Kolu of crystals, caves and cosmos
Inside the huge cave there are small caves for Shiva, Lakshmi, Bhadra Kali and Kal Bhadra decorated with several rubber snakes
By : ashmita gupta
Update: 2015-10-17 06:30 GMT
Chennai: Two things stand out inside the fourth floor residence of the Badrinarayanans — the replica of a cave and the 56-year-old retired engineer Rajagopal who lovingly created it as part of his kolu display this year.
Inside the huge cave there are small caves for Shiva, Lakshmi, Bhadra Kali and Kal Bhadra decorated with several rubber snakes. The display is part of Rajagopal’s imagination, which is something his wife has learnt to live with.
Rajagopal’s kolu hosts the rarest of stones and crystals which he collected over a period of 41 years from different places like Nepal, the Himalayas, Jaipur, Haridwar, etc. The theme for this year’s Navarathri is ‘Cosmic Thejas’ meaning the ultimate essence of nature. Behind every crystal decoration of the dolls there is a concept related to the cosmos. He explained,
“We are from the cosmos and our energy is cosmic. When we see stars in the sky we enjoy it because we come from the cosmos. So similarly we should have the same relationship with our family and stay peacefully.”
Inside the cave that he has created he keeps separate space for seashells, which he collected from different seashores of India. Pointing out the collection of seashells and conches, he said, “The various kinds of shells and so many different shapes and figures represent creativity. We as human beings should also try out many new things and be creative. From the sound of the waves our mind gets purified and the salt water purifies our body,” he said.
With regard to the Bhadra Kali cave, he explained that Maa Durga kills Mahishashura therefore taking away all the negativity. Similarly, human beings should also kill negativity.
“The Kalbhairav (Shiva’s form) reminds us to destroy ignorance and ego within us. The metaphor of snakes falling is to do with our giving up our ego and surrendering,” he said. From Nepal he brought Saligramams into which insects have dug deep.
“If insects can do such a tough job, I believe human beings also can do a great job,” he said. Mr Rajagopalan, a mechanical engineer, worked as sales and service engineer in a private firm. He was born in Cuddalore and brought up in Chennai but the major part of his life he spent touring India.
“This is a passion for me. I live in the third floor and the fourth floor is meant for all these. I retired five years back and now I counsel children,” he said. His quest to unravel many unanswered questions in life from an early age led him to travel to various places, as a result of which he was able to collect crystals, pebbles, stones and shells.