Folk Paintings of India

Folk Paintings of India have many regional styles such as Warli paintings, originating from the Gujarat-Maharashtra border villages, showcase the daily lives and beliefs of the Warli people through simple geometric shapes, while Thangka paintings, traditionally practised by Buddhist monks, serve as a medium of reverence, using vibrant colours and symbolic meanings.

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Table of Content

• Warli Folk Painting
• Thangka Folk Paintings
• Manjusha Folk Paintings (Angika Paintings)
• Phad Folk Paintings
• Conclusion
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Warli Folk Painting

Origin:

• The name “Warli” comes from “Warla,” meaning “piece of land” or “field.”
• Warli paintings originated in the villages along the Gujarat-Maharashtra border.
• The Warli tribe resides in small mud-hut villages with a central cell arrangement.
• The art is believed to date back to the 10th century C.E.

Themes:

• Warli paintings depict the social lifestyle and activities of the Warli people.
• Common themes: hunting, fishing, farming, forest activities, and village life.
• Rituals, such as harvest seasons, weddings, and births, are represented through paintings.
• Nature holds great importance, and various natural elements are worshipped during different seasons.

Technique:

• Warli paintings use simple geometric shapes and stick-like figures.
• Artists paint on mud and cow dung surfaces coated with red mud and rice paste.
• Salati grass or bamboo sticks serve as painting tools instead of brushes.
• The central element in Warli’s paintings is the “caukat,” a square filled with geometric shapes.
  • The Palaghat goddess, symbolizing fertility, is often depicted within the caukat.

Spatial Arrangement:

• Warli paintings divide the pictorial space diagonally, horizontally, or vertically.
• Each image, whether an animal or human, has its own space without overlapping.
• Two-dimensional space represents the distance in time, making all characters equally visible.
• Warli paintings showcase the cultural heritage and artistic traditions of the Warli people, portraying their daily lives and beliefs in a simplistic yet lively manner.

Thangka Folk Paintings

Origin:

• Thangka paintings originated in Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh region, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• They were initially used as a medium of reverence in Buddhism.
• The art of Thangka painting has been traditionally practised by Buddhist monks and specific ethnic groups.

Techniques:

• Thangkas are painted on a cotton canvas base with a white background.
• Natural vegetable dyes or mineral dyes are used to create the paints.
• Each colour carries its own symbolic meaning.
  • Red represents intense emotions,
  • Gold symbolizes life or birth,
  • White signifies serenity,
  • Black depicts anger,
  • Green represents consciousness, and
  • Yellow represents compassion.
• After completing the painting, it is often framed with colourful silk brocade.

Manjusha Folk Paintings (Angika Folk Paintings)

Origin and Name:

• Bhagalpur region in Bihar is the birthplace of this art form.
• It is also known as Angika art, derived from “ang,” one of the Mahajan Pada.
• The presence of snake motifs gives it the name “snake painting.”

Execution and Medium:

• Angika paintings are primarily created on jute boxes and paper.
• The artwork showcases the artistic depiction of snakes.

Phad Folk Paintings

Origin and Scroll Format:

• Phad paintings originated in the Mewar region of Rajasthan.
• They are depicted on horizontal cloth scrolls.
• The scrolls showcase the glory of Rajput folk leaders like Dev Narayanji, Pabuji, and Ramdevji.

Theme and Storytelling:

• Phad paintings depict heroic deeds and legends.
• Travelling story-tellers called “bhopas” use Phad Chitra as a backdrop for their performances.
• The bhopas sing, dance, and narrate the veer gatha (heroic tales) of Pabuji and Dev Narayan.

Significance and Worship:

• Phad paintings are considered sacred and believed to have mystical powers.
• Phad scrolls are treated as mobile shrines and are revered by offering incense and making offerings.

Composition and Technique:

• Phad paintings are created on cloth using Khadi or Reja as the base.
• The painter uses vibrant colours prepared from powdered minerals and semi-precious stones.
• The illustrations are arranged horizontally, with the hero depicted in the centre and incidents surrounding them.

Symbolism and Symbolic Colors:

• The use of colours carries symbolic meanings, such as:
  • Red for dresses of principal characters,
  • Orange represents limbs and bare figures,
  • Yellow for ornaments or clothing patterns,
  • Blue for water, and
  • Green for trees.

Size and Ritual Immersion:

• Phad scrolls are immense in size, ranging from 5 to 35 feet in length.
• Worn-out scrolls are ritually immersed in holy water bodies like rivers, lakes, or wells.

Conclusion

Warli, Thangka, Manjusha, and Phad paintings hold significant cultural and artistic value, preserving the heritage and traditions of different regions, portraying diverse themes, and serving as mediums for storytelling, reverence, and worship, making them essential elements of our rich artistic heritage.

Ref: Source-1

FAQs(Frequently Asked Questions)