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TRIBAL FOLK ARTS OF INDIA EKTA SHARMA*

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JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC RESEARCH FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY
Impact Factor 1.625, ISSN: 2320-5083, Volume 3, Issue 5, June 2015

TRIBAL FOLK ARTS OF INDIA

EKTA SHARMA*
*Assistant Professor, Textiles and Apparel Designing, Ethelind School of Home Science, Sam Higginbottom Institute of
Agriculture, Technology and Sciences, (Formerly Allahabad Agricultural Institute), Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India

ABSTRACT
India had always been known as the land that portrayed cultural and traditional
vibrancy through its conventional arts and crafts. The 35 states and union territories sprawled
across the country have their own distinct cultural and traditional identities, and are displayed
through various forms of art prevalent there. Every region in India has its own style and
pattern of art, which is known as folk art. The folk and tribal arts of India are very ethnic and
simple, and yet colorful and vibrant enough to speak volumes about the country's rich
heritage. Folk art in India apparently has a great potential in the international market because
of its traditional aesthetic sensibility and authenticity. 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 quite popular among foreign tourists because of their ethnic
and traditional beauty. Some of the most famous folk paintings of India are the Madhubani
paintings of Bihar, Patachitra paintings from the state of Odisha, Phad Paintings of
Rajasthan, Kalamkari of Andhra Pradesh, Pichhvai Paintings of Rajasthan, Warli Paintings of
Maharashtra, Nirmal paintings of Andhra Pradesh, Aipan of Uttarakhand, Pithoro paintings
of Gujarat, Gond and Mandana Paintings of Madhya Pradesh, Kalighat paintings of Calcuta
and many more forms. Some of these tribal folk paintings are discussed below.

Madhubani paintings of Bihar:

Perhaps one of the best known genre of Indian folk paintings are the Mithila (also
called Madhubani) paintings from the Mithila region of Bihar state. The Madhubani in literal
translation means ‘Forest of Honey’ (Madhu-honey, Bans-forest or woods).These paintings
are basically religious in nature. The paintings are done by women predominantly at home, in
anointed areas like the prayer room. Hindu mythology is the main theme in Madhubani
Painting. It is an Indian living folk art inspired from mythological epics of Mahabharata and
Ramayana. It is divine and prayful expression of unconditional surrender and thankfulness to
the God. The contemporary art of Mithila painting was born in the early 1960’s, following
the terrible Bihar famine. The women of Mithila were encouraged to apply their painting

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skills to paper as a means of supplementing their meager incomes. Once applied to a portable
and thus more visible medium, the skill of Mithila women was quickly recognized. The work
was enthusiastically bought by tourists and folk art collectors alike.

Warli Paintings of Maharashtra:

Warli are principally found in “Thane” district in the state of Maharashtra. They are
also scattered to very few number in parts of Nashik and greater Bombay. Much has been
written about how the tribe got the name warlis. The word warli comes from ‘varal’, a small
patch of cultivated land that means an uplander.
According to Ayush (2007) Warli art roots may be traced to as early as the century
AD. Research suggests that the tribals are the propagators of a tradition which originated
sometime in the Neolithic period between 2,500 BC and 3,000 BC. Their extremely
rudimentary wall paintings use a very basic graphic vocabulary: a circle, a triangle and a
square come from their observation of nature; the circle representing the sun and moon, the
triangle derived from mountains and pointed trees. Only the square seems to obey a different
logic and seems to be a human invention, indicating a sacred enclosure or a piece of land.
Warli art is a beautiful folk art of Maharashtra, traditionally created by the tribal women of
the Tribes such as Warli, Malkhar koli, Kathodi, Kokana, Dhodi tribes found on the northern
outskirts of Mumbai, in Western India.

Madhubani of Bihar Warli of Maharashtra

Tribal people express themselves in vivid styles through paintings which they execute on the
walls of their house. Warli paintings were mainly done by the women folk. The paintings are

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beautifully executed and resemble pre-historic cave paintings in execution and usually depict
scenes of human figures engaged in activities like hunting, dancing, sowing and harvesting.

Aipan of Uttarakhand:
'Aepan' or Aipan or Alpana is an art which has a special place in all Kumaoni homes.
The word "Aepan' is a derivative of 'Arpan'. A commonly used word for it is “Likhai”
(writing), although it is a pattern made with the fingers. Aepan are used as ritual designs for
Pujas, festivals and ceremonies connected with birth, janeu (the sacred thread ceremony),
marriage and death.In Aipan the walls, papers and pieces of cloth are decorated by the
drawing of various geometric and other figures belonging to gods, goddesses and objects of
nature. Pichhauras or dupattas are also decorated in this manner. At the time of Harela there
is a tradition of making clay idols (Dikaras).
The raw material used is simple ochre (Geru) colour and rice paste. It is mostly
women who paint the designs on the floors and walls of their homes using the last three
fingers of the right hand. Once the ochre base is ready the artist draws the pattern free hand.
Chowkies are made with mango wood and painted with special designs for each occasion.
Pattas & Thapas are made directly on the walls or on paper and cloth.

