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One more New Year Rangoli:

Hope you liked my Rangolis.....More in my next posts....Keep watching my blog....

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I know you are all eager to say good bye to 2013 and welcome to new year 2014. So you are eagerly awaiting New Year Rangoli to celebrate and usher in the New Year. Here it is:

I have kept it very simple. You can fill it with colours and also decorate it with free hand flowers or other designs besides the wishes. Now let your creativity guide you.

Wishing you all 

              A VERY HAPPY, 

             HEALTHY, 

                PEACEFUL 

                   AND 

                     PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

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Rangoli-290

This is again one more chain Rangoli. 4X4 block developed into bigger one. 

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Here is one more chain Rangoli. This is 5X5 block developed into the bigger one. 

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Here are some Borders for Rangolis for this festive season:

These are free hand drawings-no dots. I have used the colours to reflect the festive spirit. You can either draw with white rangoli powder and fill in colours or directly use colour powders. 

You can use these as edges to Rangolis or use them on their own at doorsteps etc. 

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Christmas Special-Rangoli

This is 20 dots 4 rows in the center to 4 dots-straight dots. 

I have chosen candles, bells, holly and berries, gifts with rose in the center to reflect the festive spirit. Hope you like it.

May the Christmas season
fill your home with joy,
your heart with love

and your life with laughter.

May your Christmas 
sparkle with 
moments of love, 
laughter and goodwill,
And may the year ahead 
be full of contentment and joy.



Wishing You All A Merry Christmas....

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Rangoli-286

Here is one more simple Chain or Mellicka Rangoli 

 This is the basic 4X4 block

Expanded Rangoli. Hope you like my Rangolis. Please do drop in any suggestions or comments on my Rangolis and other posts. 

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Here is a Rangoli which is combination of chain Rangoli and ordinary lines Rangoli. This is 23 to 1 straight dots. This one is sort of traditional. I have it in my Grandma's note book where she used to record all Rangolis. 

Hope you are liking my Rangolis and find it useful. Keep watching for more to come....

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This is 13 to 1 straight dots.

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This is 11 to 1 straight dots. Very easy to draw. More to come.....Keep an eye on my blog...

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Here is one more Rangoli-Chain or Melicka Rangoli:

This is actually a 5X5 block (one dot on each side extra) expanded into this design. You can either use just one block or as above or add more depending upon the space you have. The center part I have kept it simple. This is very simple and easy to draw.

I am sorry I am not able to post daily. I do have a lot of designs ready. But with my visit to doctors and attending to other issues, I feel too tired to take the photo and upload them. But from today on wards, I will try my best to post at least one every day. So keep an eye on my blog. I can post any time.....

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Cranes N Fishes Rangoli

 Here is one more Rangoli.

This is 18 dots 6 times in the center to 6 dots-Straight dots. The theme is Cranes and Fishes.

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Friends, the auspicious month of Dhanurmaasam (Sun entering the Zodiac sign of Sagittarius) starts from tomorrow. It is a month long Rangoli festival. We clean our front yards, sprinkle cow dung mixed water and draw beautiful Rangolis-with or with out dots, using lines or free hand- before Sun rise. 

This is the time to show our creative skills. Every Indian women-especially South Indian women take this as a challenge, drawing, huge designs, very intricate, very creative. They include traditional as well as modern ones. 

With the winter at its peak this year(so early), it is so difficult to draw the Rangolis. Our fingers go numb after some time and drawing becomes difficult. To be in bending position for long time to draw these designs, our legs and back become stiff. But still we do this every year with out fail. For, it is a way of praying to the Lord for His Grace.

So here we go with the first Rangoli of the season:

The dots for this are:

21, 19, 17, 15, 15, 11, 9, 9, 5, 3, 1, straight dots.

I have chosen the theme of flowers and butterflies, as my garden is full of beautiful flowers and it is a delight to watch many butterflies visiting them. They let the sun rise and after 2-3 hours, sun themselves to get rid of the dew on their wings and then they go on their business. 

This is an easy Rangoli- warming up for much more to come. I will try to post at least one design every day. So watch out  for many beautiful ones to come.....

Your comments and suggestions do motivate me...so please take a little time to drop in your comments/suggestions....

Oh Don't forget to chant Lords name while drawing these Rangolis...it can be Sri Ram, Hare Rama, Hare Rama....or Govinda or anything which you like....

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Rangolis For Dhanur Maasam

        



        So folks get ready for the Dhanur Masam. We have less than a month for the month long Rangoli Festival. 
              
       I am already on the job, creating new  Rangolis. This time I want to create some new ones. Please do drop in your suggestions as to what all new areas/subjects I can explore for this. 

