In Indian cultures, all guests and visitors occupy a very special place, and a rangoli near to the door of the house is an expression of this warm hospitality. Traditionally, such floor decorations were done only on auspicious occasions but we nowadays we also find them in weddings, birthday parties, opening ceremonies...
The designs are symbolic and common to the entire country, and can include natural or geometrical patterns. They are made with natural elements such as flowers, stones or most of the time colored powder (the base can be sand, marble dust, saw dust, brick dust or other materials).
Rangoli also has a religious significance, enhancing the beauty of the surroundings and spreading joy and happiness all around. The entire pattern must be an unbroken line, with no gaps to be left anywhere for evil spirits to enter.
As it’s currently Diwali (the festival of lights) and that people visit a lot each other's homes to exchange greetings and sweets, we can see a lot of rangoli around. Here are a few one from my office:
This one was taken at the entrance of an hotel:
Rangoli can have different sizes and can be huge as you can see on the picture below:
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