Crochetkari: Rainbow Mandala

Friday 3 August 2012

Rainbow Mandala

Hi friends, I finished the Rainbow mandala yesterday, but as it was a public holiday here I decided to spend the day with the Boys.

Yesterday was Raksha Bandhan which is essentially a celebration of the bond between brothers and sisters. This is one festival which transcends religious barriers and people of all faiths celebrate it. The sister ties a rakhi (sacred thread) on her brother's wrist to show her love for her brother, while praying for his well being. The brother promises to always protect and take care of his sister/s. Raksha in Hindi means to Protect. The brother also gives gifts to the sister which can be anything from chocolates, clothes, books or even jewellery depending on the sister's taste.

Raksha Bandhan does not require a biological connection between brothers and sisters, so while it can be celebrated between cousins, step siblings and even distant relatives, we also have Hindu sisters tying rakhis to Muslim brothers and Christian sisters tying rakhis to Hindu brothers and so on. I think we need more such festivals in India where people are not segregated depending on their religion, caste, creed or race.

This is what a Rakhi looks like:

And now let me welcome two sisters in arms hooks, Sophie from Sophie's Paradise and Barbara from Made in K-town.

Now on to the topic of mandala. I got a few queries about the mandala which I will try to answer in brief.

Mandal is a Sanskrit word meaning Circle. The mandala has spiritual and ritual significance and can often be seen in Hindu, Buddhist and Tibetan religious art. The word mandala has become a generic term for any circular pattern and for us crocheters it means a circular pattern with beautiful concentric designs.

And while on the topic of mandalas do visit Barbara who has a fantastic pattern for a gorgeous Spring Mandala. I am definitely going to make this one.

The inspiration for my present mandala can be found HERE at Crochet with Raymond. I wanted a Rainbow Mandala and these are the shades of Laura Knitting cotton I chose.


Here is my "cool" mandala before I added the warm colours,


This is the completed mandala without the edging, does look like a rainbow, doesn't it?


I tried 2-3 edging patterns before deciding on a simple sc and picot edging which would not distract from the beauty of the mandala. 

And ta-da, my beautiful, lovely Rainbow Mandala,

 
Serene Buddha on a beautiful mandala.


I used a 3.50 mm crochet hook this time to get a flexible fabric. The mandala is 13 inches in diameter.


 Slice of Rainbow pizza, anyone?



 


So, how do you like  my handmade rainbow?
This is my second post today so do scroll down to meet my cute little friends who came to party.

As per dear Charlotte's suggestion I have added my email address to my profile page so now you have one more way to contact me.

See you soon and Happy hooking.
Love xxx

14 comments:

  1. Raksha Bandhan sounds like a lovely holiday - we should all show appreciation and love like that often.

    Love your granny mandala - it's very pretty. :)

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  2. Your second post and my second visit. :) I like those lovely rakhis. And your mandala is very pretty. I have that same Buddha. Have a great day. Tammy

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  3. That's the type of holiday that the entire world should participate in. Loving your mandela. Where can I purchase the book Lovely Lace or Pineapple Lace?

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  4. Your mandala is so pretty. Thank you for explaining what the term is and for telling us about Raksha Bandhan. I agree that this should be an international holiday celebrated by everyone. The whole world needs more love and friendship toward each other.

    Sharon

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  5. You are pretty fast at crocheting I suppose. Took just a day? wow! its wonderful

    Lots of love
    Aishwarya

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  6. Nice! I love all the colors together! Liz

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  7. Very refreshing colors. I am sure you enjoyed making it.

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  8. I really like it, is so beautiful... ♥

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  9. This is absolutely GORGEOUS !!

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  10. Hi Sangeetha!
    Thanks for visiting me and follow me! Yes it is a coincidence, we both started the blog in May and have the same posts! I also think that Lucy's Attic24 is great! You also do beautiful things, hexagon blanket is very pretty.
    And I love your beautiful mandala!
    Many thanks for your nice comment in http://www.myworldofwool.com/!
    And come visit me whenever you want, I're grateful.

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  11. the rainbow mandala looks sooo good! i like it:) where did you buy that cotton thread from ?online? can I find it in India?:)thanks, Anna.

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Thank you for taking a moment to write to me. I look forward to your comments.
If you have any specific questions about yarn, stitches, hooks or patterns please send them to crochetkari@gmail.com

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