Vishnudut1926

суббота, 2 ноября 2013 г.

Rangoli - Part 03 - Making your own Black-and-White Draft of Rangoli with Invert and Colour Replace in Photoshop

This Article consists of 4 Parts:

01. Rangoli - Part 01 - Shree Lakshmi Rangoli Pada - 12 Designs and natural colours for Rangoli - link

02. Rangoli - Part 02 - 40 Ideas for Diwali (with only about 5 viable in reality) - link

03. Rangoli - Part 03 - Making your own Black-and-White Draft of Rangoli with Invert and Colour Replace in Photoshop - link

04. Rangoli - Part 04 - Tracing and Inking the Black-and-White Design of Rangoli - link

IF YOU DON'T KNOW PHOTOSHOP, YOU CAN SKIP THIS PART AND DOWNLOAD 2 READY DRAFTS (SEE FILES "PRINT_and_INK....."):

Dropbox Box Cubby Ge.tt Yandex Skydrive

In this post I will turn the Rangoli Design NO. 04 from the post about 12 Designs of Rangoli (it was here) into Black-and-White.

Why I am doing this?

Because I want to print this Rangoli out and to trace and ink it out on a paper with colour pens! In order to implement this, I need just B\W draft of the Rangoli (I will show how I am inking the Rangoli in the next post).

STEP 01. The png-file must be opened in Photoshop. We will need only left, upper square (under the name "Step 4"). What I need to do right now is to copy this square to A4 landscape list and to stretch it to fit it into such list.

STEP 02. Edit - Copy.

STEP 03. Now the A4 list must be created. File - New and in the menu appeared chose "PRESET - INTERNATIONAL PAPER - A4" and other parametres like on the picture above (with DPI 160)

STEP 04. A4 list is ready, but you need to turn it 90 degrees clockwise in order to make it "Landscape".

STEP 05. Image - Image Rotation - 90CW

STEP 06. Now paste the Square NO. 04 into the Landscape list (just press CTRL+V).

STEP 07. Now it is necessary to stretch the Square and to fit it in A4 Landscape list. Use CTRL+T (or "EDIT - FREE TRANSFORM") and use the nods in order to stretch and fit.

STEP 08. I have stretched the Square in the following way. Don't forget to press ENTER or "MOVE TOOL" icon after you have stretched the Squre).

STEP 09. What I really need is just white background and black Rangoli (but as you see the background is violet and Rangoli is white). This problem is easy to solve out: just use "INVERT", that is "IMAGE - ADJUSTMENTS - INVERT".

STEP 10. OK, the Image is inverted now. The black Rangoli is ready, but the background is green now. The green background is very easy to remove, using "COLOUR REPLACE", that "IMAGE - ADJUSTMENTS - REPLACE COLOUR".

STEP 11. In "REPLACE COLOUR" menu, on the top you should point the colour you want to replace and in the bottom the colour that will live instead the replaced colour (so as you see, on the top there is green and white in the bottom).

Sometimes after such the replacement, the colour may look to pale or in grey hue. To amend this use "FUZINESS" and "LIGHTNESS".

As you see on the picture above, I have changed both these parametres.

So, the Image is ready now. Just save it either in BMP or PNG and print it out!

In the next post I will show how I have inked the Image with colour pens - http://vishnudut1926.blogspot.com/2013/11/rangoli-part-04-tracing-and-inking.html

Rangoli - Part 02 - 40 Ideas for Diwali (with only about 5 viable in reality)

There was an article on thehindu.com with link to this article - http://www.artsycraftsymom.com/2013/10/40-diwali-ideas-cards-crafts-decor-diy.html

As for me, I prefer classic ideas, because you can't conceive anything better than classic lamps and candles.

