How to Make a Rangoli Pattern

YaKenda McGahee.: Rangoli uses motifs ranging from peacocks, mangoes, swans and
flowers. Rupal explained that traditionally these were done outside
the house in the courtyard as a welcome sign. So we had it outside
where Rupal and her daughter Yamada were getting ready to make
an elaborate pattern.

Okay so we’re sitting outside with Rupal and her daughter
Yamada, you’re going to join us in doing is, right?

Yamada Bhandari: Yeah.

YaKenda McGahee: Okay I’m very excited because as you see it’s a different location
and different materials that are being used in the rangoli. This is
actually sand. So first I’m going to start with you about telling me
how you even started this. Do you have to first do an outline?

Rupal Bhandari: Yeah, a kind of water I did this. I started with drawing this pattern
on the floor. I use a chalk to draw this starting from the center.
Like I said they use geometrical figures, so circle. I started with
circle and then some put the land flame shapes like this is a lamp
with the three flames here and this is a candle.

YaKenda McGahee.: There is a candle somewhere in there.

Rupal Bhandari: This is the pattern and then you now outline. One thing about
rangoli’s that you should not leave any blank space in between. It
should be complete like I cannot leave this space here like that. I
have to complete.

YaKenda McGahee: Where you have the whites so you even have to outline even white
so that it’s completely filled in.

Rupal Bhandari: It should be completely filled in. This is also religiously it should
be then this way. It should not skip a space in between. So I just
tried and made a leaf shape here, give a green color and then this
circle and then the light and then this is more you can say the
mixture of -- this is more you can make doing the diwali kind
because of its length and all and it’s a colorful pattern. It is.

YaKenda McGahee: Very nice, very nice. So shall we --

Rupal Bhandari: Start here.

YaKenda McGahee: Show me what we need to do on this one.

Rupal Bhandari: So what you can do is, this as you see I just use this brown here so
you can draw this. Take a brown and you can come up with a
brown here and this is the way you have to take this.

YaKenda McGahee: I was about to just like scoop it all up.

Rupal Bhandari: We have to take a pinch of sand in your thumb and forefinger and
take it like this and let it freefall like this.

YaKenda McGahee: Sand on a like a piece of chalk or chalk or crayon needs care and
discipline to manipulate. Rupal taught you need to carefully
sprinkle them using my thumb and index fingers so they landed
just right.

As an accompaniment to Rupal’s marvelous designs, her son
Rishab entertained us with the Indian Drum or Tabla.

Although she now resides thousands of miles from her homeland
Rupal Bhandari is an ambassador of Indian culture. She not only
offers her kids a great foundation of values and traditions she also
spreads the word about this fascinating art to aspirants here in the
US.