Rangoli designs for Diwali

Forty designs to draw at your door this Diwali: simple and easy ones, small ones for a doorstep, flowers, kolams on a dot grid, borders and corners, and designs for Lakshmi Puja. Each has step-by-step pictures and a free download to print or trace.

Diwali 2026 is on Sunday 8 November 2026. Lakshmi Puja time for your city →

Simple and easy rangoli designs

12 designs

Shapes a child knows at a glance, each built round one centre or one line, in two rounds of colour. The last three are a step up, for when you have drawn one or two.

  • Butterfly rangoli

    Butterfly

    Simple

    A butterfly at the door is a small joy for children, and a sign of a garden in bloom.

    You’ll need Saffron, magenta, deep blue, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one upright line.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw an upright chalk line for the body and a circle round its middle to keep the wings the same size.

    2. Outline. Draw two large wings at the top and two smaller ones below, then a long oval body, a round head and two feelers.

    3. First colours. Fill the big wings with saffron, the small wings with magenta and the body with deep blue.

    4. Finished. Draw an inner wing of the other colour in each, then add yellow spots, white dots and dots at the ends of the feelers.

  • Pinwheel rangoli

    Pinwheel

    Simple

    A pinwheel spins in every breeze; drawn at the door, it wishes the home a year that keeps turning to joy.

    You’ll need Deep blue, saffron, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle and a cross.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a small circle and a large one round the same centre with chalk, and four lines through the middle to make eight parts.

    2. Outline. In each part draw a blade that curves the same way, wide at the rim and narrow at the hub.

    3. First colours. Fill the blades deep blue and saffron in turn, and the hub yellow.

    4. Finished. Add a saffron heart to the hub, rings of white dots and a yellow dot at the tip of each blade.

  • Heart flower rangoli

    Heart flower

    Simple

    Five hearts make one flower, a welcome drawn with love for everyone who comes to the door.

    You’ll need Magenta, saffron, green and yellow colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle and five lines.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a small circle with chalk and five lines out from it like a star, evenly spaced.

    2. Outline. On each line draw a heart with its point at the circle, then a leaf between each pair of hearts.

    3. First colours. Fill the hearts with magenta and the centre with yellow.

    4. Finished. Draw a smaller saffron heart in each, colour the leaves green and add yellow dots in the middle and round the edge.

  • Rings of colour rangoli

    Rings of colour

    Simple

    Rings spreading out like ripples on a pond carry good wishes from the home to all around it.

    You’ll need Yellow, magenta, saffron, green, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: five circles round one centre.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Tie chalk to a string, hold one end at the centre and draw six circles, each a little wider than the last.

    2. Outline. Turn the second widest band into sixteen round scallops and the outer band into twenty-four small ones.

    3. First colours. Fill the outer scallops with yellow, the band inside them with deep blue and the middle with saffron.

    4. Finished. Colour the green scallops, the magenta band and the yellow centre, then add rings of white dots.

  • Leaf wreath rangoli

    Leaf wreath

    Simple

    Fresh green leaves in a ring stand for life that keeps renewing itself, year after year.

    You’ll need Green, magenta, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw one large circle with chalk, a small one in the middle and a cross to mark the four flowers.

    2. Outline. Draw pairs of leaves all along the circle, all pointing the same way round, with four five-petal flowers on it and a small flower in the middle.

    3. First colours. Go over the circle and fill the leaves with green, and fill the flowers with magenta.

    4. Finished. Give the flowers yellow centres, dot the stem between the leaves with yellow, and add rings of white dots.

  • Diamond chowk rangoli

    Diamond chowk

    Simple

    A chowk, a square of colour, marks a clean and blessed place, ready for a lamp or a puja.

    You’ll need Magenta, deep blue, saffron, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: a square and a ruler.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. With a ruler and chalk, draw a large square and its two diagonals.

    2. Outline. Join the middles of the four sides to make a diamond, draw a smaller square inside it, a flower at the centre and a small flower at each corner.

    3. First colours. Fill the big square with magenta, the diamond with deep blue and the small square with saffron.

    4. Finished. Colour the flower magenta and yellow and the corner flowers yellow, then add white dots along the sides.

  • Sky lantern rangoli

    Sky lantern

    Simple

    The akash kandil, a star lantern hung high at Diwali, lights the way home for all who are travelling.

    You’ll need Yellow, magenta, saffron, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one upright line and a cross.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a long upright chalk line from the top, a short line across it and a circle round where they cross.

    2. Outline. Draw a four-pointed star in the circle, a round middle, the string above and five tassels hanging below.

    3. First colours. Fill the star points magenta and saffron in turn, the middle deep blue and the string yellow.

    4. Finished. Draw a yellow flower in the middle, colour the tassels and add white and yellow dots.

  • Pair of fish rangoli

    Pair of fish

    Simple

    A pair of fish is one of the eight lucky signs: plenty, and freedom to swim through life.

