with one local leader and about 5 groups of basket weavers. For every basket, a sequence of colour codes is communicated to the weaver who is able to reproduce this sequence in actual product. Every finished basket also has a tag with the weaver’s name on it, to ensure accountability and maintain quality. Today, at least 100 of the 150 families that are into Kottan basketry, earn about Rs. 5000 a month.
Traditional Chettiar architecture makes use of the unique egg-lime wall plastering technique and handmade Athangudi floor tiles with floral and geometric patterns. The Foundation seeks to revive these crafts too, by documenting as well as creating enough demand for the craftsperson’s skills. Ramu was one such craftsperson who now has one full-fledged Athangudi tile factory and is already setting up one more. Arecent innovation is the use of wall stencils to create stenciled wooden ceiling panels that can be installed easily and dismantled to be moved elsewhere if required.
Visalakshmi Ramaswamy believes that marketing these products is not as much a challenge as ensuring craftspersons receive enough orders month on month to sustain their families and provide for their childrens’ education. She hopes that through the Foundation, craftspersons will also gain the respect they truly deserve for their skills.
The products created by the M. Rm. Rm. Foundation are retailed through its store in Chennai, Manjal, named after the auspicious turmeric root.
An edited version appeared in Culturama’s April 2012 Issue

Among Hindus in Kerala, there is great reverence attributed to Ashta Mangalyam (a platter of eight auspicious objects). This platter is part of the bride’s trousseau in some communities. On the day of Vishu (traditional harvest festival in April), people set eyes on this platter first before beginning a prosperous new agrarian year. While the actual symbolic objects differ by occasion, community and location, a regular on the list is a Vaal Kannadi (hand mirror) which is meant to bestow abundance and wealth on the beholder. And the most sought after mirror is a distortion-free Aranmula one.

The uniqueness of the Aranmula Kannadi (mirror) is that the reflective surface is not mercury-backed glass but metal! When you place a fingertip on a normal mirror, you see a gap between the front edge of the glass and the image on the reflective backing layer. However, in the Aranmula Mirror, this gap does not exist. In that sense, it is a true reflection.

The secret of achieving true reflective quality on metal is known only to a set of families in Aranmula, Kerala and this knowledge was inherited as legacy from their bronze-caster forefathers who moved here in the 18th century from Sankarankoil in present-day Tamizh Nadu.

Legend has it that they were required to create a resplendent crown for the local deity using bell metal. But they failed to create an alloy that would, after polishing, befit the grandeur. A widow from the community dreamt about the exact composition that would make the metal as reflective as a mirror. When it proved true, the community also began to create mirrors. The other story goes that when the bronze casters could not achieve the right alloy ratio, their wives threw in their tin jewellery into the mix out of sheer desperation. This is said to have changed the nature of the existing alloy to an unleaded copper-tin alloy, now used to create the Aranmula Mirror.

Each mirror is painstakingly made by hand and, depending on the size, could take about six months to make. The clay used for casting, the higher concentration of tin in the copper-tin alloy and the duration of heating the alloy are but some aspects in a process where purification of the metal is of great importance to get a good shine. Some secret herbs are rumoured to be added to the alloy. Even polishing the metal is said to be an elaborate process, done for a few hours a day for about 3 days.

A round mirror of 5” diameter set in an ornate brass frame costs about Rs. 8000. A major component of the cost is the labour. But the other factor is the considerable wastage in the manufacturing process as the metal plates are almost glass-like in their fragility. Traditionally, the demand for the product grew when it was included in the Ashta Mangalyam. However, owing to the price, it is now considered a precious and unique artefact.

Aranmula Mirros have now been granted GI (Geographical Indication) status and they are currently manufactured by the Parthsaradhy Handicraft Centre in Aranmula. While they have an online store (www.aranmulakannadi.com), you could simply walk into one of the Kairali Emporia (outlets of the Handicrafts Development Corporation of Kerala Ltd ) and see a sample there before placing your order.

(An edited version appeared in Culturama’s February 2011 Issue)

B.K. Nayak, a Patachitra craftsperson from Raghurajpur near Puri in Orissa says, “In our village, over 500 people are employed in making both Chitra Pothi as well as Patachitra. A blanket term of Patachitra is attributed for the sake of convenience to these two distinct creative forms. While the themes depicted may be the same, the techniques are very different.”

