New and special rangoli designs for Republic Day / Independence Day kolam theme
This is the latest addition in this theme for Republic Day and Independence Day for 2014. It is some what like a Sanskar Bharati rangoli where you have the background filled with rangoli powder of different colours. I have chosen orange white and green. I have added a pair of birds in blue. The birds are flying and so they denote or represent freedom. A simple rangoli that symbolically represents Independence Day and Republic Day. Birds rangoli designs can also be used for Women's day to represent freedom and liberty for women.
Though this post was originally meant for Republic Day in India I have added rangoli for Independence Day also in this post because the theme is the same. Though different methods or types of rangoli or possible for these two days I prefer to use the three colours white, orange and green to symbolically represent these very important days in India. The rangoli below a free hand design with two parallel lines ( I have used them quite a lot ) drawn in white. The design is as usual a floral design with layers of petals expanding the rangoli from the centre. On the border some spiral patterns and petals are drawn. Fill up the design with orange and green choosing the colours to get this design.
This rangoli design is also on the theme nature. Sprinkle rangoli powder of a suitable colour to get a background suitable for the birds designs drawn on the top. Draw a number of birds free hand (birds designs can be drawn as shown in this rangoli. There are a few more ways of drawing birds using rangoli powder and I will use them depending upon the theme and occasion. I have used a combination of white for the birds, orange for the beaks and green for the branches. The message conveyed is peace and freedom and the combination is colours is for Independence Day and Republic Day - depicting freedom and peace. 
After a break after Sankranti, I am back with a free hand rangoli for Republic Day. I have chosen three colours orange, white and green. The orange and green parallel lines are drawn first. They have to be drawn simultaneously. If it is difficult they may be drawn separately.
The central star design is drawn with green and orange lines drawn parallel simultaneously. Along the star design floral petals are drawn again with the two colours. Above the petals spiral patterns are drawn again with same colours. Then the white colour is drawn between the green and orange colours. The rangoli is also decorated with orange, white and green lines and dots as shown. This type of rangoli can be drawn for Independence Day also.
The image above shows an intermediate version of a parallel lines kolam design drawn with two different colours which though rare is now quite common in many posts of Rangoli-sans-dots. Holding the rangoli powder and drawing the colours needs some practice.
In these rangoli designs the colours I have used are suitable for celebrations of Independence Day or Republic Day. Any design can be drawn and this border can be drawn around it to signify the celebrations of these two most important days.
In our series on Independence Day the next design above. The star at the centre is drawn using two triangles inverted with respect to each other. Floral petals are drawn at the centre for the six edges of the two triangles. The decorations outside and the simple rangoli border in white is according to our imagination. I have added just two colours so that this rangoli with orange white and green colour combination can be used for Independence Day.
Rangoli designs for Women's day theme through birds
The first rangoli is a free hand rangoli design with four birds ( that look like swans swimming in water !). The base is a square pattern and hence four birds. Add petal motifs inside and outside. I have just sprinkled a few colours ( actually sprinkled and not filled up ) to complete this rather simple design
. The second design is also a free hand design with six birds drawn around a six petal flower. The gaps between the birds ( drawn upto the neck ) are also filled with pink floral petals. The centre of the pink flower at the centre has some representations of the stamen of a flower. Two very simple rangoli designs for
all occasions including Women's Day.
As we are all aware Women's day is celebrated on 8th of March every year. Last year the theme ( of United Nations ) was " Time for action to end violence against women ". In 2014 the theme is ( Equality for women is progress for all ). Since I am focussing primarily on rangoli designs I would like to draw some to celebrate this occasion. The theme I have chosen is birds ( there are already quite a few in Rangoli-sans-dots ). In my opinion birds represent freedom, liberty. Since Women's Day and liberty have a lot in common, some free hand and rangoli with dots for this special occasion. This is also a tribute to the thousands of women in India who patiently, draw rangoli designs every day at dawn or in the morning to celebrate events, festivals to welcome guests and to feed ants, insects and birds ( when they are drawn with rice flour )
As we are all aware Women's day is celebrated on 8th of March every year. Last year the theme ( of United Nations ) was " Time for action to end violence against women ". In 2014 the theme is ( Equality for women is progress for all ). Since I am focussing primarily on rangoli designs I would like to draw some to celebrate this occasion. The theme I have chosen is birds ( there are already quite a few in Rangoli-sans-dots ). In my opinion birds represent freedom, liberty. Since Women's Day and liberty have a lot in common, some free hand and rangoli with dots for this special occasion. This is also a tribute to the thousands of women in India who patiently, draw rangoli designs every day at dawn or in the morning to celebrate events, festivals to welcome guests and to feed ants, insects and birds ( when they are drawn with rice flour )
Mother's day
Just like Women's day ,Mothers day is important to me because it was my mother who taught me to draw or make rangoli. So for this Mothers Day I would like to draw a few in memory of my mother. This design ( white and in colour ) for Mothers Day and my mother. Parallel line patterns were her favourite types and she invariably used some of these patterns. A simple pattern suitable for a much bigger design.
