The Naga-pata and Kundalini Chakra

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In Indian mythology, the serpent, as a deity, has a pre-Vedic past. A lot of excavated material, recovered from various Indus sites, reveals that there prevailed the cult of serpent worship in the primitive Indian society. Influenced by the tremendous popularity of the serpent deity in the concurrent Indian society, the Brahmanical literature, the Puranas in special, came with legends that re-emphasised the significance of the serpent as a celestial being and associated it with Vishnu and Shiva like divinities. A number of serpents, to include Shesh, or Ananta, Vasuki, Takshaka, Padma, or Nabha, Karkotaka, Mahapadma, Kulika etceteras, are as much Puranic entities as are Indra, Marut, Garuda etceteras. According to Padma Purana and The Mahabharata, these great serpents along with one thousand others were born of Kadru, the daughter of Daksha, by sage Kashyapa. In the Great War, the Mahabharata, Takshaka and other serpents played a great role and Vasuki was often a great help to gods. In ocean churning Vasuki acted as the churning rope. Vasuki was the string of the bow, which Lord Shiva had made of Mount Mandar for annihilating Tripura. Nagaloka, Nagadhanvatirtha and Nagpur were three ancient seats of Nagas. This serpent form emerges more powerfully in Tantra, again an ancient cosmic science prevalent in India since pre-Vedic or even pre-Aryan days. The serpent is the symbol of energy of both, the cosmos and the individual. As the cosmic energy circuits have an inherent serpent form, the Kundalini Shakti, the coiled and dormant cosmic power, the supreme force in human body, the coiled up energy, has also the shape and the character of the serpent. Under the Tantra, this Kundalini, the serpent energy in human body is the supreme instrument of all achievements, the absolute light, knowledge and bliss. It is by arousing the Kundalini that the dormant energy is reoriented and undergoes transformation. When the Kundalini keeps sleeping, man's awareness of the world restricts to his immediate earthly circumstances. But when the Kundalini awakes, a stage when she absorbs within herself all kinetic energy, the individual does not remain restricted to his own perception but participates in the source of light and attains cosmic transformation. This Kundalini Shakti has been perceived in the visual form of the serpent. The tantrika, hence, recommends serpent worship because it kindles the Kundalini within and routes the cosmic energy in. The Naga-pata is, thus, a votive object for the performance of rites, related to the serpent deity, and kindling Kundalini and thereby all kinetic energy circuits with which the different psychic centres are charged.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of ancient Indian literature. Dr Daljeet is the chief curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at the National Museum of India, New Delhi. They have both collaborated on numerous books on Indian art and culture.

Colors of Tradition: Exploring the Artistry Behind Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani painting is also known as Mithila art as it is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It has specifically originated from the Madhubani district of the state of Bihar. Traditionally, the women of this region created these paintings and in recent years, it has become a widely practiced art and has now become renowned throughout the world. This art expresses the creativity and culture of the people of Mithila and is passed from one generation to another. In this way, the heritage of Madhubani art has been preserved for many decades. The subjects of these paintings are usually religion, love, and fertility. Sometimes, social events like festivals, weddings, and royal court are also depicted in the paintings. The most commonly painted designs and themes are the forms of Hindu Gods and Goddesses such as Ganesha, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Krishna, and Ram. The characteristic features of Madhubani paintings are their vibrant colors and eye-catching geometrical patterns. The empty spaces are filled with traditional motifs such as floral and foliate patterns, animals, birds, geometrical structures, and other designs. The local artists create these paintings using a variety of items such as matchsticks, twigs, brushes, pens, or even their own fingers. The paints are usually made with natural dyes and pigments.
As simple as it may seem, the making process of the world-famous Madhubani paintings is certainly not easy and requires lots of hard labor.

Traditional Madhubani paintings are done either on cloth, handmade paper, or canvas. Select the medium of painting as per your choice. If you have chosen cloth, attach it to cardboard to make a solid base. The making of the painting begins with making a double-lined border. This is a very important step because the border is filled with various geographical shapes and patterns or other motifs. The average width of the border is 1.5 - 2 cm. Now that the border is created, you will be left with a blank middle space. This is the main workspace. Start drawing your choice of figure, designs, and shapes. These must be relevant to the Madhubani painting themes.

When the key design has been made, the empty spaces in between are filled with some designs.
Now is the time to color the painting using vivid shades and hues. Colors in Madhubani are sourced from nature; Indigo is used to produce blue, flower juice produces red, turmeric gives yellow, leaves produce green, cow dung mixed soot gives black, and rice powder gives white.

To paint these colors, the artist uses a bamboo stick and wraps cotton around it. This acts as a traditional brush.
The entire painting is now painted using this special brush with natural vibrant colors. · However, in modern times, the common brush is used and instead of natural colors, artists prefer to use acrylic paints.

Since the entire painting is made with natural materials and colors, it appears simple yet enriching. Originally, this art was created on mud walls or soil grounds but when it evolved over many years, the people of Madhubani started to make it on fabric and paper. Today, this art has become globalized and is receiving worldwide attention and appreciation.