Kolams (Set of 4 Volumes)

Mrs Lalitha Kalyan is a versatile lady. She is an artist, a humorist, a kolam enthusiast, an efficient stenographer, a good teacher of Mathematics and English and a wonderful home maker. She bagged the first rank, in the stenography examination, conducted by the Department of Technical Education, Government of Tamil Nadu. She has also received prizes in Rangoli and cookery contests. She loves designing kolams that look different. Being a Mathematics teacher she loves symmetry and her innovative mind equips her to produce nice symmetrical kolams.

She has appeared on television programmes on humour, chat shows and quizzes. She and her husband Kalyan have given more than 200 hilarious programmes in schools, colleges and clubs. She worked in the British Council Division, Chennai. At present she is coaching students in English and Mathematics.

Her husband, Mr Kalyanakrishnan, retired as Chief Engineer from the Dept. of Telecom. The couple is blessed with a son KaushikAnand. He is an alumnus of IIT Madras. He is working as an Investment Analyst in Sequoia Capital, Bangalore.

Kolam is a traditional art form of South India. Using rice or white-stone powder, floor drawings are made on a grid of dots. Once the grid is ready, lines are made to join the dots and around them to create stunning results. As in every traditional artform, the repertoire of kola ms, though very large, remains somewhat finite. It takes more than a passing interest to move it forward with passion and creativity. This is what I have attempted to do in this book.

Like many, I started drawing kolams as a young girl. Perhaps stirred by my keen interest in Mathematics (I have a Bachelor's degree in the subject) I have been able to create about 200 original kolams for this publication, without the aid of a computer and just by using symmetrical grids of dots in new ways.

I conclude with an interesting observation. Kolam is an art form where the artists are almost exclusively female! I hope my collection will inspire both men and women to try out this fascinating art.