Kolam

Kolam – It’s neither a special word nor an unknown word for any one in Tamil Nadu. That’s something common and a part of their daily activities, especially for any Tamil girl. Thou may not be with metro or city life, but it’s still a regular and mandatory one with the village / traditional lifestyle of Tamil Nadu.

When I was a kid, I used to think, that those early mornings of my native village are something magical. My nursery & Primary brought up was completely in that village, and that’s where I could sense, smell, taste and live a complete and natural village life. Thou 100s of things were there that can make any kid to get surprised or excited, 1 of those for me was this ‘Kolam’.

 

When I used to wake up and come out of the house in search of Mom or Aunt, first thing that I notice will be this ‘Kolam’ in front of those door steps. I wasn’t sure at that age, ‘how does the pattern change daily for this drawing alone?’ ‘how do Mom or sister draw them?’ etc etc. But sure I will check it, run around it, identify something in it, and will be shouting ‘Cat is here, cow is there, it’s lotus.. blah blah blah’.

 

Pic: Tamil Kambi kolam

When I crossed 7-8 years, and when I was also taught to draw that, it wasn’t so easy to draw with that Kolam powder, as like drawing with pencils in a paper. But it was interesting and became a funny activity for me. Later when I moved out to hostel for studies it became ‘just a memory’. I didn’t care much about that, other than drawing it whenever I go home.

But when People and Culture became my area of interest, this ‘Kolam’ attracted me in a completely different way. It’s no more just a drawing for my eyes. It seems to be an art, tradition, heritage sign, science and more. And here is what I explored on ‘Kolam’ in-lieu with that curiosity!!

What is Kolam?

Kolam is a drawing or art or pattern, drawn in the doorsteps of South Indian houses, mainly in Tamil Nadu. They are also drawn in the pooja rooms and temples. They are drawn using the rice powder, now-a-days a kind of white stone powder is also used for the same.

The practice in Tamil Nadu is that, girls or women of the house need to draw the kolam  in early morning in front of their house or door steps (Vaasal – the mud floor in front of the main door steps of the house).

                                               Pic: Chikku kolam drawn at a vaasal

First duty of any Tamil girl for the day is to clean the vaasal with plain water or cow dung mixed with water, then to sweep it cleanly and then to draw this kolam. Usually this will be done early in morning before sunrise (between 5:00 AM to 5:30 AM).

Kolam as a practice of Social / Ecological harmony:

In olden days, kolam is drawn only with rice powder. Reason behind that is to provide food for small creatures like birds, ants, etc. You can notice many crows, sparrows in front of many houses, having their food in this kolam (rice) powder. We are fighting with so many slogans to preserve several species of nature; whereas ancient Tamils did that with their simple daily activity.

There is a Tamil saying that, ‘Friend or Foe, men at doorstep should be welcomed warmly!’. Kolam is also a decorative welcome sign used by Tamils for their house.

 

Pic: Kolam at doorsteps 

Hence Kolam played a significant role in Tamil Heritage to maintain social as well as ecological harmony.

Kolam as the science:

As far as I absorbed, all the ancient habits / practices followed here have something related to science. And so is this kolam too.

First step for drawing kolam is to clean the floor with water / cow dung. This is to wet the floor and set the mud so as to avoid muddy dust to be carried away by wind into the house. Cow dung is a good disinfectant and hence it is used.

Next is the timings; why is that before sunrise? Because mornings are good for the fresh intake of oxygen. For drawing this kolam, women, who are mostly in home, are coming out and are breathing the fresh oxygen.

Why is it mandatory to draw kolam in ‘Margazhi’ (a winter Tamil month). As per the geographical location of India, the ozone layer is of good concentration in this winter month. And hence the fresh intake of oxygen is mandated thru the practices of kolam for women, bhajans for men.

In villages, elders insist on the proper way of drawing the kolam. One shouldn’t sit and draw the kolam, instead they should bent down and draw it. When women are bending down firmly and drawing kolam daily, their backbone attains strength and flexibility, which is much required for any women for their maternal health.

 

Pic: Kolam - Prescribed Drawing posture

   

One shouldn’t wear foot wears while drawing kolam. This is to ensure that your bare foot is pressurized against the muddy floor / soil particles. Such a pressure on bare foot helps in the promotion of proper blood circulation thru out the body, after a full night sleep.

