A: Today is the Tamil new year day. So our families draw the kolam outside our door to welcome the new year and to feed the ants and other insects that eat the rice flour. In the old days (my parents and grandparents for instance), we’d draw the kolam every day after sprinkling water outside our house to make it cooler compared to the roads. This is a way to make guests feel welcome. The red mark would be kumkum (a kind of red powder).