UNIT – V POPULAR ART FORMS

Tanjore Painting

Tanjore painting ranks among the greatest traditional art forms for which India is

noted worldwide. Their themes are fundamentally mythological. These religious paintings

demonstrate that spirituality is the essence of creative work. Few art forms match the beauty

and grace of Tanjore paintings. With roots in the Vijayanagara School of painting, Tanjore

painting (also known as Thanjavur painting) originated in the Maratha court of Thanjavur

(1676 – 1855).

Tanjore form of art developed at the height of cultural evolvement achieved during

the rule of mighty Chola Empire. Classical South Indian style of painting is known for their

vibrant (bright & strong) colours and simple representations. Another unique of this painting

style is its usage of glittery gold foils, extensive gesso work (Gesso –white paint mixture

consists of binder mixed with chalk, gypsum and pigment) and precious gems which

accentuate the beauty of these paintings. Tanjore painting is an amalgamation of Deccani,

Vijayanagar, Maratha and even European or Company styles of painting. Like most art forms

of the ancient era, the subjects of most paintings are Hindu gods, goddesses, with figures of

Lord Krishna in various poses and depicting various stages of his life being the favourite and

saints.

Traditionally, a Tanjore painting was generally made on a canvas pasted over a plank

of wood (which are colloquially known as ‘Palagai Padam’) with Arabic gum. The canvas

was then evenly coated with a paste of powdered limestone and a binding medium and dried.

A paste, made of limestone powder and a binding medium called sukkan or makku, was used

for creating the Gesso work. Gold leaves and gems of varied hues were inlaid in selected

areas like pillars, arches, thrones, dresses, etc. Finally, colours were applied on the sketch.

Madhubani Paintings

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 One of the most celebrated styles of folk paintings in India is Madhubani. This

painting style was developed and originated from the state of Mithila (present day Bihar), one

of the most widespread forms of Indian folk arts. This spectacular art style was unknown to

the outside world until discovered by the British colonial William G. Archer in 1934 while

inspecting the damage after the massive Bihar earthquake. Archer was amazed by the

beautiful illustrations on the exposed interior walls of the houses. It mirrored the work of

Pablo Picasso (Spanish painter & Father of Painting) and Joan Miro (Spanish painter &

sculptor, he is known for strong colours and simplified forms. This style developed from

1930. From 1940-1948, Joan Miro lived in Spain and he created many sculptures, graphics,

ceramics) according to William G. Archer.

The theme of Madhubani paintings revolve around Hindu deities like Krishna, Rama,

Lakshmi, Shiva, Durga and Saraswati. Madhubani Paintings are done with fingers and all

natural products like twigs, matchsticks and natural dyes. Formerly they were created on the

mud walls of small huts. However, but today we can find them on cloth and canvas. Gods

and Goddesses always were subjects of art along with natural objects such as the Moon and

Sun, sacred plants such as Tulsi.

Usually, the paintings do not leave any empty space and the gaps are filled by

paintings of flowers, animals, birds. They are known for their fascinating geometric patterns,

symbolic images which are painted on the walls. These paintings were initially made on

special occasions and had elements of nature and religious motifs (design or figure consists of

shapes or colours as in architecture or decoration). It’s said that these paintings were first

made at the time of Sita’s wedding.

The origins of Madhubani painting traditionally derive from the time of the

Ramayana, when King Janak commissioned artists to portray the marriage of his daughter,

Sita, with Sri Rama who was regarded as the incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu. Bharni

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(village panchayat located in Sikar district, Rajsthan), Katchni (Basti district in State of Uttar

Pradesh), Tantrik (refers to scriptures or describe things relating to or connected with

particular movement in Buddhism and Hinduism), Godna (Bihar), and Kohbar (UP) are the

five distinct styles of Madhubani painting. Following are the 5 distinct styles of Madhubani

Paintings.

Bharni Style

Bharni is a Hindi word which means ‘filling’. This is one of the most famous styles of

Madhubani painting. In Madhubani painting, vibrant colors are mostly used on canvas. It was

practiced mainly by upper caste people which depicted mythological characters in epics,

especially the Ramayana and Mahabharata which the womenfolk knew. Mostly the enclosed

areas are filled with vibrant and bright colours like blue, yellow, pink, green, orange, etc. and

the subject is outlined in black.

Katchni Style

Katchni painting style has come a long way from a small town of Ranti village in

Madhubani District is a traditional style of picture coming from the Kayastha community and

is still practiced by Kayasthas of the society. (Kayasthas – denotes a cluster of disparate

communities broadly categorized by the regions of India in which they were traditionally

located in North India. Kayasthas considered to be the members of the writer caste and

traditionally acted as Keepers of Public Records, accounts, administrators of the State. In

modern times Kayasthas have attained success in politics as well as in arts and various

professional fields).

