 |
| Ten Incarnations of Vishnu |
 |
| Lord Krishna playing with milk-maids |
 |
| Vllage Life |
 |
| Marriage Procession |
 |
| Pipers with decorated bull |
1) A
row of figures in gallery seen
Not just a shop where toys are sold
But in houses with painted colors bold
Adding mirth and colorful sheen
A festive display
of pretty dolls
A happy occasion for one and all.
2) The Holy Trinity with spouses on topmost
line
With golden jewels
and crowns they shine;
Gods of eight directions and planets nine;
Gods of eight directions and planets nine;
With various
weapons and faces benign;
Ten incarnations of Vishnu add charm
Ten incarnations of Vishnu add charm
Lord Shiva on snowy hills with countenance calm.
3) Lord Rama’s coronation scene we find
With
his beloved brothers and consort great;
Lord
Krishna plays here with his dear soul mates
As they dance around with enraptured
minds.
The seven sages
here sat in deep penance
Lord Buddha
preaching there Love immense.
4) A pretty jungle scene in this line
appears
With tiny trees,
blue lakes and hills around
With spotted
deer, monkeys and hares abound
The floating swans and ducks in waters
clear;
While colorful
birds on branches sit cool and calm
The toy-jungle
attracts all with novel charm.
5) The sturdy elephant with slow,
regal pace
The scaly
crocodile in her marshy domain
The spotted
leopard and spiky porcupine
A veritable
forest in this tiny space;
A cute
creation of the rural handicrafts
A lesson to
protect wild life with humane hearts.
6) The harvest-festival’s charms
re-created here
Children
awake and see with curious eyes;
The soothsayer rattles
his drum with rousing cheer
Blesses all men
in his strange colorful guise;
The singing
bard with his lute seen in early morn
With brass bowl
on his crown for collecting corn.
7) The bull dressed in brocaded silks with
painted horns
The
piper sings at every residence
With festoons
of mango leaves and flowers adorn
Makes his bull
perform feats with intelligence;
The minstrel rings bells and chants loud
Lord’s name
Blessing all
with prosperity and fame.
8) The marriage procession in
colorful show
With turbaned pipers and
drummers in a line
With
torch-bearers and dancers fine
With kith and
kin all dressed in silks do glow
The blushing bride in palanquin – a joyous sight
The
bridegroom responds with love and delight.
9) The toddy tapper with swelling
brawn
Perched on
the top of palm-tree seen
The
cow-herd grazing his cattle on the green;
The
peasant singing while threshing corn
The rustic women with pots near the well
Create a village scene with
magic spell.
10) These pretty dolls revered as
forms divine
Worshipped
by all with flowers, fruits and incense
With prayers and hymns with devotion
immense
A happy
time to meet all near this shrine
These
dolls about our gods and epics convey
Noble
truths and ideals to all who pray.
**********************
Note : The festival
of dolls is celebrated in south India in January after the harvesting season is
over. In some regions dolls are displayed during Navarathri festival. The
houses are cleaned and decorated with festoons of green mango leaves and
wreaths of marigold flowers. All people get together on this festival day. In
many houses and even in temple premises dolls are exhibited with decorated
flower garlands and jewels. The dolls are worshipped every day with flowers,
fruits and sweet delicacies during the festive time. Many house wives show
their creative skills in selecting and arranging the dolls. This is an occasion
for children to know about the names of gods and goddesses and about various
epic themes. Likewise dolls are chosen to give social messages about village
life, conservation of wild life about patriotic leaders and philosophers. Thus this is an occasion for beautifying
homes with pretty dolls and for all to get together. Children enjoy this
festival as all of them love to see various kinds of dolls and figurines done
in an artistic manner.
********************************************
12th March, 2019 Somaseshu Gutala
No comments:
Post a Comment