Goddess Lakshmi.

A quick post before a big one later this week...

A beautiful re-painted wrought-iron Goddess Lakshmi grill. Isn't it interesting? Found it in one of the by-lanes of a South Indian village during one of our trips...

A Palace for Ayurveda.

Kalari Kovilakom or the Palace for Ayurveda is located in the old princely capital town of Kollengode in the foothills of the Annamalai range, Kerala, India.

Kalari Kovilakom was built in the 19th century and the name 'Kalari', comes from the fact that it was built on a site that contained a ritual space for 'Kalaripayattu', Kerala's ancient martial art.Hand painted wooden fresco in the 'mandapam'

Today it has been restored by the CGH Earth Group into an unique experience of wellness. The palace has two main wings the Old Guest Wing with old colonial western styled rooms & Palace Wing which has traditional Kerala architecture.
A typical room in the Old Guest wing, a section of the palace built specially for visiting European visitors and see the lovely four poster beds and 30's style floor tiles.Amazing carved wooden panels on the ceiling with vegetable dyes. Kalari Kovilakom with beautiful hills in the background.
Kalari Kovilakom's breezy dining area with plenty of light and fresh air. Look at the red oxide flooring:-)

The empty spaces have been converted into beautiful bedrooms retaining the charm of carved doorways.Go in for the ayurvedic experience, learn yoga or Kalaripayattu, de-stress with many herbal massages, eat simple & healthy food prepared in the ayurvedic kitchen.
So what are you waiting for?
Start planning your next 'Ayurvedic Holiday' soon.
De-stress, rejuvenate, relax and forget about your worldly worries while you are treated like royalties in the Palace of Ayurveda.

( images from http://kalarikovilakom.com/)

Please take a seat...

...relax,
make yourselves comfortable
and let me show you some interesting seating ideas from Incredible India... Beautifully carved Shekawati chairs from Rajasthan teamed with colourful embroidery cushions.
The planter's chair or the easy chair is my all-time favourite. How can you not relax your tired torso on the curve of this piece of art & prop your legs on the arm rests?

A folding easy chair with colourful fabric for those hot sultry days.

The cool swings, jhoolas or hichkars from Gujarat.The to and fro motion of the swing can put anyone into a state of bliss.

Chettinad style furniture from South India.
This eclectic piece from North India shows the mixing of Imperial, Empire & Indian style.
Lovely wood and cane sofas with red cushions.
A caned daybed from Kerala placed between two open doorways provides a breezy resting spot.
Look at this lovely 'Sociable' -this is a Victorian style furniture still found in some of the old colonial mansions in India.
An old Goan wood & cane divan.A Regency inspired Indian sofa made in Goa fills up an otherwise bare room.

I Love Bhaitaks -A floor level seating arrangement that comprises of thick soft mattresses placed against walls and loads of decorative cushions & bolsters thrown in to at a burst of colours.An Anglo-Indian influence in the form of a Victorian design settee.The humble Charpoy turned into a charming piece of furniture by Stringbedco, they make amazing charpoys with modern sensibilities.
The Rattan chairs and settees are excellent for indoors as well as outdoors.

Enjoy these while I curl up on my favourite sofa with a cup of chai.

( images from eruditiononline.com, Indian Style, Stringbedco, Inside Outside Magazine)

Adorn your walls....

Paint them, peel them, stencil them, plaster them, madhubani them, block-print them, hand-paint them, wall-paper them....Hand-painted elephant in Tibrawala Haveli, Bissau, Rajasthan. (See how the trunk forms the handrail)

Yes, I am talking about 'Walls'.The terracotta and white decorative patterns are inspired by houses in Magh.
Gone are the days when walls were plain and their purpose was to house paintings, today they are the paintings.

Bring in some rustic charm... Traditional wall decorations painted by the caftsmen from the Wadha community, Hodka, Kutch.
Interesting flat, stylised & geometric designs with birds & camel motifs painted on the outer walls in the villages of Baramsar & Roopsi, Kutch.
Family photosgraphs & religious images are embedded in the while plaster walls in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
(What a fantastic idea!) Terracotta tiles frame a niche in a house in Baramsar, Kutch where the cassette player is the only western amenity.Inlay work with antique mirrors & stylised flowers in Samode Palace, Rajasthan.
Lovely painted patterns in a private chapel in Goa. The trellised roof forms interesting shadows on stencilled walls in one of the homes in Goa.
Colourful Buddhist motifs in the mountainous region of northern India.

Or go contemporary/fusion with these design ideas...Bold colourful geometric patterns in Krsna Mehta's home.
Goldpainted leaf motifs on blue background in Krsna Mehta's residence.
Free flowing hand-painted design in film-maker Ram Madhvani's home.Feature wall with self gold floral print wall paper at Cafe' Penne designed by Payal Chopra. A sinuous bronze pattern on terracotta in Ram Madhvani's home.Foliage patterns in black & white designed by Tania Singh Khosla for Zanav Home.
Floral stencilled patterns in Mallika's room:-)

So what are you waiting for go wild with your imagination, the wall is your canvas, paint away...:-)

(images from Indian Style, home review magazine-vol6. issue3, inside outside magazine- july 2006, dec 2006 & jan 2007 issues)

Raja Ravi Varma's beauties.

Lady with Veena
Everytime I look at Raja Ravi Varma's depiction of sari clad, graceful & beautiful Indian women, I gasp!
In Contemplation
Raja Ravi Varma was an Indian king from Kerala who was also a great painter, during the 19th century.
His paintings are considered to be a fusion of Indian traditions with European techniques. He is considered to be one of the finest painters in the history of Indian Art.
The Milkmaid
He learnt oil painting from a British painter, Theodor Jenson. Whose techniques he used in his paintings. ExpectationYashoda with Krishna
He is famous for his paintings depicting scenes from great epics like Mahabharata & Ramayana.
Jatayu Vadha

Most of his paintings were reproduced as Oleographs and overshadowed the traditional Indian art form in the 19th century, for which he received criticism.There comes Papa
Raja Ravi Varma's paintings portrayed Indian myth with static realism.Lady in the moonlight
I absolutely love his paintings of Indian women and had to share it with all of you:-) Hamsa Damayanthi
You can see more of Ravi Varma's prints & oleographs here.

( images from cyberkerala.com)