Colloquium Paper - Creatures of Lore

COLLOQUIUM PAPER

CREATURES OF LORE Depictions of animals in Folk paitings in India

Submitted By ANANYA 2009 - 2013

DEPARTMENT OF FASHION COMMUNICATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION TECHNOLOGY NEW DELHI

CREATURES OF LORE Depictions of animals in Folk paitings in India

Research Study: May 2011 - December 2012

Applicant : Ananya Bachelor of Design ( B.Des.) Fashion Communication (2009-2013) Main Advisor: Vijay Dua Assistant Professor Department of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi Co-advisor: Dimple Bahl Assistant Professor Department of Fashion Communication National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi

Š Ananya, 2012 National Institue of Fashion Technology

Acknowledgements I would like to thank Mr. Vijay Dua who not only mentored me on this research study but also gave me valuable advice on how to go about conducting the study.

I would also like to thank Ms. Dimple Bahl who co-advised me on this project. Her advice ws extremely helpful at every stage.

Apart from the teachers in college I would like to acknowledge Ms. Archana Shastri and Mr. Prakash Joshi who helped me immensely by giving me valuable insights from their respective fields of expertise.

Ananya

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Abstract The topic of the research is ‘Creatures of Indian Folk Paintings’. For the purpose of the study it has been limited to studying animals across Phad painting, Madhubani painting and Pattachitra. Different regions have different styles of painting that developed there and convey folklore through their use of colors, characters and symbology. Animal motifs also play an important role in these folk paintings in different capacities whether its portraying a character, a symbolic meaning or as a decorative motif.

The main objective of this research is to study and understand how different animals appear in different styles of folk paintings in India - madhubani, warli, tanjore, kalamkari, phad etc., understand the similarities and differences between the painting styles, observe how the same animal form appears different visually in each style of painting, understanding the symbology and stories behind the representations, understanding the roles in which the animals appear as well as the characters they portray - Creating an effective compilation of the above and translating that into a real time project

In order to collect the required information the research was conducted in two phases secondary research which came from books, research papers, online sources, publications followed by primary research which involved interviews with traditional artisans of folk painting mainly Phad painting, Madhubani painting and Pattachitra, experts in the field as well as observation studies by watching and sketching different animals of different styles of painting as well as through case studies.

The results achieved are of a qualitative nature rather than a quantitative nature as they will be based on the viewpoints of various people associated to the field of folk painting in different capacities. At the end of the study, all the animals that appear as a significant motif in each of the painting styles have been pinpointed along with their symbolism.

After the study it can be concluded that animals are a significant motif in folk paintings in India and portray many symbolic roles. Thus they have immense potential to be used as a tool for communicating effectively in a visual manner.

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Table of Contents Chapter One -­ Introduction 17 1.1 Overview 1.2 Statement of the problem and identification of study variables 1.3 Significance of the problem 1.4 Research hypotheses 1.5 Assumptions and limitations of the research 1.6 Organization of the thesis

Chapter Two -­Review of Literature

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Chapter Three -­Methods of Research

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2.1 Introduction 2.2 Framework for literature review 2.3 Sub-section I - Roles of Animals 2.4 Sub-section II - Styles of Folk Painting 2.3 Sub-section III - Socio-cultural aspects 2.4 Sub-section IV - Case Studies 2.5 Summary

3.1 Determination of research design 3.2 Research design 3.3 Data collection

Chapter Four -­Data Analysis and Results

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4.1 Demographics of the population 4.2 Testing of hypotheses 4.3 Findings

Chapter Five -­Summary, Conclusions and

Recommendations 69 5.1 Summary 5.2 Conclusions 5.3 Recommendations 5.4 Implications and limits of generalizability of findings

References 77

List of Tables 1. Do you visit craft fairs ? 60 2. Do you interact with artisans in craft fairs ?

60 3. Do you notice the motifs ? 61 4. Do you ask the artisan about the significance of motifs?

61 5. When you see a painting , which characterisitics stand out the most?

62 6. What motifs have you usually seen in crafts?

62 7. Which animals have you usually seen in folk paintings?

63 8. What roles have you usually seen the animals in?

63 9. Can you identify which painting style the following animals have been drawn in? A. 64 10. Can you identify which painting style the following animals have been drawn in? B. 64 11. Can you identify which painting style the following animals have been drawn in? C. 65

List of Figures 1. Use of Animals in Warfare 30 2. Animals in Hunting Scenes 30 3. Animals as Vehicles of Gods, Peacock as the Vahana of Kartikey 30 4. Fish in different styles of Folk Paintings 31 5. Pahari Paintings 32 6. Kalamkari Paintings 33 7. Pithora Paintings 34 8. Warli Paintings 35 9. Gond Paintings 36 10. Tanjore Paintings 37 11. Thangks Paintings 38 12. Madhubani Paintings 39 13. Pattachitra Paintings 40 14. Phad Paintings 41 15. Women painting on the walls in a village 42 16. Tools like brushes used in painting 42 17. Devdutt Pattanaik 43 18. Jamini Roy 43 19. Questionnaire Part 1 50 20. Questionnaire Part 2 51 21. Interview Questions 52 22. Interview Questions contd. 53 23. Infographic of Survey findings 66 24. Illustrations of animals in Phad painting 73 25. Illustrations of animals in Pattachitra and Madhubani paintings 74

Chapter One Introduction 1.1 Overview 1.2 Statement of the problem and identification of study variables 1.3 Significance of the problem 1.4 Research objectives 1.5 Assumptions and limitations of the research

1.1 Overview

Painting is an exquisite expression of human thought, and nature is an eternal source of inspiration. Art, in the Indian context, perhaps emerged when man placed a colored dot on a mud surface. Even during the period of his semi-settled existence, he began to record and capture the world around him.

Mythological legends describe the earliest painting having been born out of Brahma, the creator asking a king to draw a picture of a recently deceased young man so that he could breathe life into him again.

Chitra means picture, thus the painters of pictures that told stories were Chitrakaars.

The major motifs seen in any painting are derived from nature. The depictions are either of people, animals or plants. The animals depicted in the paintings serve different purposes and appear in different roles.

The paintings themselves differ fvrom region to region in terms of style, material, process and symbolism.

Many different styles of folk painting exist in India. Pata painting in the Kalighat area of Kolkata have simple bold lines and flat colours to describe the Hindu gods and goddesses like Shiva, Durga, Kali, Krishna, Lakshmi, Ganesha as well as daily rural life. In the villages of Bihar women paint the pictures of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishnalila and other Hindu mythologies as well as birds, animals and other natural objects on the mud walls of their hut.The Pahari paintings use beautiful scenes of mount Himalaya as a backdrop and describes epics and mythological stories in a soothing, powdery colour. Rajasthani folk paintings are usually done on some specific occasions like marriage, birth ceremony and festivals.

Warli painting of Maharastra is a gift from a small tribe of the same name living in the state. These paintings are executed in white on austere mud wall with the spontaneous expressions of folk life, customs and beliefs.

South India Tanjore school of painting and Mysore School of painting is unique to south India. Dragon painted on wood is typical example of Monpa art of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and other places in the North eastern states of India. The theme in the Monpa painting has traditional Buddhist influence. Another form of Buddhist art is Thangka, which are paintings done on flat surface and are painted or embroidered Buddhist banners. Thangkas are hanged from monasteries or are carried by Lama`s in ceremonial procession.

Among all the motifs that one can see in folik paintings, animlas are one of the lesser recognised and understood ones.

Folk Painting is generally done on the walls of houses by the women of the house. It is also done on the floor of the house primarily made using natural materials. In certain areas these paintings are a part of everyday life while in others on ceremonies like birth of a child, mundan, marriages etc. the paintings are done to mark the auspicious day and to invoke the blessings of gods. In recent times these paintings are done on paper and cloth also. The subjects of the paintings are religious and sacred in nature. The tools and materials used to create these paintings differ depending on the style of painting. However most of these require a base which could be cloth, paper, board, palm leaf etc. Colors are obtained from natural dyes. Brushes are made out of animal hair and pens out of bamboo.

