As you step into any South Indianhouse, your eyes are sure to be greet-

ed by the attractive sight of a bright,white-coloured geometrical designdrawn on the ground near the threshold.The pleasing and intricate design drawnusing rice flour is known as kolam.

It may look simple, but kolamreflects a deep spiritual philosophy.Essentially, kolam is meant to welcomethe guests by bringing a smile on theirlips and cheerfulness in their hearts asthey enter the house. This embodies thenoble thought of ‘athiti devo bhava’ (theguest is God). Not only that, the riceflour used in kolam is a source of foodfor insects and birds. It is said that antsare pleased when they get their dailyfood easily through kolam, and theybless the residents of the house. Thisreveals the benevolent spirit of sharingamong human beings, and depicts the

attitude of ‘sarve bhavantu sukhina’(may all creatures co-exist happily).

Not just a beautiful form, kolam isalso symbolic of a life filled with auspi-ciousness. It is considered an invitationto Mother Lakshmi, the goddess ofwealth, to shower prosperity on thehouse. The white colour of the kolamsignifies purity and sanctity of thehouse. Often, red ‘kaavi’ (brick powder)lines are drawn around the white lines.These red lines are supposed to prevent

negative energy from invading thehouse, thereby protecting the residentsof the house. Being a symmetrical pat-tern made up of dots connected withlines, kolam is also like a yantra thatcontinuously taps positive energy fromthe cosmos, thus bringing happiness to the residents.

In the Tamil calendar, the month ofMargazhi (mid December to midJanuary) is considered highly auspi-cious for drawing kolams. It is said thatone year for humans is equivalent toone day for the Divine, and the monthof Margazhi represents the twilighthours for the gods. So, kolams are con-sidered as ‘painted prayers’ to wake upand invoke the blessings of those gods.

Women get up before sunrise, anddecorate the ground with detailed andelegant kolams. Such is their devotionthat care is taken not to repeat the same

kolam is an ancient art

that makes the entrance

to your house both

auspicious and beautiful

by P Venkatesh

november 2008l i f e p o s i t i v e64

PAINTED

PRAYERS

Pho

to: M

ary;

ko

lam

s: S

yam

ala

Mo

nie

spirit ~ P R A C T I C E

design again during the entire month.At the centre of the kolam, they keepa ball of cow dung holding a yellowpumpkin flower – an offering to theAlmighty and a symbol of fertility.

While the kolam designs in house-holds range in size from small to medi-um, the designs in temples are usuallylarge and elaborate. This is a highlyrefined art. To start with, rice flourpowder is taken between the thumband forefinger, and a grid of ‘pullis’(dots) is drawn. Then, a single contin-uous ‘kambi’ (line or curve) is drawnstarting from one dot, running aroundother dots, and finally ending at the ini-tial dot. In this process, the interest-ing loops that form around the dotsmake up the desired design. These dotsstand for the challenges in life, the linesrepresent how we tackle these chal-lenges, and the kolam itself symbolis-es the recurring life cycle.

Drawing kolam involves the high-est mathematical ability. A girl learningthis art not only has to visualise the

geometry in her mind, but also needsto replicate it on the ground. The design

should be in the exact proportion to thespace available. This helps develop asharp mind, and improves reasoningand intuitive skills. No wonder suchgirls excel in academics. Interestingly,kolam is also a tradition that is passeddown over several generations amongstthe women of the family. The daughterof the house is taught a new kolamdesign every day. This is so because the design lasts only for a day and hasto be drawn afresh every morning. Thisway a mother initiates her daughterinto a lifelong spiritual practice,enshrining the lessons of discipline andaesthetics, expecting her to carry onwith this tradition in her prospectivehusband’s house.

The benefits of drawing kolam areimmense. In villages, the floor iscleaned with water mixed with cowdung before drawing the kolam. Cowdung has excellent anti-bacterial andinsect-repellent properties, which keepsthe house free from diseases. Dawn isthe best time for drawing kolam due tothe presence of pure air that relaxes themind and energises the body. As thewomenfolk frequently bend and rise,and twist their arms and legs in orderto draw the intricate figures, this notonly unconsciously massages theirdigestive and reproductive organs, butalso strengthens their joints and spine,thus exercising the whole body.

As the chakras connect the physicalbody with the energy body, kolams too act as divine devices that subtly link the interior (microcosm) of thehouse with the exterior (macrocosm).Indeed, they represent the mystical pictorial language by which the earthconverses with heaven. Blessed are thewomen who practise this art, and thehouse whose threshold is graced by aresplendent 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

We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article.Mail us at editor@lifepositive.net

november 2008l i f e p o s i t i v e 65

An elegant kolam made out of one kambi

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