Rangoli

Author Anuradha Ananth
Illustrations Shailja Jain

A few years ago, there was an ad for a playschool which proudly proclaimed that they would correct the child if she coloured the tree blue or mango purple or some such !!! When does well intended guidance become stifling? (Anti coloring books could possibly help. )

I often wonder how to be neither patronizing nor judgmental about a child’s art work. What is constructive at this stage? How do I understand and discover the work as Anushka envisaged it and not view it with my adult notions of art.

Most books that belong to Tulika’s Under the Banyan series and almost all Tara Books subtly bring about art appreciation. For instance Dancing on the walls helped Anush recognize the Warli art piece that we have at home. Magic Vessels had many kolams and the illustrations were rendered in an ancient Tamil sculpting style.

Presenting under the Art exploration series at ST, a more direct book on this typical household art- Rangoli- a bilingual gem from Tulika.

Since the day my grandma joined us, decades ago, we have had a fresh kolam greet us each morning, at our house foyer. Most of our grandmas are sure to have a book of designs/ rangolis which they still add on to and refer, often painstakingly compiled by hand. A more simple, familiar introduction to Indian art there cannot be. And whatever the name it may be known by, across the states of India- kolam, alpona, muggu- it is enchanting .

The vivid illustrations in the book capture a variety of styles and venues where one can appreciate rangolis. It states the reason why rangolis are drawn and concludes on a modern note- a sticker rangoli to work around the constraints of modern day living!

There is step by step kolam on the back page which is sure to provoke a child’s curiosity. And ideal for novice adult learners too.