kolam drawn in my house

Kolam is an auspicious art of decorating courtyards and pooja rooms/prayer halls in South India drawn mainly by women and girls. Some women use rice flour to draw a kolam, which is the traditional medium to be used while others use sandstone or limestone powder.

Although it is known as Rangoli commonly in many parts of India, it is known as Muggulu in Andhra pradesh, Rangavalli in Karnataka, Pookalam in Kerala, Chowkpurana in Uttar Pradesh, Madana in Rajasthan, Aripana in Bihar and Alpana in Bengal.

kolam designs start with dots which are connected to form lines and other geometrical shapes such as swastika, aum, stars, squares, circles, triangles etc. These geometrical shapes must be formed in a continuous, unbroken lines.

During Diwali and other festivals much more intricate shapes and designs are implemented. Rangoli has been developed as an art form - it is not uncommon to see very intricate street paintings (rangolis) with religious themes.