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Photographs
and story by Dipak Joshi, Roots Co-ordinator. Roots is a joint initiative
between the BBC and East Midlands Arts.
Rangoli (ran-goal-i - also known as Alpana, Kolam and by other names)
is a traditional art of decorating courtyards and walls of Indian
houses, places of worship and sometimes eating places.
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| Rangoli
made from dyed rice |
The tradition
is practised widely in Leicester and uses powder of white stone,
lime, rice flour and other cheap paste to draw intricate and ritual
designs which feature more diverse in colours in UK than in India.
Each state
of India has its own way of painting Rangoli. One characteristic is
that it is painted by commoners. On some special occasions it is painted
in every home, with or without formal training in Rangoli art. The
art is typically transferred from generation to generation and from
friend to friend.
Popular magazines publish new designs of Rangoli every week and on
special occasions there are Rangoli contests. Women use their bare
fingers or a brush to create various designs from sandstone powder
or grain-flour.
Petals of various flowers, such as Oleanders, Cosmos, Zenia, Chrysanthemums
and green leaves provide the artist the ability to work out various
patterns and colours.
This Rangoli
garden surrounds the sacred spot where Pooja (prayer) is performed
or a child is seated for his or her birthday, naming ceremony or
thread ceremony. Newlyweds also receive guests in such decorated
surroundings when the wedding celebrations are going on.
Most of the Rangoli designs are motifs of plants, flowers, leaves
such as coconut, lotus, mango, and ashwath (peepal leaf), the animals
such as cows, elephants, and horses, and the birds like eagles and
swans. There are geometrical designs as well. When drawn with fingers,
these acquire different dimensions on their own.
Girls and wives compete with each other to draw a new design every
time, even when there are no prizes to be given. They believe that
the gods are fond of cleanliness and things of beauty, and this
is one household art meant for propitiating deities. Rangoli is
changing tradition in UK and more multi media are involving in Rangoli.
Like Multi media projection on Rangoli with music and voices!
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