Even the simple custom of decorating the floor of the entrance of the house or temple (Rangoli) is done with rice flour so that birds, ants and other small insects can feed off the decorations on the floor. The decorating with rice floor held compassion in it, while today we forget that and think only of its appearance and so we use powdered chalk which is useless to ants and insects. (NNSG Vol.7, p. 6)