Kolam Book With Dots Download
Keena Wiegert
A kolam is a geometrical drawing composed of curved loops drawn around a grid pattern of dots. It is sometimes called Rangoli and can be very elaborate and colorful. Kolams originated about 2500 BC in the Indus Valley Civilization and are believed to help bring wealth and prosperity to the home or business.
In the art form of kolam, dots called pulli are arranged in rhombic, square, triangular, or free shapes, and a single, uninterrupted linear or curvilinear line, called the kambi, intertwines the dots. (Reference Wikipedia)
The colourful kolam powders sit forlorn in a corner as streaks of red emulsion paint drip from the parapet wall, washed down by the rain before they could dry. There seems to be no end in sight for the unseasonal rain and there are two groups of people who are especially sad about it.
One that has chosen to paint their homes now, and the other who was planning to prepare for beautiful Pongal rituals such as creating the beautiful colour kolam, or as it is called in the north, the rangoli. I am a member of both groups, having decided to paint my home and celebrate pongal with my kolam.
For Deepavali, predictably, we would draw lamps, both in the disciplined pulli (dotted) kolam and carefree freehand kolam that relied only on our ability to imagine, while sticking to the basic grammar of a kolam.
The more creative among us used to manage a 3D effect, of milk overflowing from the pongal panai (pot). A sleight of hand and some white kolam powder was all it took to create that impression. I once even drew an aduppu (chulha/stove) with glowing embers in orange and red.
We would begin in the evening at about five, and continue, ignoring the mosquitoes that feasted on us. The men would hold torches, and later emergency lights, when the power went off. By the time the last line was drawn, it would be close to midnight. By then, the street would be filled with row after row of colourful kolams.
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