Kolam by Sudha Balaji

Diwali - a special festival for celebration with colourful rangoli of different types.    Diwali is a time when we have beautiful, colourful rangoli designs some drawn free hand or with pen.   I have tried a basic rangoli for Diwali 2015. using a rangoli pen.  Of course we can draw simple sanskar bharathi rangoli also with rangoli pen.  I will try .   The images below show the stages through various steps this simple special Diwali rangoli design. Regimentation suppresses creativity - my husband says always ( he learnt it from my father !) So occasionally ( it should not be the norm ) we should try some different rangoli designs.   The steps for this rangoli are quite simple . Simple rangoli pen design Diwali rangoli designs innovative , creative This is the latest rangoli added to this gallery of colourful and innovative rangoli for Diwali decoration ideas.  The theme I have used is the padi kolam of Tamil Nadu.  I have made some changes to m

First let us see how to make some borders for the festival decoration.  Place the CDs , the number depends upon how long we want the border to be  After placing the CDs, place the bangles between two CDs on both sides.   Then fill up the centre of the CD and the areas between the bangles and CDs as shown.    Then gently remove the CDS first and then the bangles to avoid smudging of the rangoli powder and it should be done delicately.  The rest is left to our imagination.   Using cotton buds I have made some swastik patterns because it is part of Diwali festival decoration.   Place diyas on both sides are draw it as a base of another rangoli or draw it in the Puja room for Laxmi Puja.   Even those who find it difficult to use  traditional method  to make a rangoli can easily use this method and create awesome designs.   What I have given is a sample to give us ideas.  It is left to our creativity to develop further. This rangoli is drawn in Pooja room

My mother advised  us that a kolam drawn by a woman is a reflection of herself and asked us to get involved with religious fervour in drawing kolam.   The beauty of the kolam drawn by us should be measured by our love for the art and tradition and not only by the size and colours in the kolam.   So I draw  kolam  daily  at the entrance -  they are small and simple because what is the meaning of kolam - kolam means beauty in Tamil. I am asked how I am able to draw perfect geometric shapes including circles.  Frankly, I must admit that I may draw relatively perfect geometric shapes most of the times.   What I draw may not be perfectly perfect ! We are humans and not computers to draw perfect shapes.  Drawing with kolapodi using fingers when factored in makes it more difficult to draw perfect shapes.  So I would request to continue to practice so that we can become relatively perfect.  For those who find it difficult to draw circles with kolapodi there is the commonly used technique of