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How To Draw A Kolam

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Drawing A Kolam For Diwali Festival

A kolam drawing on the front doorsteps of Hindu households is common during the festival of Diwali. Kolam is a form of sand painting that is drawn using rice powder by female members of the family to welcome visitors and also Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity to their home.

Diwali or Deepavali, as it is more commonly known in Malaysia falls on 26th October 2011 is often called the festival of lights. It is the most important festival celebrated by Hindus around the world. In Malaysia where Indians form an important segment of the population, kolam drawing is prominently displayed in many public places, hotels and malls during this season.

You may not know how to draw a kolam well so you can appreciate the skill needed to excel in this ancient Hindu art form.

Instructions on how to draw a kolam

A kolam is a geometrical drawing composed of curved loops drawn around a grid pattern of dots. It is sometimes called Rangoli and can be very elaborate and colorful. Kolams originated about 2500 BC in the Indus Valley Civilization and are believed to help bring wealth and prosperity to the home or business.

Finely ground rice flour is often used in kolam drawing as an offering to the Hindu goddess, Lakshmi who is the goddess of wealth and rice. Sandstone or limestone powder can also be used and various colored dyes are added to bring color to the design. The kolam drawings are made on a floor previously sprinkled with water.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

A kolam is drawn with bare fingers following a pattern. Generally, kolam drawings consist of lines running around patterns of dots in a a geometric pattern.

Photo courtesy of thestar.com

How To Draw A Kolam - Step by step instructions to draw a kolam

How To Draw A Simple Kolam

Easy to follow video

Draw a simple kolam with 4 dots

How To Draw A Kolam Wtih A Stencil

Use stencil to draw a kolam design

These stencils are easy to use and are great tools for children and also adults to learn the art of kolam drawing. The stencils are based on classic kolam designs.

Roylco Rangoli Mega Stencils - Set of 4

Amazon Price: $10.53 (as of 06/01/2012)

- Comes with 4 designs
- Each design measures 22" x 22"

Rangoli Festival Color

Bright colors to creat a beautiful rangoli

Festival Colors (Rangoli) Holi High Quality Colors (Pack of 9)

Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 06/01/2012)

Natural Dyes For Color To Draw Kolam

Natural dyes from barks of trees, leaves were often used in days of old though some now use synthetic dyes. Colored powder from rice, brick, tumeric and chilly bring vibrant colors to a Rangoli design.

Cereals, pulses in their natural colors can also add a three dimensional effect to this ancient art.

Important Tip To Draw Kolam!

Mix rice flour with white stone powder for a better finish.

The powder is taken in a pinch and applied with the thumb and forefinger to sprinkle the powder on to the floor design.

Remember! PATIENCE is the key to draw a kolam.

Kolam Drawing For Diwali Celebration

Drawings Made with Powder are Designed On The Floor
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Kolam Designs

Kolam patterns for your front door this Diwali festival

How to Draw Peacock Kolam

Courtesy of Manadhi.com

How To Draw Flower Kolam

Courtesy of pongalfestival.org

How to Draw Rangoli Design Based On Dots

1. Make the dots with chalk on the floor.
2. Use dots to guide you to draw the patterns.
3. Fill the lines with colored rice paste.

How to Draw Butterfly Kolam

Kolam Patterns For Diwali

Find a kolam design for Diwali

Lotus Kolam Design: Lotus flower in beautiful color
Flower Kolam: A blue and brown flower kolam design
Geometric Kolam Design: A simple four colored geometric design
Festival Of Lights Kolam: Light from a lamp for Diwali
Peacock Kolam: A peacock design in a kolam
Parrot Kolam Design: A kolam with parrots and butterflies
Flower Kolam Design: Simple flower Kolam
Swan Kolam: A kolam with swans and fish
Love Kolam: A simple kolam design with love shape
Diwali Kolam: A multi-colored geometric design

Kolam Drawing Poll

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Kolam Pictures

Giant Kolam Created By Students

A masterpiece in 45 minutes!

A giant-sized kolam with the theme of 1Malaysia1Masterskill created by students of a local nursing college using recycled coconut instead of rice. it took the 120 students 45 minutes to complete this beautiful kolam.

Courtesy of star.com

Focus and much concentration are needed to be a good Kolam artist.

Test your Kolam skill by completing the entire design without lifting the hand from the ground!

Master Kolam Artist At Work

Patience is the key on how to draw a kolam

Mohan Maruthamuthu is an expert in the ancient art of Rangoli or Kolam design. He enjoys designing peacock in many shapes and forms in his Rangoli designs. Mohan is in demand to display his artistic talent in many public places like the KL Sentral Terminal, hotels and malls in Kuala Lumpur.

According to Mohan it takes patience to create a kolam. "One must be able to sit for long hours and handle cramps and back pain; they are the hazards of the job" he explained.

Courtesy of thestar.com

All About Kolam Design

Find a kolam design you like

Kolam designs: Kolam designs for beginners and the seasoned kolam artist
Easy to learn rangoli designs: Interesting collection of Kolam designs for Deepavali
Rangoli Designs for Diwali: Rangoli decoration themes and ingredients used

Kolam Drawing With Geometric Design

Vibrant colored kolam

Courtesy of Commons Wikimedia

Large Rangoli Design

Art Work Made from Coloured Flour
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Kolam Pictures On Flickr

HiH - Events - World Child's Prize Vote- 08-03-18 - 26 by mckaysavage

Lines In The Sky @ Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia by thienzieyung

Kolam competition in Mylapore festival by seeveeaar

India - Sights & Culture - Chalk decoration for Republic Day 1 by mckaysavage

The Sun Leaving The City Behind.. by thienzieyung

automatically generated by Flickr

Colorful Lotus And Peacock Kolam

The lotus flower and peacock are some of the favorite themes of Deepavali kolams.

Rangoli Patterns

A collection of patterns to create your own rangoli

Rangoli Patterns

by: C. R. Patel

Amazon Price: $7.68 (as of 06/01/2012)

Grandma's Kolam

Designs of Babuji, an innovative Kolam artist

Grandma's Kolams

by: Gowri Ramnarayan

Amazon Price: $8.96 (as of 06/01/2012)

Gowri Ramnarayan presents a selection of her grandmother's designs. Her kolams show us that life, with all its ups and downs, has space and time and scope for spontaneity, creativity and wholehearted enjoyment.

Kolam Designs To Welcome Diwali / Deepavali

As in every year there are competitions and displays by private corporations to show off the kolam drawing skills of participants.

Peacock Kolam To Symbolize Harmony And Positive Spirit

For Deepavali celebration

This beautiful kolam is displayed in the lobby of Kenanga International in Kuala Lumpur to welcome Diwali, the Festival of Lights. It took 8 hours of hard work, patience and teamwork to produce this beautiful piece of rice and sand art to seek the blessings of Lakshimi the goddess of wealth.

Peacock Kolam With A 3-D Peacock

Circular kolam to signify happiness and a bright future

This peacock kolam with a 3 dimensional peacock complete with real peacock feathers is the central display of Zon Hotel in Johore Bahru.

150 kgs of crushed rice had to be dyed in the making of this kolam.

Kolam Designs On Modern Apparel

Kolam design on bag

Applying the kolam powder by melissaenderle
See other canvas bags by zazzle.com

Kolam Geometric Design

Kolam Shirt by katiechristo
View more Kolam T-Shirts

Rangoli Designs From CafePress

What Do You Think Of Kolam Drawing?

Reply

Tipi Apr 29, 2012 @ 10:42 pm | delete

This lens just came to mind and I had to fly over to peek in again at this beauty, I think Kolam drawing is wonderfully beautiful.