Ruben is thankful to be back on the field making kolams for shopping malls in conjunction with Deepavali. — Pictures courtesy of Ruben Prakash Antony Albert
His commissions have fallen to a third of what he usually gets in a year and it has not been easy staying afloat with the reduced demand.“It’s been very bad for us,” Ruben toldWith Deepavali around the corner, Ruben can breathe a sigh of relief now that shopping malls are calling him up to design kolams again this year.
“I was actually scared that they might not choose to do kolam this Deepavali because of Covid-19 but thank God, they called me again this year to work with them.” It wasn’t long before Ruben developed a knack for the traditional art form and winning kolam competitions at school gave him the confidence he needed to pursue his hobby as a career.
The art form is believed to ward off evil spirits and bring good luck when drawn outside a family's home, while the rice grains act as a food offering to small creatures such as birds and insects.
Pls admit it. No one gives a care about Deepavali. It’s a disgrace. Shops are putting up Christmas decors instead of Deepavali. Utterly disgusted by the Msians’ attitude. Shame on you all shops owners!