Rice dyed in food colouring
Sharveen spent a few days colouring the rice with food dye. He did one colour at a time. The rice was soaked in coloured dye and then dried the next morning.
My two Indian students coming up with the design for a Kolam
Me, with the design done by my student
Changing the pattern for the kolam (actually this is supposed to be done by unmarried girls and not boys)
Putting purple coloured rice onto the pattern
Making sure the rice grains fit the contours of the kolam
A Malay boy looking at how his Indian friend makes the kolam
Even the school peon is helping to complete the kolam
It is not easy bending and kneeling to add the coloured grains on the kolam
See how I have to contort my body
Almost complete kolam
Ta -da - the completed kolamDeepavali falls on the 27th of October this year and my student, Sharveen, volunteered to make a Kolam to decorate the library. In the above pictures, you see how we made the kolam. Below you will find information about the kolam.
A kolam is a symmetrical design that is created on the ground in front of a house or doorway, It is a tradition practiced by millions of Hindu women in order to welcome both visitors and deities into their homes. Kolams are commonly used to welcome Lakshmi Mata, the goddess of prosperity, during the Hindu celebration of Diwali, but can also be drawn at the beginning of every morning.
Kolams are thought to bestow prosperity to homes. In olden days, kolams used to be drawn in coarse rice flour, so that the ants don't have to work so hard for a meal. The rice powder is said to invite birds and other small critters to eat it, thus inviting other beings into one's home and everyday life: a daily tribute to harmonious co-existence.
Actually, what Sharveen and I have created above is known more globally as "Rangoli" than "kolam". Kolam is a Tamil word for rangoli. For your information kolams don't have to be coloured. On the other hand, rangolis are always colourful. Rangoli can be made with or without dots and can be a freestyle drawing. It can be coloured with dyed rice, flours, lentils, flowers, sand or anything that you want to decorate with.
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