Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
14th Chandigarh National Crafts Mela: Ancient Mandana folk art fast slipping into oblivion
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, December 3, 2024: The ongoing 14th Chandigarh National Crafts Mela brings glimpses from the ancient Mandana folk art from Rajasthan, synonymous with happiness, peace and plenitude, has become the
talking point among the inquisitive art lovers.
Mandana form of paintings are wall and floor paintings of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, which are drawn to protect home and hearth, welcoming gods into the house, besides being a mark of festive occasions.
Sturdy women from Meena community in the Hadoti area of Rajasthan possess the uncanny skill for creating variegated designs with razor-sharp precision.The art images could be seen drawn on floors and walls of the houses.
A ground is prepared with cow dung mixed with special local clay, and red ochre. Lime or chalk powder is used for making a specific motif. Tools employed are a piece of cotton, a tuft of hair, or a rudimentary brush made of date stick.
The elaborate design primarily on mythological figures, like Ganesha, peacocks, tigers, and other floral motifs, including woman at work, et al. Such paintings are also known as Mandala paintings in parts of Nepal.
In recent times, the practice has become less visible with no efforts being made either by the government in the saddle or by an NGO to preserve and conserving the rare Mandana form of art.
Three artists specially invited by host NZCC from Jaipur this season had to work tirelessly to make it a one-stop destination for the visiting guests.This had been an integral part of the ancient cultural heritage of the country.
Three acclaimed artists from Rajasthan had been specially invited to showcase their wizardry at Mandana art. The team is led by Asaram (64) from Jaipur, a national awardee.The other two artists are Om (65)and Harsh (22), blending the young and the old schools.
In an animated pow-wow, Asaram informed that this folk art dates back to the ancient times, when tribals would try their hands at creating Mandana images, adding that earlier, Mandanas were made at homes on certain auspicious occasions, which now has become an art for all seasons.
Considered to be auspicious, diverse Mandana images were made on the festive occasions, like Diwali and Holi, while special images were created on other occasions, like at the time of birth of a child or on the occasion of marriage.
He said Mandana form of art had been an integral part of Maharashtra, Haryana, Braj, Malwa, Nimar regions. Mandanas are made not only on the outer walls of the houses but also inside them and at doorsteps, floors, rooms, temples et al.
In the rural pockets of Rajasthan, Mandanas are made by applying cow dung in the courtyard of mud-plastered houses, but in modern times they are being made with colors.
"We create exqusitive images on the walls and paint them with bright colors. Earlier we used to get God's or parents' names tattooed on various parts of our body, which gradually became a passe. I am a tribal and I have learnt the subtle nuances of this art from there only and I am still learning it even today", asserted the Mandana legend.
He minces no words when he says the youth today evinced a little or no interest in continuing the rich legacy bequeathed to us by our predecessor.
They tend to learn more online these day than learning from the typical conventional teacher-artist tradition, drawing random designs by watching them online.
They fail to connect themselves with any form of art and get conversant with our ancient cultural heritage and to gather the indepth knowledge of any art.