.....Is Kolam just an Art?

Kolam is a traditional floor art that is considered as a symbol of auspiciousness . Indian women draw these intricate designs in their entrance, courtyard and prayer room floors using rice flour/chalk powder. These designs are symmetric patterns composed of curved loops and lines. It can be as small as 5 inches and can be drawn as big as 15-20 feet.

The intricate patters of Kolam fascinated me right from my childhood. It was a feast for the eyes every moment. One simple glance at these kolams is enough to zap the mind out of day to day stress,worries and frustrations. 

It is believed that Kolam invites positive and auspicious energies to enter the house while preventing the flow of negative energies into the house. I always felt that there is more to this art than just the aesthetic value. On reading others articles about it, I was pleasantly surprised. I want to share these findings with you all.

Every Kolam is complete by itself and a beginning to a new one:

Every kolam is complete by itself however small it may be, like every incident or every moment. But the beauty is every tiny kolam has the potential possibility to be expanded into unknown yet another kolam. So is it with every moment, complete by itself yet ever expanding with the uninterrupted connectivity. 

Kolam : Representation of Vibrations in geometric patterns

Following is an extract I read from http://guruprasad.net/posts/why-do-indians-draw-rangoli-scientific-reason/

The most original form of Kolams are still drawn by some of the most orthodox families in India especially in the rural places. Here are a few sample rangoli/kolam designs:

Notice that they are symmetric around both X & Y axis, mostly have rounded edges and appear to be combination of several simpler designs superimposed over each other.

There is a separate field of science called Cymatics which deals with the relationship between vibrations and the geometric patterns corresponding to it. [Here is a brief video about Cymatics and how vibrations affect us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgeB-nToRwA]

In order to experiment in Cymatics, all that you need is a metal plate over which some sand is sprinkled and a frequency generator which vibrates the metal plate. When it is set to a certain resonant frequency, the metal plate vibrates in such a way that all the sand particles get aligned in geometric pattern. For example, here are a few patterns which emerge for different frequencies and they appear just like the rangolis/kolams we draw in India:

Just like how a vibration can lead to a geometric pattern, the reverse is also possible. When a person looks at such a geometric pattern, it manifests into vibrations inside the mind of the observer which in turn calms the mind. And this is exactly what Kolam does to one’s mind. i.e It has a soothing effect. Scientists & Doctors have extended it further and created a new medical field called Cymatherapy in which highly complex vibrations are converted into sound patterns, which in turn can be used to heal a person’s body and emotions.

I am beginning to appreciate this form of art more as and when I learn more about it. Every experience related this art ,as an artist as well as a spectator, is beautiful.

Enjoy Digital Kolams in my website : Ojasvi Shambhu