Diwali home decor inspirations - An Aalayam special!

Deepavali begins with a row of lights - add some color and a festive signage!

The festival of lights is around the corner and many Indian homes will soon be bathed in the tepid glow of flickering lights metaphorically representing the essence of Diwali. As I started gearing up for my favorite festival, I paused and let my mind wander and reflect. We are in the thick of the Hindu festive season and soon we shall be heading towards the Holiday season, here in the West - Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I see it as a great privilege to be able to experience both these rich cultures. I mulled over a single question " What am I celebrating?" and this triggered a cascade of thoughts and a wave of emotions, primarily of gratitude. I was overcome with a sense of appreciation for everything life has bestowed upon me.

This Diwali, as we herald the Hindu New Year, I want to shine the spotlight on the notion of "SEVA" and social responsibility that is central to Hinduism. After all, it is the little altruistic efforts that spread the light and save the world from its darkness and what better time than Diwali to talk about helping those who are less fortunate. So, dear Aalayam readers let us start a conversation about giving back to the community. From personal fulfillment to a sense of connectedness to the community - giving back implies different things for all of us. What does it mean to you? Do you like to volunteer your time, help the elderly, champion for environmental issues, plant trees or adopt pets? Please write to us about  social causes  that you are passionate about and Supriya and I will be glad to moderate this conversation, right here on Aalayam.

And now - a creative tribute to the spirit of Diwali! I love Diwali for its symbolism and gaiety. Here is an excerpt from my Diwali post last year which echoes my sentiment about the festival - " Mom always celebrated Deepavali with much oomph!  Cleaning, cooking, shopping, decorating, religious worshipping - she went the whole nine yards, always! And so, with much fondness, I brought a montage of memories of firecrackers, clay oil lamps, new clothes, visiting relatives, home made sweets and my parents’ unique Diwali traditions to my married home and over the years I have created a tailored array of rituals to suit my own family.Decorating my home for Diwali is a huge part of that tradition. A round or two of autumnal cleaning usually precedes the decorating. Rummaging through boxes of stored away Diwali décor items often yields re-usable items. A few new items are added each year but the design is always built around the core elements– lights, flowers, rangoli and thorans. I am very tradition-centric. For me the focus rests on light, divine blessings and good-will."

Start with the basics - flowers, lamps and rangoli (kolam)

And so, with a little effort I try and make this a memorable annual occasion for our family.  I am thinking brass, flowers, color and of course lots of tea lights for my inspiration board - how about you? In this post, I bring to you seasonal decor and tips from around my house to help you get into the mood of the season - join in!

Find of the season - copper toned tea lights from Hobby Lobby!

1) A little planning goes a long way - no really, it does! I tackle life with the age old to-do list. There is no greater joy than striking off things on my to-do list. My Diwali planning was no different, it began with the inescapable to-do list. Notice also my tea light  holder from Hobby Lobby. I am calling it the "find of the season". The gleaming copper finish is a perfect little way to add sparkle to your Diwali decorscape!

Use what you have - brass accents for a festive touch!

2) Incorporate heirlooms - why not personalize your festive decorations with a treasured heirloom? Start with what you have. I am sure with a little combing,  you can always find things around the house that can be incorporated My Panchaloha Vishwaroopa originally belonged to my mother-in-law. Paired with a few floating mums in an urli, it makes an eye catching festive display in our home!

3) Color is key! If you are an Aalayam follower then you know that color is our dominant decor mantra and I am saying it again this Diwali.  This variegated table mat adds depth, dimension and an ethnic touch to my accent table Diwali vignette. I chose brass as the core element this season to help me make a statement and stay within budget!

4) Build around a theme or not! Really, decorating is all about letting your creative visions come to life . So, have fun or if you are like me -short on time,  then pick one core element and build around it.     Huge time saver! My treasured brass pieces have been lovingly used in the various vignettes around the house this year. Flowers and colors make the perfect companion accessories - it's Diwali and you can tell!

