Nepal: Simple rangoli decorations laid out for the Tihar festival (Nepalese equvalent of Diwali) on...

Rangoli, also known as Kolam or Muggu, is a folk art from India and Nepal. Patterns are created on the floor in living rooms, courtyards and temple floors using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. They are usually made during Diwali (Deepawali), Onam, Pongal and other Indian festivals and Tihar, the Nepali eqivalent of Diwali. Rangoli designs can be simple geometric shapes, deity impressions, or flower and petal shapes (appropriate for the given celebrations), but they can also be very elaborate designs crafted by numerous people. The base material is usually dry or wet powdered rice or dry flour, to which sindoor (vermilion), haldi (turmeric) and other natural colors can be added.