There is no Onam without 'pookalams' or floral carpets! And these pookalams have changed over time.
From simple designs made with flowers plucked from one’s backyard to complex geometric patterns laid out with flowers from neighbouring states -- pookolams have evolved.
Now, we have the latest entrant.
A mechanical pookalam. At Kerala Startup Mission at Kalamassery, the fellows with the Creator Residency Fellowship have made it. The fellowship is supported through the CSR funding of SFO Technologies.
According to Neha Suresh, who manages the Creator Residency program, the journey of bringing technology into the Pookalam began last year with the first cohort of the Creator Residency Fellowship, who explored the idea by creating a rotating Pookalam.
“This year, the team wanted to take that idea a step further, not simply making the Pookalam move, but exploring how technology could become part of it while keeping its essence intact. After exploring and researching different possibilities, we arrived at the Hoberman mechanism -- a mechanical system made of interconnected links that can expand and contract, much like an opening and closing flower,” she said.
"We wanted the installation to retain the spirit of Onam, where a Pookalam is not just an artwork but a collective experience, something everyone can contribute to. The entire Pookalam was designed and fabricated from scratch at the Super FabLab Kerala. The design was developed primarily by five Creator Residency Fellows, with Sreyas George leading the mechanism design and working through the complex engineering behind its movement,” said Neha.
The team used a waterjet cutter to fabricate the plywood components, a digital flatbed cutter to cut the cardboard elements like Thrikkarappan and draw the designs on the petals and gears, and 3D printers to produce the other mechanical components.
“From the first sketches and prototypes to the final assembly, the project was built within the lab, with members across the Super FabLab coming together to assemble and bring the Pookalam to life,” she added.
Neha pointed out that at Super FabLab Kerala, they believe technology should not feel distant, complicated or intimidating.
“It should be something people can see, touch, experience and connect with. By bringing technology into something as familiar and deeply rooted in our culture as a Pookalam, we hope to make it more accessible to people from all walks of life," she added.
"This spirit of making, experimenting and bringing ideas to life is also at the heart of the Creator Residency Fellowship, supported through CSR funding of SFO Technologies. We are grateful for their support in enabling creators to explore technology, build new possibilities and bring innovation closer to the community. When our culture becomes a canvas for technology, technology becomes easier to understand, and perhaps even more exciting to explore. From flowers to gears, from tradition to technology, this is Super FabLab Kerala’s Pookalam 2026,” she asserted.