Rangoli and how to make them

Autumn Navratri, 2018

Rangoli painting is an art handed down from mother to daughter in all parts of India. The artist uses very simple materials- rice flour, natural colors, and her fingers. In some places, women paint new designs each morning outside the doorway of the house, to protect those who come and go. In India rice flour is thought to have protective power.

Rangolis are especially made for holidays like Navratri, Pongal, Vasant Panchami, and Diwali. They are made on the floor, or in a courtyard, or on a metal plate. 

I've listed a few of my favorite techniques here, with an album of designs.

You can find design ideas at drikpanchang.com.

Chalk and white rice flour:
At Navratri a new design might be made each day, with dots, squares, flowers, birds, and so on- each one designed to welcome the spirit of the Goddess.

I often make a rangoli of Lakshmi's footprints on the threshold of our front door, with chalk and rice flour, to welcome the Goddess of success.

Chalk and colored rice flour:
White rice flour is fine, but many rangoli are colorful. I suppose you can buy colored rice flour in India, but I make my own with food color; I just add spoonfuls of food color to a cup of rice flour and mash it in with a fork, then spread it out to dry.

Supplies: Chalk and rice flour (colored with food colors)

Spring Navratri, 2017

1- Draw your design with chalk.


2- Fill in the design using your fingers.

Pongal, 2017

Rangoli on paper:
At Pongal a rangoli is painted in a couryard, around the clay cooking pot in which the pongal rice will be cooked. 

We made this rangoli on a piece of red paper in the kitchen, around a hotplate.

Supplies: Piece of red butcher paper, oil pastels, rice flour (colored and white)

1- Draw a design with oil pastels on the paper

2- Fill in with rice flour.

Pongal, 2017- Waiting for the rice to boil over, so we can ring bells!

Rangoli with flower petals and other natural materials:
Rangoli are also made with leaves and flower petals.

Supplies: Chalk and rice flour (colored with food colors), flower petals, pine needles, leaves, etc.

1- First I looked at some rangoli designs and made a plan.

2- Then I drew circles on my sidewalk with white chalk.

Sadie thinks this is interesting, but odd.

3- Then I sprinkled on the rice flour, and rubbed it in a bit.

4- And finally, I added some leaves, pine needles, and a camellia blossom in the center.

Vasant Panchami, 2016

Rangoli on a metal plate:

Rangoli from 2016

I often make a rangoli on the silver plate that holds my diya lamps. 

Rangoli from 2015

Supplies:

• design idea
• rice flour
• food color
• seive
• metal plate
• stick or cotton swab

1- I use a sieve to sprinkle the dry flour evenly onto the plate.







2- I use a stick to make dots to plan out the spacing, then trace the design.

Rangoli on cardboard

Pongal, 2015

Rangoli are ephemeral art- they are meant to be walked on and not to be kept-- but we sometimes like to make a more permanent design on matboard with glue, so we could keep them.

Supplies:

• small pieces of matboard
• chalk or pastels
• designs (see this site for some nice rangoli designs)
• rice flour, white or colored
• tacky craft  glue
• cotton swabs or glue brushes
• paper or foam plates

White rice flour is fine, but many rangoli are colorful. I suppose you can buy colored rice flour in India, but I made my own with food color; I just added spoonfuls of food color to a cup of rice flour and mashed it in with a fork.

1. Draw your design onto the matboard with oil pastels.

2. Spread a little glue on your designs with a cotton swap or brush.

3. Carefully sprinkled rice flour over the designs, and shake off the excess onto a plate.