This particular art form has a unique individual style, mainly made using a

monochrome of only one or two colours are used. This style of painting attracts the audience

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since they highlight the peculiar features of natural aspects with a limited colour range. Finest

details are created and the fine pattern is made with hatching (art technique used to create

shading effects by drawing parallel lines) and stippling (creation of pattern shading by using

small dots. Such pattern occurs in nature paintings). As Katchni means lines, they optimize

muted hues, mostly the figures and primarily depict animals, flowers, and other natural

aspects.

Tantrik Style

Tantrik style of painting of Mithila is distinguished from other style of Madhubani

painting. It solely depicts religious texts and characters related to them. Tantra is an original

text describing the Hindu religion and its aspects. Therefore, most of the paintings of Tantrik

style have the influence of Tantra in its painting patterns. (Tantra - In Sanskrit, Tantra means

‘loom’ or ‘weave’ but also ‘treatise’. Paintings date back to handwritten Tantra treatises that

have been copied over many generations until 17th century)

These paintings traditionally depict Hindu mythological characters, which hold the

strong beliefs of the Hindu public. Tantrik subjects include manifestations of Maha Kali,

Maha Durga, Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi, and Maha Ganesh along with other Tantrik

symbols. People in India generally involve these paintings in their home or any special

occasion for prayers with firm faith.

Godna Style

Godna is also among the five styles of Madhubani art and a simple style. This art

form is a unique and beautiful style of Mithila painting. This painting style is famously done

on canvas, but people also tend to use them (Godna is commonly known) as tattoo in today’s

life and it was first done by Chano or Chanu Devi in which she used a pen made of bamboo

and kajal to make the design. It was done on arms and legs. At the first initiative, pointed

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bamboo pen with lampblack ink was used. This style has concentric circles of flowers, field,

birds, animals, plants, trees of life, figures and spirit.

Kohbar Style

Kobar in Madhubani painting is one of the most popular forms of the style of Mithila

art. Kobar is a highly valued word when we speak of Madhubani art as it has a linkage with a

Hindu wedding ceremony. The painting which is painted on the wall of a kohbar is known as

“Kohbar”. This is practiced by the lower class of the society. They wash the paper with cow

dung and paintings are done using earth colours. The Kohbar painting is filled with rich

details, each contributing significance to the meaning of the whole. Kobar art also goes by the

name of Tantra Raj, Yog Yogini, and Shiv Shakti, which means power with the blessing of

Lord Shiva resides. This painting mainly depicts Hindu wedding ceremonies, and they are

primarily made on the walls of the bride and groom’s home.

The central theme of these Kohbar paintings is love and prosperity. The paintings

depict an assembly of symbolic images of the lotus plant, the bamboo grove, fishes, birds and

snakes, besides those of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. According to the Vedas and the

Puranas, the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati was the most successful of all Gods

and Goddesses. So through the painting, blessings are for a successful marital life.

MysorePaintings

One of the most famous and important South Indian Painting Styles originated in

and around the town of Mysore in Karnataka. Painting in Karnataka has a long and

illustrious history, tracing its origins back to the Ajanta times (2nd century B.C. to 7th century

A.D.) The distinct school of Mysore painting evolved from the paintings of Vijayanagar

times during the reign of the Vijayanagar Kings (1336-1565 AD). The rulers of Vijayanagar

and their feudatories (small principalities) encouraged literature, art, architecture, religious

and philosophical discussions.

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 With the fall of the Vijayanagar empire after the Battle of Talikota the artists who

were till then under royal patronage migrated to various other places like Mysore, Tanjore,

Surpur (Shorapur, Karnataka), etc. Absorbing the local artistic traditions and customs, the

erstwhile Vijayanagar School of Painting gradually evolved into the many styles of painting

in South India, including the Mysore and Tanjore schools of painting. These paintings were

noted for their elegance, subtle colours.

Mysore painting is an important form of classical art from Southern India portray

Hindu Gods and Goddesses and scenes from Hindu mythology. The process of making a

Mysore painting involves a preliminary sketch of the image which is then covered by a gesso

paste made of Zinc oxide and Arabic gum to give a slightly raised effect. Afterwards a thin

gold foil is pasted. The rest of the drawing is then pasted using water colour.

Technique and Characteristics of Mysore Paintings

Mysore Paintings are characterized by delicate lines, intricate brush strokes, graceful

delineation of figures and the use of bright vegetable colours and lustrous gold leaf. The

paintings are designed to inspire feelings of devotion and humility. The painter’s individual

skill in giving expression to various emotions is important to this style of painting.

