Ritual, modernity, and gendered identities in artistic expression: the case of kolam

Art, a conduit for cultural expression, often dissolves the boundaries between ritualistic and secular conventions. The sacral art Kolam, traditionally practised by the South Indian Hindu women of Tamil Nadu, represents an intersection of ritual, modernity, and gendered expressions. Made with rice flour or kolam powderFootnote1 at thresholds to symbolise auspiciousness, kolam presently incorporates modern materials like stick-ons and paints, prompting concerns over authenticity and a shift from ritual significance to contemporary aesthetics. This paper investigates if ritual arts like kolam lose their authenticity in the age of modernity as social progression results in the secularization of art. It examines kolam by juxtaposing the traditional modern model of social change and multiple modernities with the western paradigm of modernity. The paper explores two key questions: (1) How can kolam be understood as existing along a continuum that integrates elements of both tradition and modernity? (2) In what ways do concepts of authenticity and agency reveal the in-betweenness of kolam, particularly as it thrives in the thresholdFootnote2 spaces of Tamil households and digital platforms? Through semi-structured interviews, descriptive questionnaires, non-participant observation, and visual analysis, the study traces kolam's evolution, its influence on the status of female practitioners, and its contemporary relevance.