The festivities of Margazhi month involve various art forms such as raaga(music), kolam (geometric patterns drawn on the floor with rice flour)and natyam(dance) performances. The early mornings would be greeted with the classical songs sung by devotees at temples and Margazhi Kacheris (live musical concerts). As per tradition, the women of the house would wake up before the sun and after becoming fresh, they would start drawing the ‘kolam’ which are intricate geometric patterns, skillfully hand-drawn and in perfection, using rice flour. It would be drawn outside the entrance of the home with the belief of it being, a beautiful invitation to Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity to enter their homes and bestow her blessings. Evenings would be lit up with diyas at homes and temples alike and beautiful, story-telling dance performances such as Bharatanatyam, would also take place to celebrate this auspicious season.

So taking inspiration from the above mentioned culture and traditions, Maybell highlights the core elements of the festivities of Margazhi through the new collection named Margazhi Tales, which features four uniquely designed collections:

Kolam

 Gopuram

Vahana

Natyam 

Swarnam.

 KOLAM COLLECTION

You know Margazhi has arrived, when you see the entryways of traditional, Tamil households adorned with intricately patterned kolam designs. A kolam is composed of interlooped, geometrical lines that are straight or curved, drawn around a grid pattern of dots, which also act as a guide to form the intented design. There are mainly four types of kolam:

1. Sikku Kolam- The word ‘sikku’ means tangled as indicated by the pattern which consists of symmetrical patterns of wavy lines enclosing each dot in a grid, in an up-down motion and eventually closing up at the starting point. After completion, it looks like an endless-closed design, like the infinity symbol.

2. Pulli kolam- Compared to Sikku kolam, pulli kolam can adopt contemporary styles and is comparatively easier to draw. The word ‘pulli’ means dot and as the name suggests, the kolam is drawn on the dots itself. The motifs drawn can be traditional such as flowers, fruits, animals, pots, etc or even modern day cartoon characters.

3. Padi kolam- The word ‘padi’ means ‘steps’ because the center of a padi kolam resembles the steps of a temple pond. The pattern starts off simple with just straight lines extended as per design. 

4. Idai pulli kolam- This kolam can resemble any of the above mentioned kolams with the only difference in dots. The same distance is maintained between the lines, whereas the dots in consecutive lines are in the middle of the neighboring line. ‘Idai pulli’ means ‘interlaced dot’, which is evident from the pattern.

5. Maa kolam- ‘Maa’ is theshort indication of ‘Maavu’ which means ‘flour’. Unlike other kolams where dry, powdered rice flour is used, maa kolam uses wet flour, which is freshly ground each day for Pooja purposes. This is mostly practiced in the homes of Brahmins to decorate their Pooja rooms and doorsteps.

Drawing kolams is not just an art but a form of meditation as well, since the mind is solely focused on precision, it helps keep an active and sharp mind in the early morning itself. Kolam also signifies the human-nature coexistence as well since the rice flour feeds the ants and the birds. It is truly entrancing to watch these skilled women, who draw kolams with such precision and fluidity, that can be attained only through years of practice. Maybell recognises and appreciates the artistic value as well as the cultural and scientific aspect of kolam creation through our collection : KOLAM. The collection consists of elegant mid-length kurtas and choli-with-skirt sets.The colour palette of maroons, turmeric yellow, white, forest greens and light to dark hues of blue definitely conveys the seasons’ auspicious vibe. The main highlight are the kolam inspired prints adorned on these garments. The kolam-inspired designs give off a modern-traditional look for the season.

 NATYAM & RAAGA COLLECTION

The month of melodies, Margazhi has arrived and a world of musical devotion and dance awakens, graced by the presence of maestros, dancers and budding talents across the nation. As the atmosphere is soaked in these soulful vibes, Maybell brings you the most ethereal collection of Margazhi Tales, NATYAM & RAAGA which compliments this season’s musical and rhythmic ambience. This ethnic wear collection ranges from chic casual to elegant evening wear.

Made of the softest silks and skin-friendly fabrics, the kurtas are adorned with motifs depicting raaga in the form of instruments such as tablas and veenas. The concept of natyam is also embodied through detailed motifs of classical dancers in graceful poses and dancing peacocks, that are further accentuated by beautiful, flowing floral and  paisley designs and borders.

Some of the designs are printed in glistening gold, overlaid upon royal colours like teal green, dual-toned violet, rich reds, browns etc. In symbolism of experiencing a live musical performance, you can also see the harmony of elements from both natyam and raaga depicted in the ensembles as well.

So stop waiting around and pick out your favorite ensembles from our NATYAM & RAAGA collection now!

NATYAM

RAAGA