Patachitra Painting of Orissa:

Originated from the temple of Jagannath at Puri in the 12th century; Patachitra
painting is considered as one of the oldest and most popular and important form of Oriya
paintings. The name Pattachitra has evolved from the Sanskrit words patta, meaning canvas,
and chitra, meaning picture. Pattachitra is thus a painting done on canvas, and is manifested
by rich colourful application, creative motifs and designs, and portrayal of simple themes,
mostly mythological in depiction.

Aipan of Uttarakhand Patachitra of Orissa

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Some of the popular themes represented through this art form are Thia Badhia -
depiction of the temple of Jagannath; Krishna Lila - enactment of Jagannath as Lord Krishna
displaying his powers as a child etc. The creation of the Pattachitra paintings is a disciplined
art form, and the chitrakars maintain rigidity in their use of colours and patterns, restricting
the colours to a single tone.Preparing the paints is perhaps the most important part of the
creation of Pattachitra, engaging the craftsmanship of the chitrakars in using naturally
available raw materials to bring about indigenous paints.

Phad Paintings of Rajasthan:

Phad painting or Phad is a style religious scroll painting and folk painting, practiced
in Rajasthan state of India. This style of painting is traditionally done on a long piece of cloth
or canvas, known as phad. The narratives of the folk deities of Rajasthan, mostly
of Pabuji and Devnarayan are depicted on the phads. The Bhopas, the priest-singers
traditionally carry the painted phads along with them and use these as the mobile temples of
the folk deities. The phads of Pabuji are normally about 15 feet in length, while the phads of
Devnarayan are normally about 30 feet long. Traditionally the phads are painted with
vegetable colors.

Kalamkari of Andhra Pradesh:

Kalamkari or Qalamkari is a type of hand-painted or block-printed cotton textile,
produced in parts of India. The word is derived from the Persian words kalam (pen) and kari
(craftmanship), meaning drawing with a pen. The craft made at Machilipatnam in Andhra
Pradesh, evolved with patronage of The Mughals and the Golconda sultanat

Phad of Rajasthan Kalamkari of Andhra Pradesh

There are two distinctive styles of kalamkari art in India - one, the 'Srikalahasti' style
and the other, the Machalipatnam style of art. The Srikalahasti style of Kalamkari, wherein

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the "kalam" or pen is used for free hand drawing of the subject, and filling in the colours is
entirely hand worked. This style flowered around temples and their patronage, and so had an
almost religious identity - scrolls, temple hangings, chariot banners and the like depicted
deities and scenes taken from great epics - Ramayana. Mahabarata, Puranas and mythological
classics. Only natural dyes are used in Kalamkari, and involves seventeen painstaking steps.

Gond Paintings of Madhya Pradesh:

Gond paintings are the living expressions of the village people of Gond tribals of
district Mandla in Madhya Pradesh, These paintings are deeply linked with their day to day
lives The paintings are made by placing dots over the dots in upward, downward and
sideways to create final pictures. The theme of paintings is drawn from folktales and Gond
mythology. They are not mere decorations but also instant expressions of their religious
sentiments and devotions. The tribal folk art gond paintings, based on local Indian festivals
like Karwa Chauth, Deepawali, Ahoi Ashtami, Nag Panchmi, Sanjhi etc. are done by women
using simple homemade colors. Horses, elephants, tigers, birds, gods, men and objects of
daily life are painted in bright and multicolored hues.
Mandana Paintings of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan:
The art of creating designs on the floor during the festive occasion is the tradition of
Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and the art is known as Mandana paintings. It consists of
geometrical designs originating from eastern Rajasthan, particularly in Bundi and Jhalawar
areas. In this the ground is prepared with cow dung mixed with rati, a local clay and red
ochre. Lime and chalk powder is used for making the motifs. The architectural motifs in
mandama art are made by first plotting the points. A set of three points are plotted to make
equilateral triangle. There are smaller motifs used in the paintings.

Gond of Madhya Pradesh Mandana of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan

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Saora Paintings of Orissa:

Saora is the name of a tribal community inhabiting the hilly area of the koraput,
Gunpur, Ganjam and Gajapati districts of south Orissa. The paintings of the saora community
are linked to the healing process for disease, safe childbirth and other life events. The Sun,
moon, icons of the tutelary spirits, and ghosts, form the contents of the paintings.
Contemporary motifs such as bicycles, motor car and airplanes are also used. These paintings
are done on wall surfaces smeared with red ochre and rice paste. Yellow, ultramarine blue
and black are also used at times to enhance the visual effect. No adhesive is added to fix the
colors on the wall. Palm twigs are used as brushes for painting, the end of the stick being
beaten by the painter to make it fibrous.

