Rangoli problems and how to fix them

Everyone who makes rangoli meets the same troubles: a circle that came out as an egg, a gust of wind at the wrong moment, a footprint through the middle five minutes before the guests arrive. Nearly all of them have a simple fix, or can be prevented with a minute of thought. This page lists them in the order you are likely to meet them.

Before the powder goes down

The circle is not round

Do not draw circles freehand. Hold one end of a string on the centre point and tie chalk to the other end, then swing it round with the string taut. A helper's finger on the centre makes it easier. For small circles, draw around a plate, a lid or a bangle.

The parts are not equal

Mark before you draw. For four and eight parts, mark the ends of a cross, then halve each gap. For six, step the radius of the circle around its edge: it fits six times. For five or seven, mark by eye, stand up, look, and move the marks until the gaps are equal. Our how-to guide has the method.

The design is too big for the space, or off-centre

Chalk the outermost circle first, check that it clears the door swing and the walls, and only then work inward. It is much easier to wipe out one chalk circle than to move a finished centre.

Petals come out in different shapes

Cut one petal from stiff paper and trace around it for each petal. Or draw every petal's centre line first, from the middle to its mark, and build each petal evenly on both sides of its line.

While filling

The powder will not flow from my fingers

Damp powder clumps. Spread it on newspaper in the sun for an hour, or sieve it. Very fine powder flows better when a little coarse rangoli sand or dry rice flour is mixed in. Dry your hands: damp fingers make lumps. Take a smaller pinch than feels natural and rub the thumb gently across two fingers.

My lines are thick and shaky

Lower your hand to a few centimetres above the floor, and move the whole arm from the shoulder. Draw towards yourself, not away. A paper cone with a small hole snipped at the tip, or a clean squeeze bottle, gives a thin, steady line with far less practice. Then practise the pinch on a spare patch of floor at leisure.

The filling is patchy

Shake the colour through a tea strainer held low over the shape, then tidy the edge. Fill large areas first and thin lines last.

Colours have mixed where they meet

Lift the muddy patch with a spoon or the edge of a card and refill it. Then run a thin white line along the join: it hides the damage and sharpens both colours. Next time, fill the lighter colour first and leave a hair's gap for the outline.

Powder has spilt on a finished part

Do not brush it. Brushing spreads it. Pick up the worst with the tip of a spoon, then blow gently through a straw from very close, or lift the remaining specks by touching them with a slightly damp cotton bud. A dark spill on a light area usually needs the patch lifted and refilled.

My knees and back hurt

Kneel on a folded towel or a cushion, sit on a low stool, and stand up to look at the design every ten minutes. Work in turns if there are two of you. A large design is far more comfortable if the outline is chalked one day and the colours are filled the next.

After it is finished

Wind

Make it in a sheltered place: behind a wall, inside the veranda, away from the gap under the door.
Heavier materials stay put: coloured rice, sand, pulses, petals pressed down, or wet chalk and rice paste that dry on the floor.
A very light mist of water from a spray bottle, held high so that only fine droplets fall, settles loose powder. Too much water makes the colours run, so test on one corner.
Overnight, cover the design loosely with sheets of newspaper weighed down at the edges, clear of the powder.

Rain and dew

Nothing dry survives rain. In the monsoon and on dewy winter mornings, make the rangoli under cover, or use wet rice paste, which dries into the floor and lasts. Flowers do not mind a drizzle.

Feet

Place the design out of the walking line, mark its edge with a border or a row of diyas so that it is seen in poor light, and tell the family. For busy doorways, use a half design against the wall. Ideas for tight places are on rangoli for flats and small spaces.

Children and pets

Toddlers and pets will walk through a rangoli or try to taste it. Use materials that are safe if a little is swallowed, such as rice flour, turmeric, flower petals and grains, where small children, dogs or cats roam, and keep synthetic colour powders out of their reach. Do not leave lit diyas on the floor around them. A design on a tray or a table is the simplest answer.

Ants and birds

Rice flour and grains attract ants and birds. That is the traditional point of a rice flour kolam, a morning offering to small creatures. If you want the design to last, use stone powder or chalk for the lines instead.

A footprint through the middle

Sweep the damaged part clean with a dry brush, right back to an outline, and refill that section only. If time is short, turn the damage into a feature: clear the whole ring it sits in and refill it as a plain band of one colour.

Cleaning up and stains

Removing the rangoli

Sweep it up dry, into a dustpan. Do not pour water on coloured powder, which turns it into dye. Wipe the floor with a damp cloth only after the powder is gone. Petals and rice flour can go to the compost or the garden. Synthetic colour powder goes into the dustbin, not the drain or the flower bed.

Colour left on the floor

Strong synthetic colours, wet kumkum and turmeric can leave a mark, especially on unpolished stone, light marble, cement and the joints between tiles. Work gently and in this order:

Wipe with a cloth and plain water.
Wash with ordinary floor cleaner or mild soap and a soft brush.
Let it dry and look again. Many marks fade over a few days of normal mopping and sunlight. Turmeric in particular fades in sunlight.

Be careful with marble and other natural stone: acids such as lemon juice, vinegar and strong bathroom cleaners can etch the polish and leave a dull patch worse than the stain. For a valuable floor, ask the people who laid or polish it. Try anything stronger than soap on a hidden corner first.

Preventing stains next time

On light, porous floors, lay a base of white powder or rice flour first and put colours on top of it.
Keep the design dry. Stains form when colour gets wet.
Remove the rangoli within a day or two on such floors.
Or make it on a tray, a board or a sheet. See small spaces.

Colour on hands and clothes

Wash hands with soap and water soon after finishing, and a little oil rubbed in first helps lift colour from the skin. Dust dry powder off clothes outdoors before washing, since wetting it sets the colour. Wear old clothes: that is the only sure method.

The fix for almost everything

A thin white outline, added at the end, straightens wobbly edges, separates colours that have run together and makes an ordinary rangoli look finished. When in doubt, outline in white.