I remember reading somewhere that all human beings are creatures of habit. Some things that people do out of tradition turn out to be good rules / principles / habits. Of course it's hard to follow something blindly. I too don't obey everything that I am told to do. I have asked questions and got some answers too. Hoping that narrating some of those stories would make an interesting read.
When I was a little girl, I have seen my Mom wake up early every morning and put the Kolam of the day outside the house. She tried to teach me too. I didn't get too motivated. However I think I was more interested in playing with the rice flour when I was a baby. I heard that I used to ask for the entire cup that she used and soon after I got it, I'd topple the thing and make palm prints and other "artistic designs" on the floor happily, with no care about cleaning up the place later. (They have a picture also.)
Anyway, Kolams are believed to bring prosperity, ward off evil spirits in addition to beautifying the entrance of the house (Rangoli is always a visual delight and some Keralites make kolams using flowers too; since I don't like flowers I won't talk about it :D). Bending down and drawing the design could be a form of exercise too (especially if the kolam has an outer radius > 20 cms). Something that caught my attention was the fact that ants and other small birds like sparrows eat the rice flour and hence these Kolams have multiple uses benefiting humans a.w.a other creatures of the planet. Powdered white stone is also used to make Kolams at times. It is thicker than rice flour and "probably" cheaper too; that thing isn't edible as far as I know. Anyway, powdered red sand diluted in water is used to give an exotic outline to Kolams that are made using a thicker paste of rice flour. I don't think ants can eat that either. The small black ants generally don't bite people. It's hard to find their colonies too. I have seen them eat the rice flour from kolams at times. The red ants probably have more options for their grub.
There's another custom that's followed in many households I know of. Before anybody leaves the house for the first time in the morning, the kolam has to be made. If someone in the first circle of relatives croaks, then the entrance is left bare for the mourning period.
Also, this subject is quite vast and my knowledge is limited. So I have to bring out the best I can in one post (and hence the image, which of course is the result of a quick Google search) :P. As I am nearing it's conclusion, I am reminded of a neighbor back home who was distinguishably creative in this art and another one who I have heard is turning out to be a stark contrast to the former. No more inside jokes. It's time to say bye, Adios!
2 comments:
The blog talks about the sentiments connected with kolam. actually we can find some messages like welcoming a festival or announcement of a death by putting no kolam at all. many believe it used to increase the mathematical powers of girls. till date this is certainly a medium for publishing the creativity of otherwise confined female. interesting .hope part II follows soon.
First things first: the kolam in your blog is very catchy! Thanks!
The creativity in a person is expressed in the kolam. You need patience, concentration and accuracy to bring out a good kolam and a person who does a good kolam naturally acquires and develops these qualities which help to manage difficult/critical situations in life. The red outline is red sand powder and not red brick powder to the best of my knowledge. with the limited knowledge you have given a very good post on Kolam. Keep it up.
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