I have chosen the following ideas from the 40 listed:

01. Rangoli with Coloured Rice - http://plateandpour.blogspot.in/2011/11/indian-spiced-black-eyed-peas-and.html

02. Moroccan Lights - http://www.artsycraftsymom.com/2011/10/diwali-decor.html

03. Flower Rangoli

04. Lentil Rangoli (RED LENTIL IS PROHIBITED DURING NARAYANA AND LAKSHMI POOJA AS WELL AS SOME OTHER LENTILS) - http://www.puttisworld.com/2012/11/diwali-2012.html

05. Coloured teacandles - http://tanyaanurag.blogspot.in/2011/07/diwali-decor.html

06. Don't forget about the classic lamps of all the kinds (this is the advice from me personally)

07. LED-Candles, toy lights, electric aroma-lamps and etc. As for me I have electric aroma lamps and even LED-candle (on the photo above). This LED-candle costs about 20USD, but it is of good quality, you can programme either one of 12 colours or just use it in rainbow mode!

Anyway, my only advice is to visit both light (lamp) stores and especially gadgets' stores (such as Amazon and etc., in Russia we usually go to OZON.RU for gadgets), in which you will find a lot of technical light fancies.

Rangoli - Part 01 - Shree Lakshmi Rangoli Pada - 12 Designs and natural colours for Rangoli

Very beatiful Designs from http://www.drikpanchang.com/rangoli/lakshmi-pada/rangoli-designs.html

Right now I am thinking how to process these Designs in Photoshop and Inkscape in order to print them out and to make my own Rangoli using just inking techique and colour pens!

My favourite Designs are NO. 4 and NO. 5.

By the way, these Designs are also very fit for everyday puja, not only for Deepawali!

I liked this Design very much

And this one is very much to my liking!

As for the natural colours, the following natural ingredients can be used:

White - Rice powder

Yellow - Turmeric powder, dals

Red - Sindoor/rose petals

Green - Mint leaves or

coriander powder

Orange - Marigold petals

Brown - Cinnamon powder, beans

Black - Mustard seeds

Blue - Lavender flower petals

Don't forget, that Rangoli can also be created from FLOWERS, NUTS, FABRICS, GLASS BEADS or just PAINTED ON PAPER.

Befunky.com - new feature - "Collage" with rounded angles

There is a new feature on befunky.com, it is called "Collage" and it gives very decent results. It is especially useful if you maintain a blog and need collage pictures for your articles.

As for me, I usually use just 3 squares designs or other extended designs.

I will use 3 Pictures of Bhagavan Shree Narayana as an example below.

The only bad feature in this collage creator, that it gobbles a part of the image. So, when you are preparing the Images for your collage, make the image a little bigger, than you expect it to look in the collage, that is leave the space, that will be gobbled by this editor!

So, I have 3 Images of Bhagavan Shree Narayana:

Actually, I have cropped the parts I need beforehand (you can use "Edit - Crop" in IrfanView or just any screenshot maker in order just to save the part of the image you need - I use Lightshot programme).

Now go to http://www.befunky.com/, choose Collage (upper, right corner in red, I am sorry for Russian language on the picture, but it is impossible to change!)

Now, choose any GRID you need, I am using very simple 3 Squares Grid.

Now, go back to very first tab, where added photos are stored. All you need now is to drag the Images into the squares. Don't forget, that every square has "EDIT" button (the notepad with pen on the each square).

Now the feature I liked the most - "ROUNDED ANGLES". It is in the Third Tab. As you see on the picture above it is called "Закругление углов" in Russian (yes, hahaha, tricky language)!

Ready!

Now it is time to save the Image, but if the size is very large (it was 4.4 MB for PNG), just change the size on the left (not 2400 x 800), but, for example 1200 x 400.

After the change the size is just 1.1 MB for PNG, which is OK for blog (I don't use JPG, because Google usually diminishes the quality of the image, when you publish in blog).

Kalpavriksha Kamadhenu

Very interesting blog, devoted to Shree Shreemad Madhwa-Acharya, Stotras, Bhakti, Recipes, but I haven't looked through it extensively yet - http://meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/

The Rubrique with receipts is really unique - http://meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/food/madhwa-recipes/

Very Beautiful Flower Altar

From http://meerasubbarao.wordpress.com/2013/09/01/kundan-rangoli-designs/

For the Priya sisters, music classes were fun sessions with Bhakti overriding the mood and ambience and not bhaya

From http://www.hindu.com/fr/2008/05/16/stories/2008051650910200.htm

It is normal to hear established musicians talk of their challenging childhood with exhausting practice sessions and demanding parents. But that’s not the case with vocalists Haripriya and Shanmukhapriya – popularly known as Priya Sisters .

