"The Tamil month "Markazhli" (Dec-Jan), is particularly important and large Kolams are drawn in front of houses everyday during this period.  Most of these Kolams include the yellow pumpkin flowers which is the flower of that month. We start early in the morning and the next morning, the floors and grounds are cleaned and another design is drawn. Some women do it twice a day during this month, morning and evening." 

In addition to the daily creations, there is a whole process involving Kolams during the "Markazhli" month.  Pappaparvathi explains:"Everyday of this month, we place pumkin flowers in dried cow dung shaped into a cone, around the Kolam. At the end of the day, when we wipe away the Kolam, we collect the cones with flowers and set them aside to dry in the sun after making little patted bundles with them. At the end of the month, we celebrate a festival called "Chiru Veetta Pongal". On that day, we make Kolams that look like a house plan, with rooms, including a pooja room and a kitchen, as well as a front entrance. We do our prayers and then collect all the month's pumkin flowers and cowdung patties, take them to the river, and watch them sink as we pray to the Sun "Soorya Bhagavan".

Though living in a country where this tradition does not exist, Pappaparvathi continues to draw Kolams.  She finds it harder to practice this tradition here since doing it on her own means that it no longer is a festive social occasion. She will not break the tradition of drawing in her bare feet even in the middle of New Jersey winters, after wetting the ciment patio in front of her apartment. One will always find a Kolam during the festival days (Pongal, Deepavali, Saraswati Pooja, Ganesh Chatturti, Tamil New Year, and birthdays) in front of Papaparvathi's home and pooja room.

MAGAZINE

Papaparvathi in her Pooja room

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