|
Kolam
- An Artistic View at your Home Entrance
Kolam
- meaning: A decorative appearance, Beauty
TRS
Iyengar
In
Tamilnadu, one would find a finest drawn and artistic drawing
decorating every house at the front entrance. These drawings are not
just merely a decoration, but it has lot more significance to
this practice. During festival seasons and on any auspicious
functions, the drawing are drawn still larger even extending up to
the street! A classic example can be noted from these, a woman's
creative at it's best, talent to make it an even more attractive.
There is also a competition amongst the neighbors, who draws a
finest one! These artistic kolam drawings also an impressive
of positive attitude one provides. Every home with happy mood and
positive attitude used to draw such fine kolams. Only when
there is a death or grief, then it would totally be absent at their
homes.
In
the olden days, they used pure rice flour to draw such art. It was a
kind of feeding the insects, specially the ants of all sorts, that
will get its days food from these drawings. Thus, they prevented
these ants from entering their home. These sort of drawings also
proved the talent and creative imaginations of the house ladies. Oh,
while they drew these Kolam, they used bend their body
physically which prevented growing pot belly!. Yes, this also worked
as a physical exercise for them and gave ample scopes to maintain
their fitness as this exercise being a regular routine. It also
reflected on a woman's nature, her recording patience, creative
values, changing mood elevations! Yes, these are too small to judge
at the first look, but surely holds a high esteem of the person who
draws the Kolam every day at her front door outskirts. Only
an experienced person on such psychology and sociology can spot the
difference!
This
Kolam also an impressive mood analyzer of a woman, who does all the
chores of their house hold routines. These drawings would be absent
only at the homes, where some one has passed away; they used to
mourn for one full year for the departed soul, and the absent of
such artistic Kolam would be an indication for a visitors.
If
some family is out of station for quite some times, then these
marking Kolams would be absent. The thieves used to notice this to
enter such homes to steel the valuables. So, when such drawings of
"Kolam" is present, even the thieves too would desist from
entering such homes. To avoid such occurrences, the neighbors used
draw some sort of Kolam at the home entrance of the absentees home.
Thus, strengthening the bondage of neighbor-hood.
Apart
from the above facts, it is widely believed that Sri Lakshmi, the
Goddess of wealth resides at the homes where such Kolam art is
present every day. Since this is a routine change that take place
every day; before drawing these artistic Kolam, they used to cleanse
the place with a mixture of Cow dung and water, sprinkle it at the
place where they used to put the Kolam drawings. This is in a way
acted as an anti-bacterial agent. Though this practice is not
continued in big towns and cities, one can see it in the remote
villages and interior places. This practice is more visible
during the festive season and specifically during 15th December to
15th January every year. The period is known as Dhanur month and is
the fag end of the night time for the Brahmma Logam. On or about
15th January, the Sun enters into Tropical Capricorn which is known
as Makara Sankaranthi in northern part of India and Pongal in
Tamilnadu. This specific season, the Kolams are largely visible at
every house hold, shed and shelters.
A
few sketches of such drawings are given below in image format, for
you to treat your eyes. These images are the properties from the
blog at the URL: http://kaleido-kolangal.blogspot.com
and I admire the mother who has given these beautiful art to the
next generation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
On her younger son's Upanayanam day, my
elder sister drew this Kolam at the front door entrance, which
was appreciated by one and all. Date: 29.06.2011 at Ambattur,
Chennai. |
This is by my elder sister during her son's
upanayanam on 29th June 2011. |
|
