Rangoli, also known as kolam or Muggu, is a folk art from India in which patterns are created on the floor in living rooms or courtyards using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals. It is usually made during Diwali, Onam, Pongal and other Indian festivals. They are meant to be sacred welcoming areas for the Hindu deities. The ancient symbols have been passed down through the ages, from each generation to the next, keeping both the art form and the tradition alive. Similar practices are followed in different Indian states: in Tamil Nadu, there is Kolam in Tamil Nadu; Mandana in Rajasthan; Chaookpurna in Chhattisgarh; Alpana in West Bengal; Aripana in Bihar; Chowk pujan in Uttar Pradesh; Muggu in Andhra Pradesh and others.

Miss South Carolina Suzi Roberts competes in the swimsuit competition of the 97th Miss America Competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey U.S. September 10, 2017. (Photo by Mark Makela/Reuters)

Participants of the annual “SlutWalk” march through the Israeli Mediterranean coastal city of Tel Aviv on May 4, 2018 to protest against rape culture, including sexual assault and harassment directed at women. The campaign, which has gained international notoriety, was inspired by group of Canadian women who launched the protest in 2011 in response to a policeman' s comment that if women want to avoid being attacked they should not dress like sl*ts. (Photo by Jack Guez/AFP Photo)

Supporters of the presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari and his All Progressive Congress hits with a motorbike another supporter during celebrations in Kano March 31, 2015. Nigeria's opposition APC declared an election victory on Tuesday for former military ruler Buhari and said Africa's most populous nation was witnessing history with its first democratic transfer of power. (Photo by Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

Martina Maggio, Alice D'Amato, Lara Mori, Asia D'Amato, and Vanessa Ferrari of Team Italy pose in front of the rings during Women's Qualification on day two of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters)

Workers demonstrate outside the factory of Hua Yang Printing Holdings Co Ltd on October 30, 2007 in Shenzhen of Guangdong Province, China. Over 1,000 workers of the company have blocked the 107 State Highway where the firm is located, to protest against their employer, who owed half a month's salary to the workers. (Photo by China Photos/Getty Images)

In this Sunday, May 29, 2016 photo, fighters take a selfie while firing artillery during fight against Islamic State militants in Fallujah, Iraq. Iraqi forces this week pushed into the city's southern sections after securing surrounding towns and villages more than 50,000 people are believed to be trapped inside the Sunni majority city, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) west of Baghdad. (Photo by Anmar Khalil/AP Photo)

Japanese actress Aoi Yamada poses during a photocall for the film “Perfect Days” during the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 26, 2023. (Photo by Valery Hache/AFP Photo)