    You’ll need Saffron, magenta, yellow, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: two upright lines.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw two chalk lines from the top, leaning a little apart at the bottom, and a line across below them for the water.

    2. Outline. On each line draw a long fish, round at the head and narrow at the tail, with a forked tail and two fins, and two wavy lines of water.

    3. First colours. Fill the fish with saffron, the tails and fins with magenta and the water lines with deep blue.

    4. Finished. Add yellow scale dots, a small deep blue eye near each head and white bubbles rising above them.

  • Swan rangoli

    Swan

    Simple

    The swan, the hamsa, is said to part milk from water: a sign of wisdom that keeps the good and leaves the rest.

    You’ll need White, deep blue, saffron, yellow, magenta and green colours, and chalk. No dot grid: an oval and one curved line.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. With chalk, draw a long line low down for the pond, a line above it for the swan’s back, a circle on the right for its chest and a slanting line for its neck.

    2. Outline. Draw a long flat oval on the low line for the pond, the body as a drop pointing left, an S-shaped neck up the slanting line, a round head, a beak and a lotus bud.

    3. First colours. Fill the pond with deep blue, the swan with white and the beak with saffron.

    4. Finished. Add three yellow feathers on the wing, white ripples, a magenta bud with a green leaf and a ring of yellow dots.

  • Peacock rangoli

    Peacock

    Medium

    The peacock is India’s bird of joy and rain, and a favourite welcome at festival doors.

    You’ll need Green, deep blue, yellow, magenta and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: a fan of lines.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. From a point a little below the middle, fan six chalk lines out and up, like the spokes of a half wheel.

    2. Outline. Draw eleven long feathers on the fan, narrow at the middle and round at the ends, then a drop for the body, a round head and a beak.

    3. First colours. Fill the feathers with green and the body and head with deep blue.

    4. Finished. Give each feather a blue eye with a yellow heart and a white quill, then add the wing, beak, crest, feet and a row of yellow dots.

  • Sun wheel rangoli

    Sun wheel

    Medium

    The wheel of the sun turns the days and seasons; drawn bright, it asks for a year full of light.

    You’ll need Yellow, magenta, deep blue, saffron and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: four circles.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw four circles round one centre with chalk, and a cross through them to keep the rays even.

    2. Outline. Draw twelve long pointed rays round the outside, a short ray between each pair, and twelve spokes inside.

    3. First colours. Fill the long rays and the hub with yellow, the rim with magenta and the wheel with deep blue.

    4. Finished. Colour the short rays saffron, go over the spokes in white and add rings of white and yellow dots.

  • Paisley swirl rangoli

    Paisley swirl

    Detailed

    The paisley, the mango shape, is an old sign of plenty and new life; turning in a ring, it keeps good fortune moving.

    You’ll need Green, magenta, yellow, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: three circles cut into eight.

    Step by step5 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw four circles round one centre with chalk and four lines through the middle, giving eight equal parts.

    2. Outline. In each part draw a paisley, its round head on the third circle and its point curling in, then a flower in the middle and a scalloped edge.

    3. First colours. Fill the paisleys with green, the edge with deep blue and the flower with magenta.

    4. More colours. Give each paisley a yellow heart, and colour the middle of the flower yellow.

    5. Finished. Dot each paisley’s head with magenta, set a white drop between each pair and ring the flower with white dots.

Simple and easy rangoli designs, on a page of their own →

Small rangoli designs

6 designs

One motif each, about 30 to 60 cm across: for a flat’s doorstep, a balcony, the corner by the puja or beside a single diya. Most take ten to fifteen minutes.

  • Lotus bud rangoli

    Lotus bud

    Simple

    A lotus bud is a promise: what is closed today will open in the light tomorrow.

    You’ll need Magenta, white, green and yellow colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one upright line. About 30 to 60 cm across.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a short upright chalk line, and a line across it near the bottom for the leaves.

    2. Outline. Draw a tall pointed petal on the line, a smaller petal either side, two small leaves at its base, a stem and two long leaves.

    3. First colours. Fill the middle petal with magenta, the side petals with white and the stem and long leaves with green.

    4. Finished. Add the small green leaves, a white streak up the middle petal and yellow dots round the bud.

  • Bell rangoli

    Bell

    Simple

    The bell is rung as the puja begins, to call good thoughts in and send the rest away.

    You’ll need Yellow, saffron, magenta and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one upright line. About 30 to 60 cm across.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw an upright chalk line, and a line across it low down for the rim of the bell.

