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Throughout different periods of history, we find a definite established tradition of painting on various objects, particularly on intimate objects of everyday use floors and walls: and in almost every instance the depiction being associated with some ritual.
Folk paintings of Madhya Pradesh specially the wall painting of Bundelkhand Gondwana. Nimar and Malwa are living expressions of people intrinsically jinked with the socle-cultural ambiance of the area. They are not mere decorations but also spontaneous outpourings of religious devotions.
Specific Art Forms
Sanjhi is associated with a specific festival by the same name, which is celebrated by unmarried girls both in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. This festival lasts for sixteen days beginning with the full moon day in the month of Bhadrapada (August-September) till the new moon day in the month of Ashwin (September-October). This period is marked in the Hindu calendar as pitri paksha. i.e. a fortnight dedicated to ancestors. During this period the ancestral spirits are believed to visit their families. It is important to note here that only unmarried women are allowed to make Sanjhi and after marriage, they give up this practice as prescribed by the ritual. Though the narrative and songs associated with Sanjhi do not make any direct reference to ancestral worship, the relationship between the two is obvious.
Married women who give up their ancestral lineage to join their husbands lineage are disallowed to practice Sanjhi in their paternal homes and take up the task of transmitting this art form and the associated ritual to their daughters who worship the ancestors of their fathers. Notwithstanding many myths and songs that have been superimposed on the Sanjhi ritual and image it can be safely said that in its origin it is linked with the worship of female ancestral spirit or goddess and is deeply associated with notions of fertility and progeny. Commenting on the folk paintings associated with vratas and ritual. Pupul jayakar writes: “The VrataKathas that today accompany these diagrams stories that repeat identical themes lauding the value of the observance. In case of Sanjhi also many narratives and songs have been added and made integral to the Sanjhi image transforming her archaic form into a folk goddess very close and dear to young girls.
Sanjhi is drawn on walls that are first plastered with fresh cow-dung. In this surface various motifs are made in bas-relief with cow-dung. These motifs are then decorated with flowers, colourful and bright strips of paper and kharia (chalk solution). A new motif is drawn each day only to be scraped off the next day. From the thirteenth day onwards the process begins to draw up a full blown Sanjhi with all the motifs put together in a parallelogram with four gateways. This full blown image of Sanjhi is called kilakot, literally meaning ‘fortified dwelling’.
This popular Folk-Painting is popular in Malwa and Nimar. It is a form of land decoration of festival especially on Diwali at home, lawn.
Mandanas are drawn both in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. In Rajasthan they are drawn both on the floor and on the wall, whereas in Madhya Pradesh they are mostly drawn on the floor. Mandana both refers to a specific form of drawing and also to the act of drawing as in chitramandana, to draw or paint.Mandana derives from the word Mandan which means ornamentation of decoration. Mandanas are drawn by women using kharia (chalk solution) and geru (red ochre). They are drawn on the walls and floors of the houses which are first plastered with clay and cow-dung mixture. Mandanas are festival decorations in line drawing and are iconic representation of various gods and goddesses. They are at
once the seat on which a specific deity is invoked and also a symbolic representation of the deity. They are also indicative of the presence of the deity. Mandanas are drawn on the occasion of religious festival and fasts and also during any auspicious ceremony at home concerning birth and marriage or a specially organized religious worship.
This Folk-Painting is popular in the Nimar region, which is used in the hands of Seli Saptami.
In its more basic form of hand prints. Thapa can be witnessed anywhere in the country both across time and across regions. In Rajasthan this has acquired diverse forms and multilevel symbolism. Along with the usual hand prints, we witness here iconic representations of various gods and goddesses that are drawn during festivals, and religious ceremonies to appease specific deities avert disease and evil influences. Many of these drawings are associated with specific seasons. Mahendra Bhanavat, our research associate puts various Mandanas and even Sanjhi tradition as sub-categories of Thapa art form.
Thapas are drawn mainly by women with the help of kumkum, sindoor, henna, ghee and cow-dung. The main colours used for making Thapas of different kinds are red, yellow, green, blue, black and yellow. However, Thapas are usually drawn using single colour and kumkum is the main ingredient used in this form of drawing.
This popular Folk-Painting is popular in the Malwa region, in which wall of the house is painted at the time of marriage.
We also investigated the world of Chitera painters of Malwa and Gwalior. Chitravan is a form of wall painting done by professional painters mostly men though women also draw. The artists are called chiteras and make these paintings during festivals and other religious and ritual ceremonies. Chitravan is figurative and illustrative in its composition and draws its inspiration from religious narratives. This style is also called khyalmandana. In chitravan there is a profusion of figures of gods, goddesses, animals, birds, flowers, creepers, celestial-nymphs and musical instruments. Locally available clay, mineral and vegetable colours are used. Gum and resin is used to impact shine and stability to these colours. Intricate balance between figures, flowers, creepers and other decorative motifs is one of the highlights of this form. Another unique feature of this art form is the absence of any outline or an initial sketch, simple strokes of the brush gradually evolve into intricate and beautiful designs and figures.