In recent years artificial colors as well as tools are also used.

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1.2 Statement of the problem and identification of study variables

Chitra means picture, thus the painters of pictures that told stories were Chitrakaars.

The major motifs seen in any painting are derived from nature. The depictions are either of people, animals or plants. The animals depicted in the paintings serve different purposes and appear in different roles.

The paintings themselves differ fvrom region to region in terms of style, material, process and symbolism.

Among all the motifs that one can see in folik paintings, animlas are one of the lesser recognised and understood ones.

Hence the basic objective of the research and the statement of the research problem is understanding how animals are portrayed in folk paintings in India in terms of form, symbology, narrative, folklore etc.

For the purpose of the study the research variables need to be identified first. These include all the different heads under which data needs to be collected and analysed.

Different variables were identified for Secondary research and Primary research.

The variables for the Secondary Research included finding out about the History, evolution, socio - cultural aspects of the craft, the Regional differences in style, technique and tools used by the artisans, Understanding the narratives and folklores that lend meaning to the animal characters,

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Looking at the different categories of animal representations - real animals, birds, mythical beasts and then selecting one, Differences in the animal form across styles.

The major characteristics of the three styles of folk painting that were finalised for the research were determined. These included characteristics pertaining to treatment of form, color scheme and the meaning, material, narratives, themes.

The variables for the Primary research included Understanding how the artisans who create these deal with the subject of animals by conducting interviews with at least one artisan from each painting style, Finding out how people in general understand and relate to animals in folk painting by conducting a survey through the use of questionnaires and Interviewing experts in the field to learn from their understanding to know how they were inspired by the same.

Identifying all these variables helped not only structure the framework for the research. it helped getting first hand perspective of the craft to formulate personal viewpoints.

Also in drawing inferences on the basis of observation by looking at different exhibits in museums and craft fairs and also by observing the artisans at work.

Hence defining the research problem and identifying all the research variables helped conduct the study in a holistic manner.

1.3 Significance of the Problem Animals are one of the lesser recognised motifs in Indian crafts. However they are quite important. Over time, it has been proven that the use of animals is an effective tool for communication of thoughts and ideas. In certain situations and with certain audiences (especially children), they are far more effective than conventional means of communication.

Thus, understanding the significance of the animal motifs as they appear in folk paintings, one of the early forms of storytelling and

communication becomes all the more relevant.

While there exists documentation on each of the crafts separately, there is no efeective documentation on the subject amtter of the use of animals as motifs. In fact, many artisnas are themselves unaware of their significance which makes the task of data collection quite challenging. However it is important to consider the cultural context as that lends meaning to the form and it cannot be looked at in isolation.

1.4 Research Objectives The main objective for this study included - Studying and understanding how different animals appear in different styles of folk paintings in India - madhubani, warli, tanjore, kalamkari, phad etc.

- Understanding the similarities and differences between the painting styles.

- Observing how the same animal form appears different visually in each style of painting.

- Understanding the symbology and stories behind the representations - Understanding the roles in which the animals appear as well as the characters they portray - Creating an effective compilation of the above and translating that into a real time project The study for this project is divided over three semesters. The first focuses on Secondary Research, while the second focuses on Primary Research and the third on colating the research and drawing inferences and conclusions.

The objectives for Secondary Research included - finding out about the History, evolution, socio - cultural aspects of the craft

- the Regional differences in style, technique and tools used by the artisans - collecting Case studies to understand how people have dealt with the theme before - Understanding the narratives and folklores that lend meaning to the animal characters - Looking at the different categories of animal representations - real animals, birds, mythical beasts and then selecting one - Differences in the animal form across styles The objectives for the Primary research included - Getting first hand perspective of the craft to formulate personal viewpoints - Understand how the artisans who create these deal with the subject of animals by conducting interviews with at least one artisan from each painting style - Make inferences on the basis of observation by looking at different exhibits in museums and craft fairs and also by observing the artisans at work - Finding out how people in general understand and relate to animals in folk painting by conducting a survey through the use of questionnaires - Interviewing experts in the field to learn from their understanding to know how they were inspired by the same

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1.6 Assumptions and Limitations of Research The entire research has certain limitations and the solution was based on a few assumptions.

The primary research was conducted through a sample size. The sample size was assumed to represent the target population. The people who participated included people visiting craft fairs as well as art and design students.

This was done so as to have a sample set that had prior exposure to crafts and thus was more likely to be able to answer the questions in the required manner. As such there were people of all age groups typically 18 and above and all occupations like teachers, managers, doctors, students since there is no classification on the basis of age or

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occupation for people who visit craft fairs and have had prior exposure to crafts.

So the primary data reflects the viewpoints and analysis based on the given size of population and is not of the entire population.

Furthermore only a few artisans were interviewed in each painting style and their opinion was considered to reflect the opinion of the entire community of artisnas of that folk painting. Thus the information provided by them was considered to be true and authentic. Therefore the data collected during the primary research was assumed to be a universal opinion.

Chapter Two Review of Literature 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Framework for literature review 2.3 Sub-section I - Roles of Animals 2.4 Sub-section II - Styles of Folk Painting 2.5 Sub-section III - Socio-cultural aspects 2.6 Sub-section IV - Case Studies 2.7 Summary

2.1 Introduction Painting is an exquisite expression of human thought, and nature is an eternal source of inspiration. Art, in the Indian context, perhaps emerged when man placed a colored dot on a mud surface. Even during the period of his semi-settled existence, he began to record and capture the world around him.

Mythological legends describe the earliest painting having been born out of Brahma, the creator asking a king to draw a picture of a recently deceased young man so that he could breathe life into him again.

Chitra means picture, thus the painters of pictures that told stories were Chitrakaars.

The major motifs seen in any painting are derived from nature. The depictions are either of people, animals or plants. The animals depicted in the paintings serve different purposes and appear in different roles.

The paintings themselves differ fvrom region to region in terms of style, material, process and symbolism

2.2 Framework for Literature Review The literature review was done by carefully collecting information from books/journals/ research papers/internet resources.

The data was collected from books like Handicrafts of India - Kamamladevi Chattopadhyay, The Arts of India - George C.M. Birdwood, The Craft Tradition of India Jaya Jaitly, The Everyday Art of India - Robert F. Bussabarger, Arts and Crafts of India Nicholas Barnard, Folk and Tribal Designs of India - Enakshi Bhvani, Mughal Art - a study in handicrafts - Shanti Swarup, Crafts of Himachal Pradesh - Subhashini Aryan, Arts and Crafts of Jammu & Kashmir - D.N. Saraf, Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan - Aman Nath, Handicrafts of Rajasthan - H. Bhisham Pal, Arts and Crafts of Tamil Nadu - Nandhita Krishna, Madhubani - K. Prakash, Indian Folk

and Tribal Paintings - Charu Smita Gupta.

Apart from these online sources like http:// www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/jaminiroy.html, http://devdutt.com/about, http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_painting, http://www.indianetzone.com/9/folk_ painting_india.htm, http://devdutt.com/ articles/indian-mythology/sacred-beasts. html, http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/ vehicles/2036.htm The information collected was then analysed to filter only the relevant data which was then tabulated for easy and quick reference.

After having done this, An outline was prepared which covered all the important heads and the information was sorted within those.

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2.3 Sub-section I - Roles of Animals HUNTING Animal fights were a regular feature in the post vedic India. People participated in animal fights for betting and recreation.

Hunting was a regular sport in which the kings and his family participated. Hunting provided them with a good opportunity to perfect their skills in archery, chariot racing and marital arts, get acquainted with the conditions of the region and clear the forests of wild animals which menaced the people living there. Accompanied by an entourage of soldiers, officials, ministers and entertainers, they went out on hunting expeditions either to kill or capture wild animals such as lions, tigers, bears, elephants, wild boar, deer and wild bulls. On occasions they visited the ascetics who lived near by and engaged them in spiritual conversation.

