Chantal Jumel - Chantal Jumel

Kapaleeswarar temple, the chariot festival

Processional chariots (ratha in Sanskrit, ter in Tamil) are an integral part of temples and public life in South-India. It is therefore normal to find in the kolam repertoire a rich collection of chariot designs dedicated to the gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon.

Kalam/Kerala

Kerala Kalam, "Ayyappan, the hunter and the householder"— part 2

Ayyappan Tiyattu ritual is performed in the regions of northern and central Kerala. The paintings of the Nambiar community exhibit a perfect mastery of line. The three-dimensional effects add a sculptural dimension to the paintings and a liveness to the image of Ayyappan and the other characters.

Pongal/Tamil harvest festival

Pongal festival, the Chettiar way — part 3

Finally, it is Pongal, and I can't wait to see the preparations in the house. The women unleash their creativity by adorning the earthen and bronze vessels. The kolam stands out once the rice paste has dried, and is ready to welcome the celebration with an auspicious Ganesha portrait.

Kalam/Kerala

Kerala Kalam, "Ayyappan, the Lord of Sabarimala"— part 1

The 41-day mandalakalam period, which starts in Vrikshikam (November-December) and culminates by December-end, embodies a time of intense religious fervour and austerities, particularly in temples of Ayyappan and the Goddess. This ritual period benefits the kalam painters.

Kalam/Kalamezhuttu

Kerala Kalam, "Colours and emotions" — part 4

Panchavarnam, five colours for the kalam paintings are more than just an aesthetic choice; they convey concepts as well as feelings. The five powders are chosen according to the attributes of each god or goddess. The iconography refers to myths and legends.

Kalam/Kalamezhuttu

Kerala Kalam,"Measuring and sketching the body"— part 3

Kalam paintings are not born of the priest's or ritual painter's own imagination; they are drawn according to precise rules, which include specifications about shapes and colours. A kalam begins, in most cases, by tracing an east-west vertical line called brahmasutra.

Kalam/Kerala

Kerala Kalam, "Hand drawing techniques"— part 2

In Kalamezhuttu images, the hands constitute drawing and colouring tools. The simplest gesture involves holding the powder between thumb and index and allowing it to drop smoothly onto the floor to complete dots or lines of varying thickness.

Gokulashtami/Krishna Janmashtami

Kolam to celebrate the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna

Of the various kolam created on Gokulashtami, drawing the feet of baby Krishna is a custom in Tamil-Nadu and a sign of welcoming the Divine at home. I have always been moved by the women printing with their fists dipped in wet rice flour, tiny footprints from the threshold to the altar.

Kalam/Kerala

Kerala Kalam, "Draw and sing the paintings" — part 1

Almost invisibles, the floor paintings called kalam do not expose themselves to the morning walker's gaze. They are drawn in privacy and focus the attention of the family within the home and of devotees in the temple premises.

Kolam/Rangoli games

Two games inspired by Kolam and Rangoli

Meet Kanaka Ananth and her creative games called KRAZY KOLAM and RANGOLIO. Both are inspired by the fabulous floor painting traditions called kolam and rangoli.

Snake worship

Celebrating Nâga Panchami

The festival of Nâga Panchami is celebrated during the Tamil month of Aadi (mid-July, mid-August) in most parts of South India. It is also known as Garuda Panchami, as on the first day, Garuda (an eagle) and the vehicle of God Vishnu, is worshipped along with the serpent-gods.

Kalam/Kerala

Kerala Kalam, Pulluvanpattu "To protect mother and child"— part 1

Although Western medicine has long been part of the Kerala landscape, there are still communities of ritual painters whose hereditary task equates them to medicine-men. Pulluvanpattum was once an exorcism and its ceremonial paintings were designed for an essentially therapeutic purpose.

Kalam/Kerala

Kerala Kalam, "Painting the Serpent Gods"— part 3

In Sarppam thullal rituals, images of the Snake-Gods vary depending on whether they appear in a one, five or seven-day ceremony. Beyond a one-day rite, the kalam are invariably white in the morning, yellow at noon, and of five colours for the evening one.

Kalam/Kerala

Kerala Kalam, "Pulluvan honouring the serpent-gods"— part 2

In the backyard of the house, which served as a school, an immense floor painting of a snake coiled around a tree was rising from the ground under the skilful gestures of several crouching men.

Kalam/Kerala

Kerala Kalam, "Pulluvan and snake worship"— part 1

In India, snakes are highly revered and enjoy a prolific profile in Hindu, Buddhist, or Jain legends. Guardians of underground treasures, water spirits, and rainmakers, they are raised to the status of deities.

Covid-19/rangoli

Kolam, creating awareness during a pandemic

Since March 2020, kolam artists and other folk masters have added another dimension to their traditional themes, reinterpreting the pandemic according to their culture and traditions.

Shivaratri festival

Shivaratri, the night of Shiva — part 2

In his most subtle form, he is equal to the undifferentiated Absolute, and when he voluntarily creates, it is together with Shakti, his equally powerful feminine counterpart. In a cosmic dimension, Shiva the Absolute, takes the form of a phallic-shaped lingam.

Shivaratri festival

Shivaratri, the night of Shiva — part 1

Of the three major divinities of the Hindu pantheon, Shiva’s role is to act as the Destroyer of the universe. But unlike Vishnu, he does not incarnate each time the world is threatened but instead assumes several disguises: a beggar, a criminal, a hunter, a holy yogi, or a benevolent guru.

Kolam/Tamil Nadu

Tamil Kolam, "Books and references"

A selection of books on Kolam written by researchers, kolam artists and art lovers.

Ratha Saptami

Ratha Saptami/Surya Jayanti

Several festivals are dedicated to Surya, the Sun god. He is celebrated during the harvest festival of Pongal in South India and elsewhere in India as Makar Sankranti. During the month of Mâci in Tamil-Nadu (mid-February, mid-March), Ratha Saptami is another celebration of the Sun god.

Flower decorations

Blumenhaus Magazine

Flowers and leaf garlands, petals of various hues, shrubs, and roots find their way every morning into open air markets within close proximity to the temples. Regardless of whether it is their ephemeral beauty or the symbolism that Indian flowers convey, I wanted to write about them.

Pongal/Tamil harvest festival

Kolam to celebrate Mattu Pongal — part 3

On Mattu Pongal day, the farmers buy their cows new bright halters, bells to adorn their hooves, brass cap horn ornaments, wreaths of fresh flowers, pom-pom garlands and multi-coloured beads to adorn their neck. They decorated the cow's coat in variations according to districts.

Pongal/Tamil harvest festival

Kolam to celebrate Surya Pongal — part 2

The pot is a symbol of abundance and a recurring theme as well in the kolam designs during pongal. It is either shown with rice balls that pile up on top of each other or with milk froth foaming out of the mouth, like the overflowing milk rice preparation.

Pongal/Tamil harvest festival

Kolam to celebrate Pongal — part 1

The month of Thai starts with the most celebrated and joyful harvest festival called Pongal. The kolam extend beyond the intimacy of the homes, spreading their lines and dots into public space. It is women who weave together the objects of a bountiful period on white or coloured canvasses.

Month of Margazhi

The divine month of Margazhi — part 4

The lesser known Nacciyar Tirumoli is made up of 14 hymns divided into 143 verses. Here, a tearful and anxious Andal addresses her prayers through a fine sand mandala to Manmathan or Kamadeva the god of love, asking him to fulfil her deepest wish: to unite her with Kannan (Krishna).