What are Kolam and Kapperti?
Click the photos for an enlarged view
“Kolam" refers to decorative artwork drawn on the floor in front of houses and
in front of deities in puja rooms. Early at sunrise, women and girls clean the
ground in front of their houses with water and cow dung in order to draw a Kolam.
Most often finely ground rice flour is used to make these drawings on the
wet/moist ground. Coloration of the artwork with color powders adds additional
charm. Generally, the Kolam is drawn with bare fingers.
It is a time old cultural tradition of South Indian families going back to many
generations. Young girls learn many of these artwork from their mothers,
grandmas, aunties.
The drawing starts with a certain number pattern of points and curly lines going
around these points. Many of these are completed with a single line going in an
elegant but zig-zag away around the entire set of points. The Tamil month of "markazhi"
(Dec(Jan) is particularly important when fairly large size Kolams are put in
front of the houses, with additional decoration of Kolams with yellow flowers of
pumpkin. Putting Kolams in front of the houses is very much in practice in south
Indian villages.
Unfortunately the practice is becoming nearly extinct in metropolitan cities
where more and more are living in high-rise apartments buildings.
Making Kolam is still very much alive in Killankulam. The girls are making them
very regularly in front of the houses or in the temple, using the rice flour and
color powder and at times draw the kolams with chalk on the newly washed kitchen
floor, which gives the kitchen a total different look.
At festivals they will come early in the morning to surprise us with a big Kolam
in front of our door when we come out!
What is Kapperthi?
Kapperthi is a game which involves 2 teams and a territory they have to protect.
In India it is even a national sport. It goes too far to explain the details but
it is about territories, running, and catching the opponent. The boys enjoy
playing it and at times they have contests in the village.