Source: Beliefnet
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/166/story_16634_1.html?rnd=71
On May 15, 2005 Beliefnet ran an article by Aparita Bhandari, a Toronto-based freelance writer, about floor paintings and her Hindu heritage: "Every swirl of the floor paintings I learned from my mother and grandmother connected me to my ancestors and my Indian origins... Aipan is a traditional art form found in Kumaon, a mountainous region in the Indian state of Uttaranchal, where my family comes from. In simple terms, aipan could be described as floor painting. It’s similar to other floor-painting traditions across India, such as kolam in South India, alpana in Bengal, and rangoli in Maharashtra. However, aipan has its own peculiarities in the way it’s created and its cultural and religious significance."