When I was in India, I was able to meet with a number of people from the village. I was and am still struck by the wonderful grace and hospitality of everyone.
It was on a visit to the home of Dhriti, that I learned about a custom that I felt captured the essence of this hospitality. Each morning the women clean the ground outside their door with water and a broom. They then take what looks like a small container of gymnasts chalk, and form a hand drawn pattern outside the door.
Rangoli Pattern by Dhriti
It is called Rangoli, and it is essentially a daily hand drawn welcome mat. I loved it – even if I couldn’t master it!!
Dhriti teaching Angie Rangoli
Today we are in discussions with a couple of companies looking at various ways to incorporate this design into a custom product that they would market under their label. We’ve had some fun ideas like T-Shirts, scarves, and cloth bags.
How great would it be to have steady orders flowing to this little village for an item whose concept began with hospitality!