Pithoro paintings of Gujarat:

Pithora is a highly ritualistic painting done on the walls by several tribes such as
the Rathwas and Bhilalas who live in the central Gujarat, in a village of Vadodara
called Tejgadh. The Pithora is a folk art form originating from an ancient ritualistic tradition
of mural paintings initiated within tribal beliefs and customs. The Rathwa, Bhil and Nayak
adivasi communities revere this art form though it is always members of the Rathwa
community who are the traditional painters and storytellers as Pithora Dev is their principal
deity presiding over every aspect of their existence. These paintings have significance in their
lives and executing the Pithora paintings in their homes brings peace, prosperity and
happiness. What is even more interesting is that there is never an attempt to imitate nature. A
horse or a bull, which might be a vision of a God, impresses him with only one central
quality. This central quality is worked upon and given a form.

Saora of Orissa Pithoro of Gujarat

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Pichhvai Paintings of Rajasthan:

Pichwai painting is an art form that has its roots in Rajasthan and more precisely in
Nathwara. Pichwai means ‘at the back’ so these paintings are basically used as decorative
curtains/ backdrop in Shrinathji temples and Krishna temples in Rajasthan. These cloth
hangings are considered very sacred and devotees offer these cloth hangings in temples and
take them back home as souvenir as well. This painting are known to have more details, are
more polished and pure than Phad paintings that are other form of paintings in Rajasthan but
is very similar to Pichvai.

Nirmal paintings of Andhra Pradesh:

Nirmal Paintings are found in the Nirmal town which lies in Adilabad District of AP,
the Nirmal Art is acknowledged all across the state. The community of craftsmen “Nakash”
lives here. They are engaged in Nirmal arts, in which pictures from the legendary Hindu epics
like Ramayana and Mahabharata are painted. These craftsmen utilize indigenous colors that
are made from herbs, gums, and minerals. Now days the gold found in these paintings is
extracted from herbal juices.

Pichhvai Paintings of Rajasthan Nirmal of Andhra Pradesh

Problem faced by the artisans:

The artisans have been facing problems and impediments in the development of their
occupation. Consequently they face struggle in their subsistence. The major problem faced by
the artists of tribal paintings is no assurance of regular sales from direct customers or even
orders from the traders. They have to depend on the local middle men or promoters for the
sale of their products. Sometimes there is lack of communication among the artists as well as

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foreign buyers as a result their vulnerability is exploited by the trade intermediates. Lack of
proper working space and luminosity in the houses of tribal artists is found to be another
problem associated with the art of making paintings.

Prospects of tribal paintings:

Indian Handicrafts, which constitutes a significant segment of the decentralized sector
of the economy, its export has reached at a commendable height. Indian folk art and crafts
which are the integral parts of the Indian culture and tradition are in high demand among the
western consumers. At present handicrafts have substantial contribution for employment
generation and country’s exports. Therefore, it has occupied a significant place in the
economy and society of India.

Conclusion
India is marked by its rich traditional heritage of Tribal/Folk Arts and Culture. Since
the days of remote past, the diversified art and cultural forms generated by the tribal and
rural people of India, have continued to evince their creative magnificence. The folk
paintings have rich heritage. Without folk paintings, there is no identity of culture in
human life as well as occasion will be incomplete. Folk paintings give aesthetical feelings
and remind us about the native life through their colorful line drawings. Further
commercialization of these tribal paintings creates a new source of non-agricultural income
as these have achieved eminence in the national and international art market. Due to the
growing demands of the crafts internationally, different organizations encourage the artists
to produce their traditional paintings on handmade paper for commercial sale. Office of
Development Commissioner (Handicrafts) Ministry of Textile. Government of India a n d
o t h e r a g e n c i e s are a l s o working and supporting the genuine craft artists directly by
arranging various exhibitions, skill oriented trainings, organizing and inviting artists to
market events and providing incentives and awards to artists for their work.

Recommendations:
 Commercialization of folk arts and culture for their profitable running is one of the
instrumental ways to survive the folk forms.
 People from all over the country are required to be informed about the various types,
styles and forms of different folk arts and paintings through the effective

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communication media which may leads to the mass attraction towards folk arts and
thereby increase in sale of these artifacts.
 The artisans must be given trainings to use advanced technology for the creation of
these arts and crafts in a faster ways and pattern of the presentation of these tribal/
folk arts and cultural forms should be modified and strategically altered to make
them more vibrant to meet the recreational demand of the present generation.
 Incentives and loans may be arranged under rural development planning for the folk
artisans to produce the products of best quality.

References
1. Ayush. 2007.www.warli.in
2. Folk and Tribal Art. www.archive.india.gov.in/knowindia/culture
3. Gupta, C.S. 2008. Indian Folk and Tribal Painting. 1st ed. Roli Books. New Delhi.
4. Indian arts. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_art
5. Jena, P.K. 2010. Indian Handicrafts in Globalization Times: An Analysis of Global
Local Dynamics. Interdisciplinary Description of Complex System. 8(2): 119-137.

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