The present volume on the floor painting traditions of India, Rangoli is guided by the vision of the Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi about India's rich and diverse Cultural Heritage as aptly expressed in the quote above.
In the Band episode of "Mann Ki Baat", the Hon'ble Prime Minister underlined the role that music and art play in our lives, "The role of songs-music and other art farms is major in developing the inner self of humans, in creating the path of journey of our inner self." On 31st October 2021, National Unity Day, the Hon'ble Prime Minister also announced a nationwide competition for Rangoli making from Tehsil/Taluka level to National level to be organised by the Ministry of Culture.
The Hon'ble Prime Minister not only highlighted the significance of Rangoli Art Form, but also the reason for declaring a Nationwide competition on this art form. He said "For centuries, we have had a tradition of lending colours to festivals through Rangoli. The diversity of our country is visible in Rangoli. Rangoli is drawn in different states with different names and on different themes. Therefore, the Ministry of Culture is also going to conduct a National Competition associated with this. Just imagine, when a Rangoli related to the freedom movement will be created, people will draw a picture of a hero of the freedom struggle at their door, on their wall and depict an event of our independence movement with colours, hues of Amrit festival will also increase manifold."
Since time immemorial, India has been a hub of art and culture and we often come across art in different forms around us. Art has witnessed the transition in painting and culture from ancient to modern era that has contributed to the rich history of Indian art. Rangoli, a tradition of floor painting, is an expression of creativity that finds its roots from the Indian subcontinent and has been a part of festivals and ceremonial occasions in nearly every Indian household. In India, Rangoli is believed to be the harbinger of peace and prosperity by generating a positive energy. These elaborative floor decorations bring glory to the festival and prosperity to the art practitioner and since Rangoli has emanated from India it is therefore classified as Shubhmanglik (auspicious drawings).
The Vishnudharmottra Purana perceives a close link between dancing and painting and states that without the knowledge of the science of dancing, the rules of painting cannot be understood. Many stories have been narrated regarding the origin of this art form, one of them is about the son of a priest who died an untimely death and was revived by drawing an outline of him on floor on the advice of Lord Brahma. The tale underlines the essence of Rangoli as a life affirming art form with all its magical and mystical connotations.
Women, who are the primary custodians of our cultural heritage, give expression to their creativity through several art practices, Rangoli being one of them. The Rangoli tradition in different regions is known by different names, though it derives its name from Rangoli of Maharashtra, Rangachi Oal which literally means line of colour'. Rangoli is known as Alpona in Bengal where both folk and tribal communities indulge in the art form with great enthusiasm. Alpona reflects the aesthetic aspirations of rural Bengal's womenfolk and the life of the tribals. Women of rural Odisha draw beautiful designs known as Jhoti by sprinkling rice paste on the walls to draw paddy leaves, trees and creepers during Lakshmi Puja to please the goddess of paddy. Sanjhi temple drawings of the Braj region centres around Krishna and Radha. Sanjhi art is rooted in the folk tradition of the region and was adopted by the Vaishnava temples in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is believed to be initiated by Radha, who made beautiful patterns with flowers to impress Lord Krishna, she and her friends made Sanjhi with flowers, pigments and stones. Later, the art form developed as ritualistic offerings to Lord Krishna.
The tradition of decorating the floor with beautiful patterns formed by flowers and petals is not confined to Braj alone. Sanjhi designs made in Rajasthan on the walls are also made by pasting flower petals on freshly plastered walls with cow dung. However, Rangoli is also made with flower petals and flowers on several ceremonials and festive occasions. Onam Pookalam also known as flower Rangoli is a traditional art form of Kerala, the name has been given to colourful and convoluted flower arrangements done on the floor. Rangoli is not restricted to any one community; the Jain community has the tradition of drawing the floor at the time of celebration, festival, initiation etc. and this art is known by the name of Gahuli. The Parsis have the tradition of decorating their floors in Chowk designs inspired by the notions of purity and hygiene prevalent in the Zoroastrian community. The present book brings together several traditions of floor drawings practiced across India by different communities in the form of beautifully illustrated articles along with a brief introduction to each.
Rangoli is an ancient art form practiced across different regions in India. It is the art of painting the floors, doorways, thresholds and decorating the courtyards and hearth areas with intricate floral patterns and geometric designs using khariya, geru (ochre), rice paste and coloured powder. It is predominantly a women's tradition though men are not prohibited from practicing the art. Rangoli is known by different names in different regions. Mandana in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, Jhoti and Muruju in Orissa, Alpona in Bengal and Assam, Sathia in Gujarat, Rangoli in Maharashtra, Aripan in Bihar, Muggulu in Andhra, Kolam in Tamil Nadu, Likhna in Himachal, Aipan or Chauk Purana in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. This art form, as Huyler points out, is intended to be ephemeral, "it wears off with use... The use of materials which crumble, disintegrate, or are easily rubbed or washed away, acts as a continuous reminder to the devotee of her need to re-enact rituals of supplication and protection." (Huyler, 1993 p.174).
Most of these paintings have their origin in what can be termed 'the realm of the sacred' and 'auspicious art'. The driving force of most of these paintings and drawings is to bring auspiciousness into the house and the life of the family and community. The vernacular terms used for this belief are mangal kamna (wishing auspiciousness) and shubh labh (gaining auspiciousness). The act of drawing or painting is referred to as mangal karya or shubh karya i.e., auspicious act. Such a view deeply ensconces the painting in the realm of religion, ethical and moral values. The bearers and practitioners of the tradition, along with the skill to draw and paint also pass on the worldview embodied in the painting to the next generation. Rangoli floor drawings are therefore classified as shubmanglik, (auspicious drawings). These are drawn to invoke the presence and blessings of gods and goddesses; to ward off the evil eye and attract good luck. They represent the sacred seat of the deity, where he or she is welcomed, worshipped, and propitiated. Apart from their ritual function, the floor drawings are an expression of inner aesthetic and creative urges and are drawn for purely decorative and ornamentation purposes, symbolizing creativity, joy, and auspiciousness.
References to folk paintings exist in early classical texts. The Vishnudharmottara Purana, an ancient treatise of painting, refers to dhuli chitra (made with powder colours) and rasa chitras (made with wet colours). Alekhyam and Manibhoomi juice of a mango tree and drew a female figure with it on the floor. The woman came alive and was named Urvashi. In one of the puranic tales, the dead son of a priest was brought back to life by drawing an outline of him on the floor as advised by Lord Brahma. Both the tales underline the life-giving power of these magico- religious floral drawings.
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