Pithora Art, Maheshwari Silk Sarees & Dhokra Jewellery

Colours used in Pithora paintings created by blending pigments with milk and a liquor derived from which tree?

Answer: Mahudo tree

Enrich your learnings:

About Pithora Art:

• Pithora ritualistic paintings are wall murals, practiced by the Rathwa, Bhil and Nayak tribes of Gujarat.
• They are found in Panchmahal, Dahod and Chota Udaipur.
• These paintings are usually done by men.
• They are symbolic of some auspicious occasion in the community such as weddings and childbirth.
• There is a distinct border pattern within which the painting is executed.
• The colors are created by blending pigments with milk and a liquor derived from the sacred Mahudo tree.
• The tools for painting are made from simple elements like bamboo, wood, and cotton.
• The act of painting on the wall is seen as a ritualistric activity and is accompanied by beating of the drums, dance, narration in which the entire community participates.

About Maheshwari Silk Sarees:

• Traditionally, Maheshwari saris were crafted from the finest cotton yarns, featuring motifs inspired by the intricacies seen on the Maheshwar fort and temples.
• Today, these saris are woven using a combination of Coimbatore cotton and Bangalore silk yarns, incorporating new and elegant motifs like the cotton flower (rui phool), jasmine (chameli), swan (hans), and diamond (heera) designs.
• The sari comes with a reversible border and the unique five stripes on pallu or aanchal.
• Typically, the border is adorned with zari threads sourced from Surat.
• Various colors are employed in the weaving process, such as deep brown (tapkeer), golden yellow (aamras), and grape green (angoori).

About Dhokra jewellery:

• The Dokra art involves non-ferrous metal casting through the lost wax casting technique.
  • Lost wax technique is basically casting an original structure in which it is used to create a duplicate structure using the same materials.
• This technique is the reason why Dokra Jewellery achieves an unbelievable amount of intricacy.
• This art form has been in existence for over 4000 years and is considered one of the most valuable heritages from the Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro civilizations.
• The “Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-Daro” is one of the world’s most renowned examples of Dokra art.

About Dhokra Damar:

• The name “Dhokra” is derived from the tribes who were traditional metalsmiths based in the states of West Bengal and Odisha.
  • They are known as the “ Dhokra Damar”.
• The lost wax casting technique is named after this tribe.
• The presence of this tribe can be found in the states of West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and even the southern state Kerala.