The Entrenched Art of the Tamils
Art has been the most cherished tool to express emotions, add shades to life and simply break away from the mundane. Staying true to the connotations of art, the cultural capital of the country – Tamilnadu has created a plethora of artworks that carry history developed over 2000 years ago and continue to flourish.
The cultural art scene is predominantly noticeable right from the kolams beautifully adorning the entrance of households to the architectural wonder of the ancient Hindu temples all over this beautiful Sentamil Nadu.
The soil of the art relics:
Tamilnadu has been the abode to numerous historic buildings, multi-religious pilgrimage sites, and world heritage sites. The rule of various dynasties like the Pallavas, Cholas, Cheras, and Pandavas helped establish an excellent standard of art and architecture. The cave temples built by the Pallavas mark the dawn of temple architecture in the state and were also responsible for the art of carving sculptures. The Cholas excelled in the art of casting metal images like the bronze images of Lord Nataraja that are some of the finest creations of the country.
Craft belts of Tamilnadu:
Thanjavur- South India’s cradle of arts has always been on the radar on the fine arts map of India, with the production of beautiful quality veenas, a traditional musical instrument, and temple bells. Swamimlai, Kumbakonam, and Chettinad are places where bronze casting is practiced in the traditional style. Mamallapuram is an open-air art gallery with well-crafted sculptures. The beautiful temple jewelry is prominently produced in Vadasery near Nagercoil and the exquisite rosewood carvings are famous in Madurai. Pathamadai, a small district near Tirunelveli with Vaniyampadi, Sirkali, Gudiyatham are very famous for the Kora-grass (reed) mats that are famously called Paththamadai mats. An important center for the customary silk weaving has always been the temple city Kanchipuram, near Chennai.
Tamilnadu’s myriad artwork:
The beautiful handicrafts are regarded as the timeless manifestations of the state’s creative genius and cultural uniqueness of ethnic groups.
The Tanjore paintings are a hallmark of the country’s rich cultural heritage. Painted on wood, mica, glass, or ivory in vibrant hues with pearls, glass pieces, and semi-precious stones, they are truly a masterpiece. Stone carving has seen a beautiful degree of excellence. Pattamadai mats are exquisitely crafted floor mats made in cotton warps and korai wefts that are derived from a special kind of grass called ‘korai/Gorai. Kanjivaram Sarees are globally known for the rich zari and intricate detailing traditionally weaved by several weaving units clustered around the temple surroundings.
Papier Mache is the making of dancing and traditional dolls and idols of Hindu deities used during navarathri golu that involves the use of recycled paper strips glued together with the help of adhesives. Pottery includes storage pots, cookery vessels, and enormous terracotta horses, the horse of Lord Ayyannar, a religious figure. Potters in the state are known as Kuyavar, kulalaar or velar and they trace their origin to the divine craftsman Sage Vishwakarma. Woodcraft with traditional panels in different sizes is aesthetically famous for its bold forms with details being minutely and painstakingly worked upon.
The Toda Embroidery also known as ‘Pukhoor’ is an artwork of the Toda Pastoral people of Nilgiris, Tamilnadu made exclusively by women, and the embroidery is done by the counting of threads. Durries or rugs are an attractive handloom made from cotton, jute, wool, and silk and are known famously as Bhawani Durries, manufactured in Coimbatore. Musical Instruments namely the Tholkaruvi (percussions), Thulaikkaruvi (wind instrument), Kanchakaruvi (gongs and cymbals), and Narambukkaruvi (string instruments) mentioned in the Tamil literature has been produced for a very long time keeping the musical traditions alive.
Truly inspired by this state of cultural extravaganza that has been successful in adding splendor to the lifestyles of people all around the world, we at Dakshinam Sarees have taken this rich artistic land of Tamilnadu as our home to begin a journey with lots of hope and sense of purpose.
