Indian expatriate Bindu Maheswari Kona, 37, creates kolam to preserve her cultural heritage.
She draws kolam for special occasions and at least once a week at the entrance to her condominium unit in Petaling Jaya.
She usually creates them on Fridays and during special occasions such as Navarathiri and Deepavali.
“In my hometown, we would spread cow dung over the soil at the entrance of the house to create a flat, even surface. We would then use rice flour to make the kolam.
“This is done outside every house,” said Bindu, who hails from Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh.
The mother of two school-going children said she learnt the art by watching her mother create the kolam.
“The designs we make consist of geometric shapes.
“The foundation of the kolam is a pattern of white dots.
“Once the dots are in place, we create geometric shapes around them.”
She said it was also a form of mental arithmetic, as they have to make sure the dots were correctly placed for the intended shapes.
“It is good exercise for the mind in the morning.
“It also requires us to bend and stretch, making it a form of physical activity,” said Bindu.
She keeps the tradition alive wherever she travels with her husband for his work posting.
She first came to Malaysia in 2012 and stayed until 2019. Her husband, who is in the information technology sector, subsequently worked in Ireland and the United Kingdom before she returned to Malaysia with her children this year.
“During my previous stay in Malaysia, I drew the kolam on the walkway outside my condominium unit. A neighbour complained to the management, saying it looked like witchcraft. The management had to explain what a kolam was to that resident.
“At my current condominium, I drew kolam on the walkway outside my unit, but the cleaner mopped it clean. Since then, I have restricted my designs to the entrance of my unit,” she said.
“However, I do receive compliments from my neighbours when they see my kolam, which is encouraging,” she added.
