Kolam and dot rangoli designs

Six kolam designs, each drawn on a grid of dots with its size given: pulli kolams with loops round the dots, and sikku kolams woven in one line. Pictures show every step, from laying the dots to the finished kolam.

Diwali 2026 is on Sunday 8 November 2026. All 40 rangoli designs →

The 6 designs

Steps and downloads with each

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.

How to draw a kolam on a dot grid

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.

One-line kolam, step by step

4 stages

Saffron, white, magenta and yellow colours, and chalk. A 4 by 5 dot grid.

  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.

Questions

How many dots should a first kolam have?

Start with a small grid of 9 to 20 dots, such as 3 by 3 or 4 by 5. On a small grid you can see where the line turns, and once it closes on itself you can try a diamond of 25 dots or more.

Why is a kolam drawn with rice flour?

Rice flour is the traditional powder for a kolam. It is white, pours in a fine line between finger and thumb, and is said to feed ants and birds, so the kolam is a small daily offering as well as a welcome.

When is a kolam drawn?

Traditionally at dawn, after the doorstep has been swept and washed, every day of the year. Larger kolams are drawn through the month of Margazhi and for festivals such as Pongal, Karthigai Deepam and Diwali.

Can I draw a kolam with chalk?

Yes. Chalk is easier to learn with, as a wrong turn wipes away with a damp cloth. Draw the dots and the line in chalk, then go over the line in rice flour or white powder once it is right.

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