Rangoli is one of the most popular art forms in India. It is a form of sandpainting to floor painting with traditional wet color. See pictures below.
The motifs in traditional Rangoli are usually taken from Nature – peacocks, swans, mango, flowers, creepers, etc. The colors traditionally were derived from natural dyes – from barks of trees, leaves, indigo, etc. available for Holi.
The designs are symbolic and common to the entire country, and can include geometrical patterns, with lines, dots, squares, circles, triangles; the swastika, lotus, trident, fish, conch shell, footprints (supposed to be of goddess Lakshmi), creepers, leaves, trees, flowers, animals and anthropomorphic figures. One important point is that the entire pattern must be an unbroken line, with no gaps to be left anywhere for evil spirits to enter. See pictures below.
