With Deepavali just around the corner, Ruben Prakash, 38, has been caught up in a whirlwind of activity. As a kolam artist in Kuala Lumpur, he has spent the past few weeks decorating countless Hindu homes and shopping malls with vibrant kolams.
“This month, I’ve completed about 50 commissioned kolams and still have another 50 to finish by Deepavali on Oct 31. On Deepavali day, I will start to work on kolam decorations in my customers’ homes from 6am. I usually aim to complete a 4sq ft (0.37sq m) kolam in about 15-30 minutes.