5) Quirky accents add interest - Why not pair traditional brass accents with a few off the wall accents for a unique creative rendition? The peacock feather adds an element of whimsy, don't you think? I have also included a wooden tray and an etched glass votive holder in complimentary colors for added punch.

styling credits : lakshmi

6) Pay attention to details. Our home is a collection of ethnic accoutrements - pieces lovingly collected over the years. This stone Krishna is a testament to exemplary artistry. Look at the etched details on the garlands and the braid - it is the brilliant handiwork of an artist somewhere in Mahabalipuram, India. Diwali is the perfect time to pay a tribute to such craftsmanship. This vignette was styled by my friend, Lakshmi. She was an enthusiastic accomplice and helped me put together a couple of the vignettes. Looking at this,would you be able to tell she is a Neurologist by profession? Brain circuitry and creative expression - a unique mix of interests, don't you think? Well, that's my friend Lakshmi for you!

styling credits : lakshmi

7) Art meets life - in this exclusive Diwali rendition, Lakshmi captures the ritualistic more of wearing new clothes for Diwali. My addigai (pendant) paired with Raja Ravi Varma's Kerala girl also wearing an addigai makes an interesting art meets life portraiture. So, what are you wearing this Diwali?

styling credits: lakshmi

8) And lastly, a depiction that echoes the shanti mantra (saying) from the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad - Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya - from darkness, lead me to light

A thali dinner awaits my dinner guests! Thali tablescape from my home.

Now, for those of you who are hosting parties and entertaining guests for a Diwali dinner - we have you covered as well! 

 I have talked about the art of entertaining in a previous post . It is an esoteric interest and combining the Indian concept of hospitality with the Western  art of entertaining makes hosting a Diwali dinner that much more fun! This Diwali, I chose the quintessential thali to serve my festive treats. I want my guests to leave with the memories of a bonafide festive meal  ( tall order?) 

 While  I work on putting together our favorite family recipes together, I will leave you with a few snap shots of my tablescape.  

colorful accessories for a festive tablescape!

I custom ordered my table linens from Supriya's friend  on a recent trip to India.  Impressed with her work I commissioned her to create my custom festive table linens and I was thrilled  with the end products. Ethnic colors, patterns and textiles blended to perfection!  I have used the same mats in some of vignettes above and  I love the native flare that these mats impart.

Kalamkari and block print come to life in this one of kind table mat!

And now, an announcement!
Supriya  will feature the artist and creative genius behind the brand Varnangall  (Lavanyaa) in our next post. Her products are the amalgamation of passion, artistry and ethnic identity and you don't want to miss our next two posts. In collaboration with Varnangall, Aalayam will be giving a gorgeous Varnangall product away and here is  a sneak peek into what we are giving away!

You could win this ! Stay tuned for more information on how- Image credits :Varnangall

So, make sure to tune in for more details about the giveaway!

Dear readers, I wish you all health, happiness, prosperity and peace this Diwali. I had a lot of fun styling these vignettes and I hope this will inspire you to kick your decorations up a notch this year! Take a stab and I promise you will enjoy it!

Cheers!
Deepa

P.S: All the images in this post (barring the last one) are from my home and are copyrighted to Aalayam. Please ask before using.

Dashavataram - The fascinating legend of the ten avatars of Vishnu!

Dear lovely Aalayam family,

Continuing on the festivities of Dasara and Diwali, its time for some story telling. On the anvil of Vijaya Dasahami,  literally meaning the victory on the dashmi, the tenth lunar day of the Hindu calendar month, lets sit down and revisit some well loved, and well worn fables!

As the legend goes, Dasara or "Dasha-hara" literally means removal of ten referring to Lord Rama's victory over the ten-headed demon king Ravana. So, who is Rama? Want me to start the story? 

