Simple rangoli for Puja / Pooja kolam

Golu alankaram or decoration with kolam for Navratri till Dasara or as a Pooja room rangoli

These rangoli or kolam are for pooja mantaps or pooja enclosures. The design can be drawn with borders  

 Modifications to suit individual family customs may be done.   Most of them are simple, free hand, padi kolams or rangoli with dots. . 

This belief helps me develop positive thoughts when I draw them and hence I use them invariably in Puja rooms. 

Aishwarya kolam, kubera kolam, Hridaya kamala kolam are part of this group of auspicious rangolis.

Pooja rooms or enclosures or mantap require simple and/or auspicious rangolis.  There are some rangoli that are there for a long time

(decades or centuries, I do not know) which are specifically meant for Pooja rooms, Tulsi plant (called Tulsi maadam) and Fridays.

The following are some of the rangolis that belong to this category

While there are many options in Rangolisansdots for kolam I would like to share a special kolam design that can be drawn for the kolam.  It is drawn free hand.

The basic floral design is drawn with 16 petals or 32 petals. The patterns using lines on the periphery are drawn by connecting the edges of the petals so that there is a great degree of symmetry in the kolam. 

Kolu decoration with kolam is an important part of Navratri celebrations throughout Dasara till Vijayadasami . 

This rangoli may be drawn as a Navratri special rangoli or Ayudha Pooja rangoli too.The positive aura of the completed rangoli - for a Vijayadasami rangoli

  A simple rangoli forming shanka and  padma ( lotus ) patterns that can be drawn for Navratri  golu decoration, for the Pooja room during  Purattasi Saturday ( Sanikizhamai ).  The shanka is drawn with 4 by 1 dots and the lotus with 3 by3 dots

    This small and simple rangoli can also be drawn for Diwali Laxmi Puja.

This post may have answers to how to draw

Drawing Pooja room kolam or kolangal  Puja mandapam kolam  Rangoli designs for Pooja rooms  Devara mane rangoli designs

 The rangolis at the centre can be drawn according to our convenience.  Another possible design for puja mandapam or before it shown in the image below.  Draw four  straight lines as shown.  Draw a lotus at the base.  We can also add another design at the top.

The  design on the top is also one of those that I use for my Pooja mantap. Draw the four parallel lines and connect the edges.  Draw the slightly curved pattern with four curved lines to complete it.

Tulasi maadam or vrindavan- rangoli 

                                                       The rangoli above a free hand version of the Tulsi plant.  The central design can be drawn free hand or with dots.  We have to place the dot pattern to suit the size of the rangoli required.  A similar pattern is used for some deepam kolams (or diya rangolis).  The leaves are drawn free hand as also the base.  The rangoli can be drawn with dots also.  However this is Rangoli-sans-dots (rangoli without dots ) and hence the free hand rangoli.   . Hase rangoli or Hridaya kamalam is drawn for the Tulasi plant, usually.                  

The Tulasi maadam rangoli design can also be drawn with dots.  The dot pattern is 5 by 5.  Place the dot grid.  Draw the central design with oval shaped designs.  Then draw the leaf patterns free hand.  The kolam design with colours filled is in rangoli designs with five dots. . For this design the dot pattern can be of any grid, 3 by 3 or 4 by 4 or 5 by 5. We should choose a suitable dot grid based on the size of rangoli we desire to be drawn.

sangu kolam varieties - without dots 

The next kolam design is a shank and chakra pattern that can be used only in Puja rooms and for festivals like Krishna Jayanthi or Janmashtami., Vaikunta Ekadasi or on Saturdays particularly Purattasi month in Tamil.  The shank and chakra are drawn and between them a simple free hand pattern is added.  This is one of the simpler methods of drawing this.  However we can make it simpler or make it more intricate too.  The video for this kolam is in my YouTube channel Rangolisansdots at this link

Sangu kolam for Purattasi Saturday , Vaikunta Ekadashi

      

 The next kolam is using a conch design ( sangu kolam it is called in Tamil ).  This is quite a popular pattern used in kolam with dots and there are many common designs using conch.  I have drawn a free hand design using conch as a theme.  I will also upload a similar kolam or one with a similar theme using dots.  As is evident from the image, I have drawn a basic star at the centre.  From each edge draw spiral patterns.  Next drawing curved lines develop conch designs.  Fill the gaps with floral patterns.  Add a few colours.  

