1 Diwali Rangoli Patterns

Rangoli for Diwali goes back approximately 5000 years as an attractive folk fine art in India. Not only is it a beautiful way to decorate courtyards, floors and entrances of houses, but also has spiritual and cultural meanings. Rangoli art mainly serves the purpose to welcome the Hindu deities such as Lakshmi, to bring good luck, but it is also said to control the ants in people's houses.

Typical Rangoli designs have a round shape, but can be square or rectangular as well. First the outer Rangoli pattern is drawn on a flat, smooth surface. Later this line drawing can be filled with various powders of different colors. These powders can consist of colored rice grains, dry flour or fine sands. Instead of colored powders or sands, flowers or petals can be used as well (Flower Rangoli). Oil lamps (Diyas) are often placed inside the Rangolis.

Rangolis are painted or created out of colored sand / rice powder. A symmetrical pattern or picture of Gods, Goddess, Dancers, Diyas etc. is drawn and colored rice powder/sand is then layered on top to form a picture. A symmetrical rangoli pattern can be drawn on paper or card and then decorated by children with crumpled tissue paper. 

Spaces can be created within the rangoli design to place diyas. One can also use flower petals of different colors such as golden marigolds, bright red roses to add that extra dimension to the pattern. With a little bit of imagination, a dash of aesthetic sense and dollops of patience, one can create a piece of art with colors. 

Most of the patterns are circular indicative of the endlessness of time. The day-to-day Rangoli patterns are simple or intricate. The most common rangoli designs start with dots which are connected to form lines and other geometrical shapes such as swastika, aum, stars, squares, circles, triangles etc. These geometrical patterns must be formed in continuous, unbroken lines.

In the state of Tamil Nadu in South-India where people celebrate 'Deepavali' rather than 'Diwali', the Rangoli is called 'Kolam'. Kolams are often described as not being as colorful as Rangoli, but the opposite can be true.