Dussehra kolam Dasara rangoli designs

The festival of Navaratri after nine days of celebration ends with Dasara the next day, it is celebrated after Ayudha Pooja (in the South)

 when the tools and vehicles we use are cleaned, washed and Puja is performed to them.

The first rangoli for this festival, a padi kolam as rangoli with lines are called.  It is a tradition to use this type of design for festivals. 

 I have used five lines in this design.  Some prefer to have even number of lines but in our family, we use 2,4 or 5 lines, rarely six.  

Other numbers are not used. On the four sides draw shankh or conch patterns and at the edges floral designs.

The centre of the padi kolam is usually decorated with pairs of diagonals.  However, I have drawn the same floral pattern for a change. 

 It is a nice idea to draw such traditional rangoli designs if you have not tried so far.

The next lines rangoli is somewhat different and unique, it starts with a pattern with lines inside.

The picture on the left bottom shows the next step. 

 Once this is clear the rest is all easy.   Draw a line perpendicular to the lines drawn on all four sides.  Extend them further, connect with curved lines and draw the lotus patterns.

The next kolam , a padi kolam with the outer patterns developed using a 3,2,1 dot pattern, the lines being drawn outside the dots.  Decorate with kaavi or colours

If you are looking for some of the most basic line kolam designs that can be drawn for festivals.  Here is the picture below which shows the simplest and smallest lines rangoli or muggu.  Do remember to draw a kaavi border for a lines kolam design drawn for festivals.

The kolam on the bottom left is usually drawn for Varalakshmi Vratham by me at the entrance on which the kalash is placed.  The kolam on the top right is called the Krishnan  dindu - dindu means bolster in Tamil.