Varalakshmi Vratham and Navarathri kolam ideas
An update for Varalakshmi Pooja 2023, a simple geethala muggu I created has been added
We celebrate Navratri for nine days or rather nine nights , hence the name Navratri.
Starting with the first day apart from various decorations we do for the kolu with craft and art,
tradition has it that we draw a new kolam for the kolu every day.
Till Dasara or Dusshera or Vijayadasami the celebrations are on.
My mother taught us that Navratri golu ( or kolu ) is to be given the importance we give for Pooja room.
So the place before the golu is cleaned every day and new kolam is drawn for decoration every day .
Invariably a small padi kolam is drawn because the kolu itself occupies lot of space.
Navarathri golu kolam | Special padi kolam
Varalakshmi Vratham 2018 | special kolam | 4 line rangoli
Special functions and festivals demand special kolam.
This traditional rangoli with line of symmetry demand some skill in drawing the series of concentric curved lines. 
Otherwise it is an easy design only. The next step is the filling up of the gaps on the four sides with lines
Lotus flower is associated with Lakshmi Devi so we can added them in the kolam
After completion decorate with geru . Centre of the kolam is always filled with some simple design - flowers, spirals or if drawn in the Puja room Lakshmi padham
kolu or golu decoration with kolam
The kolam below is suitable for Ayudha Pooja and Vijayadasami .
The curved lines represent the bow and we have the arrows also - the traditional Ayudha
Also it is said that the Pandavas removed the weapons hidden secretly on Vijayadasami
Small kolam for Varalakshmi Vratham mandapam decoration
For decoration before the mandapam we need small kolam. The kalasam or idol is kept in the mandapam . Inside the mandap we draw Aishwarya kolam or Hridaya kamalam. In front of the mantapam there is usually small space available so this small kolam for decoration
Navratri kolangal
A padi kolam theme - rangoli designs with lines
A simple lines kolam can be drawn for decorating the kolu for one of the days of Navaratri particularly on a Navarathri Friday. The images below show how a simple lines kolam is drawn. It is not a classical padi kolam, because according to my kolam tradition, we start padi kolam with a square base drawn with four or five lines. I usually draw four lines and for festivals I use five lines and decorate the kolam with neli or curved lines also.
This type of kolam uses small squares , placed in various patterns and using lines square grids are drawn and they are connected by curved lines. Finally we can decorate the kolam with free hand patterns or motifs to enhance the beauty of the kolam.
The final picture of these kolam usually appear to make them appear complicated, actually they are very easy when viewed as separate elements. The pictures should make the kolam self explanatory, I hope.
Dasara Habba rangoli simple
This post will predominantly have padi kolam and other kolam with lines ( also called geethaa muggulu In Telugu ) for a change a simple free hand kolam has also been added.
Varalakshmi Vratham Pooja kolam for mandapam
Using a simple lines kolam theme that is used in padi kolam we can draw a basic kolam with lines that can be drawn for festivals like Navratri and Varalakshmi Vratham. As usual decorate with a kaavi also called geru or red ochre border to highlight the fact that these are been drawn for festivals. This kolam can be drawn for the golu or for as a Varalakshmi Vratham Pooja kolam before the mandapam where we keep the kalasam.
Geethala muggulu as these rangoli designs with lines are also called can be drawn for Margazhi ( Dhaurmasam ) as also for New Year or Sankranti ( Pongal festival )
Varamahalakshmi Habba or festival rangoli designs
This kolam , I created when I was trying a simple and different lines kolam. This can be drawn with four lines or five lines. Instead of the usual square pattern we start a padi kolam with , I have used a hexagonal pattern to start this rangoli design with lines. After drawing the hexagon, extend with lines from all the six edges parallel ( as humanly as possible ) to the line below. Draw two more lines between these lines. Now draw curved lines from the four straight lines to get a beautiful and simple padi kolam line. Since it is a relatively small kolam we can draw for the Navarathri golu on Friday or for Varalakshmi Vratham decoration before the mandapam. Adding free hand decorations around the kolam is according to our imagination. I have placed dots and pressed them with fingers to make them flat and round to a different type of kolam. The pics below should help us in knowing the step by step procedure to draw this kolam.
kolam or muggu for Varamahalakshmi Pooja and Navratri
Another simple lines kolam design with a star pattern is shown step by step in the pictures below. The central star pattern can be drawn free hand . I have used a 5,4,3 dot pattern. Draw the star shaped pattern and draw one more similar pattern outside . Connect lines to form parallelogram shapes on six sides. Draw intersecting lines inside the parallelograms . Connect the lines in adjacent geometric shapes ( parallelograms ) with curved lines - we get three lines the fourth line is the one connecting adjacent shapes, because it is tradition to use four or five lines for lines kolam designs.
Hope the pictures below give an idea of how to proceed with this easy lines kolam.
Kaavi or ochre powder mixed in water is used to make a border along the contours of the kolam to signify that it is drawn for an auspicious festival.
Varalakshmi Vratham muggulu
One more traditional padi kolam with a square pattern formed with four lines horizontal and vertical as we find in our traditional padi kolam ( of course occasionally we should try some thing different too ). I have stopped at a level to make the padi kolam simple, we can have more lines that criss cross to make it more complicated. Actually these lines rangoli designs are not complicated at all. The final image may appear so whereas if we know the intermediate steps it should be as easy as 1,2,3. I add dots in the gaps where the lines intersect as you would have seen many of the lines kolam designs in Rangolisansdots . Also after completing the lines patterns it is customary to draw some pattern in the centre without leaving it empty and we can also draw some floral or other patterns to decorate the periphery of the kolam
A simple decoration idea for Navratri with kolam / geethala muggulu
I have added a lot of images because pictures can convey the idea better than words. These nine rangoli images should give us an idea to draw this easy and not very difficult kolam The dot grid is placed and the lines are drawn outside the dot grid , the lines are then connected with curve lines . Finally some decorations inside the kolam to get the rangoli ready for the festival decoration. Try for Navratri 2016
This special and different kolam may be suitable for Karthigai Deepam kolam with deepam placed on the edges for decoration or for New Year kolam free hand designs
Navratri golu decoration ideas for home
One more idea of a simple and small padi kolam for Navratri ( for nine days including Saraswathi Pooja and Ayudha Pooja ).