The first is a craft, Chitra Pothi also called Tala-patra-chitra (palm-leaf illustration), that uses the ancient technique of manuscript engraving on palm-leaf strips to create illustrated panels that can be framed as art.

In ancient India and parts of South East Asia, strips of treated palm-leaf were used as paper. These engraved and inked palm-leaf pages would be bound together to make a book bundle. In some of these Pothis (manuscripts), illustrations were added to complement the text. This is perhaps the oldest form of the Chitra Pothi craft and much of the technique used remains the same to this day.

Nayak says, “For Chitra Pothi, we use an iron needle to engrave the designs carefully on the ‘tal -patra’ (palm-leaf). Then, an ink, usually kohl, is applied on the leaf. Sometimes, in the place of kohl, rice is burnt and the charred powder is used instead. The black colour remains in the engraved lines even when the ink is wiped from the leaf. The finished product is a set of panels assembled by stitching, to denote a picture. Lately, we have begun to selectively use natural dyes to brighten the finished product. In addition to panels, we now also make greeting cards and bookmarks in this technique.”

Unlike the usually single-coloured engraved panel of Chitra Pothi, Patachitra, is an art that uses Tussar silk or canvas as an even base. Nayak says, “The pata (canvas) is made with cotton fabric pasted together with tamarind glue and chalk powder. This resilient base is used to paint the subjects in natural colours made from ground seashells, bark and stone.”

Nayak narrates a fascinating ritual that merges religious ritual and local art, “Sixteen days before the famous annual Rath Jatra (chariot procession), the presiding deities at the Jagannath temple at Puri – Subhadra, Balabhadra and Jagannath – are given a ritual bath on an occasion called Debasnana Purnima. Following this, the gods are supposed to be suffering from cold and fever. They are kept isolated from the public for a period of fifteen days. On those days, all the worship and rituals at the temple are conducted for Patachitra representations of the deities. At the end of this ‘recovery’ period, the wooden deities are repainted and presented to the public. Every year a new set of Patachitra paintings is made to take the place of the ailing deities.”

In both creative forms, the themes depicted are primarily Hindu religious and mythological. Dashavatara (the ten incarnation of Lord Vishnu), Ramayana and Mahabharata are favourite themes and the subjects are usually Krishna with Radha, Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and the Lord Jagannath tableau. Nayak says, “To cater to a growing number of non-Hindu patrons, we have also begun to render village themes and scenes from nature in both creative forms.”

(An edited version appeared in Culturama’s September 2010 Issue)

At first glance, Warli art may be reminiscent of the prehistoric cave paintings of Lascaux in France or Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, India. However, Warli art is a living communicative tradition in the eponymous tribe that inhabits parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Warli art is traditionally done on walls of dwellings. First a base coat of cow dung is applied to the wall, dried, then a coat of red soil called geru is applied, which is also dried. The designs are then drawn with a brush dipped in white rice paste.

Life in the predominantly agrarian Warli tribe, with its folktales and customs, is the overriding theme in Warli art. The Warlis’ harmony with nature is evident in the profusion of trees, animals, water bodies and terrain in the picture. There are human stick figures in action – working in fields, grinding rice in huts, playing musical instruments etc. The male and female figures are clearly differentiated by the presence of a dot at the back of the head spot, symbolising a knot of hair to denote the female.

One of the most joyous motifs that evokes a sense of movement in an otherwise two-dimensional form, is the dancing spiral. It denotes tarpa, a group dance that is common in the region.

A Warli wedding is an occasion for an elaborate Warli painting to be created on the wall of the venue, usually the bride’s house. At one such wedding, we met Rajesh Mor, a young Warli artist who explained, “Once the wall is prepared, the married women of the tribe use paddy stalks as brushes to create an intricate square symbolic wedding motif known as a chauk. The rest of the painting is completed by others by drawing the image of Goddess Palghati and her symbols inside the chauk. Surrounding the chauk are scenes from the wedding like the nuptials on a horse, and guests dancing etc. It takes almost two days for the customary wedding painting to be completed.”

Warli art is also rapidly becoming a contemporary art form thanks to Warli artists like Jivya Soma Mashe who interprets the modern world in Warli art. Mashe has garnered respect and appreciation for Warli art on exibitions in and outside India.

