Simple alpona alpana border designs pics

 Wet Arisi maavu kolam or alpona borders

Rangoli has  synonyms in the art forms  arisi maavu kolam (rangoli made with rice flour paste )and Alpona.  Both are somewhat similar..

                                                                      Alpona for beginners

Arisi maavu kolam translated means rangoli drawn with rice flour.

 It can be drawn with dry or wet rice flour. 

 However  I discuss here wet rice flour rangoli since the technique is similar to that of traditional  alpona 

( I understand it  is also drawn with rice flour paste)

The thickness/consistency of the rice flour paste varies according to rangoli making method adopted.  We can use fingers or a cloth dipped in rice flour paste to draw the kolam.

At present ready-made sticks are available.  All designs here have been taken when the flour is wet.

The rangoli becomes bright when the flour dries.

We can also  grind rice flour paste in a mixer , make the paste in various shapes and dry them.  The dried rice flour cakes  are used to make rangoli. 

 The lines are drawn after dipping them in water to liquefy them again.

Alpona design simple 

Both alpona and arisi maavu kolam are left white without filling up with colours.

Here I would like to follow the traditional method of drawing using fingers only.

I understand that alpona design for door, stairs , alpona border designs are common.  Alpona art is common in West Bengal. 

 I have shared a wet rice flour rangoli below considered to be auspicious and drawn in Pooja room in South India.

It can be drawn as alpona for Laxmi Puja.