USE OF ANIMALS IN WARFARE Elephants and horses constituted a significant part of a king’s military might, which were replenished regularly through hunting and conquests. The Greek historians accounted 4000 horses, 300 chariots and 200 elephants in the army of Porus who ruled a small principality in the Punjab region.

The Nandas and Mauryans who ruled vast empires maintained huge armies consisting of hundreds of thousands of bulls, bullocks, horses and elephants. Chandragupta Maurya sent a gift of several hundred elephants to Selukas who was appointed by Alexander as the viceroy of the territories he conquered east of Hindukush. Animals were used in military either for warfare or in transportation. Bullock carts were used in the transportation of food and other materials to the soldiers during war time. People used various types of animals for riding including horses, camels, asses, elephants and tigers. Shepherds and cowherds lived in open in tents. In post Mauryan period there were professional guilds of hunters, snake charmers, bird catchers and pig dealers.

ANIMAL SACRIFICES Ancient Indians regularly indulged in animal

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sacrifices and rarely in human sacrifices. In some remote areas of India animal sacrifices continue even today. The raise of Tantricism in the post Mauryan period and the integration of folk religions into Hinduism contributed to the rise animal sacrifices. Kings sacrificed animals to appease divinities seeking their blessings and support.

Inscriptions belonging to the Gutpa period suggest that people had an obligation to supply sacrificial animals on demand to their king. Sometimes the kings exempted some villages from this obligation.

ANIMAL AS DIVINITIES Hindus revere many divinities in animal form. Lord Vishnu incarnated upon earth first as a fish, then as a tortoise and next as a boar. In another incarnation he appeared as half lion and half man. He is worshipped in all these forms. Lord Siva appeared once in the form of a sharabha a mythical monster with multiple horns, legs and spikes instead of hair on the body. Hanuman is a monkey god who assisted Lord Rama ably in the battle of Ramayana. He is worshipped through out India and, though of a lesser god, ranks among the foremost in the Hindu pantheon.

Ganesha the elephant headed god and son of Lord Siva and Parvathi is equally popular, if not more. Adishesha is a thousand hooded primeval serpent associated with Lord Vishnu, who arises from the primeval waters (ksiramudra) in the beginning of creation resting on his endless coils, his thousand hoods providing him the canopy. The serpent symbolically represents the time and the thousand hoods divisions of time. Besides Hanuman, animals played an important role in the epic battle of Ramayana. Jatayuvu, a mythical bird, loses his life fighting against Ravana when he is carrying away Sita after kidnapping her. During his wanderings in search of Sita, accompanied by his brother Lakshman, Rama comes across Sugriva, the monkey king of Kishkindha whom he helps against his brother Bali. Jatayuvu’s brother provides a clue to the search party of monkeys headed by Hanuman that Sita was held in captive by the demon king Ravana. Then accompanied by an army of monkeys, bears

and other animals Rama leaves for Lanka to rescue his wailing wife. The monkeys and other animals build an incredible bridge across the ocean to the island country of Ravana. They destroy the vast army of Ravana and help Rama in rescuing his wife. The story of Ramayana is a reminder of the Hindu belief that in the universal scheme of things God does not distinguish between humans and animals and that all living beings have an equal status but play different roles.

ANIMALS AS VEHICLES OF GODS In the Hindu pantheon each god and goddess is associated with an animal as a vehicle. Symbolically the vehicles represent the animal energies or qualities or skills which need to be strengthened or sublimated in our lower nature with the help of the divinities who can transform them. The knowledge of vehicles is therefore very useful in knowing which divinity can help us in transforming our inner energies.

ANIMALS AS SYMBOLS Animals serve as symbols in Hinduism. The elephant is used as a religious symbol by the Hindus, the Buddhists and the Jains. The symbol of ashta diggajas or eight elephants standing in eight different directions represent the ashtadikpalas or rulers of the eight directions of space. The elephants are also associated with goddess Lakshmi as symbols of abundance. The fish and conch shell are associated with Lord Vishnu.

The conch is an attribute of Lord Vishnu while two fish juxtaposed to each other is considered as a symbol of fertility and good luck. Makara, a mythical figure, with the head of a crocodile, body of a reptile and tail of foliage, is a symbol of the zodiacal sign of Capricorn. It is also depicted as the vehicle of the river goddess Ganga. In northern India the lion, bull and elephant are included among the ashtamangalas or the eight auspicious objects.

ANIMALS AS SOURCE OF FOOD Meat eating was not forbidden in ancient India. The Vedic people ate cooked meats of certain animals. Meat was also cooked and consumed at the end of certain sacrificial ceremonies such as the horse sacrifice. Vedic people ate fish, buffaloes, oxen and various

other animals. Cows were often sacrificed but they were subsequently banned from slaughter. Jainism exercised a great influence in changing the food habits of the people of the subcontinent. The Jain monks lived austere lives and encouraged people to avoid animal food. Many ancient rulers of India were Jains including Chandragupta Maurya which must have contributed greatly to the increasing preference among urban people for vegetarian food. Although Buddhism emphasized the virtues of compassion and non injury to animals, meat eating was not disallowed by Buddhism altogether. The monastic rules of Buddhism provided a code of conduct for the monks to follow in choosing vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods of various types without craving. Asoka introduced his law of piety (dhamma), which was a mixture of Vedism, Jainism and Buddhism, in which he emphasized the need for compassion and respect for animal life. He also banned animal fights and made provision for animal care. The post Mauryan period saw a revival of Hinduism.

The Sungas, the Nagas, the Guptas and the Vakatakas, who ruled large parts of India patronized Hinduism and revived many ancient traditions. They participated in vedic sacrifices, worshipped Hindu gods and goddesses and built temples in their honor.

The Dharmashastras prescribed elaborate rulers regarding food and drinks. The Apastamba Sutras forbid meats of certain animals such as the one hoofed animals, camels, certain birds, fish, deer, village pigs and cattle, but allowed the meat of cows and oxen, tortoise, porcupine, hedgehog, the rhinoceros and the hare were allowed.

The Guatama sutras forbid meat of animals that had five toes, or double rows of teeth or excessive quantity of hair, but exempted the meat of hedgehog, hare, porcupine, the iguana, the rhinoceros and the tortoise.

Certain animal parts such as the testicles of bulls and the meat of rhinoceros were used as aphrodisiacs. In ancient India people used various types of animals for domestic, military, commercial, recreational or medicinal purposes. Hindu scriptures mention the use of cows, sheep, oxen, buffaloes, rhinoceros, camels, asses, elephants, birds, boars, pigs, dogs, snakes, fish, tigers, lions and many mythical creatures. Animals were used in trade and commerce, hunting, animal fights, gambling, defense, transportation, sacrificial ceremonies, medicines and as gifts and foods.

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Clockwise Figure 1 - Use of Animals in Warfare Figure 2 - Animals in Hunting Scenes Figure 3 - Animals as Vehicles of Gods, Peacock as the Vahana of Kartikey

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2.4 Sub-section II - Styles of Folk Paintings Many different styles of folk painting exist in India. Pata painting in the Kalighat area of Kolkata have simple bold lines and flat colours to describe the Hindu gods and goddesses like Shiva, Durga, Kali, Krishna, Lakshmi, Ganesha as well as daily rural life. In the villages of Bihar women paint the pictures of Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishnalila and other Hindu mythologies as well as birds, animals and other natural objects on the mud walls of their hut.The Pahari paintings use beautiful scenes of mount Himalaya as a backdrop and describes epics and mythological stories in a soothing, powdery colour. Rajasthani folk paintings are usually done on some specific occasions like marriage, birth ceremony and festivals.

Warli painting of Maharastra is a gift from

MADHUBANI

PITHORA

a small tribe of the same name living in the state. These paintings are executed in white on austere mud wall with the spontaneous expressions of folk life, customs and beliefs.

