Rangoli for flats and small spaces

Most rangoli advice assumes a courtyard. Most people today have a doorstep one tile deep, a shared corridor and a neighbour's door a metre away. A rangoli is still possible, and it can be as welcoming as a large one. The trick is to choose a shape that suits the space instead of shrinking a courtyard design until it is a smudge.

First, look at the space

Where do feet go? Watch how people enter: the path from the lift or stairs to your door, and where the door swings. The rangoli goes outside that path.
Whose space is it? A corridor is shared. Keep the design to your own doorway and leave the passage clear for neighbours, deliveries, wheelchairs and prams.
What is the floor? Glossy tiles are slippery under powder. Choose materials and a position with that in mind.
Wind and sweepers: corridors can be draughty, and the housekeeping staff sweep in the morning. Tell them, and thank them.

Shapes that fit

Against the wall: the half design

A half circle with its flat side on the wall or door frame gives the look of a full rangoli in half the depth. The doorstep half circle is drawn step by step. Place one on each side of the door for a grander entrance that still leaves the middle free.

In the corner: the quarter design

Nobody walks in a corner. The corner fan needs a hand's breadth of floor and a few pinches of colour.

Along the edge: a border

A strip along the foot of the wall or across the top step welcomes people without lying in their path. The border designs can be made as long or as short as the space.

On the path itself: footprints

On Diwali, small Lakshmi footprints leading in from the door need almost no room. Drawn in rice paste and allowed to dry, they are not disturbed by feet as loose powder is.

Small and round

A neat design the size of a dinner plate, such as the eight petal flower made small, beside the door instead of in front of it.

Off the floor altogether

Tray or thali rangoli: make the design on a large steel thali, a wooden board or a tray. It can be made at the dining table in comfort, carried to the door, moved for the sweeper and brought inside at night.
Floating rangoli: a wide bowl of water with flower petals and floating candles or diyas. It suits a console table, a shoe cabinet top or a reception desk, and it cannot be stepped on.
On a low stool or chowki by the door, with a diya in the centre.
On the table: a small petal design around the lamp as a centrepiece for a festival dinner.

Designs that last or can be reused

Wet chalk or rice paste dries on the floor and survives footsteps and sweeping for days. It wipes off with a wet cloth. Test first on a hidden spot of polished stone.
A painted board: paint a design once on a round board of plywood or thick card, and bring it out every festival. Add fresh flowers or diyas each time so that it never looks stale.
Loose pieces: decorated card or wooden shapes that are arranged into a pattern and packed away afterwards. Children enjoy making these.
Coloured rice in a frame: lay the design inside a shallow tray or a picture frame laid flat. The rim keeps every grain in place.

Materials for small indoor spaces

Heavier materials behave better indoors than fine powder: coloured rice, pulses, petals and wet paste stay where they are put and do not travel on shoes into the house. Fine powder on glossy tiles makes them slippery and gets carried to the sofa. If you use powder, use it sparingly, as lines and dots, not as wide filled areas. More on materials is on colours and materials.

Safety in shared spaces

Do not narrow the way out. Stairs, landings and corridors are escape routes in a fire. Nothing should be placed on steps, and the walking width of a corridor should stay clear.
Lamps: a lit diya in a shared corridor is a risk near door mats, shoe racks, curtains and delivery boxes. Use LED tea lights outside the flat, or place real diyas on a metal plate, well away from anything that can burn, and never leave them burning when nobody is at home or awake. Follow your housing society's rules.
Slips: wipe up scattered powder and petals from the walking path at once. Wet petals on marble are as slippery as a banana skin.
Children and pets: keep small beads, pulses and candles out of reach of toddlers and animals.

With the neighbours

Festivals in a block of flats go best when they are shared. Agree with the neighbour opposite that each keeps to their own side, or make one design together in the lift lobby with the society's permission. A common rangoli at the building entrance, made by the children of the block, does more for a housing society than any notice on the board. The competition tips page has a team plan that works for this too.

Cleaning up

Sweep dry powder and petals into a dustpan. Do not wash coloured powder across a shared floor, where it streaks and travels. Wipe the tile afterwards with a damp cloth. If a stain remains, see rangoli problems and fixes.