The first stage of Mysore Painting was to prepare the ground; paper, wood, cloth or

wall grounds were variously used. The paper board was made of paper pulp or waste paper,

which was dried in the sun and then rubbed smooth with a polished quartz pebble. If the

ground was cloth it was pasted on a wooden board using a paste composed of dry white lead

(safeda) mixed with gum and a small quantity of gruel (ganji). The board was then dried and

burnished (to make polish by rubbing and make shiny). Wood surfaces were prepared by

applying dry white lead, yellow ochre (mixed with clay and silica) and gum, and walls were

treated with yellow ochre, chalk and gum. After preparation of the ground a rough sketch of

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the picture was drawn with crayon (coloured stick of wax used for writing or drawing)

prepared from the straight twigs of the tamarind tree.

The next step was to paint the furthest objects such as sky, hill and river and then

gradually animal and human figures were approached in greater detail. After colouring the

figures, the artists would turn to elaboration of the faces, dress and ornaments including the

gesso work (gold covering), which is an important feature of Mysore painting.

Gesso Work

Gesso work was the hallmark of all traditional paintings of Karnataka. Gesso refers to

the paste mixture of white lead powder, gambose (strong yellow (mustard) colour) and glue

(gum) which is used as an embossing material and covered with gold foil. The gesso work in

Mysore paintings is low in relief and intricate as compared to the thick gold relief work of the

Tanjore School.

Gesso was used in Mysore painting for depicting intricate designs of clothes,

jewellery and architectural details on pillars and arches that usually framed the deities. The

work was taken up in the morning when the base of the gold work on the painting was still

moist so as to hold the gold foil firmly. After allowing the painting to dry, glazing (coating)

was carried out by covering the painting with thin paper and rubbing over it with a soft

glazing stone known as ‘Kaslupada Kallu’. When the thin paper was removed the painting

shone brightly and looked resplendent (great beauty & splendor (glorious) with the

combination of gold and a variety of colours.

Cheriyal Scrolls

Originating in present-day Telangana, which tells tales (stories) from religious texts

and of rural life on painted scrolls (to display, move the text the pictures on screen). This

dying art form is practiced by the Nakashi family (Location – Siddipet, Nirmal, Jagtial

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district) (State of Telangana) only, where it has been passed down for many generations. The

tradition of long scrolls and Kalamkari art influenced the Cheriyal scrolls, a much more

stylized version of Nakashi art. Nakashis of Telangana also made dolls, in addition to the

painted scrolls. These scrolls were a very important part of the sociological and cultural

setting of Telangana. As these paintings are now confined to Cheriyal village, they are called

Cheriyal scrolls.

In earlier times, the scrolls were a colourful backdrop (back of the stage) to the

equally interesting oral traditions of the common people. The scrolls are painted in a narrative

format, much like a film roll or a comic strip (tells a story like cartoon in newspaper or book),

depicting stories from Indian mythology. It was generally about three feet in width and went

up to 40 – 45 feet in length, depending upon the story. The traditional scrolls are mostly of

vertical format and illustrate (explain) the stories through a series of horizontal (flat surface)

panels.

Depicting puranas and epics, these 40-45 feet scrolls were an essential visual

accompaniment as saints wandered around singing or narrating the epics. Large sized comic

strips, each panel of the scroll depicted one part of the story. Hence, a scroll would easily

have around 50 panels. These scrolls are then used by bards as they travel through towns and

villages to narrate these painted stories, accompanied by song and dance, the panel depicting

that particular part of the story would be displayed.

The choice of episodes and iconography of each deity was painted. They resemble

modern-day comic panels, with about 50 on each scroll. They use primary colours which are

sourced from natural materials such as indigo, sea shells, coloured stones and a vivid

imagination, a stark contrast from the traditional rigour of Tanjore or Mysore paintings.

Further, the colours are no longer prepared in the traditional manner. While earlier, they used

natural white extracted from sea shells, black from lamp soot and yellow from turmeric.

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Process of Cheriyal Scrolls

The making of the canvas is a very elaborate procedure. The Khadi cotton is treated

with a mixture of starch (from rice), suddha matti (white mud), a paste of boiled tamarind

seeds and gum water thrice. It has to be ensured that every coating is thoroughly dried before

the next one is applied. Once the canvas is ready, the artist’s sketch the outline directly onto

the canvas using a brush.

The outlines are very well defined and sharply reflecting the quality and experience of

the craftsman. The colours are made by the artists from natural sources. Brushes are made

with hair of squirrels tied to a stick. Dolls and masks are made of wood, saw dust and

tamarind paste. Masks are made even with coconut shells.

