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Padi kolam · படி கோலம்

A padi kolam is drawn with sets of parallel lines around a centre square, with steps on all four sides. No dots are needed. Many homes draw it on Fridays and for pooja.

Kolam collection · கோலத் தொகுப்பு

  • 620designs
  • Easy to Mediumlevel
  • 8 minfor most
  • PDFdot sheet

Also called: manai kolam, kanya kolam, geethala muggu

Print the dot sheet (PDF)WatchTraceCreate

Padi kolam designs, step by step · படி கோலம்

60 of 620 designs, easiest first. Open one to watch it drawn, step by step.

Browse all kolam designs

Padi kolam practice sheet (PDF) · பயிற்சித் தாள்

Print it on A4. Each design is laid out to draw on, its dots with helping numbers or a faint line to trace, with the finished design beside it to copy. Lovely for home, school and kolam classes.

Print the dot sheet

More kolam collections · கோலத் தொகுப்புகள்

Each collection has designs to watch step by step and a dot sheet to print.

Days and festivals · பண்டிகை கோலங்கள்

How to draw a padi kolam

  1. Get ready

    Sweep the spot and sprinkle a little water so the powder holds. Choose a design and keep its step pictures open beside you.

  2. Draw the design

    Draw a square in the centre, then sets of parallel lines around it, and turn them out into steps on all four sides.

  3. Finish and enjoy

    Close every line, add colour if you like, and step back to enjoy it. Draw the same design again tomorrow and it will come out faster.

Good to know

  • Most designs here take 8 to 15 minutes. The first few are the easiest, so start there.
  • Practise on the printed dot sheet first. The hand learns the turns on paper, then the floor is easy.

Questions people ask

What is a padi kolam?

A padi kolam is drawn with sets of parallel lines around a centre square, with steps on all four sides. No dots are needed. Many homes draw it on Fridays and for pooja.

How long does a padi kolam take to draw?

The designs on this page take 8 to 15 minutes, about 8 minutes for most. They go from Easy to Medium in level. A design you have drawn once goes faster the next time.

Is there a printable padi kolam practice sheet?

Yes. Print the dot sheet PDF on this page: it has the dots for each design to practise on, then the finished designs to copy. Each design page also has its own sheet.

What else is a padi kolam called?

In Tamil it is படி கோலம். People also call it manai kolam, kanya kolam, geethala muggu.

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