The images in black and white show the formation of the conch pattern.
 Pooja room  muggulu designs can also include Garud rangoli or kolam .  Lord Garud is the vahana of Lord Vishnu so we can draw this daily in the Puja room or on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Purattasi Saturday and Vaikunta Ekadasi days and festivals on which worship of Lord Vishnu is given importance in our country. The rangoli and steps through pictures.

Images showing steps for Garuda rangoli

Decorate with kaavi after completing the muggu

Thamarai thoranam design or kolam 

This video shows three  of  important kolam that are drawn on Fridays in the Puja room or festivals like Vinayaka Chaturthi or Chavithi , Navarathri , Diwali.  The link for video is 👉 here   (Nitya Devara mane rangoli )      

This is a simple representation of a thoranam using lotus patterns that I drew as kolam for Varalakshmi Vratham.  Rangoli is drawn around the mantap and in the front. One simple rangoli border that can be drawn on both sides of the mantap with simple lotus like patterns with a free hand flower design for this vratham.

   Ashta Dhala Padmam ( or eight petal lotus ) is a common rangoli that is drawn in Puja rooms and at the entrance on Fridays.  As the name suggests, it represents a lotus  ( with petals open ).  I have drawn two versions of this rangoli, The images below are self explanatory.  However, the difference is in the tip of the petals.  I have drawn the rangoli with parallel lines, we can draw with a single line too.                               

    

The rangoli design above is a free hand rangoli design that can be drawn for puja. I use it quite often.  Draw a spiral pattern. Four more spiral patterns are added on four sides.  From each two or more curlicue like lines are drawn.  A border line is drawn along the contour.  Add a few colours if required.         The next one is a free hand rangoli called Hase   It considered to be auspicious and hence I draw in the Puja room/mantap.  It is also similar to Padi kolam of Tamil Nadu.It consists of a simple spiral pattern at the centre with four spiral arms.  The four arms are further extended with few curved extensions on each arm.  This is a very simpe design used in our family. Actually hase rangolis of Karnataka can be very beautiful with beautiful borders.The next rangoli  is  famous Hridaya kamalam kolam considered to be one of the most auspicous Pooja ghar rangolis.  Hridyaya kamalam and the Hase above are considered to be Goddess Lakshmi's favourite rangolis.   Hridaya kamalm is a important kolam for Friday and is drawn only in Puja room, for the mantap used for festivals and for the Tulsi plant.  I have used eight different colours to connect the dots. The sequence to be followed will be clear by using this method. Incidentally this kolam is also an eight petal lotus kolam.  

The image below shows the hase rangoli that is drawn only in Puja rooms usually on Fridays. 

( Padmam muggulu  for Sukravaram )

The following images showing the sequence of lines drawn with different colours may give an easier method or idea of how to draw this beautiful and auspicious kolam. 

Hridaya kamalam step by step with different colours for easy understanding

More photos for Lakshmi Hrudaya rangoli for Friday

Draw with white and decorate with kaavi.  I have shown with various colours to make it clear for beginners.

Hope these images (pics ) above give a better idea of this popular kolam steps.

Another version of Hridaya kamalam  but with 6 petals.  

The sequence is the same 1-4-2-5-3-1. The dot grid is 6 rows of 5 dots radially.around a centre dot. The usual kolam has 8 rows of 5 dots around a central dot and so 8 petals are formed. This may be simpler and compact kolam design for some. Two images showing two of the steps for drawing the kolam

It is an important Mahalakshmi kolam.

