Margazhi season and rangoli designs

The next important season for rangolis is of course Margazhi (aka Dhanur masam).  It is natural that our blog has a few rangolis for this season.  It is during this month that we see some of the most beautiful rangolis drawn at the entrance or on the streets (particularly in Tamil  Nadu) with most of passers-by having a look at those drawn.  They may cast a glance or assess them, look in amazement or in awe.  Some stand there for some time trying to learn the method of drawing those rangolis by looking at them.  It is common to see ladies standing near a rangoli discussing the dots patterns used or method to be followed in the case of free hand kolams.  What needs to be factored in is the climate that is relatively cold and some times misty in the early morning.  This does not deter the ladies nor does it dampen  their enthusiasm for thirty days in the month  of Margazhi.  Some draw  alone, some  with their daughters ( this is one of the methods through which this  art is passed on from  generation to generation), some with their relatives and  others in groups with their neighbours or acquaintances.  During this month, it is normal to hear devotional songs being played from places nearby as early as 4.00 am or people in groups going around the streets performing bhajans,.  As young girls we used discuss the rangoli to  be drawn in the morning,  the previous night itself  but kept it as a secret so that we could surprise all with our design ( or so we thought!). Many a time our mother vetoed us and she decided what was to be drawn. We sisters obeyed silently and helped in  completing the rangoli.  As the youngest, I was usually given the task of filling up the colours which I did with religious fervour.  If it was a kolam  with dots, the dots were placed by my mother because our dots were never in  a straight line!  After finishing the rangoli we went to the temple nearby to pray.