Other States - Puducherry   

A colourful depiction of the Mahatma

— Photo: Special Arrangement

Shades of admiration: Artists filling colour in a rangoli depicting Mahatma Gandhi in Puducherry on Tuesday.

PUDUCHERRY: It took 300 kg of rangoli powder to colour the face of Mahatma Gandhi, the size of a basketball court. Artist and designer K.K. Madhavan, who works in a unit in Kuyilapalayam and his team of 30 helpers, brought to life the Mahatma through a rangoli at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Puducherry on Tuesday.

He started work by 6 a.m. After three hours, he had the students from the Society for Rural & Urban Education Development Organisation helping him fill in the greens, blues, saffron, maroon, white and black.

Last year, Madhavan drew a similar rangoli of former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. “I had participated in a kolam competition last year and won a prize. K. Sakthivel of the organising committee saw me and asked me if I would be able to draw Mr. Kalam. Initially I hesitated, but then after I saw the court I decided to draw it,” he said.

“This year I had no reservations. The only thing was the rain that lashed Puducherry on Monday night. I didn’t have any kind of practice for this rangoli,” said Madhavan, a BBA degree holder, who does art work as a hobby.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Tributes, march mark Gandhi Jayanthi
Drinking water, roads figure at gram sabha meets
House site pattas given away to tribals
Free breakfast scheme for elders in rural areas proposed
Concern over rising crimes
VRCs to be launched
Wide variety of cotton saris on display at Co-optex exhibition
A colourful depiction of the Mahatma

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu