KOLAM – IT IS A FORM OF
ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. KOLAM IS A VERY UNIQUE WAY OF EXPRESSING ONE’S ART AND ALSO GIVES ENLIGHTENMENT TO THE FESTIVALS. IT CREATES POSITIVE ENERGY IN OUR BODY AND MIND. KOLAM IS CONSIDERED AS VERY SACRED AND IT ALSO ACTS AS AN ENERGY BOOSTER. IT IS PART OF OUR TRADITION THAT IS FOLLOWED ALL OVER THE
WORLD. DRAWING KOLAM GIVES US GREAT
ENERGY FOR THE WHOLE DAY. IT HELPS TO TAKE OUR ATTENTION OFF OUR PAINS AND
ENABLE US TO ENJOY THE WORLD. IT BRINGS HAPPINESS AND HELPS TO RELAX OUR MIND.
MOREOVER IT IMPROVES OUR IMAGINATION, CREATIVITY AND ALWAYS KEEPS OUR MIND
ACTIVE.
THE PURPOSE OF DRAWING
KOLAMS AT THE DOORSTEP IS NOT MERELY DECORATIVE BUT IT IS BELIEVED THAT IT IS
SIGN OF INVITATION TO WELCOME GODDESS “LAKSHMI, INTO OUR HOME AND SO THAT SHE
WOULD BLESSED AND SHOWERED THE WHOLE FAMILY WITH ALL PROSPERITY AND WEALTH. IT
CAN HELP TO DRIVE AWAY THE BAD POWER FROM THE HOUSE.
TRADITIONALLY RICE
FLOUR WAS PREPARED AT HOME AND THAT WAS USED TO DRAW KOLAMS AS IT IS FOOD FOR
ANTS AND BIRDS. NOW A DAYS, WE ARE USING KOLAM POWDERS WHICH WE BUY FROM SHOPS.
AND ALSO, TO PROVIDE CONTRAST AND TO ENHANCE THE APPEARANCE OF THE KOLAM WE USE COLOUR POWDERS. IN OLDEN DAYS
THERE ARE NO COLOUR KOLAM POWDERS, HENCE
THEY USED BRICK-RED SOLUTION CALLED KAAVI TO DRAW OUTLINES.
KOLAMS ARE DRAWN AT
HOUSES EVERYDAY. BUT THE TAMIL MONTH OF “MARGAZHI” IS THE FAMOUS MONTH FOR
KOLAMS AS WE CAN SEE IN EVERY HOUSE THE DOOR STEP IS DECORATED WITH COLOURFUL
KOLAMS. REALLY IT WOULD BE A FEAST FOR OUR EYES TO SEE ALL THOSE KOLAMS AND
RANGOLIS. IN THIS MONTH WOMEN ARE USUALLY WAKE UP EARLY MORNING ITSELF AND THEY
WILL DRAW COLOURFUL KOLAMS.THE TRUTH BEHIND GETTING UP EARLY IS ESPECIALLY IN
THIS MONTH THERE WILLL BE A LOT OF OZONE AND THUS OXYGEN CONTENT WILL BE RICH
IN ATMOPHERE WHICH IS VERY GOOD FOR OUR HEALTH. HERE, I WOULD LIKE TO RECALL A PARTICULAR
PRACTICE WHICH IS FOLLOWED BY SOME PEOPLE IN THIS MONTH THAT THEY WOULD MAKE COW DUNG IN A
CONICAL SHAPE AND A PUMPKIN FLOWER WILL BE PLACED ON TOP OF IT.
KOLAM CAN BE DRAWN IN
DIFFERENT WAYS LIKE WITH OR WITHOUT DOTS. GENERALLY THE KOLAMS BASED ON DOTS
CAN BE DRAWN EITHER BY JOINING THE DOTS BY STRAIGHT LINES OR CURVED LINES. THE
PATTERNS CAN ALSO BE CREATED BY DRAWING LINES BETWEEN AND AROUND THE DOTS.
THIS IS A KOLAM DRAWN WITH STRAIGHT DOTS. THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE RANGOLI WITH 7 DOTS. THIS KOLAM IS VERY APT FOR THE BEGINNERS.
THE ABOVE KOLAM WHICH I HAVE SHARED IS DRAWN WITH CURVED LINES AS WELL AS STRAIGHT LINES WITH 15 TO 1 STRAIGHT DOTS. IT SEEMS COMPLICATED BUT VERY EASY TO DRAW.
