The tradition of kalam ezhuttu (pronounced "kalam- er roo-too") - detailed and beautiful ritual drawings in coloured powder, of deities and geometric patterns (mandalas) - is very much alive all over Kerala. The designs usually cover an area of around thirty square metres, often outdoors and under a pandal , a temporary shelter made from bamboo and palm fronds. Each powder, made from rice flour, turmeric, ground leaves and burnt paddy husk, is painstakingly applied using the thumb and forefinger as a funnel. Three communities produce kalams ; two come from the temple servant ( amblavasi ) castes, whose rituals are associated with the god Ayappa or the goddess Bhagavati; the third, the pullavans , specialize in serpent worship. Iconographic designs emerge gradually from the initial grid lines and turn into startling figures, many of terrible aspect, with wide eyes and fangs. Noses and breasts are raised, giving the whole a three-dimensional effect. As part of the ritual, the significant moment when the powder is added for the iris or pupil, "opening" the eyes, may well be marked by the accompaniment of chenda drums and elatalam hand-cymbals.

 

Witnessing the often day-long ritual of drawing is an unforgettable experience. The effort expended by the artist is made all the more remarkable by the inevitable destruction of the picture shortly after its completion; this truly ephemeral art cannot be divorced from its ritual context. In some cases, the image is destroyed by a fierce-looking vellichapad ("light-bringer"). He is a village oracle who can be recognized by shoulder-length hair, red dhoti , heavy brass anklets and the hooked sword he brandishes either while jumping up and down on the spot (a common sight), or marching purposefully about to control the spectators. At the end of the ritual, the powder, invested with divine power, is thrown over the onlookers. Kalam ezhuttu rituals are not widely advertised, but check at tourist offices.