South India Tanjore school of painting and Mysore School of painting is unique to south India. Dragon painted on wood is typical example of Monpa art of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and other places in the North eastern states of India. The theme in the Monpa painting has traditional Buddhist influence. Another form of Buddhist art is Thangka, which are paintings done on flat surface and are painted or embroidered Buddhist banners. Thangkas are hanged from monasteries or are carried by Lama`s in ceremonial procession.

PATTACHITRA

GOND

PHAD

KALAMKARI

Figure 4 - Fish in different styles of Folk Paintings

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Pahari Paintings Pahari painting is the name given to Rajput paintings, made in HimachalPradesh and Jammu & Kashmir states of India. Pahari paintings of India can be divided into two distinct categories, on the basis of their geographical range, namely, Basohli and Kulu Style (Influenced by Chaurpanchasika style) and Guler and Kangra Style (Based on cooler colors and refinement).

With the emergence of Bhakti movement, new themes for Indian Pahari paintings came into practice. The Shaiva-Shakta themes were supplemented by argot poetry and folk songs of Lord Krishna and Lord Rama. At the same time, the themes of the paintings revolved around love and devotion also. There was also illustration of great epics, puranas, etc.

The depiction of Devi Mahatmya manuscript painted at Kangra, in 1552, has been much acclaimed.

Figure 5 - Pahari Paintings

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Geometrical patterns, bright colors and glossy enamel characterize Basohli paintings.

The nature Guler Kangra style of Himachal developed somewhere around the year 1800.

It was a more naturalized version of painting, with visible difference in the treatment of eyes and modeling of the face. Landscapes were also commonly used as themes. Along with that, this style also accentuated the elegance and grace of the Indian women. Jasrota paintings are mainly found in Jammu and Kashmir and revolve around court scenes, events from the life of the kings, allegorical scenes, etc. In the mid-17th century, portraitures became a common theme. With time, the emphasis shifted to naturalism and subdued colors. Nurpur paintings of Himachal Pradesh usually employ bright colors and flat backgrounds. However, in the later periods, the dazzling colors were replaced by muted ones.

Kalamkari Paintings Kalam is a Persian word meaning pen and kari means work. This kalam or pen is a stick of bamboo or date palm, which has a tapered point. This point is slit to about l�, above which there is a round ball of wool that serves as a reservoir for ink. The kalam is dipped in the ink and the wool fabric is pressed while applying the paint on the fabric.

In Andhra Pradesh, both the Masulipatnam and Srikalahasti villages are recognized as major centers for Kalamkari painting. There is a religious colour code for the decoration of Kalamkari cloths – all Gods are painted blue, female characters golden yellow and all demons and bad characters are red. The Srikalahasti designs show Hindu influence whereas Masulipatanam with its historic Persian links shows Muslim influence.

Originally, only vegetable dyes were used for colouring the fabric. The procedure involves the use of kalams or blocks for application of the wax resists on the fabric which would be later dyed blue, red, green, yellow and black.

The fabric used for manufacture of these kalamkaris is the unbleached plain weave cotton fabric for the mordanting process.

To produce black colour iron mordant

called Kasam is used, whereas for red Alam crystals as mordant is painted on the cloth followed by washing for removal of excess mordant and then finally dyeing of the fabric in different colours by subsequent removal of wax is carried out. Starching is also done where rice starch and buffalo milk are applied on the fabric. The wax used is generally the beeswax.

The popular motifs included the Tree of Life, Cyprus cone, verses from Koran, Mihrab or the arch which were seen amidst a number of floral scrawls and creepers. In the figurative designs the human faces were given a lot of attention the eyes were made bold and expressive. Female jewellery was made very elaborate and intricate details were given to costumes. The figures with rounded shapes and border designs are typical of kalamkaris.

The motifs are a blend of both geometric and naturalistic depictions.

The Kalamkari art of painting undergoes a laborious, slow process of resist – dyeing and hand printing. Many stages have to be undergone before the final results are achieved.

Figure 6 - Kalamkari paintings

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Pithora Paintings Pithoro painting is not done for any decorative or ornamental purpose. Pithoro, is an important deity in the region qnd the painting is done to appease the deity.

The painting process involves a long ritual celebration. The execution of the Pithoro painting is a festive occasion for the whole village.

Bright and vivid hues of blue, green, red and orange are preferred. Yellow and black are also used occasionally. The dry pigments are dissolved in water in containers made out of coconut shells, or small clay bowls. Khakhara leaves and milk are added as a binder. A few drops of liquor are also added to each colour.

Brushes are made from fresh bamboo twigs.

Twigs of different thickness are used for filling in the colours and for outlining the forms.

Lakharas start their work by drawing a rectangular border that encloses an area of about two metres high and three metres wide.

Pithoro is painted inside these borders which represent the “limits of the earth in all four directions where the world ends.�

Next to be drawn are the nine horses of

Pithoro and other deities. For maintaining a uniform size, spacing and shape, the painter uses a simple wooden diba-templets in the shape of horses and other animals. A particular sequence is followed in drawing the figures according to the iconography followed traditionally. These are placed and coloured accordingly.

The painting not only represents the barat, of Pithoro, the nephew of Indra, but it is also an embodiment and manifestation of many things related to tribal life. Besides the main characters astride their horses, many figures and motifs are also painted in Pithoro.

Among the commonly found are the multiheaded Ravana, a farmer ploughing his land, a panihari-woman with several water pots on her head, a bhatari, carrying lunch for her husband, Raja Bhoj smoking a hookah, a horse cart (to bring food-grains and clothes for the celebration), Damor Dev hunting a stag with a bow and arrow, a rooster and a hen, an umbrella, watchmen with their muzzle-loaders, the sun and the moon (these celestial guests are also the known symbols of eternity), a man climbing a palm tree, a woman milking a cow or a buffalo, etc. The painting is finished with outlines and patterns of dots and strokes of aluminium paint.

Figure 7 - Pithora paintings

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Warli Paintings Warli art became popular for its unique simplicity and fervour for life. Warli Art was first discovered in the early seventies. when the practice of embellishing the walls of the house was the only means of transmitting folklore to a general populace not versed in the written word.

Usually the Warli paintings are done during the marriage ceremony. Their respect for nature is from the most gigantic to the smallest creature and plant. The figures and traditional motives are repetitive and highly symbolic. They communicate through their paintings and their life style and passion for nature are depicted with utmost details.

Triangular humans and animals with stick-like hands and legs, geometrical designs with rows of dots and dashes are drawn on the mud walls of the huts of Warlis.

In Warli paintings it is rare to see a straight line. A series of dots and dashes make one line. The artists have recently started to draw straight lines in their paintings. From the depths of the painting spring a variety of activities with humans, animals, and trees.

The subjects found in these paintings are wedding scenes, various animals, birds, trees, men, women, children, descriptive harvest

scene, group of men dancing around a person playing the music, dancing peacocks, and many more.

Warli paintings are strangely ascetic, unlike other folk paintings of India which consist of myriad primary colors in such abundance.

Instead they are painted in white on an austere brown surface decorated with occasional dots in red and yellow. This first impression of sobriety is countered by the ebullience of the themes depicted. These are remarkable in their intensely social nature.

They look outwards, capturing the life around and by implication, the humanness of living. Men, animals and trees form a loose, rhythmic pattern across the entire sheet. This results in a light swinging and swirling movement, describing the day to day activities of the Warlis. It is believed that these paintings invoke powers of the Gods.

The Warlis do not narrate mythology or any great epic. Simply painted on mud, charcoal and cow dung based surface with rice paste for the colour white, the art form deals with themes that narrate their social lifestyle and activities. The loose rhythmic movement that each painting suggests adds life to the paintings.

Figure 8 - Warli paintings

37

Gond Paintings The Gond tribe, one of the famous tribes belonging to the Mandala region of Madhya Pradesh, has a typical style of painting, known as Gond paintings. Painted freehand, these two dimensional paintings reflect their perception of life. The third dimension, the depth is always lacking in these paintings reflecting the simplicity of the artist. Sometimes these paintings also tell how colorful their imagination can be. They put colors to the blandest creations of the nature at times. For example you can see the lizard here in our collection with colorful stripes and dots. They can be treated as the expression of their desire to color the nature as well, if we think philosophically.

The bodies of the various forms that they paint are seldom or perhaps never in one shade, they are always striped, dotted or filled with any other geometrical pattern.

They are done on a handmade paper with poster colors. The topics are selected from the natural surroundings or just from the happenings of their day to day lives. The

harvest, a field, a happy family, almost everything finds an expression on their canvas.

Apart from painting on paper, this tribe Gond engage themselves in wall painting and floor paintings as well. These paintings serve the ritualistic purposes as well as keeps the surroundings harmonious and pure. They are done with the help of white rice paste, ochre or yellow earth colors. Drawn during festivals or rituals connected with seasonal changes, sowing of corps, onset of rains, harvest or on a significant occasion in their families such as birth, puberty, marriage, pregnancy and death, they are symbols drawn afresh each time, in the courtyard, on the threshold and in other spaces in the house.

With a strong sense of colour and shape, this tribe, even with a lack of the third dimension, express their outlook very skillfully on any canvas; a wall, a paper or the ultimate canvas of the universe; the earth.

Figure 9 - Gond paintings

38

Tanjore Paintings This art form has a distinct personality, with a painting style which is a mix of formal and folk art.The principal figures in the paintings are Gods and Goddesses depicted in bold and larger than life proportions. Krishna in his many facets is a favourite as is the enigmatic Ganesha along with the bountiful Lakshmi and the erudite Saraswati. Depictions of Ranganatha, Shiva, Rama and other deities are fewer but with greater grandeur and complexity. The subjects chosen are usually illustrations of scenes from the Ramayana & Bhagavatha Purana.

The portrayal of the figures in the paintings are breathtakingly brilliant. Almost all the figures have rounded bodies and almondshaped eyes. The traditional Tanjore Artists have a flair for ornamenting the figures with jewellery and ornate dresses.

The traditional art was done on a single wooden board, on which cloth was pasted.

The cloth was coated with a compound comprising an adhesive and a smoothening agent. . The surface of the board is then polished with a smooth stone to make it even.

This facilitates easy sketching and painting.

Detailed sketching is then done, including

areas where gems are to be pasted and relief work is to be incorporated. Upon completion of sketching, the gems are placed in their positions using an adhesive. Earlier, during the patronage of royalty, precious stones were used, but now semi precious stones are used.

In order to begin work on relief, a compound is used. The finer the relief the more attractive the painting. The compound is applied using a brush or a cone with a hole in it, from which the compound is ejected.The compound binds the Gems firmly ensuring they remain in place for many years.

The relief work is covered with Gold foil.

This is a very precise and delicate operation.

A piece of cloth or a sponge is used for this.

Excess pressure may damage the relief.

Painting is then taken up. The central figure is normally white in colour, with shades of blue. The figures are usually plump and static.

The background features supporting figures, pillars, curtains and angels with flowers. The rest of the area is done in striking red, blue or green colours. Extensive use of gems, gold foils and other embellishments add richness to the picture.

Figure 10 - Tanjore paintings

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Thangke Paintings A Thangka is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, or mandala of some sort. The thankga is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting. Rather, it consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered, over which a textile is mounted, and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk.

Generally, thankgas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won’t affect the quality of the silk. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting.

Originally, thangka painting became popular among traveling monks because the scroll paintings were easily rolled and transported from monastery to monastery. These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. One popular subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).To Buddhists these Tibetan religious paintings offer a beautiful manifestation of the divine,

being both visually and mentally stimulating.

Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions.Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk. The paint consists of pigments in a water soluble medium. Both mineral and organic pigments are used, tempered with a herb and glue solution.

The composition of a thangka is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thangka artist will generally select from a variety of predesigned items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure’s eyes, nose, and lips.

Thangka often overflow with symbolism and allusion. Because the art is explicitly religious, all symbols and allusions must be in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scripture. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge, and background to create an accurate and appropriate thangka.

Figure 11 Thangka paintings

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Madhubani Paintings Exclusively the domain of women, the art of Madhubani painting has been handed down from one generation to another. Translated, Madhubani literally means ‘a forest of honey’.

The art flourished in the villages around Madhubani in the Mithila region of north Bihar near the Indo-Nepal border. This region has historical and religious importance as Mahavir, Buddha and Lord Rama’s wife Sita, are all believed to have been born here.

Historically, painting was an important medium of expression for the women of the Madhubani region, in the absence of any formal education. The works of art were created mainly for ritual occasions. Mothers passed on the traditional skill to their young enthusiastic daughters.

The paintings are mostly pictorial depictions of gods and goddesses from the Hindu pantheon like Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Ganesh, Lakshmi, Durga and Kali. Durga, the goddess of energy, sitting on her vahana (vehicle), a lion, is often seen in their creations. As is the amorous couple of Hindu mythology, Radha and Krishna – with Krishna playing the flute and Radha offering water to a bird from her pot. Goddess Lakshmi too is often

depicted in their paintings. Special events like marriage ceremonies and court scenes are also depicted, besides themes from nature.

Geometrical designs fill up all the gaps, leaving hardly any empty space in this style.

Being of a religious nature, the paintings are done by the women predominantly at home, in anointed areas like the prayer room. It is said that women offer prayers to the deity before starting on a painting. Traditionally, the work is done on freshly plastered mud, dung walls and floors.

The women use only plain, slatted bamboo sticks with wads of cotton to apply the paint.

The colours are made from vegetable dyes or are of natural origin and are prepared by the women themselves. For example, black is made by mixing soot with cow dung, yellow from turmeric, blue from indigo, red from red sandalwood, green from leaves and white from rice paste. The black outlines are drawn first and then the colour is filled into the spaces. Yet, despite the crude implements, the result is a bright and bold image with a character of its own. While this art has been in practice for centuries, it has, for most practical purposes, remained confined within the region.

Figure 12 - Madhubani paintings

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Pattachitra Paintings One of the outstanding forms of traditional folk art is scroll painting or patta chitra which emerged and flourished all over Bengal in the late medieval period and continues to flourish even today. Its survival has been helped by its wonderful capacity to blend tradition with changes in taste and fashion.

The scroll painters gleaned their themes mainly from ancient Indian mythology and the mangal kavyas of medieval Bengal. The Puranic gods and goddesses like Siva, Chandi, Manasa appear repeatedly in their pictures.

Scenes from the Ramayana, the SavitriSatyavana episode from the Mahabharata, the Behula-Lakhindara episode of ManasaMangala and the Kamale Kamini vision of the Chandi-Mangala are common themes.

In modern times, they have used important historical events and cult figures to cater to contemporary tastes. Episodes from India’s struggle for freedom hold sway in modern scroll paintings. This is a clear proof of the ability and flexibility of the painters to move with the times.

The style of the painters varies from place to place and group to group. Generally, they depict heavy monumental figures of deities with rich ornamentation in bright deep colors

with the intention of making an immediate and abiding impact on the minds of the simple rural folk.

The Kalighat patas mark a modern development in this field. They use the old style with bold outlines and broad modelling, showing their distinctveness. Most modern painters, however, employ less ornate styles and use light water colors to create a certainserenity and sobriety, reflecting an awareness to live up to changed modern tastes. Another style of pata painting is current in Vishnupur, which appears to be more lyrical than picturesque, the figures being drawn for no real iconic effect. For instance, a scroll depicts the Goddess of Learning-Saraswati- seated on a throne in a lotus pond with the sky above her head sketched in shades of appropriate color. A halo heightens the grace of the goddess.

The scroll generally consists of a piece of paper of equal size pasted to it on one side.

Two wooden rods are attached at two ends of the scroll to facilitate smooth and quick folding and unfolding. Sometimes durable paper scrolls are also used, as in the case of the famous Kalighat patas.

Figure 13 - Pattachitra paintings

42

Phad Paintings When balladas are captured on canvas in vivid hues and immortalized for posterity, it is termed as the phad painting. These paintings depict the various folklores on a scroll of canvas, scene by scene, with utmost clarity.

The nuances of each scene are explained by professional narrators, known as Bhopas.

The phads that display the heroic exploits of goods and many Rajput warriors are generally of five kinds namely Pabuji, Devnarayan, Krishna, Ramdal (Ramayana) and Ramdevji.

Of these, the most legendary and popular is that of Pabuji, who is considered a demi god in Marwar, even today.

A traditional phad is approximately thirty feet long and five feet wide and the material used is local khadi or canvas. Primarily only vegetable colours were used, which remained fast and fresh for a long duration. Scarcity of these colours, however, would have ultimately led to a virtual stagnation of the craft, so the artists were compelled to make innovations.

Thus the usage of water-proof earthen colours evolved. These colours are made by pounding the natural earthen colours with gum, water and indigo.

The painting commences with great flourish on the appointed auspicious day, when the Bhopas arrive. The ritual offering of a coconut is made to the Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of Learning). A free hand sketch is then made on the canvas, where various postures of human and animal figures are perfected. Floral trees adorn the piece filling up the empty spaces. The figures are the painted in a light yellow colour initially, known as kacha. The first stroke of colour is always made by a virgin girl from the artist’s family or from another family of high caste.

The artist uses only one colour at a time, filling it in wherever required. The colour orange is used for limbs and torso, yellow for ornaments, clothing and designs, gray for structure, blue for water and curtains, green for trees and vegetation and red, prominently for dress. The subtle black outline that brings the linear expressions alive, is the syahi.

The phads that are made for the Bhopas, are always signed. The price of the phad however, is determined prior to beginning the paintings. After continuous usage for many years the phad was immersed in Pushkar Lake.

Figure 14 - Phad paintings

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2.5 Sub-section III - Socio-Cultural aspects The earliest Indian paintings were the rock paintings of pre-historic times, the petroglyphs as found in places like Bhimbetka, some of them from before 5500 BC. The frescos of the Ajanta Caves are the most significant of the few survivals. Mughal painting represented a fusion of the Persian miniature with older Indian traditions, and from the 17th century its style was diffused across Indian princely courts of all religions, each developing a local style. Company paintings were made for British clients under the British raj, which from the 19th century also introduced art schools along Western lines, leading to modern Indian painting, which is increasingly returning to its Indian routes.

In certain areas these paintings are a part of everyday life while in others on ceremonies like birth of a child, mundan, marriages etc. the paintings are done to mark the auspicious day and to invoke the blessings of gods.

Some paintings styles however are predominately done by male members as kalamkari.

In recent times these paintings are done on paper and cloth also. The subjects of the paintings are religious and sacred in nature.

The tools and materials used to create these paintings differ depending on the style of painting. However most of these require a base which could be cloth, paper, board, palm leaf etc. Colors are obtained from natural dyes. Brushes are made out of animal hair and pens out of bamboo. In recent years artificial colors as well as tools are also used.

Folk Painting is generally done on the walls of houses by the women of the house. It is also done on the floor of the house primarily made using natural materials

Clockwise Figure 15 - Women painting on the walls in a village Figure 16- Tools like brushes used in painting

44

2.6 Sub-section IV - Case Studies DEVDUTT PATTANAIK

JAMINI ROY

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik is the Chief Belief Officer of the Future Group. He is an author, speaker, illustrator and mythologist.

Developed a personal painting style inspired largely by traditional Indian folk and village arts, particularly those of Bengal. Through his paintings he gave expression to the scenes of everyday life of the people of rural Bengal.

Trained in medicine, he spent 15 years in healthcare and pharmaceutical industries.

He wrote and lectured extensively on the relevance of mythology (not just Hindu mythology) in modern times.

In his career as an artist Jamini Roy earned fame by evolving his own language of painting which he termed as ‘Flat Technique’.

He consults Star TV on storytelling techniques and patterns.His columns on management

Jamini Roy was honored with the Padma Bhushan in 1955. He died in 1972 in Calcutta.

and culture appear in a number of major publications. He has written over 20 books for everyone from adults to children, for youth to business executives.

He has worked with animals as asubject extensively and taken inspiration from the craft tradition to depict them in a natural surrounding interacting with people.

His article “Sacred Beasts” and his illustrations take inspiration from depiction of animals in crafts.

Clockwise Figure 17 - Devdutt Pattanaik Figure 18 - Jamini Roy

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2.7 Summary Following are the major characteristics of the three styles of folk painting that were finalised for the research after the extensive literature review MADHUBANI PAINTINGS - very little empty spaces, gaps filled with bird, flowers, animals, geometric deigns - use of vibrant and bold natural colors - double line border, two dimensional imagery, elaborate floral patterns, abstractlike figures of deities with bulging eyes and a jolting nose - subject is mostly religious, also depicts natural objects like sun, moon, plants, animals, scenes from weddings, royal court also shown PATTACHITRA PAINTINGS - use of light water colors to create a certain serenity and sobriety

46

- themes derived from ancient Indian mythology and the mangal kavyas of medieval Bengal - depict heavy monumental figures of deities with rich ornamentation in bright deep colors with the intention of making an immediate and abiding impact on the mind PHAD PAINTINGS - orange is used for limbs and torso, yellow for ornaments, clothing and designs, gray for structure, blue for water and curtains, green for trees and vegetation and red, prominently for dress, black for outlines - many rituals are practiced as painting the eyes at the end - display the heroic exploits Rajput warriors - Pabuji, Devnarayan, Krishna, Ramdal (Ramayana) and Ramdevji - depict the various folklores on a scroll of canvas, scene by scene, the nuances of which are explained by professional narrators, known as Bhopas

Chapter Three Methods of Research 3.1 Determination of Research Design 3.2 Research Design 3.3 Data Collection

3.1 Determination of Research Design Secondary data on folk paintings in India was collected thorough book/journal/ publication research and internet research.

The books that were referred to are Handicrafts of India - Kamamladevi Chattopadhyay, The Arts of India - George C.M. Birdwood, The Craft Tradition of India Jaya Jaitly, The Everyday Art of India - Robert F. Bussabarger, Arts and Crafts of India Nicholas Barnard, Folk and Tribal Designs of India - Enakshi Bhvani, Mughal Art - a study in handicrafts - Shanti Swarup, Crafts of Himachal Pradesh - Subhashini Aryan,

Arts and Crafts of Jammu & Kashmir - D.N. Saraf, Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan - Aman Nath, Handicrafts of Rajasthan - H. Bhisham Pal, Arts and Crafts of Tamil Nadu - Nandhita Krishna, Madhubani - K. Prakash, Indian Folk and Tribal Paintings - Charu Smita Gupta.

Primary Research was done with the help of a survey to understand people’s prception of animals in Folk paintings. Interviews and observation studies were also conducted to gather more information about the craft and formualte personal viewpoints.

3.2 Research Design The questionnaire had two parts Mutiple choice answers which judged the respondent’s exposure and involvement with craft as well as their underatnding of animal as motifs.Identifying the style in which the given animal had been drawn in to judge how familiar the respondent was to the given style and its characteristics.

For the final survey the sample size was100 and the respondents were design students, art students, visitors of craft fairs. The questionnaire was administerd to the respondents (distributed online as well as distributed physically).

Each question with its responses was recorded and analysed statistically using the percentage method to understand how many respondents answered in each category.

Inferences were drawn on the basis of the statistical findings Interviews were conducted in craft fairs like Surajkund mela, Dastakar Basant Bazaar and Dilli Haat Interviews were conducted with artisans from the three crafts to learn about the craft and significance of animals in it.

The survey received 100% response and all respondents answered all questions.

51

1. Do you visit craft fairs? a. Very often

b. Often

c. Sometimes

d. Rarely

e. Never

c. Sometimes

d. Rarely

e. Never

c. Sometimes

d. Rarely

e. Never

2. Do you interact with artisans in craft fairs? a. Very often

b. Often

3. Do you notice the motifs? a. Very often

b. Often

4. Do you ask the artisan about the significance of motifs? a. Very often

b. Often

c. Sometimes

d. Rarely

e. Never

5. When you see a painting , which characterisitics stand out the most? a. Themes

b. Colors

c. Motifs

d. Symbology

e. Style

d. Animals & Birds

e. People

6. What motifs have you usually seen in crafts? a. Floral

b. Geometric

c. Ornamental

7. Which animals have you usually seen in folk paintings? a. Elephants

b. Horses

c. Cattle

d. Fishes

e. Birds

d. Sacrifices

e. Food

8. What roles have you usually seen the animals in? a. Vehicles of Gods

b. Warfare

Figure 19 - Questionnaire Part 1

52

c. Hunting

9. Can you identify which painting style the following animals have been drawn in?

a.

b.

c.

Madhubani painting

Madhubani painting

Madhubani painting

Pattachitra painting

Pattachitra painting

Pattachitra painting

Phad painting

Phad painting

Phad painting

d.

e.

Madhubani painting

Madhubani painting

Pattachitra painting

Pattachitra painting

Phad painting

Phad painting

Figure 20 - Questionnaire Part 2

53

1. Where do you belong to ?

2. How long have you been practicing this craft ?

3. Do you practice this craft traditionally or have you learnt it from somewhere ?

4. What is the process that you follow ?

5. What tools/ techniques/ materials do you use ?

6. How did this craft come into being ?

7. Are there any rituals/ stories associated with this craft ?

8. Do you use natural colors for painting ?

9. What are the major themes the paintings are made on ?

10. What are the major motifs that you make ?

11. Can you talk about the style/ treatment ?

12. Which animals are found in the palce that you belong to ?

13. What animals do you draw ? Why only those animals ? Why not others ?

14. What is the symbology behind these animals ?

15. What roles do the animals usually appear in ?

Figure 21 - Interview Questions

54

16. When you showcase your work in craft fairs, how often do people interact with you enquiring about the significance of the motifs ?

17. Have you made any efforts to make the carft more contemporary ?

18. Has that led to changes in the way the mtifs are made/ portrayed/ what they symbolise ?

19. Has the craft seen any evolution from the way it was made traditionally to today ?

20. What are the differences and similarities between your style and other paintings ?

21. Are there any variations within this school of painting amongst different artisans in terms of depictions/ symbology/ treatment ?

Figure 22 - Interview Questions contd.

55

3.3 Data Collection Secondary data on folk paintings in India was collected thorough book/journal/ publication research and internet research.

The books that were referred to are Handicrafts of India - Kamamladevi Chattopadhyay, The Arts of India - George C.M. Birdwood, The Craft Tradition of India Jaya Jaitly, The Everyday Art of India - Robert F. Bussabarger, Arts and Crafts of India Nicholas Barnard, Folk and Tribal Designs of India - Enakshi Bhvani, Mughal Art - a study in handicrafts - Shanti Swarup, Crafts

56

of Himachal Pradesh - Subhashini Aryan, Arts and Crafts of Jammu & Kashmir - D.N. Saraf, Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan - Aman Nath, Handicrafts of Rajasthan - H. Bhisham Pal, Arts and Crafts of Tamil Nadu - Nandhita Krishna, Madhubani - K. Prakash, Indian Folk and Tribal Paintings - Charu Smita Gupta.

Primary Research was done with the help of a survey to understand people’s prception of animals in Folk paintings. Interviews and observation studies were also conducted to gather more information about the craft and formualte personal viewpoints.

Chapter Four Data Analysis and Results 4.1 Demographics of the Population 4.2 Testing of hypotheses 4.3 Findings

4.1 Demographics of the Population The questionnaire was administered to people visiting craft fairs as well as art and design students. This was done so as to have a sample set that had prior exposure to crafts and thus was more likely to be able to answer the questions in the required manner.

As such there were people of all age groups typically 18 and above and all occupations like teachers, managers, doctors, students since there is no classification on the basis of age or occupation for people who visit craft fairs and have had prior exposure to crafts.

The sample set of art and design students was selected since while studying, as a part of their curriculum they do come across Indian crafts in some or the other way either through photography, research, field visits etc. The questionnaire was then administered to 100

respondents both online and distributed physically.

Apart from this the interviews were administered to artisans of the three painting styles. These artisans were found at Dilli Haat, Dastakaar Nature Bazaar, Surajkund Craft Fair. The artisans interviewed included notable craftsmen like Prakash Joshi for Phad painting, Ajay Kumar for Madhubani painting and Suraj for Pattichitra painting amongst others. They were visiting the fairs in order to showcase their work but spared time to have in depth conversations about the research.

Besides this Ms. Archana Shastri, an eminent expert in the field of Cultural studies, was also interviewed regarding the cutural context of the crafts without which it is not possible to analyse any data collected effectively.

4.2 Testing of hypotheses The questionnaire was designed to test the research hypotheses. Each question was based on a research objective.

Secondary literature review also helped not only develop hypotheses but also test some of them.

While some hypothese were tested through the questionnaire, others had to be subjected to more rigourous testing through interviews and observation studies.

Following is a break down of each question in terms of statistical data analysis taht shows whether the hypothesis has proven correct or incorrect.

61

1. Do you visit craft fairs ?

5% visit craft fairs very often, 24% visit craft fairs often, 48% visit craft fairs sometimes, 19% visit craft fairs rarely and 4% never visit craft fairs.

50

40

30

20

10

0

very often

often

sometimes

rarely

never

2. Do you interact with artisans in craft fairs ?

5.1% interact with artisans in craft fairs very often, 22.2% interact with artisans in craft fairs often, 42.4% interact with artisans in craft fairs sometimes, 25.3% interact with artisans in craft fairs rarely and 5.1% never interact with artisans in craft fairs.

50

40

30

20

10

0

62

very often

often

sometimes

rarely

never

3. Do you notice the motifs ?

23.5% notice the motifs very often, 42.9% notice the motifs often, 20.4% notice the motifs sometimes, 10.2% notice the motifs rarely and 3.1% never notice the motifs.

50

40

30

20

10

0

very often

often

sometimes

rarely

never

4. Do you ask the artisans about the significance of the motifs ?

5.2% ask the artisans about the significance of the motifs very often, 21.6% ask the artisans about the significance of the motifs often, 33% ask the artisans about the significance of the motifs sometimes, 24.7% ask the artisans about the significance of the motifs rarely and 15.5% never ask the artisans about the significance of the motifs.

50

40

30

20

10

0

very often

often

sometimes

rarely

never

63

5. When you see a painting, which characteristic stands out the most?

10% notice themes, 41% notice colors, 13% notice motifs, 17% notice symbolism and 19% notice style.

50

40

30

20

10

0

themes

colors

motifs

symbolism

style

6. What motifs have you usually seen in crafts ?

18% have seen floral motifs, 12% have seen geometric motifs, 28% have seen ornamental motifs, 35% have seen aniamls and birds as motifs, 7% have seen people as motifs.

50

40

30

20

10

0

64

floral

geometric

ornamental

animals and birds

people

7. Which animals have you usually seen in folk paintings ?

42% have seen elephants, 16% have seen horses, 8% have seen cattle, 22% have seen fish and 12% have seen birds.

50

40

30

20

10

0

elephants

horses

cattle

fish

birds

8. What roles have you usually seen the animals in ?

53% have seen animals as Vehicles of Gods, 22% have seen animals in warfare, 21% have seen animals in hunting scenes, 2% have seen animals as sacrifices and 2% have seen animals as food.

50

40

30

20

10

0

vehicles of gods

warfare

hunting

sacrifices

food

65

9. Can you identify which painting style the following animals have been drawn in?

A. Madhubani fish 86% identified the madhubani fish correctly as madhubani, 7% identified it as phad and 7% identified it as pattachitra.

100

80

60

40

20

0

madhubani painting

phad painting

pattachitra painting

B. Phad fish 9% identified the pad fish as madhubani, 47% identified it correctly as phad and 7% identified it as pattachitra.

100

80

60

40

20

0

66

madhubani painting

phad painting

pattachitra painting

9. Can you identify which painting style the following animals have been drawn in?

C. Pattachitra fish 10% identified the pattachitra fish as madhubani, 49% identified it as phad and 41% identified it correctly as pattachitra.

100

80

60

40

20

0

madhubani painting

phad painting

pattachitra painting

67

4.3 Findings 48% visit craft fairs sometimes, 42% interact with artisnas sometimes, 43% often notice the motifs, 33% sometimes ask the artisan about the significanace of the motifs.

41% notice colors first in paintings, 33% notice animals and birds as a significant motif, 42% recall seeing an elephant the most in folk paintings, 53% recall seeing animals in the role of vehicles of Gods.

96% identified the madhubani fish correctly, 47% identified the phad fish correctly, 41%

48%

visit craft fairs sometimes

identified the pattachitra fish correctly.

A majority of the respondents could identify the style the animal had been drawn in (madhubani was the most widely recognised).

However only a limited number of them were actively involved in the process of enquiry about the craft.

Furthermore, although animals are noticed by a majority, they are ony seen in certain, very obvious roles such as vehicles of Gods.

42%

33%

43%

interact with artisans in craft fairs sometimes

sometimes ask the artisan about the significance of motifs

often notice the motifs

DEPICTION OF ANIMALS IN INDIAN FOLK PAINTINGS

41%

notice colors first in paintings

35%

notice animals and birds as a significant motif

recall seeing an elephant the most in folk paintings

96%

47%

identifed the madhubani fish correctly

Figure 23 - Infographic of Survey findings

68

42%

identifed the phad fish correctly

53%

recall seeing animals in the role of vehicles of Gods

41%

identifed the pattachitra fish correctly

Chapter Five Summary, Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Summary 5.2 Conclusions 5.3 Recommendations 5.4 Implications and Limits of Generalizability of findings

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5.1 Summary

On the basis of secondary research, conclusive data was collected about Phad painting, Madhubani painting and Pattachitra. Data was collected about the themes, colors, symbology, motifs etc. of the three folk painting styles that helped draw conclusions about the significance of animals as a motif.

The primary research was done using interviews, questionnaires and observation studies. The survey helped determine the perceptions of the general population that has prior exposure to crafts about animals as a motif in folk paintings.

Interviews were conducted with artisans from

the three crafts to learn about the craft and significance of animals in it.

All artisans confirmed the hypothesis that animals are an integral part of the craft.

Furthermore, they said that which animal is depicted depends not only on the region and which animal is usually found there but also on what folklores are portrayed and which animals appear in them.

Animals not only have different visual representations but also different connotations in different painting styles depending upon the cuture, region, folklore etc. Animals are thus an important part of folk paintings in India.

5.2 Conclusions On the basis of the research, it can be concluded that animals are in fact a significant motif in folk paintings in India.

They not only have importance in the form and color but also the symbology and narrative.

While some animals are primary and portray major characters, the others are seen majorly in the background.

Apart from the roles that animals usually appear in like vehicles of gods, warfare, hunting scemes, sacrifices and sources of food, they also have other roles depending on which folk painting they appear in and its themes and narratives.

There are various categories that aniamls appear in, namely animals like horses and elephants, birds like peacocks and mythical beasts like Garuda and Navagunjar.

In Phad painting, the major animals that are seen are horses, elephants, camels, tiger, deer. Each of these symbolise something and for a reason. While a horse symbolises power and bravery since Pabuji, the protagonist of the painting rides on a black horse, an elephant symbolises good luck/good health.

A cow symbolises kindness, deer symbolises beauty and tiger symbolises anger. A camel symbolises love because in the popular Rajasthani love tale of Dhola-Maru they meet on a camel.

In Madhubani painting, peacock symbolises love since Radha-Krishna meet in Vrindavan amongst peacocks.

In Pattachitra, the animals are mostly drawn in reference to the stories of Mahabharat. So we see mythical beats like Navgunjar which is composed of nine diffrent animals.

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5.3 Recommendations The reserch findings can be compiled into an effective resource to learn about the depiction of animals in Indian folk paintings in order to give people a better insight into the same.

This could be like inforamtion cards with the illustration on one side and all the relevant information on the other. These cards can then all go in a box. This way it can be a quick and easy reference for anyone who wishes to utilise this information.

It could also be compiled in the form of a visual dictionary that gives all the information about the symbology, narrative and form along with the illustrations.

Also the collected information can be applied to a real time project which could be in the form of educational aids for children as games, books, an installation concept, an exhibition design, a line of packaging,

designing communication strategy for animal welfare.

The concept of an eductaional kit for children has quite some potential since animals can be used to communicate with children very effectively since they possess certain intrinsic characteristics. Thus they are perfect for visual communication. This kit can have an illustrated story book that tells the story of the folk paintings to the children.

Along with this, it can also have a coloring book to make them more familiar with the form of the animals. The kit can also contain paper ornaments and bookmarks.

For the purpose of these projects, the illustrations can be made by the artisans themselves. In this way, it can be ensured that the form is true and authentic, also it benefits the artisans by giving their work more exposure.

5.4 Implications and Generalizability of findings The research findings are subject to certain limitations and generalizations.

The primary research was conducted through a sample size. The sample size was assumed to represent the target population. The people who participated included people visiting craft fairs as well as art and design students.

This was done so as to have a sample set that had prior exposure to crafts and thus was more likely to be able to answer the questions in the required manner. As such there were people of all age groups typically 18 and above and all occupations like teachers, managers, doctors, students since there is no classification on the basis of age or occupation for people who visit craft fairs and have had prior exposure to crafts.

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So the primary data reflects the viewpoints and analysis based on the given size of population and is not of the entire population.

Furthermore only a few artisans were interviewed in each painting style and their opinion was considered to reflect the opinion of the entire community of artisnas of that folk painting. Thus the information provided by them was considered to be true and authentic. Therefore the data collected during the primary research was assumed to be a universal opinion.

The inormation collected is generalized to make it appealing for the general population.

Figure 24 - Illustrations of animals in Phad painting

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Figure 25 - Illustrations of aniamls in Pattachitra and Madhubani paintings

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References 1. Handicrafts of India - Kamamladevi Chattopadhyay 2. The Arts of India - George C.M. Birdwood 3. The Craft Tradition of India - Jaya Jaitly 4. The Everyday Art of India - Robert F. Bussabarger 5. Arts and Crafts of India - Nicholas Barnard 6. Folk and Tribal Designs of India - Enakshi Bhvani 7. Mughal Art - a study in handicrafts - Shanti Swarup 8. Crafts of Himachal Pradesh - Subhashini Aryan 9. Arts and Crafts of Jammu & Kashmir - D.N. Saraf 10. Arts and Crafts of Rajasthan - Aman Nath 11. Handicrafts of Rajasthan - H. Bhisham Pal 12. Arts and Crafts of Tamil Nadu - Nandhita Krishna 13. Madhubani - K. Prakash 14. Indian Folk and Tribal Paintings - Charu Smita Gupta 15. http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/jamini-roy.html 16. http://devdutt.com/about 17. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_painting 18. http://www.indianetzone.com/9/folk_painting_india.htm 19. http://devdutt.com/articles/indian-mythology/sacred-beasts.html 20. http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/vehicles/2036.htm

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