Characteristics

Cheriyal Paintings can be easily recognized by the following peculiarities and unique

characteristics: Painted in vivid hues, mostly primary colours, with a predominance of red in

the background. The subjects of these scroll paintings are easy to relate to – as the themes and

stories are familiar – drawn from ancient literary, mythological and folk traditions.

The common themes are from the Krishna Leela, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Shiva

Puranam, Markandeya Puranam. The main scenes depicts from simple rural life like women

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doing chores in the kitchen, men working in the paddy fields, festival scenes, etc. Cheriyal

scroll painting received Intellectual Property Rights Protection or Geographical Indication

(GI) status in 2007.

Pattachitra Paintings

Pattachitra is one of the oldest and popular art forms of Odisha. Pattachitra is a

general term for traditional cloth based scroll painting, based in the Eastern Indian states of

Odisha and West Bengal and a most popular art based on Hindu mythology. The tradition of

Pattachitra paintings are more than 1000 years old.

The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words ‘Patta’, meaning ‘Canvas’

or ‘Cloth’, and ‘Chitra’, meaning ‘Picture’. Most of these paintings depict stories of Hindu

deities, manifested by rich coulours, creative motifs and designs and portrayal of simple

themes mostly mythological, religious stories and folk lore. Themes are chiefly on Lord

Jagannath, Radha – Krishna, 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu based on the Gita Govinda of

Jayadev, Ramayana, Mahabharata and the individual paintings of Gods and Goddesses are

also being painted.

Origin and History

The paintings of Odisha can be divided into 3 categories: 1) paintings on cloth or

‘Patta Chitra’, paintings on walls or ‘Bhitti Chitra’ and palm leaf engravings or ‘Tala Patra

Chitra’ or ‘Pothi Chitra’. Pattachitra Painting resemble the old murals of Odisha especially

religious centres of Puri, Konark and Bhubaneswar region dates back to 5 th century BC. The

best work is found in and around Puri. The theme of Odia painting centers round Lord

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Jagannath and the Vaishnava sect. Since beginning of Pattachitra culture, Lord Jagannath

who was an incarnation of Lord Krishna has been the main source of inspiration. Lord

Jagannath in the present form is being taken as the origin of the Patta style and the colour

schemes of the deities of Puri are quite similar to Patta style.

Process of Pattachitra Paintings

Preparing the ‘Patta’ is the first step to the Pattachitra art. A task that takes around

five days, the ‘Patta’ is prepared by making a tamarind paste, also known as ‘Niryas Kalpa’.

This paste is then used to hold two pieces of cloth together and coated with a powder of soft

clay stone until it becomes firm. As soon as the cloth dries, it is polished with a rough stone

and then with a smooth stone or wood. The canvas is considered ready to paint once it

becomes leathery.

The next stage involves preparing the paints to be used for this art. The gum of kaitha

tree, powdered conch shells, lamp soot, etc. are used to make the colours. Pattachitra painters,

traditionally known as ‘Chitrakars’.Women members prepare the glue, canvas and apply

colours. From being painted on palm leaves to silks, the Pattachitra art has come full circle.

The paintings created in this style are used to depict the sagas of Gods and Goddesses.

Depictions of Pattachitra art can be seen in the famous Konark Temple in Orissa. The new

age artists have given their own little touch and have started including divine Lord Shiva

paintings and narrating his great stories by means of this ancient art. The paintings of Radha

– Krishna were painted in vibrant shades of orange, red, yellow. There are typical scenes and

figures like Krishna, Gopis, elephants, trees and other creatures are seen in these paintings.

Lord Krishna picture is always painted in blue and Gopis in light pink, purple or brown

colours.

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 Paintings are natural and made fully in old traditional way. Pattachitra painters use

vegetable and mineral colours, they use their own colours. White colour is made from the

conch-shells by powdering, boiling and filtering in process. It requires a lot of patience.

‘Hingula’, a mineral colour is used for red, ‘Haritala’, for yellow, a sort of indigo for blue

colours are being used. Pure lamp-black or black prepared from the burning of coconut shells

are used. The brushes that are used by these ‘Chitrakars’ are indigenous and are made of hair

of domestic animals.

Bold, strong outlines, vibrant colours like white, red, yellow, indigo and black with

decorative borders are some of the characteristics of Pattachitra Painting style, that is admired

by art lovers across the world. Geographical Indication of Pattachitra is registered under to

different state of India as the style and motif of Odisha and West Bengal Pattachitra are so

different. The Pattachitra of Odisha is registered as Orissa Pattachitra and the Pattachitra of

West Bengal is registered as Bengal Pattachitra.