“We had no early morning wake up calls from dad and mom nor did they insist on systematic gruelling sessions. Our weekend classes were informal and we would sing along with my father’s students at home,” say the sisters, who were initially trained by father and vocalist V.V. Subbaram (student of Chittor Subramanya Pillai and Harikesanallur Vaidyalinga Bhagavatar) in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, where they were initially brought up.

The sisters, settled in Chennai, are unique in calling themselves after the ragas too - Priya Sisters - given the fact that most duos singing on stage have the names of places associated with them.

Shanmukhapriya is a well known raga, and Haripriya too is a raga of Sarangi janyam, explain the sisters. “In fact Alathur Vijayakumar has sent us his composition in Haripriya which we will take will be taken up shortly,” says Haripriya.

For the sisters who now relish taking up at least 100 concerts a year, stepping on to the performer’s stage was something they wouldn’t have visualised for themselves.

For, Shanmukhapriya, a quiet, calm and bold persona, graduated in zoology, music was always a part of her growing years and Haripriya, known to be a Tom-boy, specialised in English Literature and was part of the ‘Under-15 Women’s Cricket Team’!

“Our parents insisted that we assimilate good culture and music. Name and fame were the last things we thought of,” says Haripriya.

“My father thought a formal training in music would help us tread the melodic path easily, so we moved to Chennai,” continues Shanmukhapriya, and we approached Radha and Jayalakshmi who were then in the peak of their career.

“We could sense the initial hesitation as they were used to a briga-oriented style, but when we sang the Vasantha varnam, we knew we had knocked on the right doors.”

From then it was no looking back for the Priya Sisters.

Even as they reminisced incidents of people being aghast about them leaving Chittoor for pursuing music, “the journey was worth it,” say the sisters, ever so grateful to the far-sighted decision taken by Mr. Subbaram.

Happy time

Music classes were fun sessions with Bhakti overriding the mood and ambience and not bhaya, recollect the duo.

Radha and Jayalakshmi would insist that we learn every aspect of melody with sincerity and present them with buoyancy, say Priya Sisters.

Another aspect that comes through in Priya Sister’s performance is the clarity of rendition, much insisted upon in their classes, they say.

“We would be told that our style on stage should help people take down notations , persisted Radha and Jayalakshmi.”

And what is the kind of understanding the sisters share on-stage, given the fact that they seem two ends of the spectrum off-stage, even their hair styles coming in as an example!

Says Shanmukhapriya, “Small time arguments do crop up, but with 25 years of performing, it is more or less a natural glide on stage. It is only after-concert that we reflect upon more often for our parleys. But we do plan our concerts as far as raga and kriti goes. We see to it that we get in both pratimadhyama and shudhamadhyama ragas in a concert and also have the Sahana and Andolika-kind to paint a canvas of melodic colours throwing in diversity. Also the order…it would be meaningless to take up Sriranjani after Harikambodhi, so we think of Mayamalavagowla, for instance.”

Priya Sisters are also known for their adherence to tradition as much as their love for tukdas.

“We enjoy the middle order seriousness of a Todi or Bhairavi, as also the lilting Behag or Kapi as the tail-end entertainers,” says the cricket aficionado Haripriya, even as the sisters elaborate on their appreciation for ‘innovation’ in fusion ensembles.

Carnatic music has an abundance of everything that we should be proud of, say the sisters. “Look at the assortment of languages, composers, composition-styles and lyrics. It’s a challenge to deal with them,” feel the sisters who have several awards and albums to their credit.

Priya Sisters are right now taking advanced Pallavi lessons from the King of Pallavis, T.R. Subramanian, who is taking them on an ingenious path of novelty.

That’s not all, “Interior décor too interests us,” is their parting comment.

