Day 578

I've seen several similar paintings in other parts of the city, and I finally figured out what they are: rangoli designs! Rangoli (known regionally by other names, including kolam, alpana/alpona, aripan, and mandana) is an ancient art form, traditionally practiced by women, that originated in the Indian subcontinent. You can see more examples here, and you can watch the "world's largest alpona" — several acres in size — being painted on a major thoroughfare in Dhaka, Bangladesh here.