Arts Forms of Madhya Pradesh
Apart from green woods, rich wildlife, forts and monuments, Madhya Pradesh also specializes in different arts and crafts. The intricate art of Madhya Pradesh reveal its rich culture and heritage. The works of art include bamboo and cane coverings, carpet weaving, durries, folk paintings, iron crafts, jute works, metal crafts, ornaments, Papier Mache, stone carving, stuffed toys, terracotta, textile weaving, woodcraft and Zari embroidery.
During free time the locals of Gond, Baiga, Korku and Basar, keep themselves busy in crafting bamboo products like fishing traps, hunting tools and baskets. The folk paintings depict the cultural life of regions like Chhattisgarh, Bundelkhand, Malwa, Gondwa and Nimar. Also, the intricate works of Stone carvings are revealed through the temples and the monuments in Madhya Pradesh. Moreover, Gwalior specializes in Jalli works (patterns), Jabalpur and Tikamgarh famous for statues of humans’ structures and animals. These arts and crafts are well-maintained by the locals. Tourists specially visit this place to collect antiques and artifacts.
In the heartland of India lies the State of Madhya Pradesh. Filled with lush forests, magnificent monuments, exuberant festivity and blissful solitude. In this land of wonderful and contrasting variety, handicrafts lend a touch of mystique – a charm unique to Madhya Pradesh. They radiate an aura, exhibit hereditary skills, whisper painstaking craftsmanship and evoke an urgent desire to learn more about the land and its colourful people.
A deftly woven silk or a cotton blended saree. Block printed fabrics, stuffed leather toys or floor coverings. Folk paintings, bamboo, cane or jute.Woodcraft, stonecraft, ironcraft.Metalcraft, terracotta, papiermache.Zari work (gold thread embroidery), ornaments, dolls., each handcrafted product of Madhya Pradesh is charming enough to sweep you off your feet.
Bamboo & Cane
Bamboo & Cane occupy an important place in rural life: utility articles such as agricultural implements, fishing traps, hunting tools and baskets are made of bamboo. In Madhya Pradesh these are generally made by a community called Basor or Basod, who sell them in weekly markets.
Shahdol, Balaghat, Mandla and Seoni regions of Madhya Pradesh are main bamboo producing centres. The artisans have skillfully harmonised their age-old knowledge and techniques with new designs, to meet modern market demands. The Gond, Baiga and Korku tribal communities are highly skilled in the craft of bamboo.
Dolls
Cute little dolls made out of small cloth pieces are produced in Gwalior, Bhopal and Jhabua. The work of Battobai, a craftswoman from Gwalior has achieved international fame.
The dolls made here are interesting pieces of work, influenced by different cultures and traditions of India mirroring the diversity and unigueness of the country
Floor covering Durries
The floor coverings of Madhya Pradesh consist mainly of durries and carpets in a rich variety of designs, Durries essentially a thick cotton woven fabric, is meant for spreading on the floor, and is made all over Madhya “Pradesh, especially near Sironj.
The basic technique of weaving a durrie in its most primitive form, can be seen in rural areas. The more universal durries are made by women in their homes, in the ‘Purija’ technique. They are usually in bold patterns and bright colours with folk designs.
Apart from Sironj, Jhabua, Jabalpur and Shahdol are leading centres of durrie weaving in Madhya.
Cotton and wollen Punjab durries handwovinen various colors are designed to suit traditional as. well as modernhome decor, are generally based on kilndesigns, geometric traditional motifs & animal and human figures
Carpets
Since the Mughal times, Gwalior in Madhya Prudish has carved a niche for its self in the wearing of carpets.
Later on; weaving also began in the Shahdoi&Mandla belt. The carpet weavers of Madhya Pradesh are undisputed masters of not only weaving carpets but dyeing also.
The colouring was earlier done by means of natural dyes, but presently it is being done with synthetic dyes as well. Pattern is an integral part of knotted carpets and traditional patterns have continued with varying combinations since the last 200 years.
Wool/en carpets are available in vibrant colours with both floral and geometric designs. The weavers have used their ingenuity to transform traditional motifs into modern designs; drawing from the treasury of ancestral motifs: trees and flowers in carefully blended colours.
Folk Painting
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 wails; and in almost every instance the depiction being associated with some ritual.
Folk paintings of Madhya Pradesh, specially the wall paintings 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
- Mandanas
- Thapa
- Chitravan
- Tribal Painting
- Bhil Painting
- Gond paintings
- Pithora paintings
- Gudna motifs
Sanjhi
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 husband’s 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, PupulJayakar 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. On 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’.
Mandanas
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 or 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 festivals and fasts and also during any auspicious ceremony at home concerning birth and marriage or a specially organized religious worship.
Thapa:
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 art 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. MahendarBhanavat, 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.
Chitravan:
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 impart 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 is known as pana.
Tribal Painting:
Tribal Painting includes Bhil Paintings of Rajasthan, Gond and Bhil paintings of Madhya Pradesh including Pithora painting. 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 hight 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 Paintings
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 thanksgiving ceremony upon wish fulfilment. This ritual 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, DharniDharti (earth), MalwiGori, Raja Bhoj, Kajal Rani and Kali Koyal are some of the main characters appearing in the paintings. 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:
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.
Gudna:
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.