This Tamil Nadu District Is Famous For Its Vibrant Kolappodi Shops

Tamil Nadu’s Vilupuram district is bustling with street vendors selling vibrant coloured kolappodi (a type of flour), particularly during March. The town, especially in the Tindivanam area, witnesses a significant surge in the sale of coloured kolappodi, especially around the Margazhi month. This local product is distributed to various regions from the Vilupuram district. In Koliyanur, roadside shops offer coloured kolappodi, which comes in two varieties: one with coloured flour mixed with sand, and another with coloured flour mixed with tiles known as Jegina colour kolamavu. Traders note that customers are showing a preference for purchasing significant quantities of coloured flour mixed with tiles.

Creating Kolam at the doorstep is a traditional Tamil practice, especially during the month of Margazhi. Women gather early in the morning to craft Kolams in various forms, including dots, designs, and rangoli, and enhance them with colour kolamas. Karthikeyan, a 48-year-old colour kolam seller, with seven years of experience, mentions that these powders are sourced from different regions and sold in the Villupuram district. He operates his roadside colour kolam business in the Koliyanuar area.

Coloured flour mixed with soil, weighing 450 grams, is priced at Rs 10; while 380 grams of flour mixed with tiles is available for Rs 20. During the morning and evening, customers receive one free colour, if they purchase 10 colours. Trader Karthikeyan expresses joy, noting that in the month of Margazhi, special pujas for temple worship prompt women to create Kolam at home early in the morning.

Viluppuram, situated 61 kilometres southwest of Tiruvannamalai and 45 kilometres northwest of Cuddalore, is a significant town with a major railway junction and the National Highway 45 passing through it. The town relies heavily on agriculture as a primary source of income. According to the 2011 census data from the Government of India, Viluppuram had a population of 96,253, with a notable literacy rate of 90.16%. In 1919, it was officially established as a municipality, now consisting of 42 wards, making it the largest town and municipality in the Viluppuram district.