CHHANNI AND BELAN FOR THAT ROCKING RANGOLI

Here are some easy ways, designs, and tools to make that perfect rangoli at home or office, this Diwali

Have you bought lights, lanterns, diyas, decorations, etc. for your Diwali celebrations? Note that your efforts would be incomplete without a beautiful rangoli that’s capable of instantly making your home Diwaliready. And pulling off an aweinspiring design is easier said than done. Rangoli making is an art which requires practice and precision. Worry not, though, for we will help you create some amazing rangoli patterns.

CHHANNI COMES TO THE RESCUE

Yes, that chhanni that you saw being used in the puja on Karva Chauth, just a few days ago; don’t let it get packed. It’ll be your weapon to make your neighbours jealous. Here’s how: Place a steel atta sieve on the spot that you have decided upon to make rangoli. Choose six different colours and spread them inside the sieve, making six equal vertical sections. Remove the sieve without disturbing the rainbow-like formation. Use a scale to make six lines (diagonal to the pattern). You will get diamond-shaped colourful boxes. Now, use a piping bag/squeezing bottle to make dots with white colour powder/chalk powder/atta on the intersections, and around the circumference of the entire pattern. Use a toothpick to make depressions in the dots created on the exterior. Fill these with a bright colour such as red or green, and your designer rangoli is ready.

THE WORLD IS ROUND

Place a circular lid on the chosen spot. Use this as a stencil to draw a circle of any desired colour. Use a contrasting colour to make dots inside this circle, with help of a squeezing bottle. Hold a toothpick like a pen to spread the colour of the dots created towards the centre of the circle for it to look like a flower. Make another dot, with a bright colour, in the centre of the circle. Now, make more dots outside the circle, creating depressions in them with the tip of your middle finger. Keep creating more dots in a circular pattern, and increase the size of the rangoli as per your liking.

COMB THY COLOURS

Use a big lid or any round utensil to make a circle with white colour. Make a smaller circle inside it, but don’t remove the lid this time. Fill the gap between these two circles with a bright colour. You can use a tea sieve (chai chhanni) for this. After filling in, remove the lid and use a broad comb to make a design. The comb should be moved in a circular pattern, with your hand in the centre to create a wave-like effect. Keep creating more circles towards the inside for more depth.

ROLLING PIN’S MAGIC

Draw a square on a paper, which is firmly pasted on the floor. Now, draw a square outside it leaving a 10cm gap between the two squares. Fill an empty face wash tube with a bright colour and squeeze out dots between the two squares. Fill the tube with a different colour and make more dots alongside the previous ones. Repeat with more colours until there’s no space between the squares. Firmly roll a belan (rolling pin) on the dots and allow the colours to spread and merge like a painted canvas. You need to roll in four different directions. Fill the inner square with a bright colour and outline it with white dots. Make white dots on corners of the outer square. Make depressions in these dots and fill with any bright colour.

GODDESS’ FEET

Use red colour to draw the alphabet ‘S’. Make its mirror image alongside it. Make toes above these, and the Lakshmi feet will satiate your inner artist.

PHOTOS: ISTOCK AND SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO: GOKUL VS/HT