Kolam by Sudha Balaji

Geethala muggulu for Sankranti | New Year | Pongal Variety geethala muggulu in this post!  I am asked on YouTube that my bangle wearing style is very beautiful!  It is just our tradition is wearing green glass bangles separately or with gold bangles. So when I wear two gold ornaments on the hand and that is invariably the right hand  , the green glass bangles are between them.   If I wear 4 gold bangles, I wear green ones between any two gold ones.  I am pleasantly surprised that I am observed so closely in my rangoli videos.   Actually, one lady raised doubts about who is drawing the kolam when I changed my style of wearing bangles! Geethala muggulu video please! This is the request many a time on YouTube. So, I create lots of designs.   This video is one of them.  This muggu was created spontaneously the circular design is simple and beautiful too.  The video is 👉  muggu video   Sankranti was Pedha Panduga for...

Sikku kolam or melika muggulu If we read we may understand , if we do we will learn perfectly.  No amount of notes or written matter is sufficient to draw some of the not so easy melikala muggulu also called neli kolam or chikku kolam as it called in Tamil. Many of the dot patterns used or non standard though the common dot patterns are also used in some muggu.  Observing the pictures carefully may help one in understanding the concept behind each muggu of this variety.  The better option is to watch the videos and practice again and again till we are comfortable. The dot pattern is 5 by 5 with 2 extra dots on four sides  Padi kolam designs or rangoli designs with lines  The next is the padi kolam or rangoli with lines in this blog article on different types of kolam that are commonly drawn in various parts of India, Southern India. These designs are ubiquitous particularly on Fridays , functions like house warming , Aksharabhayasam and ot...

Like any other festival, Bhogi and Sankranti are celebrated in different ways in different states.  Celebrations and traditions vary across families too as we see.  Celebration of festivals, the customs and traditions differ between our maternal home and our in-laws home also.   I would like to share how I celebrate these two festivals. How to celebrate Bhogi Kolam is an important part of any festival and more so in Rangolisansdots.  So first I would like share the kolam, I drew for Bhogi.  It is a type of padi kolam or lines rangoli design.  This lines kolam starts with a Krishnan dindu design as it is called.  After drawing the rangoli with white rangoli, add colourful lines in the gaps to complete the kolam.  Lotuses on four sides adds to the ambiance of the festive spirit Since we live in Tamil Nadu we prepare Venn Pongal on Bhogi festival.   There is also the traditional mixed vegetable curry called Bhogichi Bhaji also called Goth Bh...

Sakkarai Pongal recipe for Pongal | Chakkara Pongal recipe for Sankranti Pongal or Sankranti is celebrated in a very grand manner in villages and small towns where big kolams are drawn and Pongal is cooked in a new pot .  Freshly harvested rice and vegetables etc are used for cooking.  When we lived in a small town, Sweet Pongal was made by boiling the milk first and then adding  rice, moong dhal and jaggery and cooking it.   After the milk in the  Pongal overflowed we all shouted in chorus " Pongalo Pongal " and worshipped the Sun God who we could see clearly from the fields or open fields.  We do not have the same liberty in cities today.   Today seeing the Sun and worshipping Him is a premium.  So we can do what is practically possible in cities and towns where we live to celebrate Pongal as traditionally as possible.   In Tamil as they say " ponnu vaikkum  idathil poo vaipathu and the transliteration  is if we cann...

Sankranti or Pongal is the festival when we have lot of colourful rangoli designs adorning every house in the street it marks the end of month long kolam or muggulu celebrations with beautiful and colourful designs being drawn daily during Dhanur masam which invariably falls between December 15 and January 15.   This month ends on  Bhogi  the last day of Dhanur masam and Pongal or Sankranti marks the beginning of spring season , a new month , new hopes .   Farmers are happy particularly when the harvest is good and they celebrate this happy occasion praying to the Sun God.   Like many other festivals in India rangoli muggulu ( also in  Telugu ) is an important part of festival celebration.  The rangoli drawn  are mostly rangoli with dots filled with bright colours and some draw free hand rangoli also.   There is a school of thought that feels that festival celebration should be with geethala muggulu only as they are drawn...