Maveli drawings: Mahabali under the umbrella, at the pookalam, his face

Maveli is the name Keralites use for King Mahabali, whose yearly visit to his people is celebrated at Onam. Children draw him for school, and families copy the drawing for Onam decorations. These nine show Maveli with a palm-leaf umbrella, bending over a pookalam with one hand raised in blessing, and his face with a tall crown and a curled moustache. Each is drawn in clean closed lines. Type a different scene, and the same three styles carry it.

• a copy-by-hand drawing for school
• an Onam decoration on a classroom wall
• a colored sheet for a family Onam afternoon
• a sketchbook page for the festival week

Frequently asked questions

Who is Maveli?

Maveli is the name used in Kerala for King Mahabali, whose yearly return is marked at Onam.

Is it easy enough for a child to copy?

The easy style uses a few bold, uniform outlines. The pencil sketch adds soft shading and faint construction lines.

What does the colored version contain?

A gold crown, cream kasavu with a gold border, green leaves and red and yellow flowers, each inside a black outline.

Can I change the scene?

Yes. Type a different scene in your own words. The result is a request, not a guaranteed match, and the three styles carry it.

About toile

This page is a showcase and a starting point: nine samples already rendered, three readings of the pack crossed with three styles, each shown at the size and ratio it was made for. Take any of them further on the wall with a few words, or ask for all nine again under your own direction; a sign-in keeps what you make, and it is free while Toile is new. The recipe behind each sample — the subject, the style, the palette, the framing — travels with the image rather than staying private to the render: it is in the alt text of every sample and in the page's own structured data, so a search engine reads the same handles a person would.