An urli is the quickest way to make a home look ready for Diwali. A wide, shallow bowl, some water, a handful of marigolds and a few floating diyas, and the entrance is dressed in ten minutes. It also keeps working long after the festival, which is more than most decorations can say.
Here is how to style one at the entrance, on the centre table and by the mandir, how to keep the water fresh all week, and which urli suits which spot.
What is an urli?
An urli (also spelt uruli) is a wide, shallow vessel, traditionally brass or bronze, that comes from Kerala, where it was once used to cook in large quantities. Today it is mostly decorative. Filled with water and flowers, it sits by the front door to welcome guests. In Vastu, water and fresh flowers near the entrance are said to draw in positive energy, which is why so many homes keep one there all year.
1. The entrance urli: flowers and floating diyas
This is the classic, and the one most people picture. Set the urli on the floor or a low stool beside the door, somewhere nobody will kick it on the way in.
- Fill it two-thirds with water, so the flowers float but nothing spills when the door swings.
- Lay a ring of marigold heads around the edge first, then fill the middle with rose petals.
- Add three or five floating diyas. Odd numbers look less arranged.
- Draw the rangoli around the base, not under it, so the urli stays the centre and the rangoli frames it.
For a doorway, go for 9 to 12 inches; anything smaller disappears at floor level. Handles help more than you would think, because a full urli is heavy and you will move it every time you mop. The BEHOMA brass peacock urli has two.
2. The centre table urli
On a coffee or dining table, go smaller and lower, around 6 to 11 inches, so people can still see each other across it. If the table actually gets used, skip the water: loose flowers or a cluster of tealights in a dry urli look just as good and survive an elbow.
Wood on wood looks calm here, and wood does not need polishing before guests arrive. The BEHOMA mango wood and metal urli is 11 inches across, about right for a standard centre table.
3. Urli decoration without water
Water is beautiful, but it is also work. A dry urli is the better choice for a balcony, a bedroom or anywhere near electronics.
- Fill it with dried rose petals and put a few fresh marigolds on top.
- Line it with a banana leaf and arrange whole flowers on it like a plate.
- Use an urli with candle holders built in, so the tealights stay put. The BEHOMA wooden T-light urli is 12 inches with six glass holders, and comes with the candles.
4. The mandir urli
Keep it small and simple next to the mandir: a little brass urli with one floating diya, or a few lotus flowers for Lakshmi puja. If fresh lotus is hard to find where you live, the BEHOMA golden lotus urli has the lotus shape built into the bowl. For a narrow shelf, a 6 inch piece like the Kansakruti brass elephant urli fits without crowding the idols.
5. Keeping the water fresh all week
The usual problem: by the third day the water smells and the flowers have gone brown.
- Change the water every second day, and pour the old water into your plants rather than down the sink.
- A few drops of rose water or a small piece of camphor keeps it smelling fresh.
- Marigolds last the longest. Roses and jasmine look tired within two days.
- Keep diya oil out of the water. Use proper floating diyas, or tealights in holders.
6. Brass, bronze or wood?
- Brass is the classic: heavy, warm, and at its best with water and marigolds. Polish it with lemon and salt the week before Diwali.
- Bronze is darker and looks older. It costs more and suits heirloom pieces.
- Wood is lighter, easier to move and suits modern homes. Keep water out of a wooden urli unless it has a metal liner.
- Enamelled or coated metal is cheaper and very decorative. Keep it dry.
7. Choosing the size
- 6 to 8 inches: side tables, shelves and the mandir.
- 9 to 12 inches: centre tables and most entrances.
- 14 inches and up: big foyers and outdoor steps, where the urli can be the only decoration you need.
If you cannot decide, a nested set solves it: the Royal India golden urli set of 3 gives you one for the door, one for the table and one for the mandir.
After Diwali
Don't pack it away. Keep it at the entrance with fresh water and a few flowers changed twice a week, or move it to the centre table with dry petals. An urli is one of the few festive pieces that looks just as right in March.
Every urli here can be turned around in 3D, so you can check the shape and size before you buy. See them all in Festivities.