    2. Outline. Draw the bell round the line, narrow at the top and flaring at the rim, a ring on top, a bow and a round clapper below.

    3. First colours. Fill the bell with yellow, and the rim band, ring and clapper with saffron.

    4. Finished. Colour the bow magenta, draw a small magenta flower on the bell and add white dots.

  • Tulsi planter rangoli

    Tulsi planter

    Simple

    Tulsi, holy basil, grows in a planter in the courtyard of many homes and is watered and lit for each evening.

    You’ll need Saffron, green, magenta, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: a square and one upright line. About 30 to 60 cm across.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw an upright chalk line and a square across its lower half for the planter.

    2. Outline. Add a rim on top and a step below, an arched niche on the front, then the plant: a stem, pairs of leaves and three flower spikes.

    3. First colours. Fill the planter with saffron, the rim and step with magenta, and the stem and leaves with green.

    4. Finished. Colour the niche yellow with a saffron flame in it, the spikes magenta, and add yellow and white dots.

  • Dot flower rangoli

    Dot flower

    Simple

    Dots pressed one by one with a fingertip: the first rangoli most children make, and still one of the prettiest.

    You’ll need Magenta, saffron, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle and a cross. About 30 to 60 cm across.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a small circle with chalk and four lines through it, making eight spokes.

    2. Outline. Mark a row of dots along each spoke, large near the middle and small at the tip, and a shorter row between each pair.

    3. First colours. Press the spoke dots in magenta, the rows between in saffron and fill the centre with yellow.

    4. Finished. Add magenta and white dots round the centre, yellow dots between the petals and a ring of white dots.

  • Mango rangoli

    Mango

    Simple

    The mango is the king of fruits and a sign of plenty; its leaves hang over doors at every festival.

    You’ll need Yellow, saffron, green, magenta and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle. About 30 to 60 cm across.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a chalk circle a little below the middle, and a wider one round it for the dots.

    2. Outline. Draw the mango on the circle, round at the bottom with a small dip on one side, a short stem on top and a long leaf.

    3. First colours. Fill the mango with yellow and the stem and leaf with green.

    4. Finished. Shade the right side of the mango with a saffron crescent, draw a yellow vein down the leaf and add white and magenta dots.

  • Little star rangoli

    Little star

    Simple

    A small star at the door, drawn in a few minutes, stands for one more light on Diwali night.

    You’ll need Deep blue, magenta, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle and five lines. About 30 to 60 cm across.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw two circles round one centre with chalk and five lines out from the middle, evenly spaced.

    2. Outline. Join the ends of the lines to the inner circle to make a five-pointed star, and draw a round petal between each pair of points.

    3. First colours. Fill the star with magenta and the petals with deep blue.

    4. Finished. Draw a yellow star inside, a magenta centre, and add white dots at the tips and yellow dots on the petals.

Small rangoli designs, on a page of their own →

Flower rangoli designs

6 designs

The flowers of the puja, drawn petal by petal round one centre. Each can also be laid with real petals: marigold, rose, chrysanthemum and jasmine.

  • Lotus rangoli

    Lotus

    Simple

    The lotus is the flower Lakshmi stands on: beauty that rises clean from muddy water.

    You’ll need Magenta, white, yellow and green colours, and chalk. No dot grid: start from one point.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. With chalk, mark a point low in the middle and fan five lines up from it, the middle one tallest.

    2. Outline. Draw a pointed petal over each line, slip four narrow petals behind them, and add two leaves and a bowl below.

    3. First colours. Fill the five front petals with magenta and the petals behind with white.

    4. Finished. Add a yellow streak in each petal, colour the leaves and bowl green, and set a ring of white dots round it.

  • Marigold rangoli

    Marigold

    Simple

    Marigolds are the flowers of every puja; drawn at the door they say the home is ready.

    You’ll need Saffron, yellow, green and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: three circles are enough.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw three circles with chalk: a small one for the centre, a larger one for the petals and a wide one for the edge.

    2. Outline. Draw sixteen rounded petals between the circles, a second row peeping between them, and four leaves.

    3. First colours. Fill the outer petals with saffron and the inner ones with yellow.

    4. Finished. Colour the centre and the leaves green, add yellow dots in the middle and white dots round the edge.

  • Hibiscus rangoli

    Hibiscus

    Medium

    The hibiscus, the red jaba flower, is offered at the puja; drawn at the door, it brings that colour home.

    You’ll need Magenta, saffron, yellow, green and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle and five lines.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a small and a large circle round one centre with chalk, and five lines out from the middle.

    2. Outline. Draw a broad round petal on each line, a small throat in the middle, a leaf tip between the petals and a long stamen.

