The Art of Rangoli

The Art of Rangoli YaKenda McGahee: Rupal Bhandari begins her day each morning decorating her patio with a little colored sand. In doing so, she nurtures a century old tradition that flourishes in India even today. Rupal is a celebrated Rangoli artist and even offers workshops on the Indian Art of Sand Painting. Like other folk artist, Rupal uses the sand to convey hidden symbols and retell and share her stories. Rupal invited me into her beautiful home where we talked about this fascinating tradition. Hi I’m YaKenda. Rupal Bhandari: Hi, nice to meet you YaKenda. YaKenda McGahee: Nice to meet you, here from Blank Canvas. Rupal Bhandari: Okay. YaKenda McGahee: Well, are you my Rangoli teacher today? Rupal Bhandari: Yeah. YaKenda McGahee: Oh, I’m so excited to learn all about it. Rupal Bhandari: The art of sand painting is quite old and was popular among many age of cultures. In the Indian tradition, the sand is a metaphor for the impermanence of life. The artist dedicates herself to the process of making the Rangoli without getting attached to the final creation, because like life, these explicit designs are short lived. Rupal first of all thank you very much for having us here today. YaKenda McGahee: Yeah, it’s my pleasure. Rupal Bhandari: Okay, can we start with what is Rangoli because I’m all new with this. I’m in Blank Canvas and I need you to explain it all. So what exactly is Rangoli? YaKenda McGahee: Okay, Rangoli is a Sanskrit word that means the creative expression of art through the colors. And it is mainly painted in the courtyard and the front entrance of the house on the floor and also on the walls. In the olden days they were using rice flour, wheat flour and limestone and then put some kind of colors like oil match from colors like turmeric, so in this art everyday they do it. Rupal Bhandari: Oh, wow okay. YaKenda McGahee: So everyday this lady of the house that she gets — the first thing and she takes shower and the first thing she will go outside the house with the Rangoli. Now is it suppose to be in a specific place on the ground like right in front of the door, as you walk to the door, where is the —? Rupal Bhandari: It’s the entrance of the door and the two sides of the door. So if you can enter and would like some welcoming for the guests also like if everybody comes it look nice and beautiful in that area. It’s very welcoming. YaKenda McGahee: Does all Rangoli have, let’s say the same shape, the same colors of uses of do they vary? Can you do anything? What makes it Rangoli? Rupal Bhandari: Okay, all the designs and mainly the motifs of leaves, fruit, birds and some geometrical figures. YaKenda McGahee: Nice. So talk to me about the cultural significance of Rangoli, what it means in the Indian culture? Rupal Bhandari: As I told you this is the first day and the morning they maybe get up and do the Rangoli and also for the festive occasion, special Rangoli’s are made. They’re big and they’re very colorful. During diwali mainly we mix colorful Rangoli in front of the houses and also they portray you know during any – you know — the -- of any good occasions or the festive occasions they put it there. And in gender like everyday, they put very small but then when it is a festive occasion, they’re bigger Rangoli they are making. YaKenda McGahee: Can I have more, I mean because you mentioned prosperity—to bring prosperity to the house and welcoming, can it have any other meanings? Rupal Bhandari: Good luck, yeah and like you know like it feel of freshness when you start the day with these colorful things in the area— YaKenda McGahee: Yes, a brand new day, all new around, starting over, a new beginning. I like that. Rupal explains that Rangoli is not restricted to colored sand alone. As an example she created a fascinating design using colored lentils. Rupal Bhandari: I just started and the things came in my mind was a geometrical figures and I started with the dal — dal. I have all these colorful dals with me. YaKenda McGahee: You know I’m just trying to get at the dal but anyway — I learned this Rangoli from my mom and grand mom. Rupal Bhandari: Oh really? YaKenda McGahee: So everyday I was looking at them, they get up in the morning. They use to do this. When I was around teen, I started to help them and eventually I started to make my own and doing it especially doing the Rangoli —Diwali time I make my own nice colorful Rangoli so you know eventually I learned and now overtime doing this, I’m teaching my daughter so that way the culture continue. Rupal Bhandari: Yes. YaKenda McGahee: When I started doing it I was around teen — you know at that time you have a control on putting the powder or the rice so —