RANGOLI OR VYOOG IN KASHMIRI PANDIT CULTURE .

                                         

                                 

  

            

 

 

VYOOG OR RANGOLI

 

( Kashmir Pandits  drawing a Vyoog or Rangoli In a marriage ..Mobile photo ..Avtar Mota )

 

"Dedi Tossa Kotnuss ropp Yendrus tai

Naabud aapraav Ramchandruss ..."

 

 

(His grandmother has spun fine Tossa cloth

on her silver spinning wheel ,

now put something sweet in Sri Rama's mouth.)

 

These lines i heard in a marriage function from an elderly women as part of the Vanvun ( traditional singing ) she recited when the bridegroom was brought to VYOOG ( Rangoli ) and made to stand over it prior to his departure to the bride's house for the auspicious Lagan or Vivaha . He stood inside the circle of the Vyoog that had images of flowers and leaves drawn with dry colors. An elderly woman relative brought a piece of Barfi ( sugar candy or Naabad of olden days now replaced by Barfi) and offered it to the boy. 

 

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VYOOG OR RANGOLI 

 

Noted Sanskrit scholar, Dr. Ved Kumari Ghai writes this :-- 

 

“ The Nilamata Purana testifies to the existence of the art of painting in ancient Kashmir. In connection with the celebrations of Buddha’s birthday festival, the people were directed to decorate Chaityas with beautiful paintings. References are made to paintings painted on cloth, the wall, and the ground. Bumisobha or decoration of the ground with paint seems to have been a necessary item of most of the religious and secular functions. *Vyoog – a circular pattern drawn on the ground on which a Kashmiri bridegroom has to stand before entering, for his marriage, the house of the bride, is a direct descendant of Bhumisobha mentioned in the Nilamata Purana .”

 

( ‘The Nilamata Purana’ by Ved Kumari Ghai .. volume 1 ..page 115 )

 

Kolam in Tamil Nadu , Alpana in West Bengal, Jhoti or Chita in Odisha, Muggulu in Andhra Pradesh, Aripana in Bihar and the colourful Rangoli in the North India are akin to the Vyoog of Kashmir. All these decorations fall in the category of Bhumisoba or Vyoog drawn by Kashmiri Pandits.

 

Geometrical shapes drawn with bright colors at the entrance during festivities and marriages are auspicious symbols meant to ward off evil. Apart from this , it is believed that these colorful drawings known as RANGOLI in India and VYOOG in Kashmiri Pandit society , bring happiness and bliss in the household as also in the personal lives of people who gather around it or stand upon it or dance around it. This custom prevailed with ancient Greeks as well. There is a mention of Rangoli in Ramayana as well . In India , it has its roots in Rig Vedic civilization.

 

Apart from India , drawing Rangoli is a part of festivities in many Asian countries including Bangla Desh , Indonesia , Sri Lanka , Malaysia , Thailand and Nepal. In Tamil Nadu , KOLAM OR Rangoli has been developed as a folk art with varied designs and patterns representing geometrical shapes combined with images of deities , leaves and flowers .

 

For Kashmiri Pandits , Vyoog or Rangoli is a rich tradition that is made live in marriage or Mekhla ( Yageopavit ) ceremonies . I am informed by many elders that rice powder , turmeric , Surkhi ( red brick powder ) , vermillion ( Sindoor ) and dyed saw dust were also used to prepare Vyoog before the arrival of synthetic colors . Rangoli colours are now sold by shopkeepers all over the country . Even ready made paper or plastic Rangoli is now available in the market . These ready to fix designer Rangolis have adhesive surfaceand easily stick to the floors . In spite of this convenience , Kashmiri Pandits still prefer to draw Vyoog manually using colors and making geometrical designs and patterns .A circle is the basic geometrical pattern in Vyoog or Rangoli. This circle is filled with images of flowers and leaves . An image of a earthen lamp or Diya is also drawn .The circle represents the Mandala ( universe ) as it appears in Rig-Veda . This circle or Mandala is believed to be a symbol of perfection, eternity, unity and completeness. A Mandala is also cosmic drawing that reminds us of our relation to perpetuity, extending beyond and within our bodies and minds. The flowers and leaves represent bliss and life while the lamp represents light of knowledge . Kashmiri Pandits always bring a burning lamp to the Vyoog . At the time of the marriage , the bridegroom is made to stand on the Vyoog ( both at the time of departure from the house or at the time of entering back to the house with bride ) and something sweet is offered to him and the bride by some elderly woman in close relation . Women sing traditional Vanvun and dance around the Vyoog for prosperity and happiness of the couple . 

 

I found this practice of Vyoog or Rangoli prevalent with Balinese people as well. The circle drawn by them in the Rangoli has a central symbolic image of Mount Meru .

 

Late Rajinder Singh Bedi specially wrote Rangoli scene for his 1962 movie RANGOLI . And we remember Hasrat Jaipuri's song " RANGOLI SAJAAO RE “ sung in Kehrava Taal by Kishore Kumar .

 

( Avtar Mota )

 

 

 

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