Kolam

Kolam is the South Indian art of drawing geometric patterns at the threshold each dawn with rice flour, looping continuous lines around a grid of dots.

How it is played

A grid of dots is laid first; then a single line, or a few, is drawn around and between the dots so that every dot is enclosed and the line closes on itself. Designs are learned from mothers and grandmothers and vary by season and occasion.

Heritage note

Part of the living heritage of India.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of South Asia.