Among Hindus in India, whether urban or rural, it is mary on festive
occasions to paint pictures on the
ground outside the threshold with the aid of the simplest materials, mainly
rice paste mixed with pigment or with rockdust and
some colours in it. Though this Art of
painting is becomming less and less
now a days in urban cities, it always attracted
me from my childhood .My mother used to paint
in front of our house every day in the morning
though it is fectival or not , before starting
any work .My father was very much particular about
this . Due to this practice
in our house we both I and my sister are
used to it and love doing it. I developed
it as one of my hobby and have
participated in many of rangoli compititions and
recieved prizes.
In
Andhra pradesh these paintings are called
Muggulu and are painted over the coating of cow dung
to the floor of mud.If it is
not mud floor then it is painted after washing the floor with
water and is started while the floor is still wet.This
painting is done by holding the rock podwer with the fingers closely pressed
together.
In
Maharashtra , they are called rangoli
and in Orissa as ossan, or jhunti. This domestic
art is the exclusive preserve of women painters.
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In Tamil Nadu, the art of floor painting is called kolam . This art is aesthetically pleasing and has religious significance.