Kolam by Sudha Balaji

 First image The rangoli starts with a plus and expands with semi-circular patterns and petal like designs .  It has a simple two-line border filed with blue rangoli powder on which red dots are added.  All the four edges have spiral patterns.   The rangoli is filled with different colours yellow, green and blue. The remaining space that is black can also be filled with some colour of our choice,  only thing it is to be done carefully.  The rangoli with colours filled is available in Dusshera rangoli Second image - This kolam / rangoli also uses floral petals as motifs.  The basic kolam is drawn with spiral patterns as shown.  The outermost patterns are based on floral petals and are used to decorate the kolam.  Third image - In the rangoli the central design is drawn by drawing intersecting lines and forming the parallelogram like patterns.  The edge of each one is expanded with floral designs with two petals.  The gaps b...

Traditionally double line kolam is drawn with white rangoli powder- Take two pinches of white kolam podi on the index finger and the middle finger.  Push with the thumb.   One of the two lines falls outside the index finger. The other line falls inside the index finger.   It is easy to fill colours in kolangal drawn with this technique.   A demonstration is shown in the photo below The lines should be discrete, separate.   When you practice for the first time you may not get two distinct lines but only a thick line.   The more you practice; this technique comes with ease.   It is a very beautiful traditional method.   In a very short time, we can create a lot of big designs.  I remember creating a double stroke kolam for Pongal at the entrance.   The size was 3 to 4 feet in radius.  I could do it in 15 to 20 minutes.  Later adding colours took some time.   I do it alone because the a...

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 draw 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. ...