SAROJA NAGARATHINAM

Imagine a painting that is not filled with lines and shades, but is made up of millions of miniscule letters and symbols. That is just what Chennai's most remarkable calligraphy artist achieves.

Saroja Nagarathinam, at 72, has been practising this rare form of calligraphy for over thirty years now. What is astounding is the fact that she did not have a teacher. Behind her success lies her husband Nagarathinam's encouragement and support.

Before she begins any new work, she seeks the blessings of His holiness Late Chandrasekhar Acharya of Kanchi Kama Koti Peedam. Practising 7 to 8 hours a day in a cramped room, she uses an old-fashioned quill brush and imported colour inks. Each painting may take around 2 to 5 years for completion, depending on the type of holy mantras to be scribed. Hers is a painstaking endeavour (only for the patient artist) as it cannot be erased or over lapped.

One of her masterpieces is a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, written with the syllable 'Ram'. This portrait was selected for the first prize from among 3,000 entries worldwide for the Mahatma Gandhi Centenary Celebrations. No wonder then that this portrait earned the appreciation of former Prime Minister - the Late Indira Gandhi.

Another awe-inspiring portrait is that of Thiruvalluvar, the great Tamil saint. Saroja has painstakingly scribed the 1,330 verses of the Thirukkural (the saint's epic work), thrice in that portrait. She has also done a portrait of the Iranian queen, on request. And for this, she used holy words from The Quran. This portrait earned widespread appreciation, besides a gold medal in Teheran.

Among her other prominent works are paintings of Ashtalakshmi, Nandi, Manavala Mamunigal, Sai Baba, Lord Ganesha and Lord Vishnu. Some of her paintings adorn the Ashtalakshmi Temple in Besant Nagar, Chennai. Some have also reached many other places in India and abroad.

Address: Saroja Nagarathinam, # 73/4, Bazaar Road, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004,
Phone: 498 3783

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