Hamsa Vahanam-.Annual Salakatla Brahmotsavam Day 2 Evening

The grand procession of Lord Venkateswara on the second day of Salakatla Brahmotsavam on the beautiful  Hamsa Vahanam is colourful feast to the tens of thousands of eyes. Lord Venkateswara as Malayappa swamy blessed his devotees as Veenapani Saraswati atop Hamsa or Swan.

Swan or Hamsa also stands out for its capabilities to weed out the good from the bad. In other words the celestial bird is known for its in-born virtues to segregate the milk from water in a pot of this mixed liquid. This denotes that Lord Venkateswara as Hamsa vahanaroodha(the rider of swan vehicle) will weed out the bad qualities in a human being and retain only the good virtues.

Srivari Hamsa Vahanam denotes the significance attached towards selfless service of everyone towards mankind and that ego and personal pride would keep them away from Lord Venkateswara and his divine blessings.

ChinnaSesha Vahanam-.Annual Salakatla Brahmotsavam Day 2

On the sunny morning of the on-going annual Brahmotsavams of Lord Venkateswara the processional deity of Lord Malayappa Swamy was taken out in a grand procession on ‘Chinna Sesha Vahanam' around the holy mada' streets encircling the holy shrine.

According to Hindu puranas the Kundalini Shakti is said to be most powerful level of energy and called Kaivalya Gnana. This is the potent energy available to mankind by the grace of Lord of Lords Sri Venkateswara and is represented by mighty snake. To make the human being about the important of that Serpentine Kundalini energy which enables human being to reach the 8.4 millionth manifestations, the last in the cosmic life cycle lord takes ride on Chinna Sesha Vahanam which is also believed to be the divine serpentine Vasuki.

Peddasesha Vahanam-.Annual Salakatla Brahmotsavam Day 1

The Lord of Lords takes pleasure ride on the mighty seven-hooded Serpent on the first day of Brahmotsavams on the tastefully decorated Peddasesha Vahanam.

The mighty serpent plays a vital role in Hindu Mythology as it is on this mammoth snake that Lord Vishnu reclines while sleeping in the milky sea. Usually peddasesha vahanam is being regarded as Adisesha the 1000-hooded snake. (Here in thisvahanam this snake has seven hoods and is believed to represent the seven hills of lord venkateswara). He is the first born of the serpents.

The Adisesha dons different accessories for Lord Venkateswara as residing place (seven hills), bed, umbrella (giving shelter with his hoods), as ornament and any more.

According to legend, mused by his service Lord has conferred another honor upon him to bear the earth upon his head and support her great weight with stability.

The grand procession of Lord Venkateswara on the first day of Brahmotsavam is therefore commenced with Peddasesha Vahanam. Lord Venkateswara has given darshan to his devotees on this seven hooded mighty serpent king.

Dwajarohanam-Annual Salakatla Brahmotsavam 2014

Dwajarohanam marks the beginning of Nine day spiritual bonanza for devotees of Lord Venkateswara as it is the first traditional religious ceremony which is being observed during the Annual Salakatla Brahmotsavam.

Dhwajarohanam has been carried out in a religious atmosphere amidst the chanting of Vedic mantras by the Archakas of the temple at the Dwajasthambham, near the Nadimi Padi Kavili inside the temple complex. The temple priests hoisted the celestial flag atop the temple pillar between 5.36pm to 6pm.

As mythology says Garuda the being one of the disciplined disciples of lord Venkateswara goes to Devalokam to invite Gods like Brahma, Indra, Yama, Agni, Kubera and Vayudeva and saptarishis to participate in the nine-day spectacular event Salakatla Brahmotsavams.

As part of the Brahmotsavam the lord Venkateswara in the form of processional Deity Lord Malayappa Swamy comes out of his temple every day in the morning and evening to give darshan to his devotees on various special vahanams.

Church of Our Lady of Light, Chennai

Church of Our Lady of Light (Tamil: பிரகாச மாதா ஆலயம்) is a Roman Catholic shrine in Chennai, India. It is commonly called as Luz Church by the locals, which derives from the Portuguese name Nossa Senhora da Luz. Built in 1516 by the Portuguese, it is one of the oldest Churches in the city and its foundation stone marks as one of the oldest European monuments in India. The history of the church dates back to the 16th-century legend of safe arrival to land by missionaries. The church is located very near to the Santhome Basilica, where Apostle Thomas is believed to be buried.
Although at the time the church was built, the locality was a thick forest, now it is part of a bustling metropolitan area. This 16th-century European-architecture building consists of patterns of Gothic arches and Baroque ornamentation. The feast of Our Lady of Light is celebrated on the 15 August every year. On 15 August, 2010, Church of Our Lady of Light was declared Shrine of Our Lady of Light by A. M. Chinnappa, Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore. From WIKI….

