Rich Tradition Of Painted Pichwais example essay topic

Location: Nathdwara, a sleepy, dusty, small town set on a hill some 50 kms (30 miles) from Udaipur, is the scene of most lush and vibrant visual art forms in India, Pichwai paintings. History: In the 17th century, when Aurangzeb prohibited the worship of images, Hindu devotees in Mathura, home of Lord Krishna, became fearful that their sacred statues might be smashed & decided to take them to safer locations. The images of Sri Nathji were loaded on a chariot and sent on its way to Mewar. At Sika r, a wheel of the chariot sank deep into the sand and it couldn't be removed despite repeated efforts. This was interpreted as a sign that the image wanted to dwell at that place and the priests decided that it should stay. A temple was built for the idol and the village came to be known as Nathdwara, "home of Sri Nathji" or Lord Krishna.

Pichwai paintings: Pichwai literally means that which hangs behind. They are the backdrops setting the mood and religious significance of each ritualized scene. They are basically 24 iconographic renderings of the Krishna legend traditionally portrayed in the Nathdwara Pichwais. Each image is linked with a particular festival or holy day.

For eg: Gokulashtami, will have Krishna playing the flute to the assembled gopis, gopis & cows. Dana Ekadashi, the taking of the toll or dana from the gopis & the breaking of the pots. The paintings not only form a devotional backdrop for the temple, but also serve the purpose of outlining the religious stories to a largely illiterate population. They delight the eyes with the richness of colour and delicacy of execution.

Style of Pichwais: Pichwais, were traditionally done in a variety of media: brocaded, block printed, embroidered, or worked in gold. In Nathdwara, however, a rich tradition of painted Pichwais grew. They are done on hand spun cloth, sized with starch & painted in pigments derived from natural vegetables and mineral colours. They are also mixed with starch, giving the Pichwais its character sic strong smell. They have a stylized, rather static format with frozen figures set in idyllic landscape of brilliant green trees, midnight blue skies which sun, moon, stars, forked lightning, all shine together amidst fluffy white clouds; peacocks, parrots & monkeys in flowering fields and swans & storks, fish and turtles swim in Lotus-strewn silver waters. This is the Indian conception of paradise known as Brad, unlike the bleak, beige Rajasthani landscape.

These depict Krishna, the blue boy-God; Radha & gopis play; dance & make love; a pictorial allegory of the soul's yearning for union with the divine. Present Scenario: The Pichwai tradition is carried on and its not only devotees of Sri nathji who buy the cloth scrolls painted by today's descendants of Raja RajSingh's original court painters. The Pichwai has also become a tourist souvenir. They tend to now be painted with chemical fabric paints that have taken the palace of Indigo, Cochineal, La piz & Orpiment. Like many other forms of craft, Pichwai paintings are also slowly changing their form, influenced by the fast pace of today's life.

They are gradually travelling out from temples to adr n the walls of homes of those who consider themselves to be the patron of art and craft. Smaller sizes are constantly being made to satisfy the demand. They are done on lengths of silk, ornaments etc and are painted in rich dark hues. Rates: Available on silk and synthetic silk, prices range from 200/- to 20,000/-. These paintings have very strong religious traditions. And the artist who works on them considers himself to be the servant of the Lord and puts in SHRADDHA or devotion on each Pichwai that he paints, though its now done for commercial use too.