IN THE FESTIVAL SEASON
THE VERY BIG KOLAM DESIGN IS DRAWN INFRONT OF THE HOUSE. ALL THE GIRLS AND THE
LADIES IN THE FAMILY WOULD SIT TOGETHER AND MAKE A PLAN ON WHAT TYPE OF THE
KOLAM IS GOING TO BE DRAWN. AFTER THE PLANNING IS DONE THEY WILL START THE
EXECUTION PROCESS. ACTUALLY IT BRINGS THE TENDENCY OF UNITY AND TOGETHERNESS.
STILL I REMEMBER THAT ME AND MY ELDER SISTER USED TO PLAN ABOUT KOLAMS ON EVERY
PREVIOUS DAYS OF FESTIVALS LIKE DIWALI, PONGAL AND DURING THE MONTH OF
MARGAZHI.
DURING FESTIVAL DAYS
THE KOLAMS SHOULD BE DECORATED WITH COLOUR POWDERS. COLOURING THE KOLAM IS THE
MOST IMPORTANT STEP BECAUSE THAT WILL ONLY HELP IN GIVING GOOD LOOK TO THE
KOLAM. PATTERNS ARE ALSO DRAWN IN A PAPER AND FINALIZED. THIS STEP INVOLVES
GIVING THE PERFECT GLOW TO THE KOLAM THAT IS DRAWN.
KOLAMS ARE DRAWN IN DIFFERNT TYPES LIKE DEEPAM KOLAM, FLOWER KOLAM, BIRDS KOLAM, PONGAL POT KOLAMS ON PONGAL FESTIVAL, ANIMALS KOLAM , PADI KOLAM KAMBI KOLAM / SIKKU KOLAM ETC. BASED ON OUR IMAGINATION WE CAN CREATE THE KOLAMS AS MANY AS WE CAN. KOLAMS ARE IN MANY TYPES. EVENTHOUGH IT IS CALLED IN DIFFERENT NAMES IN DIFFERENT PLACES THE BENEFIT IS COUNTLESS. IT GIVES HAPPINESS, IT GIVES SATISFACTION, IT GIVES ENERGY , IT MAKES US FEEL ENTHUSIASTIC AND MOREOVER IT HELPS TO DIVERT AND RELAX OUR MIND FROM OUR PAINS AND USUAL ROUTINES.
HERE I HAVE SHARED BIRDS KOLAM. IT'S A VERY VERY SIMPLE RANGOLI WITH 9 TO 5 MIDDLE DOTS. THIS KOLAM IS ESPECIALLY FOR GIRLS / BEGINNERS. THEY WILL DEFINITELY ENJOY IT TO DRAW THIS.
NEXT, KOLAM WHICH I HAVE SHARED IS A SIMPLE KOLAM WHICH IS COMPLETELY DRAWN WITH STRAIGHT LINES. THERE IS NO CURVE LINES OR PATTERNS. JUST PUT THE DOTS AND JOIN WITH STRAIGHT LINES.
NOW, I HAVE SHARED 2 DEEPAM KOLAMS WHICH ARE DRAWN WITH 6 DOTS. THE FIRST DEEPAM KOLAM IS WITH 6 DOTS 6 ROWS (STRAIGHT DOTS ) WHERE AS THE SECOND ONE IS DRAWN WITH 6 TO 1 INTER LACED DOTS. DEEPAM KOLAMS ARE CONSIDERED AS SACRED ONE AS IT IS BELIEVED THAT DEEPAMS ARE NOT ONLY REMOVE THE DARKNESS BUT ALSO REMOVES THE NEGATIVE ENERGY FROM US. HENCE, IT IS DRAWN ESPECIALLY ON AUSPICIOUS DAYS.IN BOTH THE KOLAMS I HAVE USED ONLY STRAIGHT LINE PATTERN.
KOLAM IS AN ART WHICH HELPS TO IMPROVE OUR CREATIVITY. CREATIVITY IS
AN ABILITY TO ORIGINATE NEW IDEAS, TO SEE UNEXPECTED RELATIONSHIPS, TO LEARN
NEW THINGS THROUGH ONE'S OWN IMAGINATION. OVER 35 YEARS OF RESEARCH ON
CREATIVITY AND CREATIVE PEOPLE HAS REVEALED THAT LIKE INTELLIGNECE CREATIVITY
EXISTS IN HUMAN RIGHT FORM THE TIME OF BIRTH. FOR YOUNG CHILDREN CREATIVITY IS
UNTAMED. AS THEY GROW THEIR CREATIVITY TENDS TO GET LOST BECAUSE OF
CONVENTIONAL DAY-TO-DAY DEMANDS. PARENTS OF GIFTED CHILDREN SHOULD MAKE SURE TO
NURTURE THEIR CHILDREN'S CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH IS AN ESSENTIAL STEP FOR
REALIZING THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT CONTINUOUS
TRAINING AT HOME AND SCHOOLS ENHANCES THE CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT IN CHLDREN,
WHO ARE BLESSED WITH IT NATURALLY. CREATIVITY CAN ALWAYS BE DEFINED, DEVELOPED,
TAUGHT, LEARNT AND MEASURED BY ANYONE.