Savitri Bhavan @ Auroville

Savitri Bhavan in Auroville is a centre dedicated to fostering a living sense of Human Unity through spiritual education based on the vision and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. The central focus is Sri Aurobindo’s mantric epic Savitri : a legend and a symbol, which the Mother has called ‘The supreme revelation of Sri Aurobindo’s vision’. 

Savitri Bhavan aims to gather and create, to house and make available all kinds of materials and activities that will foster a deeper appreciation of Savitri, of the lives, work and vision of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, and of the aims and ideals of Auroville, in a space that breathes the atmosphere of Savitri.

Ostrich @ Guindy National Park

Guindy National Park is a  Protected area of Tamil Nadu, located in Chennai, South India, is the 8th smallest National Park of India and one of the very few national parks situated inside a city. The park is an extension of the grounds surrounding Raj Bhavan, formerly known as the 'Guindy Lodge', the official residence of the Governor of Tamil Nadu, India. It extends deep inside the governor's estate, enclosing beautiful forests, scrub lands, lakes and streams.

At Children's park/Guindy National Park, Chennai:

The park has a role in both ex-situ and in-situ conservation and is home to 400 blackbucks, 2,000 spotted deers, 24 jackals, a wide variety of snakes, geckos, tortoises and over 130 species of birds, 14 species of mammals, over 60 species of butterflies and spiders each, a wealth of different invertebrates—grasshoppers, ants, termites, crabs, snails, slugs, scorpions, mites, earthworms, millipedes, and the like. These are free-ranging fauna and live with the minimal of interference from human beings. The only major management activity is protection as in any other in-situ conservation area. The park attracts more than 700,000 visitors every year. From Wiki..

Gandhi Mandapam @ CWA meet

Gandhi Mandapam is a series of memorial structures built on the arterial Sardar Patel Road, in Adyar, Chennai.Although it is referred singularly as Gandhi Mandapam, the complex comprises four other memorials of people of eminence such as Rettamalai Srinivasan, Rajaji, Kamaraj and Minjur Bhaktavatsalam. 

The most prominent of the structures is, however, the Gandhi Mandapam which is dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. It is built in a temple style and is the largest of the memorials in the complex.

These sketches are done with Ink pen, color pencils and water colors.

Varalakshmi Vasuprada....

Varalakshmi Vrata is a festival to propitiate the goddess Lakshmi, the consort of Vishnu, one of the Hindu Trinity. Varalakshmi is one who grants boons (Varam). It is an important pooja performed by many women in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and North Tamil Nadu. The Hindu festival going by the name 'Vara Lakshmi Vrata' is celebrated on the Second Friday or the Friday before full moon day - Poornima in the month of Śravaṇā, also called Śawan in Hindi and Aadi in Tamil which corresponds to the English months of July–August.

Varalakshmi Vrata is performed by married woman for the well being of all the family members, especially husband, to get progeny etc. It is believed that worshiping Goddess Varalakshmi on this day is equivalent to worshiping Ashtalaksmi – the eight goddesses of Wealth, Earth, Learning, Love, Fame, Peace, Pleasure, and Strength. Because of the popularity in some states of India, it is declared as an optional official holiday in India.

Done with Ink on Cartridge sheet.

The Theosophy Society - Adyar

The Theosophy Society - Adyar is
 a the name of a section of the Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. Its headquarters moved with Blavatsky and president Henry Steel Olcott to Adyar, an area of Chennai in 1883. The designation 'Adyar' is added to make it clear that this is the Theosophical Society headquartered there, after William Quan Judge was separated by Besant and formed his own organization, known as the "Theosophical Society - Pasadena", with its International Headquarters in Pasadena, California. From WIKI

Armenian Chruch, Chennai

The Armenian Church, Chennai, constructed in 1712 and reconstructed in 1772, is one of the oldest churches of the Indian subcontinent. It is famous for its belfry of six. 