Kamakoti Sankara Channel - Priya Sisters - RECOMMENDED

Kamakoti Sankara Youtube Channel has a lot of perfomances by "Priya Sisters" - http://www.youtube.com/user/kamakotisankara/videos

All the Prayers are of superb quality.

Due to sadhana I have delayed the view of the concerts for a month, but this week I am going to listen to these concerts.

This channel is definitely worth of subscribing to!

Ranganathude - Sowrashtra - Ponniah Pillai - [Priya sisters]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1W6KSknYxU

Bala Tripura Sundari gaikonuma haarathi

YOUTUBE - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxTymnOIWWQ

And also my dropbox, box, ge.tt, skydrive, cubby

Very beautiful Prayer!

bala tripura sundari gaikonuma haarathi (2x)
gaana lola jaalamela daari chupumaa (2x)
bala tripura sundari gaikonuma haarathi (2x)
gaana lola jaalamela daari chupumaa (2x)
sundarangi andharu-nee saati rarugaa (2x)
sandehamunu andhamuga theerpumantimi (2x)
bala tripura sundari gaikonuma haarathi (2x)
gaana lola jaalamela daari chupumaa (2x)
vaasi kekki yunnadaana-vanusu nammithi (2x)
raasiga siri sampadalichi brovu-mantimi (2x)
bala tripura sundari gaikonuma haarathi (2x)
gaana lola jaalamela daari chupumaa (2x)
om kleem sreem yanuchu madini thalachuchuntimi (2x)
apadaleda baapavamma athiva sundari (2x)
bala tripura sundari gaikonuma haarathi (2x)
gaana lola jaalamela daari chupumaa (2x)

stiramuga

shreekadali yandu velasithi-vamma (2x)
dharanilo sree rangadasuni dayanu sudumaa (2x)
bala tripura sundari gaikonuma haarathi (2x)
gaana lola jaalamela daari chupumaa (2x)
daari chupumaa…daari chupumaa…

"She always stayed near the Goddess" - Mother and Daughter: Shreemati Maha Tripura Sundari Devi (Shreemati Lalita Devi) and Shreemati Bala Tripura Sundari Devi

I liked this Story about Shreemati Bala Tripura Sundari Devi very much!!!!!!!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bala_Tripurasundari

Within the Brahmāņḍa Purāņa, Bālā Tripurasundarī is mentioned in chapter 26 of the Lalitā Māhātmya, where She joins the battle against the forces of the arch-demon Bhaņḍa:

On hearing that the sons of Daitya Bhaņḑa the chief of whom was Caturbāhu had come for the purpose of fighting, Bālā (the daughter of Lalitā) showed interest in it.

She was the Daughter of Lalitā Devi. She came from the Golden Kavacha of Lalita.

She always stayed near the Goddess.

She was worthy of being worshipped by all Śaktis. She was adept in martial feats and exploits.

Her Form and Features were like those of Lalitā.

She was always like a nine year old girl, yet she was a Great Mine of all lores.

Her Body was like the rising Sun.

Her creeper-like slender Body was [missing text] in complexion.

She was perpetually present near the Footrest of the Great Queen.

She was as it were the vital breath of the Goddess moving externally.

She was Her Fourth Eye.

She became furious and thought thus: "I shall immediately kill those sons of Bhanda who have come here".

After making up Her mind thus, Bālāmbā submitted to the Great Queen.

"Mother, the sons of Bhaņḑa, the great Daitya, have come to fight. I wish to fight with them. I am interested in this because I am a young girl. My arms throb with an itching sensation for war. This is my playful activity. It should not be curbed by your orders for prohibition. Indeed I am a girl loving toys and playful pastimes. By this play of fighting for a moment, I shall become delighted mentally."

Shreemati Lalita-Devi said:

"Dear Child, your Limbs are very tender and soft. You are only nine years old. This is your first step and performance. Your training in warfare is fresh and recent. You are my Only Daughter. Without you, My breathing activity does not go on even for a moment. You are My very vital breath. Do not go in for the great war. We have Daņḑinī, Mantriņī and crores of other great Śaktis for fighting. Dear Child, why do you commit this blunder?"