Picchwai Painting

Pichwai (pichvai) is a style of painting that originated over 400 years ago, in the holy

town of Nathdwara near Udaipur in Rajasthan. This place has recognized internationally and

has devotees across the globe. The word Pichwai comes from ‘Pichh’ meaning back, and

‘Wais’, meaning textile hanging. They are made by members of the Pushti Marg sect or Path

of Grace, was founded by Shri Vallabhacharya one of the six main Acharya’s of the Bhakti

tradition in India in 16th century.

Originally, Pichwai paintings were used to decorate the Temple of Shrinathji

(Shrinathji ki Haveli) in Nathdwara built around 1672, hung (on house and other places and

temples) (originated as wall hangings) behind the main deity to celebrate different seasons,

festivals and events in Lord Krishna's life. Shrinathji is considered as an important pilgrimage

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center by Vaishnavas. Shrinathji is a form of Hindu God Krishna, manifest as a 7 year old

child (Balak). They narrate stories related to Lord Krishna to the illiterate.

Most of the works under this style revolves around the figure of Shrinathji as a

manifestation of Krishna and he is shown with his left arm held above his head, refer to the

incident of him holding the Govardhana hill (mount) on his last finger to protect the people of

Vraja, while his right hand rests on his waist. Temples have sets with different images, which

are changed according to the calendar of festivals celebrating the deity.

Pichhwai have become the main export of Nathdwara and are in much demand among

foreign visitors. Often a Pichhwai painting is a group effort, where several skilful painters

work together under the supervision of a master artist. Pichwais also found a place in the

homes of art connoisseurs.

Intricate and visually stunning, Pichwai paintings are large devotional painted

pictures, made on cloth, depict tales from Lord Krishna's life. The cloth that is used as the

backdrop for Shrinathji in his shrine is painted to give the wholesome effect to the

surroundings. Originally Pichwai was painted on the handspun starched cotton fabric. The

artisans sketch the art on that starched cloth and decorative and beautiful images were

created. The images were then ready to be painted with completely organic and natural

colours, paints and even natural brushes. These colours were obtained from coals, indigo,

gold, silver saffron, zinc, and other natural sources. The bright and intense colours like

yellow, red, green and black, dominate the Picchwai. The ornate part would get the pure Gold

as colour. The borders are enhanced with crystals and other decorative elements. Shrinathji’s

image is given special features like a big nose, large eyes and fat belly.

Other common subjects found in pichwai paintings are Radha, Gopis, cows and

lotuses. Creating a Pichwai can take weeks or several months. Gradually with

commercialization secular themes are also incorporated in the Picchwai style of painting.

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Picchwais are colourful and intricate works of art with concealed symbolism in the artistic

motifs. This distinct devotional art practice has passed from one generation to another and a

fine example of spirituality in art.

Kalamkari – Andhra Pradesh

Kalamkari (Literally means drawing with a pen). Kalamkari is of two types in India:

Machilipatnam, which originates from Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Srikalahasti

which originates from Chitoor in the same state. While the former refers to block-printed

form of art, the latter is a free flowing art with a pen on fabric. This 3000-year-old organic art

of hand and block printing was traditionally used for making narrative scrolls and panels.

This exquisite folk art has a strong connect with Persian motifs.

Kalamkari derived its name from Persian word where ‘Kalam’ means ‘Pen’ and

‘Kari’ refers to craftsmanship and is a legacy that has been handed down from generation to

generation in Andhra Pradesh. This art involves 23 steps of dyeing, bleaching, hand painting,

block printing, starching, cleaning and more. Historically, Kalamkaris used to be known as

‘Pattachitras’, an art form still found in neighbouring Odisha and other parts of India and

Nepal. The term ‘Pattachitra’ means ‘Patta – cloth and Chitra means picture’. Paintings made

on fabric and fabric scrolls is mentioned in ancient Hindu, Buddhist and Jain literature. The

pen art form, Kalamkari has its roots in storytelling by musicians and painters, called

‘Chitrakattis’. These artists moved from village to village to tell great stories from Hindu

mythology and illustrated their accounts on a large canvas with dyes extracted from plants.

Kalamkari took shape as an art in the state of Golconda Sultanate in Hyderabad in the

Middle Ages and flourished under the patronage of the Mughals, who referred to the artists as

‘Qualamkars’, giving the art its name (or from which the term ‘Kalamkari’ evolved). Though

traditionally, Kalamkari is known to depict scenes from epics such as Ramayana or

Mahabharata, recent applications have been used to depict scenes from the life times of Lord

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Buddha, many aesthetically good figures such as musical instruments, small animals, flowers,

Hindu symbols like Swastika are also introduced to Kalamkari. The stylized animal forms,

floral motifs and mihrab designs predominant in Kalamkari paintings have also found a place

in Kalamkari textiles.

