How to make Easly Lakshmi pada designs |laxmi footprint/How to make Latest Laxmi Pada Alpana Designs
Materials used to draw an Alpana
Traditionally in Bangladesh, Alpana is white, since the liquid paste used for Alpana is rice powder mixed in water. Nowadays though, there have been more variety in materials. People have started utilizing glue in their Alpana to make the paint more durable. Fabric colors have also started to become an ingredient in Alpana to add color variety to its generally white mix. Traditionally, the green colouration is done by tree leaves and red by sindur. People also color the paint by soaking cotton thread in the paste.
Uses of Alpana
This art is known by different names in various parts of India and its use varies from region to region. The most common type of alpana all around India is Rangoli, which uses colored sand to draw a design. The artwork is mainly done by women. They are conscious of the changing moods of the seasons and their creativity thus marks the changing cycle of the year.
Circular alpana is used as a holy pedestal during festivals such as the Bengal, Saraswati puja (also referred to as vasant panchami) in Bengal and the Festival of Lights (Diwali). Items drawn with the technique include the sun, swastika, a rice stem, an owl, a ladder, a plough, the footprints of the goddess Lakshmi, a fish, betel, a lotus, shankhalata (a snake) and some times just some abstract art to look beautiful .
