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Sajiva — Which Circle Are You Drawing?

By Varalakshmi Bharanidharan  |  Mandala Artist & Art Therapist  |  August 2026

Have you ever wondered why some circles simply decorate a space, while others transform the person who creates them?

It's a question we don't usually stop to ask. A circle is a circle, right? But sit with it for a moment, and you'll notice — not every circle is drawn for the same reason. In this Friday's session, Sajiva, we look closely at three circles that seem alike but couldn't be more different.

Three Circles, Three Purposes

Circles show up everywhere in our lives — on the floor, on the wall, and sometimes, in a quiet practice. But not every circle means the same thing. There are three you should know about: the Kolam, the Ornamental Mandala, and the Living Mandala. They can look similar. What they do is completely different.

The Kolam — Tradition. Sacred. Everyday.

You've seen this one — drawn at the doorstep every morning, often with rice flour, on a simple grid of dots.

It's part of daily life. It welcomes people into the home. It's sacred, but it's also ordinary — done every single day, without needing anything special.

By evening, it's gone. Tomorrow, it's drawn again. That's not a flaw — that's the whole idea. The Kolam isn't meant to last. It's meant to be repeated.

The Ornamental Mandala — Beauty. Expression. Decoration.

This is the mandala most people think of first — the one on a wall, in a gift, on a canvas.

It's made to look beautiful. It expresses the artist's style and skill. And once it's finished, that's it — it's complete. You hang it, you admire it, and it stays exactly as it is.

There's nothing wrong with this. It's simply art made to be seen, not practiced.

The Living Mandala — Intention. Awareness. Transformation.

This is the one we practice together every Friday.

A Living Mandala isn't finished when the drawing is done. It only really "happens" when a person sits with it — with focus (intention), with attention to what's going on inside them (awareness), and comes away a little different than when they started (transformation).

Same circle. Same geometry, even. But this one isn't about the finished picture — it's about what happens to you while you make it.

So Which One Are You Drawing?

None of these three is "better" than the others — they simply serve different purposes. A Kolam blesses a space. An Ornamental Mandala decorates a wall. A Living Mandala changes the person who draws it.

The next time you sit down with a pen and a circle, it's worth asking yourself: which one am I making today?

Varalakshmi Bharanidharan is a Mandala Artist, Art Therapist, and Mandala Researcher from Chennai. She holds a Wonder Book of Record for India's largest hand-drawn Sacred Geometry Mandala and is certified from California State University (ICPEM). She teaches through Varaaz Arts — Experience Your Mandala.