Today, Kalamkari art is used on silk, synthetic, cotton sarees and ethnic clothing.

Kalamkari art primarily involves earthy colours (natural dyes extract colours from roots,

leaves, minerals) like indigo, green, rust, black and mustard. Various effects are obtained by

using cow dung, seeds, plants, buffalo milk and myrobalan. Myrobalan is used to remove the

smell of buffalo milk. In modern times, traditional techniques have been replaced by digital

techniques. New techniques are introduced and digital files of Kalamkari have been

introduced widely over the regions of India and Iran.

Kalamezhuthu

Names like Rangoli, Kolam etc are not new to us, and neither is the tradition of

drawing them at the entrance of homes and temples. In fact it is part of the domestic routine

in Hindu households, who consider it auspicious to draw certain patterns at the doorstep and

courtyard to welcome a deity into the house. This art form is a harmonious blend of Aryan,

Dravidian and Tribal traditions.

Kalamezhuthu, Kerala’s fascinating ritualistic floor art form painting by centuries. It

is not just an aesthetic art but is a functional art that was used in tantric purposes for the

benefit of the home and community, betterment of the village and society, agricultural

prosperity, victory in battles, personal improvement, and treating various mental and

emotional ailments. Kalamezhuthu is a collective art that came after human beings started

living together as an agricultural community. Therefore, it can be seen that the first depictions

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in Kalamezhuthu were not deities such as Shiva or Vishnu; but Bhuvaneshwari – Earth

Goddess.

Different Kinds of Kalam

Kalam (Kalamezhuthu) is unique form of this art found in Kerala. It is essentially a

ritualistic art practiced in temples and sacred groves of Kerala where the representation of

deities like Kali and Lord Ayyappa, are made on the floor. Kalams are of 2 kinds: 1)

Padmakalam and 2) Roopakalam. Padmakalam represents the symbols of deities and is

abstract in nature. Roopakalam display the figure of the deites. Kalams differ in names

according to the geographic locations, such as Nagakalam is also known as Sarpakalam

(Naga – Sarpa = Snake). Kalam were drawn with 3 colours in the beginning: white (stands

for daytime), black (signifies night) and red (represents merging of day and night). Yellow

and green added later.

Kalamezhuthu is practiced using natural pigments and powders, usually in five

colours. The drawing is done with bare hands without the use of tools. The pictures are

developed from the centre, growing outwards, patch by patch. The powder is spread in the

floor, letting it in a thin stream between the thumb and the index finger. The figures drawn

usually have an expression of anger or other emotions. The powders and pigments are all

extracted from plants - rice powder for white, burnt husk for black, turmeric for yellow, a

mixture of lime and turmeric for red and the leaves of certain trees for green. Lighted oil

lamps placed at strategic positions brighten the colours.

Kalamezhuthu was initially performed by lower castes and tribal communities.

However, the art form is now also practiced by higher intermediate castes like the Kurups,

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Theyyampadi Nambiars, Theeyadi Nambiars and Theeyadi Unnis. The ‘Kalams’ drawn by

these people vary in certain characteristics. Ritual songs accompanied by a number of

instruments (namely ilathalam, veekkan chenda, kuzhal, kombu and chenda) are sung in

worship of the deity, on completion of the ‘Kalam’. These songs form part of an oral

tradition; the rituals being performed by the artists themselves. The type of song varies

considerably, from folk to classical depending on the deity being worshipped. The drawing of

a ‘Kalam’ is started at an appointed time and it is erased immediately after the rituals related

to it are over.

Phad Paintings

Originating from the colourful state of Rajasthan, this Indian traditional painting style

is a religious form of scroll artworks. This style of painting is the blend of Rajput and Mughal

styles of painting originated thousands of years ago. Stories of local deities, Gods and heroes

are painted on horizontal cloth scrolls in hues of red, yellow and orange. The Phad scrolls

show depictions of battlefields, adventure stories, legendary romances and the richness of the

Indian princely states. Stories and characters from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Hanuman

Chalisa and even the Panchatantra, were introduced, making the paintings more appealing to

a larger audience.

These traditional paintings were carried by priest-singers of the Rabari tribe, called

Bhopas and Bhopis, who would sing and perform stories of their local deities - Devnarayanji

(a reincarnation of Vishnu) and Pabuji (a local hero). While the male priest (Bhopa) would

sing and narrate the story depicted in the Phad painting, his wife (Bhopi) would accompany

through song and dance.

