Rangoli
Rangoli is made up of two words: 'rang' which means 'colour' and 'aavalli' which means 'coloured creepers' or 'row of colours'. It is one of India's most beautiful and attractive art forms. Rangoli is the art of creating designs or patterns on the walls or floors of a home with finely powdered white powder and other colours. Rangoli patterns are used by many homes across the Indian subcontinent to decorate their courtyards.
Origin of Rangoli
The origins of the Rangoli art in India are the subject of several tales. Chitralakshana, the first Indian book on painting, has the earliest mention of this art style. The death of a high priest's son in a certain country is supposed to have caused widespread sadness. The inhabitants of that country appealed to Lord Brahma, pleading with Him to resurrect the kid. Lord Brahma, moved by their pleas, requested that the monarch paint an image of the kid on the floor. He then poured life into the painting, bringing the youngster back to life. This is thought to be how the first Rangoli painting was created.
Another legend has it that one day, God, in one of His artistic spells, extracted juice from one of the mango trees to be used as paint. He then used the paint to draw the figure of a beautiful woman. It is said that the painting of the woman was so magnificent that it put the heavenly maidens to shame. Thereafter, Rangoli became a popular form of women self-portrait. Even Chola rulers have been known to make quite extensive use of Rangoli as floor paintings. It is also said that powder or sand is used for making Rangoli designs because the combination of the colors and the design fragility signifies the impermanence of life and maya.
Making of the Rangoli
The colours used to make Rangoli are usually made up of a coarse grained powder foundation with other colours blended in. Colored powder, on the other hand, can be used to create eye-catching decorations. Rangoli should be made on a coarse foundation, such as sand, marble dust, saw dust, or other coarse materials, since it offers an excellent grip and allows for better colour control. The colours are mostly extremely fine pigment powders such as gulal or aabir.
Colored powders, such as indigo, and spices, such as rawa, turmeric, rice flour, and wheat flour, can also be tried. Make sure that any design you choose is a continuous line with no gaps in between. According to legend, a broken line allows bad spirits to enter the house.
Rangoli in Different States
In different sections of India, Rangoli art is known by different names, such as:
• Chowkpurana (Uttar Pradesh)• Madana (Rajasthan)
• Muggu (Andhra Pradesh)
• Rangoli (Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra)
Rangoli patterns are constructed using traditional wet colours in the northern areas of India. Rangoli designs created with powder colours, on the other hand, are more prevalent in the southern areas of the country.
Different Forms of Rangoli
1. Alpana (Bengal)
The Bengali variety of Rangoli, Alpana, is a natural expression of the people's aesthetic sensibilities. The art form, which is mostly practised by the state's womenfolk, is a blend of previous experience and current designs. Despite the fact that the core designs are mostly same, new forms and colours are being experimented with on a massive scale.
2. Aripnan (Bihar)
Aripana is a variation of Rangoli, which is popular in Bihar. It generally consists of line drawings that are shown on the house's floor. Every important ritual in Bihar, be it a puja, a vrata (fast), or a samskara, has aripana patterns (mundan, vivah, yajnopavita, etc). Aripana designs are produced in the courtyard, on the door front, and in a variety of other places on the eve of a ceremony.
Kolam is the term given to the Rangoli art form in the southern regions of India, primarily Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Hindus who live in these areas make extensive use of this art style. With the use of rice powder, female members of the household create Kolam patterns in front of their dwellings.
Aipan is a traditional kind of Rangoli that is still practised in Uttarakhand, now Uttaranchal. The work has a tremendous deal of social, cultural, and religious value. Aipan designs are mostly drawn at places of worship in Uttarakhand, as well as the main entry door and the front courtyard of the house.
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