Kolam is a form of design or pattern drawn with rice flour on the floor with bare fingers using predetermined dots. The dots are either connected together to make a pattern or loops are drawn encircling the dots to complete a motif. A kolam looks more or less like a sand painting on the floor.

Kolam is known as Rangoli commonly in many parts of India, Muggulu in Andhra Pradesh, Rangavalli in Karnataka, Chowkpurana in Uttar Pradesh, Madana in Rajasthan, Aripana in Bihar and Alpana in Bengal.

Kolam is generally drawn on the courtyards, entryways of houses, temples and marriage halls.

These are the different kinds of kolam :-

1. The dots are encircled with curves or looped around with lines drawn around the dots.
2. The dots are connected to form a pattern or different patterns.
3. Line kolams have kolams drawn entirely of different sizes of lines , mostly with no dots.
4. Free form kolams called Rangoli are kolams with either no dots at all or with a minimal amount of dots and the use of more geometrical shapes.

When it comes to applying color to kolams, there are only a couple of ways, which meet all the requirements as far as beautification is concerned. You can color a kolam by using the color of nature, such as flowers, by removing the petals of the flowers and using it to fill inside the outlines of the kolam. Kolams colored with petals of roses, jasmines and marigolds look strikingly beautiful, and the whole area smells so fragrant!

Some colors like yellow or brown could be easily used from your kitchen or pantry. Turmeric is used for yellow and ground coffee beans could be used for brown. Some color savvy ladies in India like to save used-up coffee grounds and tea leaves for the purpose for coloring kolams. Red , orange and maroon color powders are collected by grinding up some red gravel or bricks.
There are commercially made colored powder or dyes available in the market. You can mix those dyes with the rice flour or the sandstone powder to get the desired hues you want and then color the kolams.

Each kolam has a definite number of dots. There are a few ways to lay out the dots to make a kolam pattern. Any kolam would belong to any of the categories described below.

1. Some kolams are designed with dots laid out parallel to each other in a set number of rows - such as 4 rows of 4 dots each. In this category of kolams, there are dots originating vertically in one row at the center of the kolam. After a few more parallel rows, they end with the final row on both the right and left side of the center row (with a set number of dots for that particular kolam).
   

Start by cleaning the entryway, or which ever place you have chosen. In India, the ground is first swept to remove any debris and then sprinkled with some water to wet it (concrete floor is washed). Take a cup of rice flour in a small container which is light enough to be carried in your left hand. Using your right hand (vice versa if you're left handed), take a small amount of flour in between your thumb and the forefinger (the same way you would take a pinch of salt while cooking) and lay out the dots. Replenish your pinch of rice flour (your medium) by dipping into your container as you need and start drawing by either looping around the dots or by connecting them (what ever kind of kolam you've decided to make).

Indeed! Just like any other art forms, kolams have many themes which keep changing according to the seasons and occasions. A flower with leaves and vines running around it would conform to the natural theme, while fluttering butterflies would belong to the insects theme. There are nautical kolams, and charriot kolams for the different religious festivals or holidays like Diwali, Pongal or Sankranti, Pookolam for Onam, and Bells and bows with Santa for Christmas. There are kolams for every day of the week. There are kolams drawn with figures of the different deities/gods and goddesses.

Before you attempt to draw any complex or a big kolam, take a few minutes to study the different parts of the kolam. Most of the time, you'll find that a complex kolam is nothing but a multiple of or a group/collection of one of the basic kolams. Hence, get started with one small basic kolam at one corner or the center, repeat it the number of times required, and you'll find that it isn't so intimidating any more.

Generally, kolams are drawn using rice flour which is a little bit coarsely ground. Some people also use sandstone or whitestone powder. Occasionally, rice is soaked in water for an hour or so, then ground up and used as a wet paste to draw kolams.