Bhopas, the priest – singers traditionally carry the painted Phads along with them and

use these as the mobile temples of the folk deities. A two-string instrument called the

‘ravanhatta’ would be used in the performance. The Phad painting would be unrolled, or

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unfolded after sunset, and the performance in front of village members, would last into the

night. This is perhaps why the paintings are called ‘Phad’, which means ‘fold’ in the local

dialect. 30 or 15 feet long canvas or cloth is painted on is called Phad. A unique aspect of

Phad paintings is that the construction of the figures is flat, and they all face each other,

instead of facing the audience (viewer) of the painting.

Phad paintings are created on hand-woven coarse cotton cloth, which is soaked

overnight to thicken the threads. It is then stiffened with starch from rice or wheat flour,

stretched, dried in the sun and rubbed with a moonstone to smoothen the surface and give it a

sheen. The entire process of making a Phad painting is completely natural, with the use of

natural fibres, and natural paints sourced from stones, flowers, plants and herbs. The paints

are handmade by the artists, mixed with gum and water before applying to cloth.

Vegetable colours are used to draw the narrations of great lives of the deities. Typical

colours seen in a Phad painting are yellow, orange, green, brown, red, blue and black. Each

colour is used for specific purposes – yellow for creating the initial outline and in ornaments

and clothing, orange for limbs and the torso, green for trees and vegetation, brown for

architectural structures, red for royal clothing and flags as well as a thick border, and blue for

water or curtains. Black is applied at the end as outlines.

Warli Paintings

An art form practiced by Warli tribes from the mountains and coastal regions. Warli

Paintings originated around 3000 BC. Maharashtra is known for its Warli folk paintings,

typically designed by tribal women. Tribal people in India consist of the Warli, Malkhar Koli,

Kathodi, Kokana, and Dhodi communities situated on the north borders of Mumbai, in

Western India. Warli painting murals are becoming a preferred mode of wall decor in India.

Warli is considered as one of the oldest forms of Indian paintings and was first

discovered in the early seventies. While there are no records of the exact origins of this art, its

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roots may be traced to as early as the 10th century A.D. Warli is the vivid expression of daily

activities of the local people of that community like farming, dancing, hunting, praying and

social events.

Traditionally, women used twigs to draw lively designs with rice paste on mud walls

of tribal houses to mark celebrations of harvests or weddings. Simple geometrical patterns in

white against a red or yellow surface are used to depict everyday life scenes.  An interesting

feature of the Warli painting is that there aren’t any straight lines used in these paintings.

These paintings were also used to decorate the huts of Warli tribes, usually made from a

mixture of cow dung and red mud.

One of the important aspects of most Warli paintings is the “Tarpa dance” – the

‘Tarpa’ is a ‘trumpet-like instrument’, which is played in turns by different men. While the

music plays, men and women join their hands and move in circles around the Tarpa players.

This circle of the dancers is also symbolic of the circle of life. Circles, triangles and squares

are the most used shapes which are utilized to display daily life activities. This art form is

simple in comparison to the vibrant paintings of Madhubani. These paintings do not depict

mythological characters or images of deities, but depict social life.

Gond Paintings

This mystical art form is made by combining dots and lines in such an imaginative

manner that it imparts a sense of motion in the still pictures. These vibrant paintings were

developed by the Gondi Tribe of Central India. Gond art is used to preserve and communicate

the culture of the Gond tribal community. Gond tribal art includes folk dances, folk songs and

Gond paintings. 

Gond painting is an art form practiced by the Gonds, one of the largest tribes centered

in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh and Odisha. The main

occupation of the Gond tribe is agriculture or daily wages. The word ‘Gond’ comes from the

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‘Dravidian Expression’, ‘Kond’ which means ‘the Green Mountains.’ Gond tribe believes

that seeing a good image brings lots of good luck to them. Hence Gond tribal paintings are

made on various festivals, rituals and ceremonies.

Historical records trace the origin of the tribe back to 1400 years ago and evidence

shows that Gonds had a tradition of decorating the walls of their houses with vibrant

depictions of local flora, fauna and Gods such as Marahi Devi and Phulvari Devi (Goddess

Kali). The tribals recreate mythological tales and oral histories to traditional songs, natural

surroundings, important events and rituals in with great intricacy, rich detailing, and bright

colours such as red, yellow, blue, green, etc. are commonly used in Gond art. In the eyes of a

Gond artist, everything is holy and strongly connected with nature because they believe that

the life of man and nature are interlinked.

