Kolam and Rangoli are traditional Indian art forms that involve creating intricate patterns on the ground using materials like rice flour, colored powders or flowers.
Though these two art forms share similarities, they differ in technique and origin. These designs are primarily decorative, used to adorn entrances during festivals (ex. Pongal, Deepavali, Navratri) and special occasions in India as well as to welcome prosperity, happiness and ward off negative energy.
Educator Jayashree Krishnan, who was born in India and now lives in Dallas, Tex., U.S.A., had opportunities to showcase beautiful rangoli designs to travelers from around the world at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport a couple of years ago. People appreciated the vibrant color pattern of her rangoli art which had “deepam” (meaning clay or mud oil lamp in Tamil) patterns to celebrate one of the most popular Indian festivals known as Deepavali, which translates to “row of lights.”
The word Deepavali is derived from two Sanskrit words: “Deepa” meaning “light” or “lamp,” and “Avali” meaning “row” or “series.”
The festival is celebrated with the lighting of oil lamps, fireworks and various festivities, marking different mythological and historical events across the regions.
The traditional Indian art form “Kolam” originates from Tamil Nadu in South India. It dates back over 2,000 years, with early references found in ancient Tamil literature like “Silappatikarm” and “Tolkappiyam.”
Being born and raised in Tamil Nadu, where the kolam art form originated, Krishnan was inspired by watching women in her neighborhood drawing beautiful kolam patterns at the entrances of homes every morning as a symbol of auspiciousness and protection. She’s been teaching design technology to elementary school students over the past couple of years.
“Growing up, I became more passionate about drawing rangoli/kolam patterns as one of my hobbies,” she says. “Kolam patterns foster appreciation for cultural traditions, promoting global awareness and inclusivity among students belonging to different ethnicities. Being an educator, I wanted my students to get introduced to innovative kolam designs that have many cultural significance and importance.”
Kolam designs are created by joining dots with lines, loops and curves, forming geometric patterns. Many kolam designs are based on mathematical concepts like symmetry and tessellations.
Growing up, I became more passionate about drawing rangoli/kolam patterns as one of my hobbies.
Exploring these innovative patterns as a hands-on activity in the classroom aids young learners to not only to understand the intersection of mathematical art and culture but improves their cognitive skills, improves concentration, hand-eye coordination and develops problem-solving abilities, according to Krishnan.
To have a better understanding of this mathematical art, Krishnan discusses two traditional Indian kolam styles in class: Sikku Kolam and Rhombus Kolam. Sikku (the term “sikku” in Tamil means “knot” or twist) Kolam uses continuous, looping lines drawn around a grid of dots (pulli), encouraging concepts of symmetry, pattern recognition and spatial reasoning.
This design activity not only deepens the practical application of mathematical principles in students but also builds appreciation for traditional Indian folk art and explores artistic expression with structured patterns, making their experiences in the classroom enriching and educational as well.
In contrast, Rhombus Kolam is a variation of traditional kolam art where the dot grid is arranged in a rhombus (diamond) shape rather than a square or rectangular format. This change in the base layout results in distinctive angular designs that are geometrically rich and elegant as well.
