Sacred kolam for Chithra Pournami (29-4-2018)

Sacred  kolam   for  Chithra  Pournami (29-4-2018)

By

P.R.Ramachander

Chithra pournami  is a festival  meant to pray to  Lord  Chithra  Guptha  , the book keeper  of Lord Yama . Like all  other festivals  on that   day  the home is decorated  by a Rangoli(Kolam) .On line search will show  many kolams but they are  all  normal KOlam designs.  I also saw  a Kolam design in the form of a Radham(chariot)   in one of the web sites. 

   Two days back , I   received a  phone call   from  a family friend and an octogenarian  Smt Thailamba Mami ,belonging to Puthucode   but settled  in Bangalore  . Me and my wife  consider  her more like  our elder  sister (because it was she who introduced us to Bangalore  fifty years back) but   we have not  heard   from her for a long time  . She told us   that her   daughter in law   regularly briefs her  about my write   ups  in face book  about  several festivals    and she had  a request to make to me  .I said, “Any thing Mami.”

   Then she said  that right from  her child hood   she was taught  a peculiar KOlam to be drawn on Chithra Pournami day and she wanted   this KOlam which very few  people know    should be preserved for posterity .The kolam   according to her    is drawn  in such a way that  it has  entry from north, east and west but not  the south  indicating that  those   who do   draw   it and pooja  on that day   would go to heaven    and not hell. With namakarams to THailambal Mami  I am giving   the image of the kolam  as well a photo of Mami who   even at the old age   wanted  the sacred kolam   to be preserved for   our future   generations  .