She was an expert in free hand designs and also in drawing big designs. When she was young she lived in Vijaya nagaram a small town near Vishakapattinam. Sankranthi also called Pedda Pandaga in Telugu was an important festival for her for rangoli and celebrations.
I have shared some of her free hand designs earlier . Rangolisansdots is popular in its niche and I remember her with pride, gratitude for all she taught me - a simple rangoli for Mothers Day and my mother. I have uploaded a few hundred designs most of them simple, some of them colourful, a few big ones. Of course, I will continue to add more, There may be separate posts for rangoli for festivals , themes, beginners in the future too !
My daughter's gift for Mother's Day - a quilling card . Nice idea isn't it.
(Contributed by my children – Sou and Shakthi)
Just as the mother’s love to her children is unconditional we found that the grandparents love towards the grandchildren is unconditional. Grandfather was a fan of Sou’s (when she was around 9 years ) poetry and would stop watching his favourite programme (and that was usually a Carnatic music concert ) on television to listen to her reading out her poems. The look on his face was as if he was listening to William Wordsworth!Here is a sample from her poems collection
I wish I were a princess-High up in a tower
Or I wish I were a butterfly-Flying over flowers
Or I wish I were an astronaut-Floating out in space
Or I wish I own a bakery-Baking delicious cakes
Or should I be with fairies-Pretending that I am an elf
But who I like being best-Is definitely MYSELF.
Sometimes grandfather used to sacrifice his favourite programme even though he had his own television would sit with us and enjoy cartoons especially Tom and Jerry and also discuss with us! Just to give an idea of the knowledge he possessed. Once grandfather took a vocabulary test on fifty very difficult words and got 47 out of 50 right! Our grandfather discussed Charles Dickens, Alexandre Dumas, Victor Hugo, French Revolution, Louis XIV, Louis XVI, Mary Antoinette with us. We listened to him very patiently taking care not to offend him. Our grandmother was a source of a lot of information on epics like Ramayan and Mahabharat and also mythology which she passed on to all her grandchildren . Every day in the morning she would play devotional songs on the music system to wake us up. This also ensured that we listened to these songs and got to know some of the lyrics.
Grandparents role in parenting
The role of grandparents in bringing up our children need not be emphasised. Children observe us very keenly even though we may not be aware. Children learn to adjust – Grandparents have their own routines, their interests and they need their own space. Children learn how the value and importance of sacrifice and adjustment even from these small incidents. As they grow children learn not to intrude into their space. I see that affection and sympathy and unselfish love are now important traits that have been imbibed in my children. When my children faced problems their grandfather would advise them to be brave, fearless and take the problem head on while their grandmother would say that prayer would solve all problems. She also prayed for them.
The benefits of a joint family (of having grandparents – parents or in-laws with you ) are
a) They are a source of lot of information on history, literature.
b) They also pass on information on our family, our ancestors, family customs and traditions.
c) They instil confidence through their words or prayers
d) They teach children to be patient and to be unselfish or less selfish
e) Children acquire qualities like sympathy and affection
f) Serving grandparents is one the best services to the elderly , children can do
g) Children get to know a different perspective of life.
h) Stories, songs, lullabies (my mother-in-law sang lullabies in Tamil, Marathi, Telugu
i) To sum up they have a wealth of experience in many fields that influence our everyday life
The popular Aishwarya patra rangoli, I learnt from mother-in-law. My video on the YouTube channel for this rangoli has been the official video of YouTube for quite some time. us festivals. Credit to a lot of information on various festivals in Rangoli-sans-dots is to her.
Kolam in news
kolam in art therapy
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I received a mail from one of my viewers stating that she was planning to use rangoli art from Rangoli-sans-dots for art therapy. I have very little or no knowledge of art therapy. The fact that rangoli-sans-dots.com and my YouTube channel could be a useful art therapy technique makes me happy. It encourages me to think of more rangoli art ideas. Art treatment or therapy information is available in Wikipedia
Kolam outsourced
This is an interesting link I found. In Madurai, a city in Tamil Nadu, drawing of kolam ( or rangoli ) everyday in the morning is outsourced and women earn up to Rs.15,000/- per month. When we were young we were 'made' to get up early in the morning, vaikarai pozhudhu as we say in Tamil to clean the entrance and draw a new kolam. Now kolam drawing has been outsourced from the article I read in the 'net. Happy that the art of kolam is being preserved through this novel method. In case you would like to read the full article it is in kolam outsourced
Mandala type rangoli
double line kolam