Keeping ancient customs alive

Traditional offerings: Sweet ponggal and kadambam rice being prepared with pots placed on top of a bed of red bricks which are spread with dry cow dung during the Ponggal celebration at Veeramuthu Sree Maha Mariamman Temple. — KT GOH/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: The tradition of drawing a kolam on an evenly spread bed of dried cow dung in front of a house or temple during religious festivals or on auspicious days is a practice that is fading away with time.

However, committee members of Veeramuthu Sree Maha Mariamman Temple here have been steadfastly continuing this ritual for Ponggal annually since the temple was established 12 years ago.Temple committee chairman M. Karthi, 45, said on the eve of Ponggal this year, cow dung was mixed with water and turmeric into a thick consistency and evenly spread across the temple entrance.