Small Lakshmi Hrudaya rangoli design with 6 dhala

Before moving to other types, another lotus rangoli design that could be drawn for this post  There are four lotus designs in four directions.  Start with four petals in four directions radiating from a central point. Add petals on both sides of a petal that is drawn first.  Repeat it for all four sides.  Some more lotus rangoli designs that may also be used depending upon the occasion are in Rangolisansdots.                                                                                   

This  rangoli with simple lotus designs around a star can also be used as a rangoli for Puja ( rooms ).

Continuing with our theme of lotus designs for Pooja room kolam another design with 4 lotus flowers comes below.  It is a cute and small kolam with two different types.  One with 4 by 4 dots and another without dots both similar.  Here goes this design similar to the one above except that this design has fewer petals. 

Steps for this simple devara munde hakuva rangoli

Simple lotus rangoli and two birds - one more beautiful rangoli for devara mane

Draw the central lotus design, free hand with as many petals as required to get a lotus of optimum size. Add two simple patterns to represent birds (add beaks and crown, of course!).  Fill the lotus with pink colour and the birds can be filled with some simple colours or made more colourful also.  The stalk of the lotus is modified to suit the rangoli as shown above.  

Kubera kolam - a dots kolam for Friday for Puja room

This kolam is drawn in the Puja room with white rangoli and a kaavi ( or ochre border ).  I have shown two pictures of the kolam using different colours to show how the dots are joined to form the lines.  I must confess that the lines have been drawn with rangoli only without the help of geometrical instruments!  If we find it difficult to draw the straight lines, we can draw them with a piece of chalk and then draw the lines to get a kola podi kolam     

The next rangoli design is called the Kubera Kolam.  This is a different type of Kuber kolam and is also a Pooja arai kolam. Use the link to go the relevant post where a series of photos given an idea about the steps needed to draw it. This is not a common design but is used in our family quite often. Aishwarya kolam a simple rangoli with dots.  The pattern is 7 dots at the centre, 8 dots on either side, then one row of 7 dots on either side, one row of 6 dots on either side and finally three dots on either side. These are some of the rangoli designs that are and can be used for puja and festivals.  Of course there may be many more that I have not added or not covered. There may be some that I do not know.  If I come to know I will add them here.

This is a traditional rangoli.   This is different from the usual kubera kolam with number matrix.  Usually drawn with white powder  with kaavi  border. I have tried a different  version.  It is drawn on  Fridays, Lakshmi Pooja and Kuber pooja by the elders in my family. This is also called kubera kolam in Tamil. This is an important Velli kizhamai kolam (in Tamil )

Lines rangoli for Friday one more picture 

usually this auspicious kolam rangoli is drawn in  white with kaavi border.  I have shown with colours to make the steps easy to understand

Place a dot at the centre.  Place five dots radially from the centre in eight directions.  Draw five lines between the dots so that the length of lines decrease outward.  Join the lines in such a way that the outermost lines form a pattern, the next lines form another similar pattern and so on  as shown. To get this joint the smallest line outside to the last dot and so on.  Confusing isn't it.  Watching thei mages will be better for understanding the method. Finish with a kaavi border.  I have tried two different designs above in the images for Rangoli-sans-dots. The colours used are orange and green at the centre.  Pink, blue and violet on the outer side.  Use of white rangoli powder for the complete rangoli makes it a traditional rangoli.The step by step method of drawing this beautiful rangoli is shown in the images below.  First place the dot grid as shown, radially around a central point.  

Draw the series of  five parallel lines between two dotted arms - the lines should be of decreasing length as shown.  Draw them all round so that you get eight sets of lines.

Join the right edge of the top mos line to the first point on the right of a set of lines as shown in the image on the left.  Do this to all the lines to get the design as shown.

Draw the lines from each set of parallel lines, joining the dots to get the next stage as in the photo on the right..
Draw the lines from the right edge of the set of the lines drawn on the top to the left side to get the beautiful design shown in the image.

Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious day for learning an auspicious kolam like Aishwarya kolam

 (also called Akshaya Patra rangoli ). The kolam in a few steps in the images below

Step by step Pooja mandir muggulu , this one is considered very auspicious 

The next rangoli that can be drawn for puja room in the next three images, the second and third image showing the intermediate steps.  First draw the horizontal parallel lines and then join them as shown in the first photo.  Complete the pattern and add the motifs at the top and on the sides.  A simple rangoli design

Steps for this parallel line muggu for Pooja 

This rangoli is a simple design using lines that result in geometric shapes.
simlple kolam with dots for Puja
Though it can have any pattern around the periphery I have drawn diya or jyothi patterns to suit the theme of this post.  This rangoli can be drawn for festivals like Lakshmi Pooja too.  The dot pattern is 1-2-7-6-5-6-7-2-1  Draw the two hexagons outside the dots.  Draw the third row of lines outside the hexagons as shown.  Next connect the outermost lines through lines passing through the hexagons.  Finally connect the midpoints of the outermost lines with straight lines as shown.  The result a simple and beautiful rangoli with dots.  In this type of rangoli design the dots are not connected but the lines are drawn outside the dots resulting in the rangoli below.  Two images showing some steps in between for reference..

Draw this rangoli kolam on Tuesday 

 If you are looking for the bigger version of this kolam I have added the  bigger rangoli / kolam of the same type using a maximum of ten dots  instead of maximum of seven in the above kolam

Another common kolam  but not so simple kolam that can be drawn in the Puja room or for Navratri or Margazhi  ( this kolam requires a lot of space so it is better to keep the dots as closely as possible )  - the dot pattern used is 7 dots at the centrre with 8,9,10 dots on either side and then 3,2,1 dots on either side. Two images showing the steps are also shown. The lines are drawn between the dots instead of connecting them. It can be drawn in the Puja room if there is sufficient space.  Draw this kolam rangoli for Thursday Puja .

The rangoli design shown with steps is drawn for Ananta Vrata.  I have drawn is as compact as possible because it is a 15 by 15 dot grid rangoli.  If the dots are closely placed we can try to accommodate in a mantap.  Place the dot grid. Draw the outer patterns and the central design.  Draw the parallel lines to get the patterns as shown.  Finally four dots are left at 4 places and they are used up through floral petal designs.  After a long time I have filled a rangoli ( this one ) with colours.  I needed 30 minutes to complete the design including filling up the colours.  But for festivals it is worth the trouble taken.  After completing the rangoli it gives a sense of satisfaction. This rangoli with a square dot grid with symmetrical patterns drawn using lines reminds us of Maharastrian rangoli with dots. This is usually drawn on a wooden plank and not drawn at the entrance of the house.

              Pics showing steps for Ananta Puja rangoli design                                        

 In case you would like to watch the full video of this rangoli from my YouTube channel Rangolisansdots it is at Rangoli-Ananta Vrata 

Arisi maavu kolam or maa kolam can be drawn on Fridays and for many festivals in the Puja room. A kaavi border is included.  In the kolam below I have shown the representations for which kaavi border is to be added

The three images below show a simple arisi maavu kolam drawn with wet rice flour ( paste ).  The final image shows the kolam after the moisture in the flour has evaporated making the kolam dry. I have used this pattern quite often in free hand rangoli designs

For Sukravara Pooja rangoli with wet akki hittu

Hridaya kamalam for Puja as arisi maavu kolam or wet rice flour paste kolam.  The effect is more pronounced after the wet flour dries.

                                        

Naga Chathurthi or Panchami kolam 

In India, it is customary to honour brothers on the 2nd  day after new moon day after Diwali and the brothers in turn give gifts to the sisters on  the third day.  Lakshmi Pooja is  also celebrated after Diwali in many parts of India.  In South India in  particular the fourth day after new moon day is celebrated by performing pooja to the Nagaraja  ( Naga Chathurthi and Naga Panchami).  Incidentally,  Naga Pooja  is also performed for the well being  of  brothers,sisters and children. Hence , a simple Naga kolam for the  occasion.The design below is a very simple Naga kolam. The cobra is revered and worshipped in India.  Drawing this kolam is very simple draw the lines pattern at the centre and then draw the serpent design as shown.  Fill it with  a colour suitable  for a cobra.

