Rangoli Revolution: 7 Powerful Ways Vijayalakshmi Mohan Transformed Tradition Into Global Healing

Singapore-based artist Vijayalakshmi Mohan, honored with Singapore’s 2025 Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award, has spent six decades reimagining the traditional Indian art of rangoli into a global symbol of creativity and unity. Born in India’s Srirangam, she mastered kolam and rangoli under her mother’s guidance, later pioneering innovations like weather-resistant designs and eco-friendly installations using recycled materials (65,000 CDs, 20,000 cotton buds).

Her Guinness World Record-breaking 2,756 sq ft rangoli (2008) and 50+ Singaporean community projects showcase her dedication to inclusivity, engaging multiracial groups from ages 3 to 93. As a certified art therapist, she integrates rangoli into mental health care, using its meditative symmetry to heal dementia patients and stressed professionals. Her work bridges cultures—melding Indian kolam with Chinese orchids or Malay motifs—embodying Singapore’s multicultural ethos.

Recognized with a 2023 Long Service Award, she now explores AR/VR to engage youth, proving tradition thrives through innovation. Vijayalakshmi’s legacy lies in transforming a fleeting ritual into timeless, universal art, fostering connection and resilience across generations. 

Rangoli Revolution: 7 Powerful Ways Vijayalakshmi Mohan Transformed Tradition Into Global Healing

At 66, Singapore-based artist Vijayalakshmi Mohan has transformed the ancient Indian art of rangoli into a global language of creativity, cultural connection, and healing. Recently honored with Singapore’s prestigious Stewards of Intangible Cultural Heritage Award, her journey—spanning six decades—reveals how tradition can evolve to inspire modern communities while preserving its soul.  

From Srirangam to Singapore: A Lifelong Passion

Growing up in Tamil Nadu’s temple town of Srirangam, Vijayalakshmi learned rangoli and kolam (South India’s rice flour art) from her mother. These intricate floor designs, rooted in Hindu rituals, became her meditation. “Creating symmetry with rice flour at dawn felt like a prayer,” she recalls. Floods destroyed her childhood sketchbook of 1,000+ designs, but the patterns remained etched in her memory—a living archive she now shares globally.

Reinventing Tradition in a New Home

When Vijayalakshmi moved to Singapore in 1992, she faced cultural and logistical challenges. Her first competition entry—a Ganesha rangoli—blew away in the wind, teaching her to adapt. Recognizing Singapore’s multicultural ethos, she reimagined rangoli as a collaborative, inclusive art. Her workshops attracted participants aged 3 to 93, including non-Indians unfamiliar with the craft. “Art transcends language,” she says. “A shared design becomes a bridge.”

Breaking Records, Building Legacy

In 2008, Vijayalakshmi earned a Guinness World Record for the largest rangoli (2,756 sq ft), created post-surgery with sheer determination. But her true legacy lies in democratizing the art:

• All-Weather Rangoli: Partnering with her “glue specialist” husband, she pioneered weather-resistant designs using adhesives, showcased for months outdoors.

• Upcycled Materials: From 65,000 CDs to 20,000 cotton buds, she replaces traditional powders with recycled items, making rangoli accessible and eco-friendly.

• Tech Fusion: Her “dancing rangoli” app and experiments with AR/VR aim to engage digital-native youth.

Rangoli as Therapy: Healing Through Art

After earning a Master’s in Art Therapy (2007), Vijayalakshmi integrated rangoli into mental health care. In hospitals, senior centers, and schools, she observed how the rhythmic process of design-making reduced anxiety and fostered focus. “Touching materials, choosing colors—it’s sensory healing,” she explains. For dementia patients, recreating patterns sparked memory recall; for stressed professionals, it became mindfulness practice.

Cultural Stewardship in a Multicultural World

Singapore’s 2023 Long Service Award and 2025 NHB honor underscore her role in preserving heritage while fostering unity. Her public installations often blend motifs from Chinese, Malay, and Indian cultures—a lotus paired with orchids, or geometric kolam patterns alongside Islamic arabesques. “Rangoli isn’t just Indian anymore,” she notes. “It’s a Singaporean art form.”

The Science Beneath the Art

Vijayalakshmi emphasizes rangoli’s cognitive benefits:

• Symmetry and Math: Designing freehand sharpens spatial reasoning.

• Mind-Body Connection: The bent posture (“chin mudra”) and rhythmic motions mirror yoga, enhancing circulation and focus.

• Community Impact: Collective creations build teamwork, as seen in her 50+ Singapore record attempts involving diverse groups.

A Vision for the Future

Despite accolades, Vijayalakshmi remains driven by purpose. She dreams of a “Rangoli Peace Project,” where global communities co-create designs symbolizing harmony. “Tradition shouldn’t be static,” she asserts. “If our ancestors could innovate, why can’t we?”

Why This Matters

Vijayalakshmi Mohan’s story isn’t just about preserving tradition—it’s a blueprint for cultural evolution. In a world where heritage often clashes with modernity, her work proves that art can adapt without losing its essence. By turning rangoli into a tool for therapy, education, and cross-cultural dialogue, she offers a model for how intangible traditions can stay relevant, resilient, and deeply human.