Current affairs

Tradition without borders...Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to get a special Indian-styled welcome!

By alagu, 17 January, 2021
United States, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris

The clock is ticking and the stage at US Capitol Hill is being set up with the unprecedented scale and build-up of security apparatus as US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris are all set to swear-in to take the reign to run the country for the next four years. While the inauguration ceremony would break the American tradition, it would also see the country welcoming them to take their respective offices with a traditional Indian style, that is popular from forts to houses - Kolams. 

Kolam is a traditional Indian art form that has been a part of the households as a sign of welcome. As Kamala Harris would be the first woman ever to get elected as the Vice President and the first Indian- American to hold the post, she would be taking the oath to the nation's second-highest office with the traditional Indian style welcome from the nation. Biden and Harris will be swearing-in on January 20 at the very monument that was sieged by thousands of pro-Trump supporters.

Kolam would be part of the virtual welcome offered to Biden and Harris. The pictures of thousands of Kolams were on Saturday threaded into a video to welcome them in the spirit of Presidency for All and to showcase the multi-cultural heritage of America. According to PTI, more than 1,800 individuals from across the US and many from India had participated in the online initiative to create thousands of Kolams to celebrate the historic event. 

Award-winning multimedia artist from Maryland, Shanthi Chandrasekar said that many believe Kolams symbolize positive energy and new beginnings. People of all ages from various communities collaborated from their homes to create tiles with eco-friendly materials. She stated that what started out as a local project spread way beyond our expectations. It was initially planned to display the Kolams from across the country in front of the White House as a symbol of a good beginning to the new administration. 

However, the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington DC gave permission to the organizers to have the display near the Capitol Hill around the inauguration venue. However, the police had eventually canceled the permission due to the riots and tight security measures during the inauguration.  On Saturday, pictures of thousands of Kolam tiles were woven into a video on Saturday to welcome Biden and Harris.

The Indian diaspora has been organizing the Kolam drive and Sowmya Somnath, who is a part of the Inauguration Kolam 2021, said that the date for the installation after the inauguration will be set up after the local security nods its permission. Washington DC Public Schools arts director Mary Lambert and Visual Arts manager Lindsey Vance joined Shanthi Chandrasekar to combine thousands of Kolams made by people from many different backgrounds and communities to welcome Biden and Harris. 

According to PTI, hundreds of artists, students, and the general public across the country had collaborated online to put together to accomplish their motive of unfolding a pride and traditional welcome for new beginnings. Students from 10 public schools in Washington DC took part in making the art. Lambert said the District of Columbia Public School Arts curriculum focuses on equity and believes cultural representation is an important part of that effort. 

Lambert further stated that this project had provided an opportunity for the students to learn about another culture and the mathematic skills for creation in the arts. They also got the opportunity to express their identity through visual arts and to see that united with others from around the country. Shanthi Chandrasekar said that she is so grateful and honored to be able to share her love for Kolams through the 2021 Kolam community project. 

She added that the response for the project has gone beyond their expectations and people had sent their Kolams from across the country from California to New Jersey. It must be noted that Kamala Harris has her roots in Tamil Nadu. Harris's mother Shymala Gopalan was a native of Tamil Nadu and she migrated to the United States in the early 1960s. Kolams are part of every household in Tamil Nadu where women will draw Kolams in front of their houses to welcome prosperity and good health. 

 

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