Healing patterns: therapeutic dimensions and subtle politics of <i>kolam</i> practice

Kolam is a visual art form traditionally practised by Hindu women in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is drawn on the thresholds of homes and lasts only for a short time. Its designs are repeated daily, created through the hands and movements of the practitioners. This article examines how this culturally embedded visual practice shapes practitioners’ embodied experiences of artistic engagement. Drawing on the frameworks of flow theory, somatic art, and eco-art therapy, the study explores how kolam is described by practitioners as supporting their sense of wellbeing. It also investigates how processes of modernisation, including the use of decorative tools, commercial materials, and digital adaptations, have reshaped traditional kolam practices. The findings suggest that while kolam is increasingly recognised as an aesthetic art form, the growing reliance on tools rather than direct bodily engagement may reduce the tactile and embodied aspects of the practice that the participants associate with its wellbeing-related experiences.