Alpana is sacred floor or wall art of folk and cultural origin which is done with hands using paste of rice and flour on auspicious ceremonies and festival occasions in Bengal, Assam and the surrounding areas. The decorative filling in Alpana designs is often done green pastes from leaves and red with sindhur powder.
In the present times Alpana as an art form is done with the done with other colouring materials besides the white rice paste. The sand colours, chalk powder,fabric colours and commercial colour pastes are being used.
Often circular designs are used for alpana drawing along with the cultural and religious motifs such as the sun, swastika, rice stem, peacock, owl, heart, drop shapes, ladder, plough, footprints, fish, betel, lotus, snake, swirls, etc.
Comments