Pictured: The winning pupils from Blue Coat CE Primary School with their art sets

whg celebrated the Hindu festival of Diwali by challenging Walsall school children to create traditional Indian folk art.

Five schools across the borough were invited to take part in the creative competition to mark the annual festival of lights.

Pupils at Blue Coat CE Junior School, Green Rock Primary School, Rough Hay Primary School, St Giles CE Primary and Watling Street Primary School were asked to create their own colourful rangoli pattern.

Bright rangoli patterns and designs were traditionally used to decorate the entrances to Indian homes to beautify them and welcome guests. Rangoli is still used throughout the year but most widely around Diwali.

A panel of judges, comprising two representatives from Shree Ram Mandir temple in Pleck and three whg colleagues, chose a winner and four runners-up from each school and those children received a prize of their own art set.

From the five winners, an overall first place, second place and three runners-up were announced. The schools were awarded £150, £100 and £50 respectively and the rangoli designs were displayed in whg's offices.

Klair Jassal, of whg's Estate Management Team, helped organise the competition as part of her role on whg's Diversity Improvement Group (DIG).

She said: "At whg, through DIG, we aim to embrace all cultures represented in the communities we serve. Each year members of DIG will choose two festivals or cultural events to celebrate - in 2012 one will be the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, for example."

Klair added that the rangoli made by the children was excellent. "The judges had a very hard task to choose winners as the standard of entries was impressive. Well done to all."

An internal competition ran alongside the school challenge whereby whg colleagues were invited to submit their own rangoli designs.