    3. First colours. Fill the petals with magenta, the throat with saffron and the stamen with yellow.

    4. Finished. Draw thin white veins on each petal, colour the leaves green and dot the tip of the stamen with yellow and saffron.

  • Jasmine rangoli

    Jasmine

    Medium

    Jasmine is strung into garlands and worn in the hair at festivals; its white stands for a pure and peaceful home.

    You’ll need White, deep blue, green and yellow colours, and chalk. No dot grid: three circles round one centre.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw three circles round one centre with chalk, and a cross through them.

    2. Outline. Draw a jasmine of six long petals with six shorter ones between, leaves round it, and twelve small flowers along the middle circle.

    3. First colours. Fill the big circle with deep blue, then the petals and the small flowers with white, and draw the green string.

    4. Finished. Colour the leaves green, add yellow centres, a white bud between each small flower and a ring of white dots.

  • Concentric petals rangoli

    Concentric petals

    Detailed

    Petals opening ring by ring are a lotus seen from above, the seat of Lakshmi, opening to welcome her.

    You’ll need Yellow, magenta, saffron, green and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: five circles round one centre.

    Step by step5 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw five circles round one centre with chalk, and four lines through the middle to space the petals.

    2. Outline. Draw the petals ring by ring from the middle out: eight, then sixteen, sixteen again between them, and twenty-four round the edge.

    3. First colours. Fill the outer ring with yellow and the next ring in with magenta.

    4. More colours. Fill the inner rings with saffron and green.

    5. Finished. Add white streaks to the green petals, a magenta centre with yellow dots, and rings of white dots.

  • Sunflower rangoli

    Sunflower

    Detailed

    The sunflower turns to follow the sun; drawn at Diwali, it turns the home towards light.

    You’ll need Yellow, saffron and green colours, and chalk. No dot grid: three circles round one centre.

    Step by step5 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw three circles round one centre with chalk: a small one for the head and two wide ones for the petals.

    2. Outline. Draw long pointed petals all round the head, a shorter row peeping between them and a band round the head.

    3. First colours. Fill the long petals with yellow and the short ones with saffron, and leave the head dark.

    4. More colours. Go round the head in saffron and press saffron seeds into it in curving rows, from the middle out.

    5. Finished. Add yellow seeds among them, small green tips between the petals and yellow dots round the edge.

Flower rangoli designs, on a page of their own →

Kolam and dot rangoli designs

6 designs

Every kolam here is drawn on a grid of dots, its size given with it. The line loops round the dots and never through them; most are a single line, or a few, woven on the slant.

  • Flower kolam rangoli

    Flower kolam

    Simple

    A kolam drawn at dawn round a grid of dots welcomes the day, and Lakshmi, to the home.

    You’ll need White, saffron, green, yellow and deep blue colours, and chalk. A 5 by 5 dot grid.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Dot grid. Mark a 5 by 5 grid of dots, evenly spaced, with chalk or white powder.

    2. Outline. Loop a line round the dots: a circle round the middle one, a petal round each dot beside it, longer petals on the diagonals and a wavy edge round the outer dots.

    3. First colours. Go over every line with white powder, keeping each dot inside its loop.

    4. Finished. Fill the short petals with saffron, the long ones with green, the centre with yellow and the ground with deep blue.

  • One-line kolam rangoli

    One-line kolam

    Simple

    Drawn in one line that never lifts and never ends, this kolam stands for life going on without a break.

    You’ll need Saffron, white, magenta and yellow colours, and chalk. A 4 by 5 dot grid.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Dot grid. Mark a grid of dots, four across and five down, evenly spaced.

    2. Outline. Start anywhere and draw on the slant between the dots, turning round each dot at the edge; the line comes back to where it began.

    3. First colours. Go over the line with white powder and mark each dot in white.

    4. Finished. Fill round every other dot, like the squares of a chessboard: magenta at the edge, saffron inside. Dot the others magenta and the corners yellow.

  • Threshold kolam rangoli

    Threshold kolam

    Simple

    Drawn across the doorstep at dawn, a kolam is the first thing to greet the day and every guest.

    You’ll need Deep blue, white, yellow and magenta colours, and chalk. A 7 by 3 dot grid along the step.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Dot grid. Mark three rows of seven dots along the step, evenly spaced.

    2. Outline. Draw on the slant between the dots, crossing halfway between them and looping round the dots at the edge; it all joins into one line.

    3. First colours. Go over the line with white powder and mark each dot in white.

    4. Finished. Fill along the middle row with yellow, the rows above and below with deep blue and magenta in turn, and add a row of yellow dots along each edge.

  • Diamond sikku kolam rangoli

    Diamond sikku kolam

    Medium

    A sikku kolam weaves round every dot without touching one, like a life that holds its people close.

