Maavu kolam/wet rice flour

Iyengar kolam and saris auction

I could spend hours contemplating these rhythmic, abstract graphs, brimming with imaginary suggestions. The choreography of the body and the fingers is so interwoven that you quickly forget where the dance graphics begins and ends.

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.

Chettiar/Tamil community

Nadu veetu kolam, the Chettiar way — part 2

In the case of Chettiar, it is as if the only way to narrate their globe-trotting lifestyle and mindset had been through constructing houses like fortresses to safeguard the family wealth. No wonder that the kolam symbolizes the house.

Maavu kolam/wet rice flour

Maavu kolam or the wet rice flour kolam

The aesthetic of kolam is traditionally associated with dry rice flour laid in fine lines, or wet rice flour (maavu kolam) spread out in thicker, wavy strips. During festive seasons and auspicious days in a home, women favour the latter as it lasts longer.

Inspiring kolam artists

Inspiring women "Maheswari"

Maheswari considers her kolam drawing as a seva or a disinterested service. The technic used here is called "maavu kolam". It is done by soaking rice and grinding it smooth. Then, the kolam is drawn with the help of a piece of cloth dipped in the liquid and carefully driven by the middle finger.