Historian Meenakshi Devaraj brings koothu dance forms to life through kolam postcards

CHENNAI: Historian and researcher Meenakshi Devaraj has spent a few years exploring ancient Tamil dance forms, especially the Koothu, which are mentioned in ancient literature and inscriptions. In the process, she discovered how Tamil literature is a treasure trove of forgotten arts, and Koothu stands out as one of its gems. The Silappathikaram, for example, mentions 11 types of Koothu, which were famously performed by Madhavi, one of the central characters in the epic.

Today, these 11 koothu forms have found a new life in the form of kolam designs, recently released as a set of postcards by India Post Tamil Nadu Circle. Meenakshi explains, "When I first started designing the kolams, I wanted to bring these ancient dances to life visually. While most of these forms are no longer performed, I used kolam to imagine and capture their essence."

The idea for the project came about when the Postcrossing Society reached out to her last year for a collaboration. Together, they created a set of postcards titled 'Dances from the Ancient Tamil Land'. Meenakshi took great care to accurately reflect the spirit of each koothu. "For example, in Paavai Koothu, I depicted a beautiful woman. In Malladal, where a man dresses as a woman, I created a design that mirrored that idea," she says.

Though kolam is traditionally not a performance art, it has often been overlooked. Meenakshi hopes that projects like this one will give kolam the recognition it deserves. "Kolam is an art form not usually performed on stage, but through collaborations like this, I hope it will finally receive the respect it’s due."