The spirit of Onam in geometry: Pookkalams blooming with nature’s palette | WATCH

"Arpey… Iroo… Iroo…" is the familiar sound that marks the beginning of Onam festivities. For the people of Kerala, Onam is more than just a festival celebrated during the month of Chingam, the first month in the Malayalam Kollavarsha calendar. It is more related to family gatherings, sumptuous sadya feasts, new clothes, and the joy of togetherness. Rooted in harvest traditions, it marks a time of prosperity and cultural expression. Among its many customs, Pookkalam, the intricate floral carpet, is an inevitable and colourful highlight. 

The ten-day Onam celebrations commence with Atham and conclude on Thiruvonam, with each day named after the Malayalam star: 'Atham', 'Chithira', 'Chothi', 'Visakham', 'Anizham', 'Thrikketta', 'Moolam', 'Pooradam', 'Uthradam', and 'Thiruvonam'. These days mark the progressive creation of the Pookkalam, which grows in layers, colour, and complexity each day. While there are regional variations in how Onam is celebrated across Kerala, the preparation and decoration of Pookkalam remains a festive constant in most places.

Traditionally, children would roam the neighbourhood collecting flowers for the Pookkalam, making the preparation itself a communal and joyous activity.

Though it looks simple, creating a Pookkalam is an art in itself. Modern trends have introduced more elaborate designs and alternative materials, but the age-old geometric and colour principles remain at the heart of this tradition.

Typically, the Pookkalam is circular with a fixed centre and is placed outside households. Before starting, a small amount of cow dung is plastered on the floor to act as a natural canvas. And slowly the canvas unfolds to take in the different colour combinations. The centre of pookkalam is marked with a green flower, usually Thumba poo (Leucas aspera) or Tulsi(Holy Basil), which remains a constant element in the daily colour palette.

Let's look into the patterns, colour combinations and the flowers used to create the Pookkalam on these 10 days.

Anizham: A circular platform of soil, called 'Pooppada' or 'Poothalika', is built.

The Pookkalam now has five layers, with orange or other bright flowers introduced.