Brunei's Local News - Brudirect.com

Live Demonstration Of Record-breaking Rangoli Artist At Empire Hotel
By James Kon

Bandar Seri Begawan - Rongoli is one of the most popular art forms in India. It is a form of sand painting decoration that uses finely ground white powder and colors, and is used commonly outside homes in India.

Rangoli can be a wall as well as a floor art.

On Nov 14 from 3:30pm to 4pm, Madam Vijaya Mohan will be showcasing her magnificent skills in Rangoli art at Level One of The Empire Hotel and Country Club, to mark the occasion of the inauguration of Rotary District Conference held in Brunei.

In 2003, Vijaya Mohan encouraged and supported by Whampoa CC, broke the Guinness Book of World Records by single-handedly drawing a Rangoli of size 52' by 53' or 2756 sq ft (256 sq m) in seven hours without any break. The previous record was held in the United Kingdom of size 30' by 30'.

Madam Vijaya's name was also included in the Singapore Book of Records for receiving three awards in three different categories that is the Individual Endeavors: Largest Rangoli by a single person in 2003, Team Endeavors — Supersize — involving more than 120 community leaders and drawing a multiracial Rangoli with symbols of all races in Singapore of approx 3,000 sq feet in size in 2005 and Mass Participation —Communities — involving 950 persons and world's first giant outdoor weather' proof Rangoli also in 2005.

Vijaya Mohan also has the honor of drawing before the President of Singapore at the opening of temple kumbashigam and at the Walton University Alumina dinner function. She also drew a Rangoli and lit the inaugural lamp at the IAEC felicitation ceremony in honor of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Vijaya Mohan began teaming the art of Rangoli in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India at the tender age of five at the feet of her mother. Vijaya Mohan was so fascinated by Rangoli that she used and tried different designs, different mediums and visited neighbors to observe their drawings and tried to improve on it even whilst in school. She had taken part in many local Kansa competitions in school, college and in her neighborhood and won several prizes.

After marriage, she moved to Bombay and there she had the chance to draw Rangoli at big establishments like Shanmukhananda Sabha (a 3,000-seat auditorium) for a big audience, President's Hotel for Japanese tourists, Nehru Planetarium, Dharma Kshetra, Mitra Mandals (Community Centres) and more.

Vijaya Mohan moved to Singapore in 1993 and has done thousands of Rangoli demonstrations in the city state but started documenting her events only from 1999. She has displayed her talent at over a few hundred major commercial, social and art establishments as well as numerous schools, colleges and community centres such as the Esplanade, National Arts Council, Indian Heritage Board, Singapore National Museum, History Museum, La Salle of Arts, Apsara Arts (graduation for Japanese students) and PA Orchestra. For more information about her achievements visit http://www.vamamela.com. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin