Tribal and Folk Art Forms of India - 1

Every region in India has its own  style and pattern of art, which is known as folk art. The folk and tribal art of India are very ethnic and simple, and yet colourful and vibrant enough to spesk volumes about the country's rich heritage. The rural folk paintings of India bear distinctive colorful designs, which are treated with religious and mystical motifs. Folk art expresses cultural identity by conveying shared community values and aesthetics. It encompasses a range of utilitarian and decorative media including cloth, wood, paper, clay, metal and other items which are popular for their traditional beauty.     

Passed down from one generation to another, Indian Folk Art is still alive in many parts of the country. Some of the most famous folk art of India are Madhubani, Pattachitra, Phad, Pichvai, Kalamkari, Warli, Kalighat, Kerala Mural, Pithora, Gond, Mandana, Nirmal, Aipan and many more forms

Let's get familiar with some of the Folk and tribal arts of India:

Madhubani Painting 

Also called Mithila art, it originated in the kingdom of Janak (Sita’s father in Ramayana) in Nepal and in present-day Bihar. It is one of the most known genre of the Indian folk arts, practiced mostly by women who wanted to be one with God. Most of these paintings or wall murals depict gods, flora and fauna. Hindu Mythology is the main theme of the Madhubani paintings. It is an Indian living folk art which is a divine and prayful expression of unconditional surrender and thankfulness to the God. 

Gond Painting

Gond Painting Art is a very old aboriginal tribal art from the tribal communities of the Central India. Gond paintings are considered to be form predominantly from Madhya Pradesh, India, it is also quite common in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhatisgarh and Odisha. Gond art has been prscticed by the Gond Tribes with whom it shares its name. Characterised by a sense of belonging with nature, the Gondi tribe create these bold, vibrantly coloured paintings, depicting mainly flora and fauna. The colours come from charcoal, cow dung, leaves and coloured soil.

Warli Painting

Originated by the Warli tribes from the Western Ghat of India, in 2500 BCE, this is easily one of the oldest art forms of India. It is mainly the use of circles, triangles and squares to form numerous shapes and depict daily life activities like fishing, hunting, festivals, dance and more. What sets it apart is the human shape: a circle and two triangles. All the paintings are done on a red ochre or dark background, while the shapes are white in colour.

                           

Kalamkari Painting 

The word Kalamkari derived from the Persian words 'Kalam' means Pen and  'Kari' means craftmanship, meaning Drawing with a pen. Kalamkari is of two types in India: Machilipatnam, which originates from Machilipatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Srikalahasti, which originates from Chitoor in the same state. While the former refers to block-printed form of art, the latter is a free flowing art with a pen on fabric. Today, Kalamkari art is used on sarees and ethnic clothing, and depicts anything from flora and fauna to epics such as Mahabharata or Ramayana.

                           

                 

Kalighat Painting 

Painted mostly on mill-made paper with flowing brushwork and bold dyes (often homemade), Kalighat paintings are said to have originated in the vicinity of the iconic Kalighat Kali Temple in Kolkata. The art almost always depicted Hindu Gods and mythological characters, or incident, themes, and characters from everyday life.

Pattachitra paintings

A cloth-based scroll painting from Odisha and West Bengal, these paintings with sharp, angular bold lines depict epics, Gods and Goddesses. Originating from the temple of Jagannath at Puri, Pattachitra painting is considered as one of the oldest, most popular and important form of Oriya paintings. The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words 'Patta' meaning canvas and 'Chitra' meaning picture. The pattachitra paintings are manifested by rich colorful application, creative motifs and designs, portrayal of simple things mainly mythological in depiction. The unique feature in this art form is that the dress style depicted in the paintings has heavy influence of the Mughal era.

Phad painting

Phad finds its origins in Shahpura, near Bhilwara, Rajasthan. Phad is a type of scroll painting that narrates elaborate religious stories of local deities and gods. Created as travelling or mobile temples, these traditional paintings were carried by priest-singers of the Rabari tribe, called Bhopas and Bhopis, who would sing and perform stories of their local deities - Devnarayanji (a reincarnation of Vishnu) and Pabuji (a local hero). The Phad painting would be unrolled, or unfolded after sunset, and the performance in front of village members, would last into the night. This is perhaps why the paintings are called ‘Phad’, which means ‘fold’ in the local dialect.

Saura Painting

Sauras are among the most ancient tribes of India, finding a mention in the Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Ram’s devotee Savari in Ramayana and Jara, the hunter in Mahabharata who mortally wounded Krishna, are believed to have been members of this tribe. Like other tribes of India, the unique style, diversity and detail of their lives is etched in paintings created by the tribe. Saura painting is a style of wall mural painting associated with the Saura tribe of Odisha, India. These paintings, also called ikons, hold religious significance for the tribe, usually as a dedication to their main deity Idital (also edital). Recurring motifs in these paintings are the Tree of Life, animals like horses, elephants, elements of nature like the sun and moon and the people of the tribe.

Pithora Painting 

This is the most prevalent and characteristic art tradition of the Rathwa community, who live in the region bordering Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh states in India. While the styles vary with every Bhil group, they hold a deep social relevance. Pithora paintings are characterized by the seven horses representing the seven hills that surround the area where the Rathwas reside. This is enclosed within a rectangular fence in the painting that defines the geographical area. Things like fields, trees, farms, wild life, birds, sun and moon are present in their relative positions in the map along with people and their ancestors. Even modern elements like railway tracks, aeroplanes, and computers feature in the paintings, thus making the Pithora paintings a real description of the world of Rathwa tribe. Pithora painting has various connotations. One meaning attached to the Pithora Paintings is the idea of a map.

Bhil Painting

The Bhils are the second largest tribal community in India, residing in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. Traditionally, the art of the Bhil folk would adorn the clay walls of their village homes. Beautiful images would be painted with neem sticks and other twigs, and natural dyes would be used. Turmeric, flour, vegetables, leaves and oil were used to derive brilliant colours to make fascinating frescoes on floors and walls, in a language created by the Bhils, to convey their experiences. The dots on a Bhil painting are patterns that could be made to represent anything that the artist wish to, form ancestors to deities.

Santhal Painting 

The Santhal folk painting, drawn by the Santhal tribes living in Bengal, is a folk art with a distinctive style of their own. Here we see paintings where the tribes are in musical procession or illustration of other simple themes like harvest, family life, and rituals of their life. The Santhals paint in Pata or cloth. These then form the scrolls which unfurl to tell a story. They take the paintings from village to village not to sell their paintings but to get money in form of donations by singing songs based on the stories. These songs are known as Pater Gaan.