    You’ll need Green, yellow, saffron, magenta and white colours, and chalk. A diamond of 25 dots in rows of 1, 3, 5, 7, 5, 3 and 1, on a 7 by 7 dot grid.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Dot grid. Mark a diamond of dots: one, then three, five, seven, five, three and one, each row centred under the last.

    2. Outline. Draw lines on the slant between the dots, crossing halfway between them, and loop the line round each dot at the edge.

    3. First colours. Go over the line with white powder and mark each dot in white, keeping every dot inside its loop.

    4. Finished. Fill round the middle dot with magenta, the next ring with saffron, then yellow, and the outer loops with green.

  • Cross kolam rangoli

    Cross kolam

    Medium

    Four arms reaching out from one centre send the welcome of the home in all four directions.

    You’ll need Magenta, yellow, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. 33 dots in the shape of a plus, on a 7 by 7 dot grid.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Dot grid. Mark a 7 by 7 grid of dots, then rub out the four corners, leaving a plus three dots wide.

    2. Outline. Draw the line on the slant between the dots, crossing halfway between them and looping round each dot at the edge.

    3. First colours. Go over the line with white powder and mark each dot in white.

    4. Finished. Fill down the middle of each arm with magenta, the sides with yellow and the very centre with deep blue, and draw a small yellow flower in each corner.

  • Rice-flour kolam rangoli

    Rice-flour kolam

    Detailed

    Kolam is drawn in rice flour so that ants and birds may eat it: a welcome for the smallest guests too.

    You’ll need White (rice flour), yellow, saffron and green colours, and chalk. A diamond of 41 dots in rows of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 7, 5, 3 and 1, on a 9 by 9 dot grid.

    Step by step5 stages

    1. Dot grid. Mark a diamond of dots: one, three, five, seven, nine, seven, five, three and one.

    2. Outline. Draw the line on the slant between the dots, looping round the outer dots; round the inner 13 dots, turn the line back so they make a diamond of their own.

    3. First colours. Go over every line with white rice flour and mark each dot in yellow.

    4. More colours. Fill round the middle dot with saffron and round the four tip dots with green.

    5. Finished. Fill the small loops at the edge of the inner diamond with saffron.

Kolam and dot rangoli designs, on a page of their own →

Border and corner rangoli designs

5 designs

Bands to run along a step or a threshold, and quarter designs for the corners of a room or a courtyard. Repeat a border as many times as the space needs.

  • Doorstep border rangoli

    Doorstep border

    Simple

    A border along the doorstep marks the way in, so good fortune knows where to enter.

    You’ll need Magenta, green, yellow, saffron and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: two straight lines.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw two straight chalk lines along the step, and a third halfway between them.

    2. Outline. On the middle line draw a four-petal flower, then two leaves, then a flower again, all the way along.

    3. First colours. Colour the flowers magenta, the leaves between them green and the two lines saffron.

    4. Finished. Add yellow centres and dots, small green leaves round each flower and a row of white dots along each edge.

  • Creeper border rangoli

    Creeper border

    Simple

    A creeper keeps growing along the ground; as a border it wishes the family growth that never stops.

    You’ll need Green, saffron, yellow and deep blue colours, and chalk. No dot grid: two straight lines and a wavy one.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw two straight chalk lines along the step, and a third halfway between them.

    2. Outline. Draw a wavy line along the middle one, a pair of leaves where it crosses the line and a five-petal flower in each curve.

    3. First colours. Go over the vine and fill the leaves with green, and draw the two edge lines in deep blue.

    4. Finished. Colour the flowers saffron with yellow centres and add a row of yellow dots along each edge.

  • Toran border rangoli

    Toran border

    Medium

    A toran of mango leaves and marigolds hangs over the door at festivals; drawn on the floor, it doubles the welcome.

    You’ll need Saffron, green, yellow and magenta colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one straight line and a row of marks.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a straight chalk line for the rope, and nine short lines hanging down from it, evenly spaced.

    2. Outline. On every other line draw a long mango leaf pointing down; on the lines between, three round flowers and a tassel.

    3. First colours. Draw the rope in saffron, fill the leaves with green and the flowers with saffron and yellow.

    4. Finished. Add a yellow vein to each leaf, magenta tassels and flower centres, yellow twists on the rope and a row of yellow dots.

  • Corner design rangoli

    Corner design

    Medium

    Corners filled with colour leave no part of the home unwelcoming; draw it in each corner of a room or courtyard.

    You’ll need Deep blue, magenta, saffron, yellow, green and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: quarter circles.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. From the corner, draw four quarter circles with chalk, like ripples, and three lines out from the corner to keep the petals even.