Ok, here goes, my favorite part of the legend associated with Dasara Bombe Habba is the Dashavataram, (Sanskrit: अवतार, derives from daśa, meaning 'ten' and avatāra, meaning 'descent'). According to the legend, God Vishnu incarnates on Earth from time to time to eradicate evil forces, to restore harmony and to liberate the worthy ones or devotees from the cycle of births and deaths.

Vishnu's avatars follow an evolutionary pattern, from fish and amphibian, through mammals and men. And it is through these avatars that Vishnu maintains his role as the great preserver of all creation.

I took a humble stab at staging these little wooden statues I have of the ten incarnations in different media- Sand, Grass, Metal..you will see it. You see, it is with poignancy that I put these dolls away until next Dasara, and I figured this is the perfect time to share the legend behind each of these avatars with each evocative picture..preserved here in Aalayam...for current and future generations to see. 

The first incarnation is in the form of an enormous fish known as Mastya. In this form, Vishnu saved the four Vedas from being lost forever in the great flood (pralaya),  you see these Vedas or sacred texts were being smuggled away during this flood, by a demon called Hayagriva, and this demon was descending into the ocean. So Vishnu quickly took the form of Matsya and vanquished the demon to deliver the Vedas back to the rightful sources. 

And in a very interesting parallel to the Bible, in this fast approaching flood, signalling an end to all life on earth, Vishnu had just enough time to save one special person from the ocean - he saved "Manu", the forefather of all mankind!

The second avatar of Vishnu is Kurma, the strong turtle. During a routine battle between the gods (devatas) and the demons (asuras), the gods lost all their strength due to a curse. The only way they could  redeem themselves off the curse was to churn the primitive ocean of milk using a mountain as a churning stick to get the ambrosial nectar out. And, for this they had to collaborate with the enemy camp - the asuras.

 But,  the asuras drove a hard bargain, they wanted a share of the nectar of immortality. Agreeing to a settlement, the devatas and the asuras got to work. But, soon, the mountain began to sink!, Lo and Behold, Vishnu quickly took the form of the turtle Kurma and crawled under the mountain to keep it afloat with its strong shell! The nectar was out, the devatas cheated the asuras off their share, regained their strength, and peace was restored, at least in God land!

The rugged boar is the third incarnation of Vishnu. So, remember the great pralaya (flood)?, soon after that, when the creator was busy revamping the new world, a demon called Hiranyaksha stole Bhoomidevi (Mother Earth) and kept her for himself. The gods were outraged by this atrocity and summoned Lord Vishnu - of course! 

Vishnu, quickly transformed himself into a giant boar & used his powerful sense of smell to search for the demon who was in hiding. Once he found the demon, he hooked the Mother Earth on to his tusks and rescued her from the demon. Varaha, or the boar, rammed the demon with his powerful tusks and that was the end of the demon! Bhoomidevi was saved, and was sanctified by the touch of Lord Vishnu in boar form!!

After the great boar Varaha destroyed Hiranyaksha, his brother, Demon King Hiranyakashipu, raged with revenge and anger. He tortured Vishnu's followers, despite having his own son, Prahalada, as a devout follower of Vishnu. You know, to add insult to injury, the king was protected by an enchantment that he could not be killed by god, man or animal, or that he would not die on earth or in space, by burning or drowning, during day time or night, indoors or outdoors! How's that for a water tight enchantment huh? 

The king was irritated that Prahalada would not stop believing in Vishnu, and challenged Vishnu to appear else, he would behead his own son! But, appear he did, Vishnu, in half-man, half-lion form (Narasimha), as the fourth incarnation of Vishnu. In a smart and covert move, Narasimha was able to kill the king during twilight hours, and place his body on his lap, above the earth, yet, not in space, standing in a doorway threshold. Now, how's that for finding a loophole? 

The fifth incarnation of Vishnu is a clever drawf "Vamana". Another king of demons, called Bali relocated from the underworld on to the earth and banished  Indra, the head of gods away from the earth. In order to vanquish Bali's ego, and to push him back to where he belonged, Vishnu, shrunk down to the size of a unassuming dwarf and asked Bali if he could have just as much land, as much was covered by his three steps. Looking at Vamanas short legs and feet, Bali laughed and agreed. 

