Paintings of Madhya Pradesh - MPPCS Exam Preparation

Paintings of Madhya Pradesh

Folk Painting: Source, Classification and Meaning SourceAll folk paintings belong to the realm of the ‘sacred’ and qualify as ‘auspicious art’. The driving force of these paintings and drawings is to bring auspiciousness into the house and the life of the family and community. Vernacular terms used are mangalkamna (wishing auspiciousness) and ‘shubhlabh’ (gaining auspiciousness). The act of drawing or painting is referred to as mangalkarya or shubhkaryai.e auspicious act. Such a view deeply ensconces the painting in the realm of religion, ethical and moral values. The bearers and practitioners of the tradition along with the skill to draw and paint also pass on the worldview embodied in the painting to the next generation.

One of the oral narratives associated with Sanjhi popular throughout Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, in a manner of speaking, sums up the essence of the world of folk paintings:

Concerns of marriage, fertility and prosperity that sum up the world of a young maiden also sum up the world of folk paintings. Mulk Raj Anand, writing in the special issue of Marg devoted to the forgotten arts of India,states : The purpose is to invoke the magic of the primitive consciousness, traditionally handed down from mother to daughter. And it seems to be the attempt at contact with the mysterious spirit world from which the Gods are supposed to descend down to earth to help mortals and to give more wealth, avert death and disease.

The sources of folk painting lie in the protection sought by homo sapiens in the magical drawing, which may prevent the auras of bad spirits from coming into the house. The wish for boons, of food and plenty, as well as progeny, was also expressed in symbols. The multiplication of lines directed by individual talent under the influence of nearby cultural patterns led to the evolution of simplest circles, squares and triangles into abstract design and human configurations. This generated a multiplicity of form.

Classification: Scholars of Indian folk art have tried to classify and categorize this super-abundance of forms in folk painting as also delineate structural and thematic unity between them. Using the medium, material, technique, themes and context of folk painting, following categories have been postulated by various scholars:

According to the surface used

BhumiChitra – floor painting
BhittiChitra – wall painting
PataChitra – painting on paper, cloth or leaves
DehChitra – Body painting

According to themes

Anushthanik – ritual painting
Dharmaanushthanik – painting based on religious themes
Smajik – painting based on social themes
Adhyatmik – paintings based on spiritual themes
According to the medium
Gobar – cowdung
KhariaaurGeru – chalk and red ochre
Use of rice powder, lime stone powder, sow dust, natural or clay colours
Use of brush or kalam for drawing
Phool Patti Chitra – made with flowers
GholChitra – made with wet colours

Madhya Pradesh classifies folk paintings into three categories.

(i) AnushthanikAwahanChitra – Ritual invocatory. Presence of specific deities is invoked through these paintings. They form an integral part of specific rituals and are mostly drawn by ritual specialists known as ojha/ gunia/ likhendraetc; e.g. Pithora paintings.

(ii) Dharmaanushthanik – Religious painting. Though ritual based, they do not have invocatory value attached to them. They are done mostly by women. Through these paintings, worship and prayers are offered to gods and goddesses for prosperity; e.g. Sanjhi.

(iii) ShubhManglik – Auspiciousness related. These paintings are not associated with any specific ritual or deity. Their purpose is to ward off the evil and invoke the auspicious. These paintings are also drawn mainly by women. e.g.Mandana

Under the rubric of Tribal Painting we investigated 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 and context from the Mandanas discussed above. 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. This clay in vernacular is called garu or gar. After the wall dries up, painting is done with the help of a cotton swab or piece of cloth tied to the twig of neem or babul tree. The colours used are mostly white, black, blue, yellow or saffron and these are obtained from vegetables or locally available clay or stone. We documented the paintings done by Goma and Phula from ChotiUndari village. These paintings are figurative in design and sketch various forms of birds, animals, humans, gods, goddesses, depicting man-nature relationship. Social customs, religious beliefs and tribal worldview find reflection in these paintings.

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 fulfillment. 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.

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