Artist Ram Soni speaks in measured tones. You have to strain your ears to hear him. "He has hardly spoken for the last four days as he only speaks Hindi and we don't have much Hindi," says Lakshmi Ramachandran, President of Crafts Council of Tamil Nadu that has invited him to hold a workshop in Coimbatore. But today, there are two of us who speak his language, and he opens up. Soni is custodian of an ancient art form that his family has been practising for at least 350 years. Ajay, Vijay, Mohan, Ram, Shyam and Sanjay, his brothers, cousins and uncles, are perhaps the only ones who still practise this art. Called Sanjhi, it flourished as far back as the 16th and 17th Century, if you go by history. If you go by myth, it is believed that Radha covered the walls of her house with this art for the enjoyment of her beloved Krishna. From father to son "Sanjhi came to decorate Vaishnav temples," explains Ram Soni. Motifs drawn from the life of Krishna became the inspiration. Paper stencils were made and they were used to make rangolis on temple walls and floors. "It is a languishing art," he says and it is found in only a few temples today. Full article in the link below http://www.thehindu.com/arts/crafts/fine-art/article2950273.ece Ravi National Award winner Ram Soni demonstrates Sanjhi, an ancient art form to craft lovers in Coimbatore
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