Sharat Sunder Rajeev and Sruthi Satheesan are bringing out a range of collectibles that portray Travancore’s heritage
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Architect-couple Sharat Sunder Rajeev and Sruthi Satheesan have married craft and artwork with their curiosity in Travancore historical past to provide you with a range of collectibles that showcase what is exclusive to Thiruvananthapuram.
Sharat, a conservation architect, and Sruthi, an city designer, had all the time nursed a dream to develop their inventive pursuits to make artefacts and artwork prints. Since November-December 2019, that they had been selecting the themes, experimenting and designing. While Sruthi says she is extra of a craftsperson, Sharat’s forte is sketching and portray.
Articulated paper dolls and e-book marks made by architects Sharat Sunder Rajeev and Sruthi Satheesan
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Sharat Sunder Rajeev
Sharat, an writer, blogger and historical past buff who writes on completely different features of life in erstwhile Travancore, determined to focus on photographs linked to Kerala, beneath the identify ‘Soul of Kerala’. They launched it in December 2020 on their Instagram deal with @owls.axe.
For their first lot of collectibles (in A3 and A4 sizes), they focussed on photographs from the capital metropolis. So, maybe for the primary time, one can purchase souvenirs of the Pandava effigies put up at Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple, Velakali warriors, Anchal Ottakaaran (postal worker who used to ship mail and missives), Hanuman Pandaram and Bharatanatayam dancers from Thanjavur.
Conservation architect Sharat Sunder Rajeev at work on the collectibles he makes together with his spouse, Sruthi Satheesan
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Special arrangement
Sruthi does the chopping of the figures and Sharat does the portray with poster colors. Then prints are taken of the unique. Sharat and Sruthi name the souvenirs articulated dolls, because the figures might be moved. The Ottakaaran, for example, has been designed to maneuver his legs whereas the Pandava prince can transfer the hand carrying the mace.
“Each articulated doll comes with a bookmark, which is an image that is connected to the doll. So the Pandava prince and the Velkali warrior is one set, while the Anchal Ottakaaran and the green post box is another,” says Sruthi.
The occasions that had been
Each picture has a story behind it. During the 10-day Painguni competition each April, large, larger-than-life effigies of the 5 Pandavas are put up on the jap entrance of the Sree Padmanabha Swamy temple within the metropolis. On the seventh day of the fete, Velakali, a vibrant combine of martial strikes and dance, representing the battle between the Pandavas and Kauravas, are carried out on the similar place. Sharat’s and Sruthi’s paper-cut figures of one of the Pandava princes and bookmarks within the form of a Velakali warrior carry dwelling the colorful pageantry of the competition.
“The Anchal Ottakaaran delivered messages and valuables during the last part of the 19th Century, before the arrival of the green anchal petti (post boxes) in Travancore. However, we were unable to find any pictures of a typical postal employee of those days. That is when I was told that there was a mural in Suchindram temple in Kanyakumari district that had a picture of the Ottakaaran. It was painted by Vaikkathu Paachu Moothathu, royal physician, during the reign of Ayilyam Thirunal (1832–1880),” says Sharat.
He travelled to Suchindram, as soon as a half of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom, and made sketches of the Ottakaaran’s apparel. “He is depicted as wearing a cap and a white garment with a red sash, and carrying a spear with bells and a bag. The spear was to defend himself against miscreants while the bell announced that the royal messenger was on the move,” explains Sharat.
Architect Sruthi Satheesan engaged on the articulated paper dolls she makes along with her husband, Sharat Sunder Rajeev
| Photo Credit:
Sharat Sunder Rajeev
The ‘Hanuman pandaram’, as soon as a quaint function of every day life within the metropolis, has additionally been introduced alive by Sharat and Sruthi. “Many old-timers in the city talk of the Hanuman Pandaram. He used to frequent houses to collect alms. Apparently, he used to wear a green-coloured mask that resembled the picture of Hanuman’s visage and carry a sack. Elders used to scare children by saying that he would spirit away disobedient children,” laughs Sharat.
The final Hanuman Pandaram was seen within the metropolis in the course of the early Seventies. Sharat trusted a {photograph} clicked by his uncle to make the picture of the Hanuman Pandaram. “I have been told different stories about the Pandaram. Some say that he had a metal plate that hung around on his chest and he used to beat it with a stick to announce his arrival. Some elders recall that his mask’s lower part could be moved…,” says Sharat.
The dancer turned half of the gathering as classical dancers had been invited from Thanjavur to Swathi’s courtroom, and the story goes that he ultimately married one of them.
More to supply
Sharat has additionally added artwork prints in black and white, sketches that portray life in Travancore within the final century, and a replica of a Ravi Varma portray. The artwork prints are available in A3 and A4 sizes. Sruthi plans so as to add handmade journals (made with handmade paper and sure with vegan leather-based) to their range.
“In fact, that is how the idea of such a collection took shape. I had picked up book binding from my father. He used to make miniature books for me. After my marriage, I saw Sharat’s leather-bound journals, embellished with sketches and his articles. I decided to make those kind of journals with vegan leather sourced from a producer in Kerala,” says Sruthi.
During the lockdown, it turned troublesome to get the correct of paper and vegan leather-based, so that they had put it on the backburner. Sharat says that ultimately, they plan to reinforce their range with collectibles related to locations throughout Kerala.
The costs range from ₹250 to ₹750. Contact the duo on Instagram deal with @owls.axe for extra particulars.
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