Significance of Kolam

Discussion in 'Chitvish on Hindu Culture & Vedanta' started by Chitvish, Jun 22, 2006.

  1. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Latha,
    Thanks.
    Let the maid put a big kolam etc. But atleast put a small circle & a dot in the centre with your hand using arisi mavu !
    Love,
    Chithra.


     
  2. latamurali

    latamurali Gold IL'ite

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    Thank u for ur FB mam...will surely do that........actually i was the one who put kolam in the entrance earlier mam...but due to changes in office timing of my hubby ( 8am to 12pm).i am not able to wake up b4 6..thats y.......i know .u r telling this for our good.....thank u very much for the concern........Bow
     
  3. sundarusha

    sundarusha Gold IL'ite

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    We all know that the rice powder is food for the ants, but this explanation is giving it a spiritual touch. Read on:

    There cannot be a more fragile art form than the Kolam (Rangoli of the south) Which other art gets run over by bikes, trampled over by visitors and vendors in perhaps five minutes after it has been completed? Or blown over by the wind and the remnants washed off unceremoniously the very next day?

    And yet the culture of Kolam continues to survive even
    while so many others have got lost in the pace of life. To the French visual artist Smt. Severine Bourguignon (on a tour of Tamilnadu state, Bharat, to research and compile a book on Kolam) this is incredible. Art without ego!


    "To a person from the West, it is unthinkable. I would
    have raged if anybody were to step over a design I created", she
    says. The Kolam is a subtle reinforcement of the Indian belief extolled in the Bhagavad Gita – the detachment and peace accompany doing things without pride or possessiveness about the deed or its fruit.

    Based on a report by Smt Hema Vijay in THE HINDU Metroplus March 24,2008. (Idea: Shri. S. Murthy)
     
  4. umaganapathy

    umaganapathy New IL'ite

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    Dear Chithra,

    Thanks for the warm welcome. I didnt know about the anouncement earlier, sorry for that. I happen to see some of your other articles on puja and slogas. I am not getting an apt word to praise you. You are a very gifted person. I am happy to have met a knowledged person like you. I am your fan (Thivera Rasigai). I am planning to read all your articles. I want to read all in a day but the problem is my 10 month old son doesnt like me doing anything other than playing with him, the moment I go anywhere he follows behind like a puppy, crawls everywhere and pulls everything within his reach. Only time I get is when he is asleep.

    Have a nice day.

    Rgds,
    Uma
     
  5. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Uma,
    You have drowned me in your anbu veLLam, thanks a ton!
    Do enjoy your baby - that is your priority now. Limit your IL time to when he sleeps!
    We need a mixtre of everything for an enjoyable life, Uma!
    Love,
    Chithra.



     
  6. Kamla

    Kamla IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sundarusha,

    That was a nice and a very valuable take on the Art of Kolams. True, how many so called artists of today would endure to see their creations destroyed day after day?!
    This view on our Indian kolams does raise its significance further:)
    Enjoyed this.

    L, Kamla


    "To the French visual artist Smt. Severine Bourguignon (on a tour of Tamilnadu state, Bharat, to research and compile a book on Kolam) this is incredible. Art without ego!

    "To a person from the West, it is unthinkable. I would
    have raged if anybody were to step over a design I created", she
    says. The Kolam is a subtle reinforcement of the Indian belief extolled in the Bhagavad Gita – the detachment and peace accompany doing things without pride or possessiveness about the deed or its fruit.

    Based on a report by Smt Hema Vijay in THE HINDU Metroplus March 24,2008. (Idea: Shri. S. Murthy)"
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2008
  7. Sindhurao

    Sindhurao Gold IL'ite

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    Dear Chitra m'am:

    That was lovely article on kolams - significance and all. And it was a delight to see the lovely kolams by you, Kamla m'am, Varloo m'am and your maid as well.

    Have never tried drawing kolams with rice flour. I wonder why in Karnataka, we do not use rice powder to draw kolams.

    I have been drawing rangoli (as we call it in Kannada) ever since I was young, learnt quite a lot of rangolis from our maid. But ofcourse, now it is rarely that I draw them. Hopefully, your kolam post will inspire me to draw kolams more often and soon it will become a daily habit!

    Incidentally, children of II / III std in my son's / daughter's school had a day devoted to Deepavali / multicultural day activities and Rangoli was a part of it. Due to lack of time (to arrange for the coloured sand) had to make do with chalk powder. But the children liked it so much that the teachers want to have the same activity next year. It was very satisfying. And now my children have learnt a few rangolis in the process.

    Just felt like sharing.

    Sindhu
     
  8. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sindhu,
    It is nice to receive a FB forn Age-old post.
    Living all through only in Tamil Nadu, my morning starts with kolam & lighting the lamp.If there is no kolam at the entrance, the entrance looks blank to me!!
    It does improve the aesthetic appearance of the house, right from the entrance, is my feeling!
    I have never tried my hands at rangoli!!:-(
    Love,
    Chithra.
     
  9. girijashaji

    girijashaji New IL'ite

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    Dear Chitra mam
    very informative post about Kolam.Though not a tamilian by birth,I have deep appreciation for the tamil culture and rituals. thank u for the post.
    girija
     
  10. Chitvish

    Chitvish Moderator IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Girija,
    Thanks.
    This in Tamilian cusom is very similar to your Athappoo which is kept before Onam!
    The same goes in the name of Rangoli in some states!!
    Love,
    Chithra.
     

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