Paintings of Gujarat
Pithora Painting, Chhotaudepur
Pithora painting is one of the arts that the state of Gujarat prides itself in. The wall murals are most popularly created by the ingenious artisans in the Chhotaudepur area of Gujarat as offerings to Pithora, the God of food grains. According to the traditional beliefs, these paintings are made in order to seek blessings, especially during a special occasion such as weddings or childbirth.
The artisans prepare the paints by blending the pigments with milk and liquor extracted from the Mahuda trees. To create the strokes, bamboo sticks, cotton, and wooden stencils are used. With the progress of time and generation, these traditional works are not only limited to the walls but have developed into paper and canvas arts that are now sold commercially.
Rogan Painting, Kutch
Created in the form of surface embellishments, the geometrical and floral motifs have been practiced for several years. However, now only a single-family in Nirona, Kachchh is known to be practicing the art form. The special ingredient used in the paint is the extracts of castor seeds.
An iron rod with flat ends is used to paint half the design, which is then imprinted on the other half of the cloth by pressing the two halves together. The craft forms an inexpensive substitute for embroidered textiles, and hence are widely used as an alternative textile for clothing. Nowadays, these paintings are also created on cushion covers, curtains, bedspreads, kurtas, tablecloths, and wall hangings.
