Kolam- A Ritual Threshold Art form
“Where the hand goes, the eye follows;
Where the eye goes, the mind goes;
Where the mind goes, is the heart
Where the heart is, Lies the reality of being.”
-Bauhinia Adriana, the Mirror of the Gesture
Theory, customs and society cater for the resurgence of interest in culture within contemporary social science and the humanities. The traditional art or ephemeral floor art or kolam is a manifestation of the beliefs and customs of the groups of population in different parts of the world. It is in a way a reflection of the cultural psyche of people. The kolam is ubiquitous in the everyday life of Tamils. Even though we are not a practitioner, we will most likely experience its presence walking down a street, visiting a temple, or working at your office. Their common existence can be compared to the omnipresence of mass produced prints of Hindu deities, and they often accompany each other. Both types of images constitute a historical continuation of Hindu worship, and simultaneously, they are constantly changing in relation to other visual practices surrounding them. The kolam image defines a space as an inhabited place, and the practice is part of how everyday life is organised. Kolams exist in an on-going dialogue between photography, cinema, commercials, fine art, religious festivals, mass produced calendar and bazaar art. The kolam practice is part of a ‘popular culture’ which is private as well as public, having a strong visual culture.
The art of kolam seems to be somewhere between the tangible and the intangible and can be termed as ‘Ephemeral tangible culture’. The experience gained by the primitive man facing the powers of the elements, earth, water, fire, air and ether stimulated awe and in turn these elements were worshipped as conscious entities in different symbolic forms. Floor Paintings are a ritualistic part of many ancient cultures. The floor art is practiced in various parts of India. its significance is much wider than the aesthetic and decorative purpose. Traditionally, everyday before sunrise and sunset, the majority of women in South India, especially Tamil Nadu, perform the kolam practice as a part of their daily domestic duties. Kolam is a form of painting that is drawn by using rice powder, chalk,white rock powder or any naturally or synthetically colored powders. It is a geometrical line drawing composed of curved loops, drawn around a grid pattern of dots. in South India is widely practiced by female Hindu family members in front of their homes. It is the expression of the women themselves, since time immemorial. Kolam was practiced on various religious beliefs and it is mainly an act of Hindu worship. Social and religious ideas and meanings are embodied in the practice and importantly, it is also constitutive of ideas and meanings in continuous process of change. The quality of the kolam embodies the skill, energy, knowledge and spiritual qualities of the marker and also interweaves gender identities to its objects.
Kolams not only communicate with the deities, but with the people who inhibit the surrounding community. The presence of kolam outside a house visualizes that all is well in the home. It is a sign of welcoming and at the same time denotes the auspiciousness within the home or place where it is drawn. One can summarize that kolam provides an object for fascination or effortless attention in the sacred space, in an atmosphere without distractions, which is filled with culturally recognizable symbols for comfort, protection and wish fulfillment. It is a visual encounter with an aesthetically pleasing, moderately complex pattern with a focal point. These characteristics are associated with a stress reduction framework. Gazing on kolam in the sacred space can provide restorative process within the domestic quarters. Kolam serves the social needs and it is generally believed that the kolam drawn in front of the house is a reflection of the good culture prevailing in the house. A house whose front door has fresh kolam each morning and is swept clean each evening is a home where religious duties are being properly enacted, evidencing internal orderliness and self-respect. Thus kolam serves as one of the significant mediums of ensuring religious, psychological, physical, social and cultural welfare of a traditional family in general and the women of the family in particular.