Mandalas for the Planets

Kolam (Mandala) the Sun

Navagraha kolams (mandalas) are sacred designs drawn to propitiate the planets and to invoke their blessings. These yantras for the the planets are said to originate from Soundarya Lahiri, a poem composed in praise of Devi by Sankara. Though yantras are typically etched on a copper plate, kolam is drawn in front of the home shrine using rice flour or can be drawn on paper or other materials also.

The image above is the mandala for the Sun. The line drawing is the mandala; I have added color and embellishments. Here are some significant astrological details regarding the Sun, the most important of nine planets:

The following are mostly common to both Western and Indian astrologies: 
(Italicized texts in parentheses are the Sanskrit equivalent of English words/names)

Sign: Leo (Simha)
Day of the week:  Sunday (Ravivar)

Direction: East

Season: Summer (Grishma) 

Nature: mildly malefic

Rulership of: Soul

Gender: Masculine

Father of:  Saturn (planet)

Significator: 1st and the 10th house in the natal chart

Exalted: Aries 10 deg

Directional strength: 10th house

Natural friends: Jupiter, Mars and the Moon

Represents: Father, government, authority, places of worship

Represents (physical): Bones, heart, eyesight, head

Favorable in houses: 3, 6, 10 and 11 in the natal chart


The following pertains to Indian mythology and astrology only: 

Name in Sanskrit: Surya
Lordship of nakshatras (lunar mansions): Krittika, Uttara Phalguni, Uttara Ashada

Dasa length: 6 years

Aspects: the 7th house from itself

Yogas: budhaaditya , veshi, voshi and ubhayachari 

Represents: Devotion to Shiva

Navagraha Kirtana: Surya murte namostuthe by Muthuswami Dikshithar

Temples: The Sun Temple at Konarak, Orissa, India

Weekly Challenge #71

This week's challenge at I am the Diva CZT is to use the latest official tangle called Pea Nuckle. This is my version of this tangle. I used it as a link to other larger tangles. The "tile" is actually a 5" by 5" Ampersand aquabord. I created the background colors using Dr. Ph Martin's India inks. Then, I wrote a few sacred verses in Sanskrit using a gold pen. Then I drew the tangle using white gel pen and black Deco art pen. I will seal it with a clear acrylic sealer since I want to use it as a coaster. These aquabord are four in a packet; so they make a nice set.

On this box (below) I used the aquabord to paint the mandala design.

Thanks for visiting,

A Mandala for the Earth

The theme for this week's I am the Diva: Certified Zentangle Teacher is
Earth Day also called Amanda Day by Laura's son Chewie :). I thought I would do my tangle art with minimum of foot print, using impermanent organic materials. I was not breaking any new ground, just borrowing from the Tamil practice of kolam drawing. I did not have the materials that are typically used in Tamilnadu. So, I improvised. I drew the mandala using  rice flour, turmeric and pink vermilion (kumkum) powder on a bamboo cutting board. Because the powders I used were finely ground and smooth (unlike those used in typical kolam drawing), they did not lend to smooth and intricate line drawing. But, I was not aiming for perfection. After it was completed, I gathered the powders and mingled them with the mud in the backyard.

I washed the bamboo board and put it away.

Thanks for visiting.