RangoliGrand mandala rangoli
Eight layers, from a small yellow centre out to a purple lace border. This is a design for the main courtyard on Diwali night or for a wedding entrance, with two or three people filling colours together.
- Level
- Advanced
- Size
- About 90 cm across (3 feet) or larger
- Time
- An hour or more, faster with helpers
- Steps
- 8
- Good for
- Diwali, weddings
Colours you need
YellowRedOrangeWhiteGreenPinkPurple
Tap Outline to see the design as lines, then print it to practise on paper or to colour in.
How to draw it, step by step
Sweep the floor and wipe it with a damp cloth so the powder grips. Mark the centre with chalk. Then follow the pictures. Each one adds one part.
Make a small filled circle in yellow. This is the centre of the whole design, so place it carefully.
Draw eight short pointed petals around the centre, filled in red. Mark the eight tips with dots first so the petals come out even.
Draw eight short pointed petals in the gaps between the earlier ones, filled in orange. Mark the eight tips with dots first so the petals come out even.
Draw a thin white circle around the design. A string held at the centre, with chalk at the other end, keeps it round.
Add sixteen small green diamonds in a ring.
Draw sixteen short pointed petals around the centre, filled in pink. Mark the sixteen tips with dots first so the petals come out even.
Place sixteen white dots in a ring, one in each gap. Drop a pinch of powder and press lightly for each dot.
Finish the edge with thirty-two small half-circles in purple, touching each other like a lace border.
Tip: Chalk the whole design before any colour goes down, and assign one colour to each person. Work from the centre outward.
Where it works best
This is for the main courtyard on Diwali night, a wedding entrance, a temple hall or a competition where the team has two hours. It needs a clear, level space about a metre and a half across, and knee pads or folded towels for the people making it.
What usually goes wrong, and the fix
Large designs fail in the planning, not the filling. Chalk every layer first, decide who fills which colour, and buy more powder than you think you need, especially white. Work from the centre outward so that nobody leans over finished work, and add the white outlines last of all. More fixes are on rangoli problems and fixes.
Make it your own
- Leave out one or two layers to make a quicker version for a smaller space.
- Outline every layer in white at the end. It hides uneven edges and makes the colours stand out.
- Print the outline, mark who fills which colour, and keep it beside you while you work.
New to rangoli? Read how to make rangoli and colours and materials first.