In Gwalior Chitera – auli is a famous locality, where chiteras reside. Gwalior style differs from Malwa in terms of height, dress and ornamentation of main characters. Women painters render support at all levels, beginning with the preparing of colours and brushes, and in the actual process of painting. Some woman operate independently and paint at their client`s house during religious and ritual ceremonies.
This is a commercial art form and chiteras are paid both in cash and kind. This form is also practiced on paper and in known as pana.
Tribal Painting includes Bhil Paintings of Rajasthan. Gond and Bhil paintings of Madhya Pradesh including Pithora paintings. In Rajasthan the Bhil tribal painting is known as Mandana, though it is different in style. It is mostly done on the walls of the houses. These paintings begin from the base of the wall and reach up to the height of eight to ten feet. The surface is prepared for painting by plastering the wall with black or white coloured clay and cow-dung mixture.
Pithora strictly belongs to the realm of the ritual each line or dot that finds place here is pregnant with ritual and symbolic meanings. The process of painting is accompanied by music and singing which form an integral part of the ritual and the painting process.
Pithora painting is made during the ritual worship of the Bhil deity Pithora. This worship is held to obtain good harvest, birth of a male progeny or as thanks giving ceremony upon wish fulfillment. This rirual lasts for about 3 to 5 days and the whole clan and village community participate in the ritual. Being an
expensive affair only rich members of the community undertake its organization. Though a collective affair. Pithora painting is mostly the work of professional painters known as lakhindra. Horses find a special place in Pithora paintings. They are representative of various deities and are drawn in rows. The horses of Pithora and Pithori are painted in the centre. Motifs and characters associated with the narrative of Pithora find their place in these paintings. Raja Indi, Pithora, Pithori, Dharni Dharti (earth),
Malwi Gori, Raja Bhoj, Kajal Rani and Kali koyal are some of the main characters appearing in the painting. It is of utmost ritual importance to paint the characters correctly and in their proper place. At night the painting is worshipped and gods are invoked through song, music and trance. The ritual specialist called ojha introduces each character in the painting and invokes his presence. Wine and goats are sacrificed during the ritual. The painting is sometimes plastered over with clay and cow-dung mixture after the ritual.
Red, yellow, black, blue, green, purple and white are the main colours used. Earlier colours prepared traditionally with locally available clay, minerals, vegetables and stones were used. Today poster colours, acrylic and oil paints are also being used. New motifs like cycles, aeroplanes, motorcycle, jeep, bus, guns all find place in Pithora paintings indicating the contemporaneity and dynamic character of folk paintings.
Gond paintings can be found in inner and outer walls of the houses, windows and niches. The main colours used are: red, yellow, blue, black, and white. These paintings are based on motifs taken from the oral narratives of Gonds. Local deities, cock fight, scenes connected with forest, agriculture, marriage and other rituals find place in these paintings.
This popular Folk-Painting is popular in the Nimar region, in which wall painting is made on Haryali Amavasya.
This folk –Painting is popular in the Bundelkhand area, which is a mural painting is done on the main door at the time of marriage.
This Folk-Painting is popular in Bundelkhand region. It made during Navratri by unmarried girls.
This Folk-Painting is popular in the Nimar region, which is filled with a kanchali on the bride and bridegroom`s head on the occasion of marriage.
This Folk-Painting is popular in the Baghelkhand area, in which is painted on the occasion of weddings.
This Folk-Painting is popular in Baghelkhand area, in which is made on the sixth day of birth of the child.
This Folk-Painting is popular in Baghelkhand area, which is made by a mixture of coal in linseed oil for painting Tilanga`s picture on the wall.
This Folk-Painting art is popular in Baghelkhand area. On the ninth day of Bhado, the married women worship by making a wall painting.
Gudna refers to that style of painting which is made by piercing the body with the help of a needle and injecting it with black colour obtained from lamp soot. Use of kumkum, milk of aak, leaves of bilva plant and juice of harsingar flower are also used at times. Both men and women get their bodies painted in this manner. Both tribals and non-tribals are fond of Gudna. Gudnas are not only ornamental in value but also serve as identification marks of different tribal groups. Images of birds, animals, gods, and goddesses, vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, dots, flowers, swastika, sun and moon are some of the popular motifs used in Gudna. Married and unmarried women have specific designs of Gudna for different parts of the body. These designs have ritual and symbolic meanings. Gudnas are also drawn to ward off evil eye, gain good harvest, health and fertility.
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