Feeding a Thousand Souls: Women, Ritual, and Ecology in India- An Exploration of the Kolam

Vijaya Nagarajan has created a real gem of a book deeply researched, rich in personal details of her own family tradition of the Kolam learnt from her mother. Her research has brought her to various women entrenched in the tradition, in Thanjavur, Madurai, Chidambaram and numerous other places in the South of India and she vividly shares their voices explaining this ritual art.The art and ritual of making the kolam is something I grew up with seeing women of my grandmother's generation and some of my mother's generation make kolam's and myself learning to draw kolam pattens with a pencil as child. However this book made me stop and ponder, to understand how the rice flour powder the kolam designs are drawn with feeds a thousand souls as in the insects and birds and how the kolam put by women first thing in the morning on the threshold separating the interior and exterior of the house is to invite Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and good fortune and to ask forgiveness of Bhudevi or Mother Earth for stepping on her. Vijaya delves into Kolam competitions and how these are transforming with the more traditional versus modern versions and also goes into the mathematics embodied in kolams including fractals, array grammers and infinity. Each chapter is worth pondering and regarding with the same attention one pays to the best of kolams. And while I was grieving the lost art of the kolam the kolam also itself reminds us of impermanence in its getting erased everyday. Vijaya Nagaraan with her book will ensure the kolam and its story and history remains even if the kolams are less frequently drawn . It is a book that truly feeds a thousand souls.

I have reread this book a couple of times as there is so much information about this almost forgotten gem of an Indian ritual. Even though I watched my grandmother make rangoli, I never knew the depth and history of this powerful mind engaging technique. This book might become a bible to me as I venture into the world to spread the word about Rangoli. Would love to get in touch with the author someday. Mrs Nagarajan, here is my email if you can contact me back I would so love to talk to you. Congrats on a job well done.

I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if these times seem dark and unmanageable. Incredibly well researched and written, it is a loving tribute to the women of Tamil Nadu and to the rare beauty of the kolam tradition. It will enlighten you and lighten your heart. It will give you a piece of infinity.

This book is a masterpiece. It reflects deep scholarship in a dizzying range of fields. It also reflects a profound love and respect for the women who create the kōlam and the rich culture it embodies. The accompanying photographs illuminate the text beautifully. I have not finished the book and intend to augment this review as soon as I do.

This is a book I think we can all get something out of, because it tells us so much about what might be missing in our own lives.It is about how every day millions of Tamil women wake before dawn to create the kolam, a design on their thresholds made with rice flour. I was fascinated not only in the history and beauty and cultural significance of this ritual, but also that it teaches us something quite quintessential to finding meaning in our lives --to be content and active in the doing, in the lyrical everydayness of an act, and even if the evidence of this action is swept away (or in the case of the Kolom eaten by ants and other bugs) it has both grace and memory and presence.You can tell this book is the culmination of decades of research, delving into tomes from far-reaching libraries--the comparison to the British doorstep drawing is fascinating--but also employing good old fashioned journalistic research in person, traveling by train, plane, car and on foot, meeting the women of the village, judging competitions (she is really honest about old designs vs new), taking photos, really being part of it, as well as telling her own growing-up experiences of the Kolom (my favorite scenes).I want to read another book by this author, because I want to stay in her generous company, and I want to hear more about the adventures -- both hardships and triumphs-- that she encountered on the path of collecting all these scenes, photos and anecdotes.The writing is beautiful—reaching way beyond academia, describing slices of these women’s lives, which we really feel part of by the end.Both a page-turner and poetry, this book is like opening a jewel box and finding what you want, but also what you need.

This book is a nourishing and luscious journey as the reader follows the author on her exploration of the kolam, an ancient ritual performed by woman of all ages and statuses each day across southern India. The story is of the author’s discovery of the kolam, of the women who perform it, and also of herself, as her study takes her back to her own cultural roots and answers questions about her own beginnings. This is a book that is infused with the care and devotion of this author to her subject and the reader feels as if she is immersed both in a beautiful landscape and in Nagarajan’s gorgeous prose. Each sentence is a journey in itself, one I wanted to linger in. In a world filled with disturbing subjects it’s a welcome respite to read a book like this that radiates with the respect and devotion the narrator feels for the ritual of the kolam itself and towards humankind in general. A joyous experience.

Extremely detailed. Covers various angles. A must read for those who are curious about the significance of Kolam. Great one.

Received an empty envelope - seller - Namara Books - I was really looking forward to reading the book - it looks beautiful.