    2. Outline. Draw five broad petals on the first ripple, nine narrow ones on the next and seven leaves beyond them.

    3. First colours. Fill the core with deep blue, the broad petals with magenta and the narrow ones with saffron.

    4. Finished. Add yellow hearts and dots, colour the leaves green and finish with arcs of white dots.

  • Peacock feather corner rangoli

    Peacock feather corner

    Medium

    The peacock feather, worn in Krishna’s crown, is a sign of beauty and grace in a home.

    You’ll need Green, yellow, saffron, deep blue and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: lines fanned from the corner.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. From the corner, draw six chalk lines fanning out across the floor, and a quarter circle near their ends.

    2. Outline. Draw a long vane on each line, narrow near the corner and round at the tip, an eye inside each tip and a small quarter circle in the corner.

    3. First colours. Fill the vanes with green, the outer eyes with yellow and the corner with saffron, and draw the stems in yellow.

    4. Finished. Draw a saffron ring and a deep blue heart in each eye, then add yellow dots in the corner and an arc of white dots.

Border and corner rangoli designs, on a page of their own →

Diya and Lakshmi Puja rangoli designs

5 designs

For Diwali night itself: the lamp, the kalash, small feet walking in at the door, and lights in every direction, to draw where Lakshmi Puja is done.

  • Diya rangoli

    Diya

    Simple

    The diya is the light of Diwali, the lamp that drives out the dark.

    You’ll need Saffron, magenta, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: two straight lines are enough.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a straight chalk line across for the rim of the lamp, and an upright line through its middle for the flame.

    2. Outline. Draw the bowl as a curve under the rim, a small stand below it, and a tall drop-shaped flame on the upright line.

    3. First colours. Fill the bowl with magenta, then the rim, the stand and the outer flame with saffron.

    4. Finished. Give the flame a yellow and white heart, dot the bowl, draw rays of light and ring it with white dots.

  • Lakshmi’s footsteps rangoli

    Lakshmi’s footsteps

    Simple

    Small feet walking in at the door invite Lakshmi into the home on Diwali night.

    You’ll need White, magenta and yellow colours (or rice paste for the white), and chalk. No dot grid.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw two short upright chalk lines side by side, the right one a little higher, one for each foot.

    2. Outline. Draw a foot round each line, wide at the front and narrow at the arch, with five toe dots above it, the big toe inside.

    3. First colours. Fill both feet and their toes with white, as rice paste is used at the door.

    4. Finished. Add a small magenta flower on each sole, yellow dots round each heel and a row of magenta dots at the threshold.

  • Kalash rangoli

    Kalash

    Medium

    The kalash, a pot of water crowned with mango leaves and a coconut, stands for a full and happy home.

    You’ll need Saffron, yellow, green, magenta and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one circle and two lines.

    Step by step4 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw a chalk circle for the pot, an upright line through it and a short line across its top for the rim.

    2. Outline. Draw the neck, the rim and a small stand, then a coconut on the rim and two mango leaves on each side.

    3. First colours. Fill the pot with saffron, the rim, stand and coconut with yellow, and the leaves with green.

    4. Finished. Draw a magenta flower and a necklace of white dots on the pot, a thread round its neck and a ring of white dots round it all.

  • Ring of diyas rangoli

    Ring of diyas

    Detailed

    Eight lamps round a lotus bring the light of Diwali to every direction, with Lakshmi’s flower at the heart.

    You’ll need Magenta, saffron, yellow, white and green colours, and chalk. No dot grid: three circles cut into eight.

    Step by step5 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw three circles round one centre with chalk and four lines through the middle; each lamp sits where a line meets the middle circle.

    2. Outline. At each meeting point draw a small upright lamp, a bowl with a lip and a flame, then an eight-petal lotus in the middle.

    3. First colours. Fill the bowls and the lotus with magenta, and the flames with saffron.

    4. More colours. Give each flame a yellow heart and each lamp a saffron lip, and add white petals and a yellow centre to the lotus.

    5. Finished. Draw a green leaf between each pair of lamps and finish with saffron, yellow and white dots.

  • Star mandala rangoli

    Star mandala

    Detailed

    Stars of light at the door echo the lamps of Diwali night and the bright new year it begins.

    You’ll need Deep blue, saffron, yellow, magenta and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: four circles cut into eight.

    Step by step5 stages

    1. Chalk guide. Draw four circles round one centre with chalk and four lines through the middle, cutting the circles into eight equal parts.

    2. Outline. Draw an eight-pointed star on the lines, sixteen petals between its points, and a sixteen-pointed star round the outside.

    3. First colours. Fill the big star with saffron, the ground behind the petals with deep blue and the small star with yellow.

