All decked up

Dubai resident makes colourful adornments for doorways

The Indian festive season is about to begin. With Navratri a day away and Diwali round the corner, Indian households are getting ready for a new, beautiful look.

The decorations begin at the entrance itself, with a rangoli on the floor and a toran decking the doorway. Kiran Lakhiani, a resident of Dubai, makes these doorway adornments to personal specifications, making sure each toran is a balanced mix of tradition and modernity.

As an age-old custom, torans are a must on all auspicious occasions. Traditionally made of mango leaves and marigold flowers, over the years innovative ideas using new materials have resulted in the creation of novel torans that are both interesting and longer lasting.

Kiran uses starched satin ribbons, traditional motifs, mirrors, bells, beads and balls for that alluring effect.

The torans available in the local supermarkets are usually of the mass-produced variety and not particularly attractive. Kiran saw an opportunity to use her talent as well as fulfil this need for richly adorned decorations, and began making torans for her friends and acquaintances six years ago.

A commercial artist by training, Kiran soon found a niche market for her unique product. This year, her striking torans in bold colours will be seen on many shop fronts at the textile market in Bur Dubai and Gold Souq in Deira.

Kiran gives credit to her mother for nurturing her talents. "She never let me sit idle, encouraging me to develop many skills when I was growing up. She taught me the basics of making these torans while on a visit here and suggested this avenue for my creativity. I am very fortunate that my husband, too, is very supportive and takes a keen interest in all my activities," says Kiran.

Besides torans, she also takes orders for garlands, gift-wrapping and special ethnic wooden decorations, as she likes to spend the rest of the year fruitfully.

Kiran has held exhibitions of her torans and other artefacts at the Dubai International Art Centre (DIAC) and at her home.

"The torans in red and green are a favourite with western expatriates during the Christmas season and so are the ones made with golden tissue, net and dried flowers. Indians seem to prefer the bright coloured ones," says Kiran.

She lets people decide the size, colour schemes, and decorative objects to be used. An album of her work is a good place to choose from. This enables her to create personalised torans for each customer.

For one shop front, she has made a 35-feet long toran in bright green, orange and red, with plenty of golden beads, motifs and bells. Most of the material for making torans is procured from India.

Kiran has diplomas in commercial art and fashion designing. She began conducting art and craft classes for children ten years ago and also teaches at the DIAC. Velvet painting, 3-D collages, glass etching and painting, woodwork, ceramic, bread craft and candle making are just a few of many skills she has mastered.

Her house is a showcase of her works but she takes immense pride in her student's creations as well.