Gond paintings mainly depict the following subjects: 1) Pictures of peacocks, birds,

lions, tigers, deer, snakes, wild boars, cows, monkeys, elephants, horses, fish, etc. 2) Myths,

legends, and aspects of the daily life of Gond people, 3) Hindu Gods such as Lord Shiva,

Lord Krishna, Lord Ganesha, etc. 4) Folktales. Each Gond artists uses his own distinctive

pattern and style to fill the images. These distinctive patterns are called signature patterns.

Some of the patterns used in Gond paintings are: Dots, fine and curved lines, geometrical

shapes, etc.

This art from Maharashtra is still done in an eco-friendly manner using natural

colours like charcoal, plant sap, cow dung, coloured soils, mud, flowers, leaves, etc. Gond

artists now use commercial water-based colours to paint on paper and canvas. Gonds make

these paintings as an offering to Mother Nature, and also to ward off evil.

Bhil Paintings

Bhils are an Indo – Aryan speaking ethnic group in West India, largely an agricultural

community. They speak the Bhil languages. Bhils are the second largest tribal group in India

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were listed as indigenous people of the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh,

Maharashtra and Rajasthan - all in the western Deccan regions and central India - as well as

in Tripura in far-eastern India, on the border with Bangladesh.

Bhil painting is characterized by the use of multi - coloured dots as in - filling.

Traditionally, the art of the Bhil folk would adorn the clay walls of their village homes.

Beautiful images would be painted with neem sticks and other twigs, and natural dyes would

be used. Turmeric, flour, vegetables, leaves and oil were used to derive brilliant colours to

make fascinating frescoes on floors and walls, in a language created by the Bhils, to convey

their experiences.

The rich cultural tradition of the Bhils are manifested in their rituals, their songs and

dances, community deities, tattoos, myths, community art and lore. The Bhils, like all

Adivasis live close to nature. Bhil art describes tribal life in vibrant colours extracted from

kumkum, haldi, rice etc. This tribe paints everything connected to their life – deity, sun,

moon, animals, trees, insects, rivers, mythological figures, Gods, etc. These paintings are

even offered as gifts to Gods and Goddesses at the time of festivals.

Kalighat Paintings

The Kalighat painting style was developed around mid - 19 th century in the

neighbourhood of Kalighat Kali Temple, Kalighat in Calcutta. The only school of painting

that flourished in Bengal was the traditional art of scroll paintings. These drawings on paper

were done by a group known as “patuas” hence the name ‘Kalighata Pata’. These paintings

depict the Almighty specially Goddess Kali, images of Gods and Goddesses and scenes from

Epics like ‘Tulsidas’, ‘Rama Charita Manas’. The Kalighat paintings developed to reflect a

variety of themes.

The artists were villagers who travelled from place to place with their scroll paintings

and described the scenes from the epics depicted in the paintings through songs during village

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gatherings and festivals. These artists, called patuas or ‘Painters on cloth’ were said to be half

Hindu and half Muslim and practiced Islam. Around the same time, the British too introduced

the European techniques of painting, and the Kalighat Painting emerged to be a unique blend

of both styles.

Kalighat painters predominantly use earthy Indian colours like indigo, ochre, Indian

red, grey, blue and white. The artworks commented on social evils such as crime, or

expressed support for the Indian Independence Movement through illustrations of the likes of

Tipu Sultan or Rani Lakshmi Bai.

Modern Painting

Modern art includes works that were created or produced during the period of 1860 to

1970. This art denotes the style and philosophy of painting of that particular era.

Abanindranath Tagore is always remembered as the Father of Modern Indian Art in Bengal.

He founded the Indian Society of Oriental Art and the founder of the Bengal School of Art.

Tagore desired to modernize Mughal and Rajput designs. He wanted to reverse the impact of

western designs of art and instead created a modernized Indian style of artwork, which later

became known as the Bengal School of Art.

Bengal

An avant garde, nationalist movement which reacted against the dominant academic

style of art in India as promoted by both Indian and British art schools, the Bengal School of

Art was an influential style of painting that developed in India during the British Raj in the

early twentieth century. Its influence waned with the spread of modernist ideas in the 1920s.

Conclusion

Passed down from one generation to another, Indian folk art is still alive in many parts

of the country. Being culturally diverse and distinct, a variety of art forms have evolved over

the years; some untouched by modernization, some adapting to new paint colours and

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materials. Each depict religious epics or Gods and Goddesses mostly, but they’re all unique,

admirable and inimitable in their own might.

In the days of yore, they were made with natural dyes and colours made of soil, mud,

leaves and charcoal, on canvas or cloth – giving it a sense of antiquity. These were the few

unique and astonishing traits of famous traditional paintings. Undoubtedly, these painting

styles have contributed significantly towards the art legacy of India. Even the artists of today

are recreating the brilliance by means of these amazing ancient art forms.

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