Hence , a simple rangoli / kolam for the  occasion.

Another simple free hand kolam that can be drawn for Naga Chaturthi or Naga Panchami. Draw five pairs of parallel lines  as shown.  Draw three pairs on either side and finally one pair.  Connect them with curved lines as shown in the images.  Draw the head and tail to get a snake shaped kolam design.  This is drawn in the Puja room.  A smaller and simpler version with 3 pairs of lines with one pair on either side can also be drawn. For Naga Chaturthi and Panchami our tradition is that we draw simple Naga patterns on the doorway but not at the entrance.

A simpler version with 3 pairs of lines with one pair on either side can be drawn to get an easy and small snake kolam design.

  Replicas of serpents or Naga are kept in a plate .  Milk and ghee are pured on them praying for the well being of brothers, sisters, children and lineage.  Images of a bigger serpent and a smaller one are drawn on Chaturthi near the place of Pooja (room. Turmeric, kumkum and flowers are sprinkled on them.  On Panchami two serpents, a bigger one and a smaller one are drawn on the walls with paste made with turmeric powder. The photos below represent the celebration of Naga Chathurthi and Panchami through rangoli

An important festival recipe is the popular rava kesari for Naga Chaturthi

Preparation method

Rava or semolina is fried in ghee simultaneously heat water and milk.  The quantity of water and milk should be one and half times the quantity of rava taken by volume.  After the diluted milk boils, add it to rava and stir well with a spatula.  The stove should be on while doing this.  When the rava is fully cooked add sugar one volume of sugar and continue stirring so that the rava does form into lumps.  Add cardamom powder.  I have used orange pulp from the fruit for  flavour.  Some use pineapple essence.  I do not add artificial colours.  We can also add cashew nuts and raisins fried in ghee.  Add hot liquefied ghee can also be added after completion .  This is an important recipe for Navratri, Fridays and for Sai  Baba on Thursdays.

kolam for Navratri Puja or kolu or karthigai

This rangoli is also one of  my mother's favourites along with those drawn elsewhere in Rangoli-sans-dots.   The best rangoli for Lakshmi Pooja , Dipavali festival

 She would draw  it for the kolu as Navaratri kolam  or   Dasara kolam or for Karthigai deepam .  She prefers it this way.  Hence I have not added colours.This is a very simple rangoli but according to me  it is an embodiment of positive spirit and  spreads an  aura in the puja room.   Definitely leaves  the mind  contented and  happy when I see this in my puja room.  This image can also be drawn  for Diwali and Karthigai Deepam ( celebrated in Tamil Nadu with lighting of lamps )

It is quite easy to draw this.  Start with a straight line on either side draw four lines of decreasing length ( I have stopped with a total of nine lines).  Now connect the left end of the central line to the right end of the upper most line with an inclined line.  Next connect the left end of the line below the central line to the right end of the second line from the top.  Repeat this for the third and fourth lines.  Perform the same exercise on the other side also.  Now to draw the lamp and decorate it.  Draw lamps on either side of  upper side of the design.  Decorate it further with spiral patterns and lines to show the lamps with more aura.  On the lower side add handles similar to those present in the lamps used in temples.  Fill the entire design with dots. The rangoli is complete.  A simpler version of the rangoli above. The straight lines - parallel and inclined are drawn and deepa paatterns are drawn at the top.

Simple diya rangoli for Dipavali and Karthigai Deepam Pujai     

 With colours for Navratri kolu kolam                                                                                                                     

This is one of the most favourite rangolis of our family for Fridays.

A beautiful and simple free hand rangoli.  Add the lamps at the top finally.  Leave it plain or add colours as shown in the image below.  My mother is very particular that this is drawn during a Navaratri Friday in the pooja  room  or near the kolu.
How do you draw it?  Draw a central straight line and on either side draw five lines of decreasing length as shown in the image.  From the left end of the central line join the right end of the smallest line at the top with an inclined line.  From the left end of the second line join the right end of the second line from top.  Continue this first on the left side and repeat it on the right side to get a diya pattern.  Draw a few lamps at the top as shown.  The design can be stopped here or filled with dots  or filled with colours as shown.  I have filled the central area with purple and green on either side of this, light purple and so on.  We can also fill the rangoli with a single colour. Diya designs are regularly used particularly for Diwali and Karthigai ( a festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu).

