PRACTICE
Photo: Mary; kolams: Syamala Monie
spirit ~
PAINTED
PRAYERS
s you step into any South Indian
house, your eyes are sure to be greeted by the attractive sight of a bright,
white-coloured geometrical design
drawn on the ground near the threshold.
The pleasing and intricate design drawn
using rice flour is known as kolam.
It may look simple, but kolam
reflects a deep spiritual philosophy.
Essentially, kolam is meant to welcome
the guests by bringing a smile on their
lips and cheerfulness in their hearts as
they enter the house. This embodies the
noble thought of athiti devo bhava (the
guest is God). Not only that, the rice
flour used in kolam is a source of food
for insects and birds. It is said that ants
are pleased when they get their daily
food easily through kolam, and they
bless the residents of the house. This
reveals the benevolent spirit of sharing
among human beings, and depicts the
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ko l a m i s a n a n c i e n t a rt
t h at m a k e s t h e e n t r a n c e
to yo u r h o u s e b ot h
au s pi c i o u s a n d b e au t i f u l
by P Venkatesh
attitude of sarve bhavantu sukhina
(may all creatures co-exist happily).
Not just a beautiful form, kolam is
also symbolic of a life filled with auspiciousness. It is considered an invitation
to Mother Lakshmi, the goddess of
wealth, to shower prosperity on the
house. The white colour of the kolam
signifies purity and sanctity of the
house. Often, red kaavi (brick powder)
lines are drawn around the white lines.
These red lines are supposed to prevent
life positive
november 2008
negative energy from invading the
house, thereby protecting the residents
of the house. Being a symmetrical pattern made up of dots connected with
lines, kolam is also like a yantra that
continuously taps positive energy from
the cosmos, thus bringing happiness
to the residents.
In the Tamil calendar, the month of
Margazhi (mid December to mid
January) is considered highly auspicious for drawing kolams. It is said that
one year for humans is equivalent to
one day for the Divine, and the month
of Margazhi represents the twilight
hours for the gods. So, kolams are considered as painted prayers to wake up
and invoke the blessings of those gods.
Women get up before sunrise, and
decorate the ground with detailed and
elegant kolams. Such is their devotion
that care is taken not to repeat the same
design again during the entire month.
At the centre of the kolam, they keep
a ball of cow dung holding a yellow
pumpkin flower an offering to the
Almighty and a symbol of fertility.
While the kolam designs in households range in size from small to medium, the designs in temples are usually
large and elaborate. This is a highly
refined art. To start with, rice flour
powder is taken between the thumb
and forefinger, and a grid of pullis
(dots) is drawn. Then, a single continuous kambi (line or curve) is drawn
starting from one dot, running around
other dots, and finally ending at the initial dot. In this process, the interesting loops that form around the dots
make up the desired design. These dots
stand for the challenges in life, the lines
represent how we tackle these challenges, and the kolam itself symbolises the recurring life cycle.
Drawing kolam involves the highest mathematical ability. A girl learning
this art not only has to visualise the
An elegant kolam made out of one kambi
should be in the exact proportion to the
space available. This helps develop a
sharp mind, and improves reasoning
and intuitive skills. No wonder such
girls excel in academics. Interestingly,
kolam is also a tradition that is passed
down over several generations amongst
the women of the family. The daughter
of the house is taught a new kolam
design every day. This is so because
the design lasts only for a day and has
to be drawn afresh every morning. This
way a mother initiates her daughter
into a lifelong spiritual practice,
enshrining the lessons of discipline and
aesthetics, expecting her to carry on
with this tradition in her prospective
husbands house.
The benefits of drawing kolam are
immense. In villages, the floor is
cleaned with water mixed with cow
dung before drawing the kolam. Cow
dung has excellent anti-bacterial and
insect-repellent properties, which keeps
the house free from diseases. Dawn is
the best time for drawing kolam due to
the presence of pure air that relaxes the
mind and energises the body. As the
womenfolk frequently bend and rise,
and twist their arms and legs in order
to draw the intricate figures, this not
only unconsciously massages their
digestive and reproductive organs, but
also strengthens their joints and spine,
thus exercising the whole body.
As the chakras connect the physical
body with the energy body, kolams
too act as divine devices that subtly
link the interior (microcosm) of the
house with the exterior (macrocosm).
Indeed, they represent the mystical
pictorial language by which the earth
converses with heaven. Blessed are the
women who practise this art, and the
house whose threshold is graced by a
resplendent kolam.
The author is a joyful creator of words, visuals and sounds,
playing roles of a writer, producer and media consultant.
Blog: http://joycreator.wordpress.com/
Email: pvenkatesh@ymail.com
geometry in her mind, but also needs
to replicate it on the ground. The design
We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article.
Mail us at editor@lifepositive.net
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