Although prevented thus by Śri Lalitādevī, the Girl was overcome by adolescent curiosity. She requested once again for permission to fight. On observing Her steadfast decision, Srī Lalitā, the Mother, granted Her permission after closely clasping her in her arms.

She took off one of Her armours and gave it to Her. From Her weapons, She gave Her the requisite weapons and sent Her off.

Kūmārikā (the Virgin Goddess) got into the covered palanquin that had been extracted by the Great Queen from the staff of Her bow and to which hundreds of swans were yoked for drawing.

Tulukka NAcciyAr: "The Muslim Princess, Who fell in Love with Bhagavan Shree Vishnu"

This Story is more than beautiful!

From - https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/afmc-a-batch/PtI7IUAHPFs

ROTIS FOR LORD RANGANATHA OF SRIRANGAM.

Most of us at least once would have visited Sri Rangam and worshipped Lord Ranganatha. Here is a small narration of why rotis are cooked and offered to Lord Ranganatha which many may not be aware of.

At the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam, a small sannidhi stands almost unnoticed in the corridor bordering the sanctum sanctorum.

You might not even know that it houses the sannidhi of Thulukka Nachiyar.

She was the Muslim princess who became the Divine Consort of Lord Ranganatha.

In Srirangam temple, the presiding deity, Ranganatha, a form of Vishnu, receives a daily offering of rotis, sweet with a heady scent of ghee – made with wheat (in contrast to the orthodox rice meal) and even wears colored lungis (not the white cloth worn by Hindus) to please a Muslim Princess.

This shows how beloved the Thulukka Nachiyar or Bibi Nachiyar is to Ranga.

A small painting of the Princess hangs in the Temple Complex.

Tulukka NAcciyAr is worshipped as an Deity, ever serving His Thiru paadham.

Her Face is covered by a purdhah (every respectable muslim woman wears a purdah).

To commemorate Saint Ramanuja’s successful visit to Delhi to bring back the uthsava vigraham of Peruma, the Uthsavar is named SELVA PILLAI, the name given to the Idol at Sultan’s place by Beebi nachiyar.

Who is this Beebi Nachiar (Thulukka Nachiyar)?

When Malik Kafur invaded South India,(during 1310-1311), news reached the Temple authorities in Srirangam that Kafur was planning to plunder the Temple.

Srirangam was captured and the riches were looted.

The invaders did not want to accept the rituals of Hinduism. They took off the statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal and plundered the treasures, jewels and ornaments which belonged to Srirangam temple.

The statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal was sent to Delhi. Most of the plundered and looted Golden Idols were melted and added to the treasury of the Sultan.

The princess of Delhi, the daughter of Sultan, was much attracted by the beauty of Azhagiya Manavalan that she begged her father, the Sultan, not to melt Him and give it to her for playing with as a toy.

He gifted the Golden Idol of Azhagiya Manavalan, to Her, to play with. She became quite attached to it!

She was so much magnetized by the beauty of Azhagiya Manavalan, that She became inseparable from Him and fell in love with Perumal.

She never left Perumal even a moment. The Sultan didn't expect this.

When Ramanujar, the Vaishnavite saint, went to retrieve the Deity and the Princess wouldn't part with it.

The Sultan however, happily, surrendered the statue of Alagiyamanavalar Perumal back to Guru Ramanujar.

The Daughter of Sultan could not bear this. Ultimately She followed it back to Srirangam.

At Srirangam the Princess became Ranaganatha's Consort.

She is worshipped as Thulukka Nachiyar. Now there is a separate Temple for Her near Ranganathar temple next to Arjuna Mantapam, near the sanctum sanctorum.

Every year Kalyana uthsavam with Arangan is celebrated in a grand manner, when butter rotis and sugar, cooked Mughalai style are first offered to the Naachiyaar and then only offered to Rangan.

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суббота, 2 ноября 2013 г.

суббота, 2 ноября 2013 г.