The design below is a simple rangoli.  This is a representation of the lamps found in the sanctum sanctorum of a temple particularly in Southern India.  It can be used on both ends of a puja enclosure.  A plain version or a bigger version can  be drawn. Another deepam kolam has been drawn in an  earlier post.  Deepam or lamps are regularly used in rangoli designs, separately or as part of a design.  They are used regular for festivals like Navartri, Diwali and Karthigai.                                               

 Another simple idea for an elephant kolam design that can be drawn for Puja room.  Draw some spirals around the star pattern.  Extend further and draw the eyes to get this easy elephant kolam design.  A simple representation through kolam in Puja room for Ganesh Chathurthi or Vinayakar Chathurthi festival.

This rangoli / kolam  a free hand design for Vinayaka Chathurti or Pillayar Chathurti as we say in Tamil Nadu. A flower design at the centre with four elephants on four sides holding lotus flowers - the flowers coloured pink  and the elephants, grey.  This can also be tried with dots but it will be a free hand dot combination. 

                                Some special kolam designs for Navratri kolu / golu

Navratri till Dasara need some beautiful and colourful  kolam designs.  This is a complete floral design rangoli.  The inner most pattern at the centre has floral petals orange in colour.  It is surrounded by a double line border that is actually a flower.  On each petal of this flower I have drawn petals  or flowers with two different colours, pink and orange.  so instead of using different colours for petals of the same flower as in the first two I have tried something different with flowers of different colours to produce another type of multi-colour floral rangoli.  It is a free hand design with parallel lines and flowers on the outside are drawn with single lines.  After completing the plain rangoli fill with colours and add some white and red or orange lines to depict the petals.  Some simple spiral patterns and green leaves are also used. This is a simple free hand colourful kolam that can be drawn for Navratri kolu or golu as we call it.

    T

he next rangoli or mandala design is also a simple design with a floral pattern with many petals at the centre that are drawn free hand.  The edge of each petal has circular patterns from which further the design is expanded.  Add red, purple, yellow and other colours to make it more attractive.  The same design can be made more attractive by adding patterns with white or any other colour that matches the colours filled in the rangoli. 

Another version of the without chukki rangoli for Dasara 

 The second kolam  is an improvement of the first kolam. The edges of petals are decorated with circular patterns that are further expanded to form the final floral pattern.  Rhombus shaped designs are added on the circumference and the design is filled with colours to complete the kolam.  The design below is show how by just adding a few patterns with white rangoli  a kolam can be further beautified.  In the kolam below free hand patterns are drawn inside the central flower and the periphery and of course in the circles and outer petals.  See the difference it makes to the rangoli above.  Thus by adding even simple free hand designs the a kolam can be made more beautiful.

A different padi kolam type design for puja room

This is a design drawn in the another  post, the basic design has been brought to this post because it is a new type of design (at least for me).  It consists of very small spiral patterns drawn in descending order to form the rangoli design shown above.  The central square design is filled with a single colour and free hand patterns can be drawn in it to give a new look to a rangoli. It resembles a traditional rangoli design to some extent, in the design and the colours chosen white and a shade of orange.

. A central square is decorated with spiral patterns on all four sides with number of spiral designs decreasing to one.  Then fill the central square with colours and add a rangoli border to the design.  The rangoli centre can be decorated with free hand designs as shown.
Also there are some designs drawn for Chaturmasya rangoli

Padi kolam / geethala muggulu 

A padi kolam for Puja room a combination of Padi kolam design and some free hand patterns.
The images show the steps involved. For festivals we use five lines usually.
can also be drawn in Puja room or for festivals like Navratri and Varamahalakshmi Puja