The colorful floor-art decoration made from powder or sand that is popular during Diwali is rangoli.
Rangoli is created by arranging colored powder, sand, rice flour, flower petals, or similar materials into designs on a floor or tabletop. During Diwali, it is commonly placed near a doorway or courtyard after the area has been cleaned. The decoration is associated with welcome, auspiciousness, and the hope that Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, will enter the home.
Rangoli is a broad regional tradition rather than one fixed design. Motifs may be geometric, floral, animal-based, or inspired by deities such as Lakshmi and Ganesha. Similar arts have different names across South Asia: kolam is especially associated with Tamil Nadu, while alpana is used in Bengal and Bangladesh. Those are related forms, but rangoli is the standard general term in this Diwali context.