Vishnu, then revealed himself to the demon king, transforming from Vamana's dimunitive form into that of a giant, that kept on growing until he was looking down at the earth from outer space!! Vishnu, then took his three fateful steps. One step covered everything Bali owned in the heavens. The other covered the entire earth. Having nowhere to put his third step, Vishnu asked Bali where he should rest his final step. A man of his word, Bali offered his head, on which Vishnu rested his foot, thus vanquishing the demon king's ego for good!

The sixth incarnation of Vishnu is Parashurama, also known as Rama with an ax. His story occurs when the warriors or the Kshtriyas were dishonoring their name by corruption and disrespect to the priest caste or the Brahmins. A Brahmin boy called Parashurama wielded his ax when a kshtriya king stole a priest's magical cow,sending a clear message that the Brahmins were now capable of protecting themselves! 

The story gets more populist as we go forward. Vishnu's seventh incarnation is in the form of Rama, the great hero of the epic story Ramayana. Rama was banished from his rightful kingdom by his wicked stepmother and was exiled for 14 years! His wife was abducted by the nefarious king Ravana. Rama takes the help of the monkey god Hanuman and his army to vanquish Ravana and get his wife Sita back!

The tenth day of Dasara marks the end of the war of Ramayana, where Ravana was killed. Aptly called Vijaya Dasami, meaning the tenth day of Victory! It is said that Rama's legacy as the ideal man, husband and king, is an inspiration to millions of Indians everyday! (Although I think he should have stuck to Sita, and not banished her again after people starting talking bad about her honor!, well, that is a story for another day) 

The eighth incarnation of Vishnu is Krishna. Krishna vanquished the evil political king called Kamsa and played a very strategic role in the Mahabharata war, playing both sides in a almost nefarious fashion between the Pandava and the Kaurava army. Krishna is revered as a god today by millions of people around the world, thanks partly to the Hare Krishna movement, which celebrates the love between Krishna and his devout lover Radha!

The ninth incarnation of Vishnu is Buddha. Overburdened with  dogma and pointless rituals, animal sacrifices and violence of modern day, Vishnu manifested himself on earth as Buddha. Buddha's radical thinking inspired to end the cycle of rebirth and attain the state of bliss known as nirvana.

By practicing the principles of detachment, mindfulness and meditation, he preached, and practiced, that one could overcome the suffering of existence.  Buddha is often depicted on a lotus, calmly meditating, and wearing a simple garment, usually a robe! 

Kalki is the tenth and final Maha Avatar of Vishnu. Also known as the avatar of the future. He is to appear at the end of the present age of Kali Yuga (Age of Darkness), when the environment is polluted and society is shrouded with hate and corruption. Kalki will arrive as a one man army to demolish the imperfect earth. He will appear as a crusader riding a white horse, brandishing a flaming sword and acting as a final judge and savior of mankind.....

Well folks, that is the legend. And the most awesome part of the whole legend is the speculated link to the theory of evolution. Think about it!

• Matsya - fish, the first life in water (Aquatic Life)
• Kurma - turtle, the life in land and water (Amphibian Life)
• Varaha - animals on land (Terrestrial Life)
• Narasimha - beings between animal and human (Hominids)
• Vamana - short human beings (Dwarfs and Primates, the start of the Homoerectus)
• Parasurama - humans using weapons (Early Man, knowing the use of arms)
• Rama - humans living in community (Early Man, living in organized society)
• Krishna - humans with animal husbandary (Evolved Man, with knowledge of politics and commerce)
• Buddha - humans with evolved awareness and actualization (Zen is in folks!)
• Kalki - humans with the power of destruction (Current Man, with Nuclear Power)

Is that not enough food for thought? The legend of the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu, never fails to fascinate me!

Does it intrigue you?

