The word mandala (pronounced mun-DA-luh) comes from the word for circle in the ancient Indian language called Sanskrit. People have been fascinated by circles since before humans could write. Thousands of years ago, a Greek philosopher named Proclus wrote: "the circle is the first, the simplest, and most perfect form."

Sometimes mandalas are used in rangoli (pronounced run-GO-lee), a traditional Indian art form that uses temporary materials like colored sand, powder, or chalk to decorate floors outside homes and temples for celebrations like Diwali. Those mandalas often use shapes and patterns that carry special meanings. Lots of people all over the world have become fascinated with mandalas. Mitali designed mandala coloring pages with a software program called Adobe Illustrator. You can download the PDF coloring pages below. Be creative! And if you feel like sharing your colorful mandalas, please tag on Instagram #archiecelebratesdiwali