Kolam – Significance in Celebrations:

Kolam, as explained in all above sections, is an unavoidable part of Tamil life. So how can there be a completion in the celebrations without this kolam?!

Margazhi: This Tamil month is considered to be the lovely month of all, as we celebrate winter here. Also it is considered to be auspicious. Every day of this month is celebrated here, starting with the early morning kolam(s) at the door steps. And the special part of Margazhi kolam is the pumpkin flower. In Margazhi month alone, Tamil village people have the practice of placing a small ball / cone of cow dung or turmeric in the middle of the kolam at door steps. And they will place pumpkin flower(s) on top of that. This is a kind of pre-preparation for Pongal, the grand harvest festival of TamilNadu, which is celebrated on the first day of next Tamil month ‘Thai’.

 

Pic: Margazhi kolam withpumpkin flowers at 'vaasal'

 

Pongal: This is the biggest and best celebrated festival of TamilNadu. So no doubt, kolam has its own major part in this. It is a harvest festival that is celebrated for almost a week. Rice food (pongal) is prepared with newly harvested paddy, and is presented to Sun and Cattles on different days of the week as a gratitude for their part in agriculture. Usually that food is prepared with hand-made mud pot (or utensils) and mud stoves at the door steps of home or at farm. And it is mandatory to decorate the stove, pot, doorsteps, home, etc with kolam.

Pic: Pongal Stove and Utensils decorated with kolam

 

Pic: Pongal - Padaiyal kolam

 

Dheepam: This is a festival of lamps that is celebrated in the full moon day of the Tamil Month ‘Karthigai’. People used to decorate their house with lamps (as like Diwali) on that night. On this day also door steps, corridors and all the places where the lamps are placed will be decorated by kolam.

Pic: Kolam and Dheepam

 

Village festivals: Festive colours of TamilNadu are mainly visible in the village festivals. It will be mostly car festival of the local temple of that village. People of the village used to decorate themselves as well as their home during these occasions. Even in these festivals people gather together in the temple and will prepare ‘pongal’ all together and present it to the god / goddess of that temple. It’s a belief / practice in Tamil villages that their village is being safeguarded by the god / goddess of that village. So as a respect / gratitude, people used to conduct this festival regularly (mostly once in a year). This is a form of collective prayer method that prevails here from ancient ages. Kolam plays the same part of it, as in Pongal festival, in these village festivals too. 

 Pic: Kolam and Pongal preparation by women in a Village festival 

Plenty of kolams will be drawn by all the girls and women of the village, all thru out the village streets where the temple car will be coming. And funniest part will be, when the young girls pass on some hidden message to their secret lovers thru their kolam. It’s really a colourful scene in early mornings of village festivals, where the young girls will be drawing kolams and youth guys will be wandering in groups and trying to get the message from their lover’s kolam.

 

Pic: Women drawing kolam in a village street

Weddings:

Another major part of Kolam is with the Wedding ceremonies, not alone as a decoration, but as a mandatory ritual. There are separate patterns for these kolams and they are usually called as ‘Manai Kolam’.  In Tamil weddings, both bride and groom will be seated on a long and wide wooden low-stool (called ‘manai’), while the groom wears the sacred thread (thali or mangalshutra) in bride’s neck. That stool will be decorated with these special kolams, designed only for it. And hence it got the name ‘manai kolam’. 

 

Pic: 'Manai' decorated with kolam

Later on, these kolams are drawn in all the places of wedding halls or temple halls, where the wedding is happening.

 

 

Pic: Manai kolam in a wedding hall

 Also the homes of bride and groom will be decorated by these kolams by the women of respective homes. 

 

Pic: Wedding kolam decoration at home by women

In addition to all these, several small functions and festivals also there, which can’t be beautiful without these kolams.

As always, explaining the experience is not so easy, and it should be felt and experienced. So is this Kolam too. That feel of taking the pinch of that rice powder and drawing, in early morning covered with mist.. That feel of chatting with all your neighbour girls and drawing together with all youth chats and gossips.. That feel of teasing the bride / groom, while decorating with kolam and also drawing their name together in a hidden way..  All these can’t be explained as much as felt and enjoyed.

Pic: Kolam and Me!

Kolam - It’s an identity of Tamil people, life, culture and heritage. All these can’t be merely explained thru the words, for such an ancient tradition, should be experienced!

Pictures: Thamizh, Friends, Google.