Celebrate a green Diwali-make a rangoli
Diwali*, the Hindu Festival of Lights, celebrates the victory of good over evil. Although legends associated with the five-day festival differ in various parts of India, to all it is a time for joyful as well as spiritual celebration. And while aspects of the celebration such as fire crackers and over-consumption have marred its luster in India, most families in the United States celebrate the holiday in a more Earth- and people-friendly way. Fellowship, food, and gifts form the basis for memorable interaction among generations.
One of the most interesting and beautiful of the Diwali customs is making a rangoli. An exquisite, but temporary, welcome mat (not meant to be walked on), originally found outside of homes, a traditional rangoli is carefully created by hand using rice powder, white and colored with dyes, as well as grains, flower petals, and beads, depending on the artist.
Making rangoli once was part of a woman’s daily tasks, but now rangoli are mainly reserved for holidays such as Diwali when they serve as a stunning greeting to guests.
Rangoli originally were two-foot squares, but now can be as big as a room. Patterns tend to be symmetrical and geometric with most including items from nature like birds, trees, and flowers, or anthropomorphic figures.
Since Diwali starts this Friday, November 5, a fun family activity for the weekend might be making your own rangoli and learning more about the festival.
If you have space on your driveway or in front of your home, research rangoli designs, then follow the outline or design one of your own in the traditional manner.
Before you begin, think about materials. You can color organically grown rice as it was done originally by soaking it in dyes from natural sources like tree bark, leaves, flowers, and such, then allowing it to dry before grinding it up into powder or using the grains whole.
If that sounds like a lot of work, consider pre-colored items you have on hand. You are attempting to recreate the spirit of the rangoli, not necessarily match the original materials, so choose what you like. Items such as whole wheat flour, sand, cereals, nuts, beans, lentils, and turmeric or other spices, as well as chopped leaves or pine needles, can all be incorporated.
To make a permanent rangoli, use a piece of paper on which you draw the outline of the design, then cover small sections with a water-based glue. Once the glue is on, begin filling sections with your choice of materials. For small children, leaves and other larger items will make the project less frustrating. Older kids and adults can take pinches of powders and by rubbing forefinger and thumb together, drop bits onto the paper. Doing it this way is tedious but makes it easier to control where powders land.
The above information is adapted from our book, Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family.
*Spellings for the holiday differ between Diwali and Divali.
Lynn Colwell and Corey Colwell-Lipson are mother and daughter and authors of Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family, and founders of Green Halloween®.
