Designs are passed from one generation to the next, keeping both the art form and the tradition alive. The purpose of rangoli is to feel strength, generosity, and it is thought to bring good luck. Design depictions may also vary as they reflect traditions, folklore, and practices that are unique to each area.
Rangoli may have originated in India even before the origin of the Hindu epics, because rangoli is mentioned in the epics. ... Chitra Lakshana, an early treatise on Indian painting, attributed the idea of rangoli to Lord Brahma.