Kolam: Difference between revisions

[[File: White stones.JPG|thumb|200px|White stones used to make one type of Kolam f]]

Kolams/Muggulu are thought to bring prosperity to homes. At millions of households in [[Tamil Nadu]], [[Telangana]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]], every day early morning during the break of dawn, women draw Kolams in front of their home entrance. Traditionally Kolams are drawn on the flat surface of the ground with white rice flour. The drawings get walked on through the day, washed out in the rain, or blown around in the wind; new ones are made the next day. Each morning before sunrise, the front entrance of the house, or wherever the Kolam may be drawn, is swept clean, sprinkled with water, thereby making for a flat surface. The kolams are generally drawn while the surface is still damp so the design will hold better. Instead of rice flour (கோலமாவு / బియ్యం పిండి), even white stone powder used for creating Kolam occasionally, [[cow dung]] is also used to wax the floors. In some cultures, cow dung is believed to have antiseptic properties and hence provides a literal threshold of protection for the home. It also provides contrast with the white powder.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indian-heritage.org/alangaram/kolams/kolams.htm |title=Traditional customs and practices - Kolams|publisher=Indian Heritage|access-date=13 January 2012}}</ref>

The decoration is not the main purpose of a Kolam. In the olden days, kolams/muggulu were drawn in coarse rice flour, so the [[ants]] would not have to walk too far or too long for a meal. The rice powder also invites birds and other small creatures to eat it, thus welcoming other beings into one's home and everyday life: a daily tribute to harmonious co-existence. It is a sign of invitation to welcome all into the home, not the least of whom is [[Lakshmi]], the Goddess of prosperity and wealth. The patterns range from geometric and mathematical line drawings around a matrix of dots to free form artwork and closed shapes. [[Folklore]] has evolved to mandate that the lines must be completed to symbolically prevent evil spirits from entering the inside of the shapes. Thus, they are prevented from entering the inside of the home.

[[File: Kolam Indigo Dyed Cloth.jpg|thumb|200px|3x3 symmetry 9 goddesses swastika Kolam with a single cycle by Nagata S, each of which corresponds to one of the nine Devi (Goddesses) of the Vedic system]]

The ritual kolam patterns created for special occasions such as weddings often stretch down the street. Many of these created patterns have been passed on from generation to generation, from mothers to daughters.