Colourful feast for the eyes

Malleswaram Grounds donned a whole new avatar over the weekend. As part of the 50th Bengaluru Ganesha Utsava, the preliminary round of Ranga Rang, a rangoli contest, was held.

But this was no regular contest — it saw more than 400 women from across the City showcase their rangoli skills on the streets itself.

Organised by the Sri Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha, the preliminary round of the contest saw the participants giving it their all to ensure that their design stood out in the crowd. At the end of the day, only 100 qualified to the grand finale, which will be held on September 2 on Commercial Street. 

S M Nandish, the managing trustee of Sri Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha, says, “The preparation for Indian festivities is incomplete without the woman of the household drawing rangoli designs at her doorstep to welcome guests.

 This ancient practice is timeless and Ranga Rang celebrates the significance of this traditional art form, that has withstood the test of time. The designs showcased today were truly impressive and today’s competition was very close in terms of the quality and uniqueness of designs.”

Likewise, even the spectators were awestruck as the participants drew elaborate designs depicting the Indian culture. 

The bold colours and intricate designs adorned the streets and one could see many Indian motifs depicting various themes. Be it the flowers, radha-krishna or the geometric patterns, there was no dearth of themes. A popular theme that one saw in most rangolis was Ganeshas and diyas.

 Colours like red, pink, yellows and blues were prominent in many designs and what really impressed everyone was how patiently the women spent time on the designs, without giving any importance to the weather. 

Once the preliminary competition was complete, Malleswaram was open to the public as a walking street throughout the day. Spectators could view these wonderful designs. And looking at the sheer talent and the standard of designs, expectations for the finale have only increased.