Tezal, a standard XI student from Delhi, one of the participants at the kolam workshop organised at IIT Madras, who is adept in rangoli found it difficult to draw kolam. Like her, many other participants from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttaranchal, Calcutta and Delhi also found it a bit difficult to draw the lines through the dots.
The event was a part of the international cultural convention SPIC MACAY.
“Kolam seems simple but requires a lot of calculation and concentration. My dexterity in rangoli did not help me in kolam. Moreover, it is interesting to note that here people draw kolam every morning,” adds Tezal. Another participant Nagesh from Uttarkhand is a painting artist. “In rangoli, four fingers are used and in kolam, the desired pattern can be got only if we use two fingers. It is actually a challenge,” he says. Gayathri Shankarnarayanan, an exponent in kolam, was the resource person for the workshop.
She says, “Many were under the impression that Kolam is another form of rangoli but when they started to draw, they had difficulty gaining grip in holding and allowing the powder to form a pattern.”
Along with her, another resource person, Grace also handled the session. She is a Dutch but born and brought up in Puducherry.
“I gained proficiency in the art by observing the women drawing Kolam in villages.” She dealt with the correlation between dance and kolam and also spirituality and kolam. Participant Madhavi knows muggu, the kolam equivalent of Andhra Pradesh but she opted for this workshop to learn about the technical differences between muggu and kolam. Jayashree Kannan, another participant, says, “I find kolam therapeutic and completing a pattern gives me immense joy.”
Moreover, we learnt the correct postures while drawing kolam, she added. “It gives the same benefits as yoga does.”
Participants Lakshmi Priya and Gayathri say, “We found it amazing to learn how music and kolam synchronises with each other.”
Participants Kavya and Ramya found drawing kolam with wet flour more challenging and interesting.