Marundheeswarar Temple, Tiruvanmiyur (Chennai)

There are 2 five-tier Gopurams at the western and eastern entrances to the temple. The shrine of Lord Marudeeswarar is facing west and the shrine of female deity Tiripurasundari is facing south.There are many carved stone sculptures around the shrine. The west tower entrance directly leads to the shrine of Marundeeswarar. There is also an entrance to the sanctum of Marundeeswarar from the outer southern corridor. The shrine of Lord Thyagarajar can be seen just before this entrance on the left side and the Lord is facing east. The female deity's shrine is located on the north-east corner of the outer corridor and is facing south. The inner corridor surrounding the sanctum of Marudeeswarar houses the idols of Lord Natarajar, 108 Sivlingams, Kalabairavar. On the eastern inner corridor, the sivlingams of Kedareeswarar, Ramanatheswarar, Sundareswarar, Arunachaleswarar and Jambhkeswarar can be seen, all facing west. On the southern inner corridor, the idols of 63 Nayanmars are kept. .The idol of Mahavishnu found on the eastern wall of the sanctum deserve special mention

Elephant on Cave

Krishna

Buddha

Annamacharya or Annamayya as he is popularly known, the mystic saint of the 15^th century, is the earliest known musician of South India who composed lyrics—called sankeertanas in praise of the deity of the Seven Hills, Lord Venkateswara of Tirumala, set them to music and sang them during his lifetime, till his death in 1503. An ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara, Annamayya’s life was spread over a period of 95 years. It was through his grandson’s (Chinathirumalaraya—known as Chinnanna), Dwipada work that we come to know about the life and work of the great saint composer. Annamacharya (1408-1503) was a Telugu poet and musician widely regarded as the Telugu Pada Kavitha Pitamaha (grand old sire of simple poetry) a title given by his grandson in his ‘dwipada’ work.

Holi Krishna

Madhubhani Style-Black Jel pen on Chart with Color pencils

Madhubani painting or Mithila painting is a style of Indian painting, practiced in the Mithila region of Bihar state, India, and the adjoining parts of Terai in Nepal.^[1] Painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib-pens, and matchsticks, using natural dyes and pigments, and is characterized by eye-catching geometrical patterns. There are paintings for each occasion and festival such as birth, marriage, Holi, Surya Shasti, kali puja, Upanayanam, Durga Puja etc.

Esbjerg Railway Station

Esbjerg Station (Danish: Esbjerg Banegård) is the main railway station in the city of Esbjerg in southwest Jutland, Denmark.

It is the terminal station on the Lunderskov-Esbjerg Line and the Esbjerg-Struer Line. The train services from the station are operated by DSB and Arriva, and the station serves destinations including Copenhagen, Aarhus and Ribe.

The station was opened in 1874, and the present building, designed by Heinrich Wenck, was completed in 1904. With its three-storey towers flanking the central gable, it reflects a mixture of Historicist styles, some inspired by Dutch Renaissance architecture. From WIKI...

Ananda natana prakAsam

Soft Pastels on Catridge Paper- Evolved on Midnight of Shivratri

pallavi

ānanda naṭana prakāśaṃ citsabhēśaṃ āśrayāmi śiva kāma vallīśam Show Details

delightful-dance-that was birght-in the sabaha of chidambaram shelter me-OH! the lord of sivakaama valli-sivagaami(?)

Anupallavi

bhānu kōṭi kōṭi saṃkāśaṃ 1bhukti mukti prada daharākāśam dīna jana saṃrakṣaṇa caṇaṃ  (madhyama kāla sāhityam) divya patañjali vyāghra pāda-  darśita 2kunñcitābja caraṇam Show Details

Like a thousand suns coming together with another thousand (that bright) the bestower of devotion and salvation, the one who has the sky as his body the protector of humble men the one with the lotus feet-seen by great sages like patanjali, vyagrapaada

Charanam

śītāṃśu gaṅgā dharaṃ nīla kandharaṃ śrī kēdārādi kṣētrādhāram bhūtēśaṃ śārdūla carmāmbaraṃ cidambaraṃ bhū-sura tri-sahasra munīśvaraṃ viśvēśvaram navanīta hṛdayaṃ sadaya 3guru guha tātaṃ ādyaṃ vēda vēdyaṃ vīta rāgiṇaṃ apramēyādvaita pratipādyaṃ saṅgīta vādya vinōda tāṇḍava - jāta bahu-tara bhēda cōdyam Show Details

the one holding the soothing ganga, the one with the blue (poison holding) throat The very foundation of areas like the auspicious Kedara Lord of Bhootas (Monsters),the one with the skin(charma) of tiger(shardula) on his body-the one whos chittam (consciousness) is vast like space (ambaram) itself The king of the three thousand GOds and Sages of the Earth, The lord of the world But with the heart like Butter, sadaya guru guha taata maadhyam veda vedyam (dont know) The one who is away from all sins, Incomparable (aprameya), The cornerstone of Adavaitam (The theory of one supreme lord) The one who drives (chodyam?) the many different (bahutara bheda)kinds (jaata) of arts like music, instruments and the amusing Tandava (dance)

Shiv

नागेन्द्रहाराय त्रिलोचनाय भस्मांगरागाय महेश्वराय।
नित्याय शुद्धाय दिगम्बराय तस्मै न काराय नम: शिवाय 
Ball pen on Paper...