Love,

Supriya

p.s. Thank you to Sanjay Patel for his inspiring book "The Little Book of Hindu Deities" and little nuggets of fascinating story that brought back all of my grandmother's tales I had heard in my childhood. 

The pictures are  photographed by me. Copyrighted to Aalayam. Use with permission please. And, in case anyone is interested, the Dashavataram set of wooden figurines are available at the Desi Angadi in Bangalore. 

Dasara Bombe Habba inspiration from different corners of the world!

Settled in far flung corners of the world, we Indians are bound together by a common heritage..a shared joy that abounds in nostalgia of festivals we celebrated while growing up! What joy it is to see our virtual family and friends in the blogosphere, and social media revel in the same delight that we once did as kids! 

Aalayam brings to you a picture post filled with snapshots of your, my and our festive childhood... of Dasara Bombe Habba (click here to know more about this traditional Indian Festival) from different corners of the world! 

Have fun and become a kid once more in the various interpretations of Dasara Bombe Habba. I sure did with my kids!!

Aalayam - Come, Stay...GET INSPIRED!

Mysore Dasara Elephant Procession or "Aane Ambari". Image from Supriya's home.

The traditional bride and groom dolls or "Pattada Bombe". Image from Supriya's home.

Mysore Dasara procession from "Bombe Mane" the expo that displays a wide variety of dolls, occurs in Mysore showcasing over 5,000 vibrant and unique dolls. Organized by Ramsons Kala Pratisthana. Picture courtesy - Anupama Iyengar, Mysore resident and Deepa's dear friend.

A band of musicians. Image from "Bombe Mane". Picture courtesy - Anupama Iyengar.

The local village setting. Image from "Bombe Mane". Picture courtesy - Anupama Iyengar.

The Villagers in commute. Image from "Bombe Mane". Picture courtesy - Anupama Iyengar. I remember my grandmother had all these little stick figurines which I would put around a home grown park of mustard seedlings! I should remember to bring them over here to the USA, during my next trip to India!

The traditional South Indian Wedding scene. Image from "Bombe Mane". Picture courtesy - Anupama Iyengar.

Love the intricacy of the village and community scenes! And the attention to detail given to these pieces of art. Image from "Bombe Mane". Picture courtesy - Anupama Iyengar.

Spice Rack remedies anyone? These ladies from Channapatna pound custom spice mixes for you! Image from Supriya's home.

The quintessential grain merchant! Now, is forced to diversify his business by selling milk and vegetables too. The "Shetty Angadi". Image from Supriya's home.

Navarathri Golu or Dasara Bombe Habba arrangement. Image from Supriya's home.

What do you do with a Circus arrangement that you bought for your kids from IKEA? You incorporate it for your Dasara Bombe Habba of course! Image from Supriya's home.

My husband and I had a very enjoyable time building these custom shelves with spray paint, lace, bedazzles and of course gauzy fabric! (ask me how!) to arrange the Dasara Bombe! We love the result! Do you? Image from Supriya's home.

I sneaked my kids' miniature toys to create our own wildlife sanctuary!! See, I told you we had fun with this festival! Image from Supriya's home.

And we recreated Cinderella's wedding too! Image from Supriya's home.

A quick stop for a snack in a "Dosa Shop"  And we are good to go! Image from Supriya's home.

Finally, my most favorite part of the doll arrangement - The Dasavatharam. I have a full post dedicated to the fascinating legend behind these 10 avatars of Lord Vishnu. Stay tuned. But here's Kalki. The current  lord of the corrupt world! He is standing in the shadow of the eras bygone...Image from Supriya's home.

So, my dear dear readers. Was this a joyous respite for you? Did this post rekindle childhood memories? Do tell. What is your favorite Dasara or Navarathri memory? 

And thank you really, thank you for being part of my virtual Dasara celebration. The festival is no fun without you!

Love,
Supriya 

p.s. and by popular demand!! The entire picture!!

Dasara Bombe...Image from Supriya's home.