Drawing the Kolam is an old South Indian tradition, which hides “thousands of secrets” as expressed by Anandou. The Kolam is the symbolic drawing that women traditionally do in front of their homes every morning before sunrise. The preparations and practice will welcome the Gods into the home and bless the family. The happiness linked to the creation of the Kolam is evident as I, after my meeting with Mr Anandou, have been out in the villages multiple mornings to meet with and talk to the women. “I feel so happy”; “It is the women’s blessing from the Gods to take care of their families and bless the course of the day by creating a beautiful Kolam.” It touched me when the “Flowerlady” expressed her duties as a woman as being a blessing. In that light, I think she is right; It is a blessing to be able to take care of your family and make sure that they are happy and have the support they need.

Anandou made me feel like I knew everything about the Kolam, and yet there is an endless amount of knowledge to gain about the topic. Hopefully this interview can give you some insight into one of the local practices. By sharing and learning about the traditional practices we are all part in Balu’s dream of building a bridge between the villages and the people in and out of Auroville. A dream that I think is of great importance – we must learn about our history to be able to develop into a sustainable future.

IP Interview Anandou

Elin Pettersson