"Happy 50th birth day Kerala"

Today was celebrated as the golden jublee of the founding of the State of Kerala,by bringing together the states of Travancore,Cochin and Malabar.One could find many women dressed in the traditional dress of Kerala on the roads today, unlike the other days when 'salvar-kameezes'outnumber sarees .One hardly sees any 'mundu and neriyathu'the real Malayalee dress for women on the roads these days. Here I will present you a painting of 'thiruvathira kali' I painted in Acrylic on canvas. Wouldn't you want to know what is so special about this 'thiruvathira kali'? Ok here we go- It is a simple dance form , originally almost exclusivly of Nair community of Kerala.When you come to think of it ,there is some thing exceptional about Thiruvathira it self.It is a festival exclusively for women :-).It goes to show the clout women had in the Nair Tharavad ? Dont know. There is something very moving about this festival anyway.It is celebrated according to tradition to commemorate the death of "Kamadeva"the god of love.(to some, the birthday of Lord Siva). Thiruvathira falls in the month of December when the climate is usually cool.The women wake up early by 4 am and go to the Temple Pond or to the Tharavad 'kulam'(swimming pool:-) )if they have one and have their bath.As they bathe they sing songs about the god of love,accompanied by the sound of rhythemic music made by their palms hitting and splashing the water.As they conclude the women stand in water hand in hand in circle and sing songs.Does that not evoke a special picture in your mind?Hope to paint that one day. That night is kept apart for singing and dancing by the women--round and round a wick lamp (nilavilakku)with rhythemic clapping of hands.