Kolam by Sudha Balaji

 I have tried this beautiful rangoli making technique using the traditional method of drawing kolam.   The main difference is that in kolam we draw the design and then fill with colours whereas when we draw sanskar bharti rangoli designs for Diwali. We fill the colours first and draw the patterns with white rangoli powder.  Sanskar bharti theme rangoli pic 1 The two images show sanskar bharti rangoli designs for beginners.  Using colours like green, pink, red with patterns like lotus, spirals the rangoli has been created.    I have added more patterns outside also. The influence of kolam can be seen of course. Sanskar bharti them rangoli pic 2 The usual method of filling the colours in the semi-circles or circles is draw the pattern with a piece of chalk tied to a thread.  Then fill with a tea filter.  I have made semi circles directly with the colours themselves as we usually do in kolam designs.   The picture below demonstrates h...

For those who have read most posts of  my kolam blog  , you would observe some changes.  Rangolisansdots has become a huge collection of different types of rangoli designs.   So, I am trying to categorise them into various types to make the blog more user friendly.  The idea is that one should find what he/she is looking for.   I am trying to revamp the blog by putting myself in the mind of the user.  I do not know how many designs there are, but when I applied for copyrights for the blog, I found that the copies ran into several hundred pages.   The designs are free for those who use them for their personal use. I was reluctant to apply for copyrights.  I was really not happy when I discovered that many YouTube channels and websites started using my designs.  So this long and strenuous exercise, I had to do - applying to the Registrar of Copyrights.  It was then I discovered that I had shared thousands of designs for...

While rangoli themselves are beautiful, when  drawn with parallel lines are even more beautiful.   Drawing the rangoli lines in parallel - simultaneously can be used for smaller and bigger designs.  You may have observed that drawing 2 stroke designs is my weakness :) :) I just love to draw them. For this technique the trick is to take rangoli  powder is taken between the index and middle fingers.  Using the thumb, the index and middle fingers allow the rangoli powder to flow between the middle and index fingers (one line) and on the outside of the thumb (second parallel line) .    The distance between the middle and index fingers depends upon how comfortable we are in drawing  When we use two different colours instead of while, the result is a rangoli with parallel lines of two different colours.   If drawing parallel lines in rangoli is difficult, drawing two different colours is more difficult (hard or maybe hardest) For drawing ...

Sankranthi muggulu | Pongal kolam designs 13 to 7 chukkala rangoli.  We can term this as a medium-size rangoli based on the size of the dot grid.  Again, medium is a relative term.  I consider up to 15 dots as medium-size dot pattern. The two sets of illustrations for examples for rama chilakkamma muggulu for all festivals including Bhogi, Ugadi and New Year are old model chukkala muggulu, one is white colour rangoli and the other is a green parrot kolam. These two are common kolangal that were practised by our family during Margazhi season.  In the courtyard we drew one big rangoli, something like the examples given below and a small rangoli for the side entrance i.e. one for the main entrance and one for the side entrance.  It was really fun.   Some families on our street drew borders on four sides of the courtyard and then proceeded to draw a special design chosen for the purpose in the space among the borders.   We had a jolly time, chitc...

This is a common rangoli called bitter gourd rangoli as the shapes resemble bitter gourds (hagalakayi ). Draw for Dhanurmasam .  We usually draw a lot of chukki rangolis during this month.  I have shown step by step pictures for though it is a simple rangoli just in case someone may need it. What do you think, are so many pictures for steps necessary. Please offer your comments. Some viewers who watch my videos and reels state "something calm about your kolam" "as a beginner I felt great after completing it " Probably one reason I can think of as to why my videos are liked is because though I have drawn hundreds of designs "manolayam - total absorption and concentration in the task done " is present in each video.  Kolam tips - There may be many methods to draw any rangoli, I share what I think is one of the easiest methods. This is by experience or after one or two trials. For this rangoli, the lines with V shape all around before drawing the remaining cu...

All the five chukkala muggulu designs with colours (one is an exception and is a white muggu were created by me, maybe in 2012 or 2012.   The fourth one is the simplest muggu with chukkala and is with 11 to 1 dot. It became quite popular at that time, a decade back when internet was still at its infancy in India.  Everyone could not afford data and broadband.  Mobiles technology was also not very advanced.  So invariably most of my views from the desktop.   The first birds chukkala muggulu is with 11 to 6, madhya chukkala as interlaced or in between dots are called in Telugu. This is type of dot pattern is suitable for drawing relatively intricate motifs using curves white the straight dot grid is useful for creative muggulu designs with short straight lines.   I have coloured the birds in purple though the look like ducks.  However, the internet has come to my rescue, the closest match for a purple-coloured duck-like bird is the purple ...

 I created this kolam , few years back for blog and YouTube, sharing a new set of pictures because  it may be difficult to find among the hundreds of or it thousand plus +  kolangal in this rangoli blog!! We can draw beautiful, colourful kolam with 7 by 7 dots.   One example is shown in this blog post - first the completed chukki rangoli with colours. It c an also be used as a simple rangoli for New Year with colours or as a daily vasal kolam as a white muggu. The four motifs emanating from the mango leaves designs can be metamorphosed (please excuse the pun) into butterflies just by adding antennae at the top. We can display as shown in the illustration below also without transforming them into butterflies,  still, it is unique and a simple pulli kolam with dots and colours.  It is suitable as vasal kolam or as a small pulli kolam for Margazhi kolangal, since I have posted this in Margali kolam festival season. 7 pulli kolam with colours simple Then t...

I usually share traditional rangoli on social media. There were several requests for rangoli tips for beginners including easiest methods of drawing for festivals like Dhanteras, Bhaj Dooj, Lakshmi Pooja and of course Dipavali.  I started sharing designs with tools available at home bangles, old CDs, spoons.  etc.  The advantage is we get the simplest rangoli in the shortest possible time.  They are also perfectly symmetrical.  Later many on social media started trying their own versions.   After trying these simple rangoli hacks, please also read the post on a  complicated rangoli technique  that is rare  Quick Diwali rangoli banane wala hacks  Small colour rangoli simple How to make easy rangoli for Diwali - next step  Rangoli tricks for Diwali - next image  Two rangoli designs above and below showing the step-by-step procedure to create these simple rangoli design that can be made use of for Diwali festival deco...