Rangoli on water - floating rangoli

I have shared two versions - one with dots and the other without dots - of floating rangoli earlier in Rangoli-sans-dots.  I have uploaded two videos in this category in my Channel Rangolisansdots.  How these are drawn can be understood from the videos.  However I would like to share the same rangoli through a series of photos to give an idea on this simple but beautiful type of rangoli designs.   

Given the nature of rangoli powder that is commercially available it will not float on water.  So simple physics demands that the water be made denser than rangoli powder and this is possible only by adding something to water.  The normal practice is  rice flour is added to water.  After adding , do not  mix it in  water or stir. Sprinkle rice flour or any other suitable medium  so that the rice flour (I have used rice flour in my version ) forms a dense layer on water on which the rangoli can float.  You will observe from the images that there is an occasional small rice flour ball on the surface of water.  So sprinkling should be done as carefully and  as evenly as possible.

There is no difference between drawing a rangoli or water or drawing it on floor.  In fact we should not be too conscious of the fact that we are drawing on water - too conscious because we should take care that we do not shake the container with water otherwise we will have to do it all over again.

The first rangoli of this type has been drawn with 5 by 5 dot pattern.  Place the dot grid as usual on water!.
It is better to choose a colour that is easily visible instead of white as the colour of the container in this case is white. Actually it is better to have a white background for rangoli with colours.  If we would like to draw a design with white powder it is better to have a dark background.  Form the four floral petal designs by filling the blue rangoli powder between the dots as shown. Use the remaining dots to connect and form a curved pattern around the petals (in green colour ).  The motif in red colour has been drawn among the four designs on the four corners to enhance the beauty of the design.  We can add a few more free hand patterns inside or outside according to our imagination.  I have chosen a 5 by 5 dot grid due to the size of the vessel.  The size of the vessel restricts the dot grid used or the size of the rangoli in case of a free hand design.

Since lifting the vessel after drawing the rangoli may result in it getting erased it is better to first place the vessel or plate first where we want to have it and then draw the rangoli.  These floating rangoli are drawn for kolu ( display of dolls for festival called Navaratri ) as one of the means of decorating an already beautiful display of dolls. It can also be drawn for decorating with rangoli inside the house.

Rangoli by itself is an ephemeral art that it usually lasts for 24 hours when drawn daily.  Drawing it on water makes it even more ephemeral and can vanish if not handled carefully !

   The first image shows the dot grid placed on water.after the vessel is made ready
                                                      
 The second image shows the formation of the floral petals on the four corners.


The third image shows the rangoli being completed.
Another type of rangoli decoration is drawing rangoli on a plate for aarti .  A rangoli is drawn on a clean plate using cotton ear bud dipped in honey.  Rangoli powder of various colours is sprinkled on the design drawn with honey to get this decoration. Some images and details are in  rangoli on plate