    4. More colours. Fill the sixteen petals with magenta and the middle of the star with white.

    5. Finished. Add eight saffron petals and a blue heart in the middle, then white and yellow dots round the stars.

Diya and Lakshmi Puja rangoli designs, on a page of their own →

Your first rangoli, step by step

Butterfly

Every design here is drawn the same way: a chalk guide, then the outline, then the colours one at a time. This is the butterfly. Saffron, magenta, deep blue, yellow and white colours, and chalk. No dot grid: one upright line.

  1. Butterfly rangoli

    Step 1 · Chalk guide

    Draw an upright chalk line for the body and a circle round its middle to keep the wings the same size.

  2. Butterfly rangoli

    Step 2 · Outline

    Draw two large wings at the top and two smaller ones below, then a long oval body, a round head and two feelers.

  3. Butterfly rangoli

    Step 3 · First colours

    Fill the big wings with saffron, the small wings with magenta and the body with deep blue.

  4. Butterfly rangoli

    Step 4 · Finished

    Draw an inner wing of the other colour in each, then add yellow spots, white dots and dots at the ends of the feelers.

How to draw a kolam on a dot grid

One-line kolam

A kolam is the rangoli of South India, drawn at dawn in front of the house, most often in white rice flour. It starts from a grid of dots, the pulli, laid out in rows by eye: a square, a diamond or a plus.

In a pulli kolam the line runs round the dots, enclosing them in loops and petals. In a sikku kolam, also called a kambi or chikku kolam, the line weaves between the dots on the slant, crossing itself halfway between them and turning round each dot at the edge, so it never touches one. Many sikku kolams are a single line with no beginning and no end.

  1. Lay the dots. Mark the dots with a pinch of white powder or chalk, all the same distance apart. Count each row as you go: the size of the grid is given with every kolam here, such as 4 by 5, or a diamond of 1, 3, 5, 3 and 1.
  2. Find the slant. Picture a small diamond round each dot, its corners halfway to the dots beside it. The line runs along the sides of these diamonds, on the slant, never across a dot.
  3. Turn at the edge. When the line reaches the outside of the grid, curve it round the outer dot and send it back in on the other slant, like a ball bouncing off a wall.
  4. Keep going. Carry on without lifting your hand until the line meets its own start. If dots are left with no line round them, start a second line there; some kolams need two or three.
  5. Go over it and colour. Go over the line with white powder or rice flour, then fill round the dots with colour if you like: by rings, by rows, or like a chessboard.

Here is the one-line kolam, on a 4 by 5 grid, from its dots to the finished design.

  1. One-line kolam rangoli

    Step 1 · Dot grid

    Mark a grid of dots, four across and five down, evenly spaced.

  2. One-line kolam rangoli

    Step 2 · Outline

    Start anywhere and draw on the slant between the dots, turning round each dot at the edge; the line comes back to where it began.

  3. One-line kolam rangoli

    Step 3 · First colours

    Go over the line with white powder and mark each dot in white.

  4. One-line kolam rangoli

    Step 4 · Finished

    Fill round every other dot, like the squares of a chessboard: magenta at the edge, saffron inside. Dot the others magenta and the corners yellow.

Rangoli for a small space

A flat’s doorstep, a balcony or the corner by the puja is often no more than a foot or two across. Pick one motif and draw it whole rather than squeezing in a large design: a lotus bud, a bell, a little star or a single flower made of dots.

Start from one point or one short line, keep to three or four colours, and leave a hand’s width of bare floor round it so it stands out. A diya on each side, or one in front, finishes it.

What rangoli is

Colour at the door

Rangoli is a design drawn on the floor in coloured powder, rice flour, chalk or flower petals, most often at the door of a home or in a courtyard. It is made by hand, enjoyed for a day or two, then swept away and drawn again.

Most rangoli start from a simple frame: a grid of dots, a few circles or a single point. The shapes are built out from it, repeated round the centre, so even a first rangoli looks balanced.

Why it is drawn at Diwali

On Diwali night Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, is said to visit homes that are clean, lit and ready for her. A rangoli at the door is that welcome: it shows the home is prepared and invites her in.

Many families draw small footsteps walking into the house for Lakshmi Puja, set diyas on or around the rangoli, and draw a fresh design on each of the five days, from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj.

Its names across India

Each region has its own style

Kolam

Tamil Nadu

Drawn at dawn in rice flour round a grid of dots, in loops that go round the dots and never through them.

Alpana

West Bengal

Painted with a paste of ground rice and water, white and flowing, with lotuses and Lakshmi’s footsteps for Lakshmi Puja.

Muggu

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Dot-grid designs in white powder, filled with colour for Sankranti and Diwali.