The motifs used by Warlis are now being rendered on a host of new media including wooden home décor items, canvas, silk panels, apparel and even walls of urban apartments. But not all are made by the Warlis. While non-Warli artists are able to easily replicate the Warli motifs, what is missing in these creations is the soul – the cultural ethos that emanates from the art form.

As Mor says, “Our representations are so intrinsically linked with our folklore, that if viewed in isolation, they are mere drawings.”
(An edited version appeared in Culturama’s July 2010 Issue)

Mysore Painting is a traditional art form that evolved in what is today the city of Mysore in South India. It received great patronage in the Mysore royal court and today, authentic antique pieces are prized for their intricate brushwork and aesthetic colours.

Chandrika, an artist of the Mysore painting style shared with us a few samples of old Mysore paintings. She elaborates, “The Mysore Painting style is derived from the Vijayanagar style. About a hundred years ago, the board used to be prepared by the artist using newspapers and a white sheet on which to sketch and then paint. A base coat of Maida paste (all-purpose flour) and copper sulphate enhanced the quality of the paper as well as kept the pests away. Natural dyes like oxides were used as paint after mixing with Arabic Gum. This ensured longevity of the colours. Pure gold leaf was used to enhance the richness of the painting.”

The subject of a Mysore Painting is usually Hindu gods and goddesses, celestial mounts and various other characters significant to Hindu mythology. Chandrika says, “If you take the subject of Krishna, there are so may forms that are painted. Other subjects include Kodanda Rama (Rama wielding a bow), Rama Pattabhisheka (the coronation of Rama) and Dharmaraya Pattabhisheka (the coronation of Yudhishtira). It is not uncommon to see about forty to fifty characters in the same painting.”
Chandrika also showed us a set of paintings rendered in the Mysore style by her father, Mr. Ramanarasaiah who was a Mysore royal court artist and a full-time curator of the Jayachamarajendra Art Gallery in Mysore. These paintings individually depict the Indian god of love, Kama Deva and Rati, his consort.

Dr. Veena Shekar, an art historian says, “The technique adopted by the artists and iconography are elaborated in Sritattvanidhi supposedly written by Krishnaraja Wodeyar. I am not sure if the authorship is proven.” This is a manual compiled in the 19th century under the patronage of the then Maharaja of Mysore, Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (1799 – 1868). Among other things, it illustrates the various forms of the main gods of the Hindu pantheon along with descriptors to enable painters, sculptors and dancers to get the basics as well as nuances right in their depictions.

Dr Shekar adds, “There is another book which the later artists of Mysore used – the Sivatattvaratnakara by Basava Bhoopala.” This is an even older document, a sort of encyclopedia written in the Sanskrit language by the Keladi Nayak ruler, Basava Bhoopala in 1699.

The Mysore Painting form is often confused with that of Thanjavur Painting (also called Tanjore Painting) owing to the similarity of subjects and commercialisation of the art form. Fundamentally, a Mysore Painting is intricate while a Thanjavur Painting is ornate. According to some, both forms originated in the Vijayanagar kingdom of yore and individual styles evolved under the patronage of the local kingdoms in Thanjavur and Mysore.

The colours of a Mysore painting are discrete, often appearing muted. The features of the deities are usually serene. However, a Thanjavur Painting uses a more vibrant colour scheme and the expressions are keen. Mysore Painting is more intricate, with the details being painted in. Thanjavur Painting on the other hand, has more relief embellishment in the form of embedded gem stones.

In terms of material, Thanjavur Painting is done on cloth mounted on wood whereas Mysore Painting is done on paper. Even the materials used for the base and the binding medium are different. Some even claim that Thanjavur Painting employs the use of gold-coated silver foil while authentic Mysore painting uses pure gold leaf.

A typical Mysore Painting today is usually sized between 11” x 12” and a maximum of 30”x40”. An authentic Mysore-style Painting, depending on size, costs anywhere between Rs.2000 to over Rs. 12000. An antique costs anywhere between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 1 lakh. The pricing depends not only on size but also the intricacy involved in the subject.
(an edited version appeared in the March 2010 Issue of Culturama, formerly At A Glance. Pic by author)