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"Rangoli is an art for creating a beautiful and colorful welcome."
Rangoli
By Vaishu & Aanchal, Shadhika's Making HERstory Fellows
September 25, 2019
Reading Time: 3 minutesOur Experience Creating Rangoli
Vaishu shares,
“At Baale Mane, we create this Rangoli every day without miss and this is our way to welcome the guest to our home. We use colors, dry flour, and flower petals from the garden to design the Rangoli. We play with colors, and we have fun too. At the same time, Rangoli is something which helps us to improve our concentration skills. During festivals we create huge beautiful Rangoli. Every time it gives us more ideas and makes us more creative.“
Aanchal shares,
“Rangoli is an art for creating a beautiful and colorful welcome. I enjoy the process of making a Rangoli at the doorstep. I make a Rangoli when I feel happy in my heart and guests are coming home, usually for a festival like Diwali or Ganpati. In India we believe that Rangoli create positive environment vibes. Making Rangoli in the home reflects a family occasion.
Rangoli are believed to be auspicious, holy, and good omens. Some people in India believe that the goddess of wealth and prosperity is pleased when a Rangoli is created. On all the great events, like festivals, people decorate their door steps with Rangoli. It is said that with a Rangoli on your door steps, bad vibrations are cast away from such houses and bliss prevails.“
The Art of Rangoli
Rangoli is an art form, where we create patterns, designs on the floor or on the ground using colored rice, dry flour, colored sand, vegetables, seeds and flowers. Shape and material are influenced by regional traditions. It is also becoming common to see experimentation like sawdust-based floating Rangolis, freeform designs, and exotic materials. Usually we create this to welcome the new guest to our girl’s home.
What meaning do Rangoli have?
Some cultures believe that Rangoli can bring good luck to the family. Symmetry of the Rangoli brings undivided attention. In other words, the moment you pass thru Rangoli you are disconnected from the past and future. You are forced to remain in the present. Rangoli help you feel good when you are entering a house, and if you are leaving a house, it gives optimistic thoughts.
Who creates the Rangoli?
Rangoli as we believe it, is traditionally done by girls and women in the house. Some of the traditional minds believe that Rangoli could welcome the god into their house. Rangoli is something which creates positive thoughts and brings happiness on the faces. It is practiced and originated in India, and it has been passed on from generation to generation. In North India, Rangoli is made only during festivals but Southern Indians do this every day.
Did you know Shadhika’s logo is designed like a Rangoli? Learn more here!
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