Rangoli designs :Painted prayers of India

Lit your diwali with rangoli design

Rangoli is a colourful pattern made near the entrance to a house to welcome guests.The term Rangoli is derived from words: rang (colour) and aavalli (row ) so rangoli is row of colours.Rangoli is also known as Rangoli kolam.

It is one of the most popular and traditional art forms in India In the evenings of festive occasions, when oil lamps are lit, and the atmosphere is cool and pleasant, such floral designs create the atmosphere of a well-planned divine garden. It is customary for Indian women to draw decorated feet of Laxmi – The Godess of weath, approaching her door bringing in good fortune for her devote family.

Most of the Rangoli designs are motifs of plants, flowers, leaves such as coconut, lotus, mango, and ashwath (peepal leaf), the animals such as cows, elephants, and horses, and the birds like eagles and swans. There are geometrical pattern as well. When drawn with fingers, these acquire different dimensions on their own.On the right side you will find useful links of Rangoli pattern. This diwali light up your house with Rangoli Kolam

Themes in rangoli designs

Kolam have many themes which keep changing according to the seasons and occasions.

Floral or natural theme :It is most common wth flower , leaves and vines running around

Insects theme :This includes fluttering butterflies too add to the beauty of flowers.

Religious theme : These are drawn with figures of the different deities/gods and goddesses

Festival theme : Made on festivals like Diwali ,Pongal and Onam. Consists of lamps and Diyas ,you will find heaps of Diwali Rangoli design on net .Bells and bows with Santa for Christmas

Contemporary: Rangoli pictures with live effects. What once began as geometrical religious symbolism, has thus blossomed into a delightful visual art with secular esthetic appeal.

Any type of design can be converted into Kolam , it just depends on your imagination.

Different names of Rangoli

In every region of India, it is known by different names :

Kerala : 'Puvidal' ( Puv means flower and idal means arrangement, i.e. Rangoli by flowers.

Tamil Nadu : 'Kolam' ( kolam - name of a specific quality of rice. Rangoli is drawn by using rice flour )

Andhra Pradesh : 'Muggu' ( Rangoli drawn by using thick batter of soaked rice flour )

Karnataka : 'Rangoli' ( From the powder of a special kind of a rock. Tiny dots are drawn on the floor usually in even numbers. These dots are joined with the powder in a geometrical fashion )

Maharashtra : 'Rangvalli' ( Rangoli thick powder made from special rock is used in various colors, and the powder of burnt rice skin is used to draw rangoli in Konkan part of Maharashtra )
Gujarat : 'Sathiya' ( Rangoli is known by this name )

Rajasthan : 'Mandana' ( rice flour mixed with little turmeric. It is drawn on the walls )

Madhya Pradesh : 'ChowkPurna' ( Traditional designs fitted in square with leaves and flowers )

Uttar Pradesh : It is known as 'Sona Rakhana'

Orissa : It is known as 'Ossa'

Almora - Garhawal : It is well popular known as 'Alpana'

Bengal : In Bengal it is drawn by soak rice paste and known as 'Apana'

With almost 'Four Hundred' names ,Rangoli designs and patterns are ultimately very attractive.Now just start and find Diwali Rangoli design.

Rangoli Designs:Celebration of Colours

How to create the rangoli designs and pattern?

Step1
Choose a design that you want to draw. You may find designs from the sites given on the right or you may try to create your own design. Rangoli pattern are symmetrical in nature and geometric in shape

Step2
Choose the area carefully as once you make it the venue cannot be changed.Wipe the floor with a wet cloth and wait for the area to dry.

Step 3
Depending upon the space available, decide and mark the center point of the Rangoli . With a piece of chalk, first draw the outline of the design.

Step 4
Decide about the color scheme .Now it's time to fill in the outline with rangoli powder, the most challenging part of the whole exercise. Pick up some powder with your thumb and index finger and fill in the design by rubbing the two fingers together and sprinkling the powder on the floor ., and start from inner circle. Go on filling the circles as per your pre-decided colors scheme till the last circle. The Kolam can extended with the use of various symbols.
Take care to sprinkle the powder carefully; don't let powders of two different colours merge with each other.

Material to make rangoli

We have a large variety of alternative that can used to make rangoli designs.
You can also experiment and mix and match materials after all creative mind never exhaust.These materials may be coloured as per need.

•Rangoli colours
Readily available in the market.

•Marble dust.
Gives good result , but very heavy to carry in bulk.

•Saw dust
Sawdust is easier to handle.Even floats on water.

•Coloured rice
Can be used as it is or grinded for fine texture .You can also colour rice at home using food colours. Wet the food colour powder with a few drops of water and rub the rice in it till it is uniformly coloured. Do not forget to wear gloves to protect your hands from getting coloured. Dry the rice on paper, in shade before use. (Caution: If the rice is not completely dry it may leave coloured stains on the floor.)