CREATIVITY IS PRESENT
RIGHT FROM BIRTH AND INCREASES AT THE AGE OF 6-7 YEARS WHERE THEY EXHIBIT A LOT
OF CREATIVE TASK AND SHOULD NOT BE SUPRESSED WHEN DOING THEIR ACTIVITY AS IT
MAY END UP IN GUILT AND APATHY. CREATIVE YOUNGSTERS TAKE UP LOT OF RISKS IN
PROVING AND EXERCISING THIER CREATIVITY ON THE NON-VERBAL LEVELS. THE CREATIVE
CONCEPTS SHOULD BE LINKED WITH DEFINITE LEARNING PATTERNS UNIQUE TO THEIR
NEEDS. CHILDREN SHOULD BE PROVIDED WITH POTETIAL MATERIALS LIKE OLD MAGAZINES,
BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS, TRAIDITIONAL GAMES, OLD CLOTHERS AND GADGETS WHICH PROVIDE
OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPLORATION THAT STIMULATES THEIR MIND CHALLENGES AND SUPPORT
IDEAS, MOVEMENTS, DISCOVERIES, QUESTIONS, IMAGINATION, ETC.
CREATIVITY IS ONE OF THE
COMPONENTS OF INTELLIGENCE. EDUCATIONLISTS AND RESEARCHERS HAVE RAISED A
CONCERN THAT IN RECENT YEARS THERE IS GENUINITY IN THE CREATIVITY OF CHILDREN
WHICH MAY BRING ABOUT AN ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORLD WHICH RESULTS IN
NEW LEVEL OF THINKING IN EVERY ASPECT LIKE MUSIC, SCIENCE IMAGINATION,
CURIOSITY, EXPERMENTATION, EXPLORATION AND INNOVATION. THERE SOME SIGNS OF
CREATIVITY IN CHILDREN. THEY LOVE TO EXPERIMENT WITH THINGS. THEY ARE CURIOUS
TO THOSE ANSWERS AND ARE VERY SENSITIVE TO WHAT THEY SEE, TOUCH, FEEL AND HEAR.
CREATIVITY REFLECTS IN THEIR ART, PICTURE OR FIGURE PAINTING ON BOOKS AND FLOOR.
THEY WILL ATTEMPT TASKS FAR TOO DIFFICULT FOR THEM AND ACCEPT THEM AS A
CHALLENGE. HENCE, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO NOTIFY AND TO
MOTIVATE THE CREATIVITY OF THE CHILDREN. PARENTS WHO ENCOURAGE THIR CHILD'S
CREATIVITY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR CHILD'S THINKING PORCESSES.
BY EXPERIENCING NEW WAYS OF PERCEIVING THE WORLD TOGETHER, PARENTS FOSTER
CHILDREN'S ABILITIES TO PREPARE FOR FUTURE OF DEALING WITH CHANGE IN A
RESILIENT MANNER. THEY ARE TRAINING THEIR CHILD TO MAKE A UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION
IN THE FUTURE.
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| THE ABOVE KOLAM WHICH I HAVE SHARED HERE IS DRAWN WITH 7 DOTS. THE DOT PATTERN FOR THIS KOLAM IS INTERLACED DOTS. AFTER PLACING DOTS DRAW STAR DESIGN AT THE CENTRE. THEN DRAW HEXAGON SHAPE AROUND IT. ACTUALLY THIS IS A VERY SIMPLE RANGOLI WHICH IS HIGHLY APT FOR BEGINNERS. |
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| THIS IS THE RANGOLI WITH 7 DOTS. THE DOT PATTERN FOR THIS RANGOLI IS INTERLACED DOTS AND LINE PATTERN IS STRAIGHT LINE. AFTER PLACING DOTS FIRST DRAW RHOMBUS DESIGN. THEN DRAW STAR DESIGN IN THE CENTRE AND FINISH THIS RANGOLI. |
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| THIS IS A KAMBI KOLAM . IN THIS KOLAM CURVE LINE PATTERN HAS BEEN USED. FOR THIS KOLAM THE DOTS ARE TO BE KEPT IN A STRAIGHT MANNER. THEN USING KOLAM POWDER WE HAVE TO DRAW CURVE LINES IN BETWEEN THE DOTS AS SHOWN. THIS TYPE OF KOLAM IS ALSO KNOWN AS SIKKU KOLAM OR NELI KOLAM OR MELIKALA MUGGULU. |