Mandana

Rajasthan

Drawn in white chalk or lime on floors and walls washed with red earth, in bold geometric and folk designs.

Rangavalli

Karnataka

Fine lines of powder poured between finger and thumb, often round a lamp at the door.

Aripan

Bihar

The Mithila tradition, painted with rice paste for festivals, weddings and pujas.

Tips for beginners

  1. Draw it in chalk first. Sketch the whole design in chalk before any colour goes down. Chalk wipes off with a damp cloth, so a mistake costs nothing.
  2. Start from dots or circles. Mark a dot grid or a few circles to keep the shapes even, and work from the middle out. Space the dots with a ruler, or two fingers apart.
  3. Pour through a cone. Roll a paper cone, or use a small funnel or a bottle with a hole in the cap, to pour fine, even lines of powder. With practice, a pinch between finger and thumb works too.
  4. Fill, then outline in white. Fill each area with colour, then run a thin line of white round the edges. The white makes every colour stand out.
  5. Add flowers and diyas. Marigold and rose petals, rice and lentils make a rangoli without powder, and diyas set round it make it glow after dark. Keep flames away from loose clothes and dry petals.
  6. Keep it small for children. A simple design the size of a tray is plenty for a child. Give them a few colours at a time in small bowls.
  7. Count the dots twice. For a kolam, a dot too many or too few puts the whole line out. Count every row before you start drawing, and keep the gaps even.

Questions

What is rangoli?

Rangoli is a design drawn on the floor with coloured powder, rice flour, chalk or flower petals, usually at the entrance of a home. It is made for festivals and special days, and is a sign of welcome.

Why is rangoli made on Diwali?

Rangoli welcomes Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, who is said to visit clean, bright homes on Diwali night. A colourful design and lamps at the door show that the home is ready for her.

What are Lakshmi’s footsteps?

They are pairs of small footprints drawn at the door, pointing into the house, as if Lakshmi is walking in. They are drawn for Lakshmi Puja on Diwali, often in white rice paste.

Where should the rangoli go?

At the main door or entrance, so it greets everyone who comes in. Many families also draw one by the place of puja, in the courtyard or in the corners of a room.

When should I draw the rangoli for Diwali?

Most families draw it during the day so it is ready for Lakshmi Puja in the evening. Some draw a new one each morning of the five days, from Dhanteras to Bhai Dooj.

What can I use instead of rangoli powder?

Chalk, rice flour, coloured rice, sand, flower petals, turmeric and kumkum all work. Chalk is easiest for children and on balconies, and petals are easy to sweep up afterwards.

Can I print these rangoli designs?

Yes. Every design downloads as a colour picture and as a plain outline in black on white, to print, trace onto the floor or colour in. They are free for use at home and at school.

Which rangoli is easiest for a beginner or a child?

Start with one of the simple and easy designs on this page, such as the butterfly, the pinwheel or the heart flower. Each is built round one centre or one line and coloured in two rounds. The step-by-step pictures show each stage, from the chalk guide to the finished design.

What is a kolam?

A kolam is the rangoli of Tamil Nadu and the South, drawn at dawn at the door, often in white rice flour. It is built on a grid of dots, with lines that loop round the dots rather than through them.

What is the difference between a pulli kolam and a sikku kolam?

Both start from a grid of dots. In a pulli kolam the line goes round the dots in loops and petals. In a sikku kolam the line weaves on the slant between the dots, crossing itself, and turns round the dots at the edge; it is often one unbroken line.

How do I draw a rangoli on a dot grid?

Lay the dots first, evenly spaced and counted row by row. Then draw the line round them, never through them: on the slant between the dots for a sikku kolam, or in loops round them for a pulli kolam. Go over the line with white powder and colour round the dots last.

Which rangoli suits a small space?

A small design with one motif, such as a lotus bud, a bell, a little star or a dot flower, fits a doorstep or balcony of a foot or two. Keep a little bare floor round it, and use three or four colours so it reads clearly from the door.

How do I make a flower rangoli with real petals?

Draw the design in chalk, then lay the petals ring by ring from the middle out: marigold for orange and yellow, rose for red and pink, chrysanthemum or jasmine for white, and leaves for green. Sprinkle a little water to keep them fresh through the evening.

How do I draw a rangoli border along the door?

Draw two straight chalk lines along the step, and a third halfway between them. Draw one unit of the border, a flower and a leaf or one curve of a vine, and repeat it along the middle line, then colour the units all at once.

How long does a rangoli take to draw?

A small design takes ten to fifteen minutes, a simple one about half an hour, and a detailed mandala an hour or more. A kolam goes faster once the dots are laid, as the line follows them.

Around Diwali

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