Iji rangoli for diwali

Photo credit: Becky Morales You may have heard the term, and wondered “What is Rangoli?” Rangoli is a decorative folk art from India that is created on the ground in front of entrances to homes, inside the homes, or in courtyards during celebrations to bring good luck and welcome Hindu gods and goddesses. The art is both a religious and cultural symbol, and is found in all homes regardless of income. The details in rangoli decorations can include lotus flowers, mango leaves, geometric shapes, or other elaborate designs made of rice flour, colored sand, or even flower petals. First, let’s see how people in India make rangoli, then we’ll look at some examples from around the world, and finally the kids can make their own rangoli decorations. This post contains Where is Rangoli from? India is the 2nd most populous country in the world, with over 1.2 billion people. Most of the people in India follow the Hindu religion, but there are also Muslims, Christians, and Sikhs and people have the freedom to practice any religion they wish. There are several hundred different languages in India, though the 2 official languages are Hindi, and English. There are 28 states in India, and the traditional folk art of rangoli is practiced across the entire country. In this video, you can watch students make rangoli designs for a competition in Dav College, in Jalandhar, Punjab, India (noted on the above map, way in the north part of India). My children have asked the same question: “What is r...