A rare and colourful portrayal of Kodungalloor Devi at Attukal Bhagavathy Temple is turning out to be a big draw for devotees and visitors. The 20 feet-long ‘rangoli’ of Kodungalloor Devi, behind Lord Siva’s idol in the temple, is a dedication to Attukal Devi from Niruba Sathish, hailing from Udangudi near Thiruchendur in Tamil Nadu and has settled in the city.
“We cannot call this a typical ‘rangoli’ or ‘kalam.’ Rangoli always carries designs and are not so figurative. The traditional kalams are figurative, but use only natural colours. Here, I use a mix of natural and synthetic powders to give more depth to the shades,” says Niruba.
Niruba starts her work by 4.30 am and continues till 9 pm, without any assistance. She started drawing the rangoli on November 14 and hopes to complete it by 11 am on Saturday. Niruba’s three-day effort will offer a rare visual experience to devotees.
“I have been laying such rangolis every year for the last 18 years. Five years ago, I laid a similar rangoli of Attukal Devi at the same place,” says Niruba, who works as a librarian at the Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies at Thyacud.
“We have also requested the authorities of Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple to allocate space for laying a 40-feet rangoli of Lord Padmanabha at the temple. We are doubtful of getting approval because of the security issues, but still we are hoping for an optimistic reply,” says Niruba’s husband Sathish A R, who runs a canteen in a private hospital.
Their son Harsha Arun Mani is a seventh standard student at a private school here.