Bharatanatyam. Bharatanatyam is a dance of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It traces its origins back to the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on theatre written by the mythic priest Bharata. Originally a temple dance for women, bharatanatyam often is used to express Hindu religious stories and devotions.
Bharatanatyam has a deep cultural and spiritual significance in Tamil culture. It is often seen as a form of spiritual practice, as it involves a deep connection between the dancer, the music, and the audience.
Kolams also known as tharai alanggaaram are thought to bring prosperity to Tamil homes. In millions of households in Tamil Nadu, women draw kolams in front of their home entrance every day at the break of dawn. Traditionally kolams are drawn on the flat surface of the ground with white rice flour. The drawings get walked on throughout the day, washed out in the rain, or blown around in the wind; new ones are made the next day. Each morning before sunrise, the front entrance of the house, or wherever the kolam may be drawn, is swept clean, sprinkled with water, thereby making for a flat surface. The kolams are generally drawn while the surface is still damp so the design will hold better. Instead of rice flour, white stone powder is occasionally used for creating Kolam; cow dung is also used to wax the floors. In Tamil culture, cow dung is believed to have antiseptic properties and hence provides a literal threshold of protection for the home. It also provides contrast with the white powder.