“Every festival and special occasion in a temple involves days of preparation. Creating floral alankarams, decorating the sanctum and making rangolis are among the ways I contribute to these traditions. I grew up watching my father, who is both an artist and a purohith, take up this work. Over the years, what I observed as a child became something I learnt, practised and eventually began doing myself.

I started assisting my father and his team while I was still in school. Gradually, I began creating alankarams and rangolis on my own, along with sketching. I never saw these as activities I had to learn out of obligation. I genuinely enjoyed being involved in them.

As I grew older, I continued learning from my father and my gurus, Sridhar Guru and Nagender Guru. They taught me the Vedic path of pourahityam and helped me understand the significance behind the rituals. For me, art and devotion go hand in hand. Whether I am creating an alankaram, designing a rangoli or performing a puja, I consider it a form of seva.

Alongside this, I pursued my B.Tech in Information Technology and Sciences. Balancing academics with my commitments to art and pourahityam required consistency, but the support of my family, friends and teachers helped me continue both. Knowing Telugu, English, Hindi and Kannada has also helped me travel and connect with people across different places.

My work has taken me to New Delhi, Guwahati, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Tirupati. Hyderabad holds a special place in my journey. I visit the city frequently for pujas and religious events, and it has become familiar through the work I do here.

Last year, during Karthika Masam, I was part of Koti Deepotsavam event in Hyderabad, where one crore diyas are lit. Along with my team, I created 13 alankarams and rangoli artworks over 13 days. Being able to contribute to such a large devotional gathering was an experience I will always cherish.

I want to continue learning and serving through pourahityam and the traditions passed down to me. There is still much more to learn, and I hope to carry forward this knowledge while continuing to explore my creativity.”

— Lohith Srivaishnava