The White Hindu Tries…Freehand Rangoli

I’ve been doing some videos where I try things for the first time and record the results. I thought it would be fun to watch me attempt to do new things. If you have any ideas for other things I could put into a “The White Hindu Tries…” series, please let me know! (And see below for a list of videos that are already done).

This time I am going to try freehand rangoli. Rangoli is a type of decoration, it is bright patterns made with a colored sand or rice flour sifted through one’s hand. There are some very talented artists and it’s an amazing form of care for the home or temple because it is so impermanent. Like the mandalas of Buddhist monks, it is quickly wiped away and a new one created.

In some parts of India this is a traditional skill of a homemaker. Part of the duties to the house can include creating these beautiful patterns.

I like the attitude of beautifying the home. I like the non-attachment in letting your artwork blow away. I like the devotion in the act of creating.

You can see some examples of absolutely gorgeous rangoli patterns here: http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/best-freehand-rangoli-designs-our-top-10/

So I watched some Youtube videos and so I gave it a try…

I could definitely use practice but I think it’s something I could do well with some more tries. I like the meditative quality of it and the practice of not being attached to the work. Although, I wonder if I would be able to resist the urge to take photographs. Probably not.

For this one I used some colored sand that I found at Michael’s a while back. In the future I think I will try to create my own. (Particularly to go along with my zero waste resolution). You can mix colorful powders like turmeric, henna, kumkum, and beet powder (dehydrate and process beets) with salt, filtered sand, or rice powder (rice powder is what’s used for the real rangoli color powders).

And if you aren’t into doing it free-hand (or want to add some elements), you can make stencils. This article suggests using a styrofoam plate. I have a couple of stencils that my dad got me in India but I think right now I would rather work on developing my own artistic abilities. I don’t need it to be pretty!

The White Hindu Tries…Freehand Rangoli

Other The White Hindu Tries videos: