50+ Rangoli Designs for Diwali

Rangoli is a folk art drawn on the floor at the entrance of homes during Diwali to welcome guests and Goddess Lakshmi. The patterns are made with coloured powders, rice, flower petals, sand and sometimes diyas. Below you'll find more than fifty designs across four families: simple beginners' patterns, peacock motifs, flower-petal compositions, and modern geometric styles. Each image has a short caption describing the motif so you can pick a rangoli design for Diwali that suits your space and confidence level. New to rangoli? Skip to the step-by-step tutorial at the bottom of the page.

Last reviewed on 30 April 2026.

A Short History of Rangoli

Rangoli is one of the oldest surviving Indian folk arts — references to floor designs drawn at thresholds appear in Sanskrit texts from at least the 7th century. The form has many regional names: kolam in Tamil Nadu, muggu in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, alpana in Bengal, aripana in Bihar, chowkpurana in Uttar Pradesh, and mandana in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The materials and motifs vary, but the underlying idea is shared: a pattern drawn at the threshold each morning, often with rice flour, that quietly disappears as the day passes and is redrawn the next day.

Two threads run through that long history. The first is hospitality: a rangoli at the doorway is read as a welcome, both for human guests and for Lakshmi on Diwali night. The second is impermanence: traditional rangolis are not preserved. Rice flour was originally used because birds and insects could feed on it once the design was finished, making the gesture small but generous. The shift to lasting colour powders, stencils and stick-on mats is recent and adds longevity at the cost of that older quality.

Materials: What to Draw With

Rangoli mediums fall into roughly five categories, each with a different feel and a different best use:

Rice flour and chalk — the oldest options. Rice flour gives soft, slightly off-white outlines that ants will eventually clear; chalk works on dry stone or tile. Both are best for monochrome line designs and the dot-grid kolams used across south India.
Coloured powders (gulal-style). The most common modern medium. Sold in small packets at any bazaar before Diwali. They're easy to fill with and give the saturated colour that makes festival rangolis pop on photographs. Look for natural or food-grade powders — some cheaper ones contain heavy-metal pigments that aren't safe for skin contact or pets.
Flower petals. Marigold, rose, jasmine and chrysanthemum are the four most-used flowers. Petals are forgiving (you can move them around long after they're placed), they hold colour for a full day, and they're fully biodegradable. Best for circular or radial designs — geometry with sharp corners is harder to do in petals.
Coloured sand and salt. Heavier than powder, less prone to gusting in a draughty hallway, and easier to control for fine lines. Coloured sand is sold for craft use; coloured salt can be made at home by tumbling table salt with a few drops of food colouring.
Pulses and grains. Black gram, mustard seeds, split peas, broken rice and turmeric give a tactile, layered look. Used as accents within a powder rangoli rather than as the main medium.

For lower-impact rangoli choices — natural colours, biodegradable mediums and reusable décor — see our eco-friendly Diwali page.

Choosing a Design for Your Space

The best rangoli for a given home depends less on skill than on the space. A small entrance corridor in a city flat works better with a compact circular design than with a long border-style kolam. A few practical guidelines:

Tile entrance, less than 1m square: a simple circular or square motif — designs 03, 11, 17 in the gallery above.
Apartment doorway with a wider threshold: a horizontal border or paisley arrangement — designs 14, 16, 22.
Courtyard or front porch: larger peacock or mandala designs — designs 21, 26, 43.
Indoor coffee-table tray (no floor): a small floral or geometric design framed by petals — designs 06, 33, 38.
Outdoor balcony with weather risk: petal-only designs — designs 31, 32, 36 — rather than powder, which gusts away.

If you can't draw freehand, two good shortcuts exist. The first is a dot grid — mark a 5x5 or 7x7 grid of equally spaced dots in chalk and connect them with curves. The second is a stencil: many shops sell laser-cut plastic stencils for under the price of a packet of powder; you place them on the floor, sift powder through, and lift away. Stencils make the first attempt much less stressful and aren't cheating.

Simple Rangoli Designs for Beginners

Simple marigold flower rangoli design — Marigold flower pattern with saffron petals and green leaves.

Easy circular rangoli with geometric patterns — Circular design with concentric rings and vibrant colours.

Minimalist rangoli with dots and curves — Minimal rangoli using dots and curved lines, ideal for small spaces.

Beginner rangoli using rice flour and colour powders — Basic rangoli using rice flour outlines filled with bright powders.

Simple square rangoli with contrasting colours — Square motif with repeating triangles and diamond shapes.

Easy lotus flower rangoli design — Lotus flower with curved petals in pink and purple shades.

Rangoli with central diya arrangement — Central diya surrounded by symmetrical petal patterns.

Simple starburst rangoli design for Diwali — Starburst pattern radiating from the centre with bold colours.

Beginner rangoli using chalk and colour powders — Chalk outlines filled with primary-colour powders for beginners.

Easy floral rangoli with swirl patterns — Swirling vines and small flowers create a delicate look.

Simple rangoli with circles and dots — Concentric circles joined by dotted curves.

Traditional rangoli for Diwali beginners — Traditional eight-pointed star pattern filled with bright hues.

Beginner peacock-feather inspired rangoli — Peacock feather motif simplified for easy drawing.

Square floral rangoli design — Symmetric square design with stylised flowers in each corner.

Simple rangoli pattern with dots and loops — Dotted outlines connected with loops forming a chain motif.

Rangoli design with paisley patterns — Paisley shapes arranged in a circular formation.

Easy mandala-style rangoli for Diwali — Mandala-inspired design with repeating floral layers.

Simple triangular rangoli motif — Triangular arrangement of petals and dots in warm colours.

Basic rangoli using flower petals — Flower petals arranged in a circular design with a central diya.

Beginner rangoli with star and circles — Star shape surrounded by circular rings filled with colour.

Peacock Rangoli Designs

The peacock — India's national bird — is one of the most beloved rangoli motifs. Its long curved tail gives plenty of room to play with colour gradients.

Peacock rangoli design with vibrant feathers — Elegant peacock with detailed feathers in blues and greens.

Colourful peacock rangoli pattern — Peacock head surrounded by fan-shaped plumage in jewel tones.

Stylised peacock rangoli for Diwali — Stylised peacock with swirling tail feathers and bright accents.

Peacock feather rangoli design — Close-up of peacock feather patterns arranged symmetrically.

Dual peacock rangoli design — Two peacocks facing each other with intertwined tails.

Peacock and lotus rangoli design — Combination of peacock and lotus motifs in one intricate pattern.

Simple peacock rangoli for beginners — Simplified peacock outline filled with colourful powders.

Detailed peacock rangoli design — Detailed plumage with fine lines and gradient colours.

Floral peacock rangoli design — Peacock integrated with floral elements and leaves.

Modern peacock rangoli design — Contemporary peacock rendered in geometric shapes and bold colours.

Flower Petal Rangoli Designs

Flower-petal rangolis have an obvious advantage: they're entirely natural and biodegradable. Marigold, rose, jasmine and chrysanthemum are the four most commonly used flowers because their petals separate easily and hold their colour. If you're choosing rangoli mediums with sustainability in mind, our eco-friendly Diwali notes cover natural colours and reusable décor in more detail.

Flower petal rangoli with marigold and roses — Ring of marigold and rose petals surrounding a central diya.

Colourful floral rangoli for Diwali — Layers of colourful petals arranged in concentric circles.

Lotus flower petal rangoli design — Lotus petals radiating outward with contrasting colours.

Petal rangoli with multiple flower varieties — Combination of jasmine, marigold and hibiscus petals for texture.

Simple floral rangoli using petals — Basic floral motif made entirely of petals and leaves.

Circular petal rangoli design — Circular arrangement of petals with a symmetrical pattern.

Flower petal rangoli with diyas — Petal design featuring several diyas embedded within the pattern.

Floral rangoli in star shape — Star-shaped flower rangoli with alternating colours.

Rose petal rangoli design — Soft hues created using rose petals, accented with white rice flour.

Petal rangoli with concentric layers — Multiple layers of petals forming a beautiful gradient.

Modern Geometric Rangoli Designs

Geometric rangolis use squares, triangles, hexagons and concentric arcs to create patterns that feel contemporary while still drawing on the traditional dot-grid (kolam) approach used across south India.

Geometric rangoli design with triangles — Bold triangles arranged around a hexagonal centre.

Abstract geometric rangoli with squares — Abstract design using squares and diamonds in rich hues.

Modern rangoli using mandala patterns — Contemporary mandala made of repeating geometric shapes.

Colour-block rangoli design — Colour-block style rangoli using segments of contrasting colours.

Spiral geometric rangoli design — Spiralling shapes that draw the eye inward.

Minimalist geometric rangoli — Sleek design with simple lines and a two-tone palette.

Rangoli design with interlocking patterns — Interlocking circles and squares creating optical effects.

Modern hexagon rangoli design — Hexagonal core surrounded by radiating arrows in bold colours.

Colourful geometric rangoli pattern — Multicoloured geometric pattern suitable for contemporary homes.

Abstract rangoli design for Diwali — Abstract composition mixing circles, triangles and dots.

How to Make a Simple Rangoli Design at Home

Making a rangoli is a calming, hands-on way to mark Diwali. The basic process is the same whether you're working in chalk, coloured powder, rice flour or flower petals.

Prepare the surface. Sweep the area at your doorway, balcony or puja space. A lightly damp surface helps powders cling.
Pick a grid. Most traditional rangolis start from a grid of dots drawn in chalk. The dots act as anchor points for symmetrical curves and lines — a 5x5 or 7x7 grid is plenty for a first attempt.
Sketch the outline. With chalk or thinly trickled rice flour, draw the basic shapes — a circle, square, lotus, peacock or diya. Don't worry about colour yet.
Fill from the centre out. Pour coloured powder along the outline first, then fill in panels from the middle outward so you don't smudge finished sections.
Add a second colour pass. Use a contrasting colour for borders, dots or fine details. A pinch held between thumb and forefinger gives the most control.
Finish with diyas. Place small clay lamps or tealights at the corners or centre. The flicker is what turns a flat drawing into the centrepiece of the doorway.

For more on the festival itself, see Diwali traditions and when Diwali is celebrated. To go beyond the floor and decorate the whole space — torans, lanterns, urlis and indoor flower arrangements — see our whole-home decoration guide.