•Coloured Suzi/rawa/cream of wheat
Nice grains(harder than saw dust) easy to spread.. but doesn’t mix too well with color.. Bouncier than color- thus may give a slightly whitish haze.. But good part is it is hygroscopic.. If you want the it to stay longer than a day this is the medium to use

•Petals
Rose petals, marigold petals, small purple paper flowers, finely cut greens-grass/ leaves-even methi leaves...just fill up the large designs. Use strings of marigold and if you like strings of kanakambara/ jasmine flowers to outline

•Pulses

•Fabric or poster colour mixed with chalk powder

Mix a small quantity of colour with chalk powder. Apply it with brush on the floor. It just looks like painting on floor ….not a traditional form of rangoli , but it is scores over as it is very easy and is relatively permanent in nature

•Coloured stones
Use this only for big and abstract rangolis as finesse is not possible with such materials

Tips and tricks

•To fill colour you can use mehindi cones. This will help to fill the colour more accurately and easily.

•You may create spaces within the rangoli design to place diyas. You could also use flower petals of different colours (golden marigolds, bright red roses) to add that extra dimension to your design.

•Special floating candles are also available in the market. Float them in big containers of water along with flower petals.

•If you are making rangoli design with edible material spray some pesticides near rangoli so that the ants don’t attack your it.

•You can put a glass of appropriate size to put over the frame is essential to prevent damage as well as it will increase the glaze of Your Kolam.

•Make white outlines to enhance the design.

•You can also make a stencil of Rangoli. For this take a cardboard and draw the design you want to make, and cut out the design .So any time you want to make that design just sprinkle colour on the cardboard and the design is ready.

•Donot use glue to make the rangoli permanent. That will only spoil it.
So what are you waiting for on just try your hand on these rangoli designs on this Diwali..and let your creativeness speak for itself

Flower Rangoli made on water

Water rangoli/Alpana

Apart from normal rangoli designs one can also try Water Rangoli. For this water must be stangnant and shallow.It is also known as Alpana
There are two types of water rangoli

1. Painting under water:

Take a bowl of glass in which you are going to put your Rangoli underwater. Glass bowl will give 3-D effect as its inside water and glass is transparent. Put water inside that bowl.

Now take a plate on which you are going to draw the Rangoli. Plate should be clean. You can use transparent plate, this will add more beauty. Apply ample amount of oil on plate. As oil and water never mix.Draw the Rangoli on that plate. After drawing wait for few minutes, let the sand or powder absorb the oil.
Now pour little more oil to wet the powder from the side slowly (from the side since you don’t want the power to spread).

Now take that plate and put it inside the glass bowl at bottom surface. And see the effect. Nothing will happen to Rangoli as you are using oil.

2. Painting on the surface of water

1.Using Destember :
This is done by spreading destember on the surface of the water. The destember neither disolve in water readily not sinks in.Over the destember surface we can paint rangoli using rangoli power or rangoli sand.

2.Using melted Wax
Alternatively spread some melted candle wax on shallow stagnant water.... let the wax settle in a thin layer.. over this layer make the rangoli as is usually done but take care as to not make the layer too thick otherwise it may sink...

3.Using Paper
Take a paper and cut it in the diameter of your utencil . Make a design and decorate it with flowers or saw dust. Now gently float the paper on water . Add glitter to make it more beautiful.

Use some floating candles to enhance the beauty.

This way enhance this Diwali with Rangoli designs and patterns.

Rangoli on cardboard.

The biggest drawback with Rangolis are that they cannot be preserved and it really breaks your heart to see your hard work drain after 2-3 days. So we found a solution “Rangoli on Cardboard”. Though it is not that traditional form of Rangoli but it gives a similar effect. Let’s start

Material

• Cardboard
• Coloured sheet
• Glue or fevicol
• Colored Stoned
• Mirrors
•Paint
• Cones of colourful colours(You can learn how to make them at colouful liners )

Method

Step 1:
Choose a design you want to make. It can be of any shape that appeals you.

Step 2:
Take a cardboard and cut in the shape and size of design you want to make. Cut a coloured sheet of same size

Step 3:
Sick the cardboard and coloured sheet together.
Step 4:
Now decorate it with colored cone, mirrors , stones ,glitter or anything that appeals you.Can paint is to make it look more colourful.

Step 5:
Put Diyas and flowers to enhance its beauty.

Now your Rangoli is ready , you can place it anywhere. Near the entrance or the pooja place. After the festival you can keep it back and use whenever you want…. Now your Hardwork will not spoil. The more colourful you make the more beautiful it would look.


Do share your views and ideas and share your comments. Post your comments on the right side of this blog on the tag board.If you want to know another traditional form of Indian painting,'Madhubani " Visit Tips for making Madhubani.
Also learn more about glass painting at Glass painting Designs