    I will also try to post the usual traditional designs of Nela Muggulu, if I can find some of them. 

      If any one of you can contribute those traditional Nela Muggu - which are drawn using lines, please do, as they are becoming rarer and the present generation does not know much of those designs. 

        So watch out my blog.......

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Kartika Purnima Special

Today is Kaartika Purnima, the Full Moon in the month of Kartikam. It is very auspicious day. Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu are worshiped. Today is good for spiritual sadhana or meditation.

 This is 21 dots to 1. But 13 dots is 2 times. That is 21, 19, 17, 15, 13, 13, 11, 7, 5, 3, 1. 

A closer look. 

Since Lord Shiva is worshipped today, I chose, Shiva Lingam, Lotuses, Bilva dalams(which are dear to Lord Shiva) and rudraksha. Hope you like it.

Light as many oil lamps as possible today in the evening, in and around your home and if possible in temples too.

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Zipper Bag

Here is a small bag. Made from sturdy jean cloth and lots of zippers with adjustable long strap. So Colorful.

Don't be mislead with so many Zippers. There are only 4 compartments. Two on one side and two on the other. All other zippers are for show.

 Looks like this underside and out side. 

Just enough to carry your mobile and some money. So you can use all those zippers lying around or recycle old ones and old jeans like this,

Here is another one. These are a great hit with teenagers and young ones. 

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Bows On Your Feet

Do you like Bows on your feet?  Well here is the latest footwear for ladies with bows...

Available in other colours too. But I would have loved if the bows were in white colour or white footwear with black bows -- that is in contrast colours. It would have made these footwear even more attractive. Don't you think so?

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Multi-Purpose Storage Bag

We women buy accessories every time we get a chance. Especially purses and bags-different sizes, shapes, colours and what not. Yes we do require them whether we are travelling, going for work or for partying. There are also bags for storage as well as for carrying jewellery, cosmetics and other things.

Here is bag, which you can use for storing, carrying your jewellery or cosmetics. You can use it carrying other things may be cheque books, cards etc? Children can carry their pencils, pens etc.

 But mind you it is transparent. 

 It is light weight, available in different colours and not much costly.

You can just drop this bag in your tote or a bigger shoulder bag. So this is good for multipurpose storage and use. 

Good as a gift too-to teenagers or our friends. 

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Green Magnolia

Hello there. Today, I want to share with you something from my garden. It is green Magnolia Champaka. This is the first flower, since I planted it. I am so happy to see it flower. It lifted my spirits. 

Magnolia is known as Champaka in Sanskrit, Champa in Hindi and Sampenga in Telugu. 

Magnolia trees/shrubs were found in most of the gardens of South Indian houses, when houses were built in big plots. Now, because of pocket sized gardens and apartments in cities, we hardly find any of these plants. But during the season, our markets flood with these flowers, which come from small towns and flower gardens cultivated by the farmers. 

I only know three colours of this variety. One is the yellow or golden coloured one known as the Golden Magnolia. This is the most common variety. Here we call it as Simhachalam Sampenga, and Lord Narasimha in Simhachalam(near Vishakhapatnam) is worshiped with these flowers. It is also found in abundance in the areas surrounding the temple.

Green coloured one is also popular. This is known as Aaku (means leaf)Sampenga. The yellow and green flowers are sold in the markets during the flowering season. But the white one is very rare and I have not seen its flowers in open market.It is said that this plant thrives well in Himalayas and likes colder climate.

The yellow and white ones are trees where as the green one is a creeper. But I am maintaining it as a shrub.

The scent of each of these varieties is different. I love all the three, but the white one is very delicate to look at and also, its fragrance is very subtle. The flowering season is also different as far as I can remember. The green and the white flower in winter. But the yellow one flowers in summer. I need to closely watch the flowering now. 

Though I had all the three varieties, the yellow one gets attacked by termites. I have planted it twice and both times as it grows, the termites attack and kill it. I am not able to save it no matter what I do. So I have to plant a new one. Here take a look at the white and green flowers from my garden. 

The green ones are very difficult to find between the leaves. One has to rely on one's nose to locate these flowers :). 

These flowers are used in offerings to Gods and Goddesses and also worn in the hair by women. Usually a single flower (or at the most 2 to 3) is worn in the hair. These are also used in perfumes and incense.

It is said that snakes get attracted to the scent of these flowers and I have heard many stories from my mom and grand mother how these shrubs are infested with snakes. But here in the city where I live, no snake would dare to enter, our human infested jungle..:)...

You can read more about these trees and flowers here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnolia_champaca

http://www.flowersofindia.net/catalog/slides/Champa.html

I will keep you posted.......

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