The original Indian art and culture are famous across the world. Our country has endless range of crafts and folk artworks. One such folk art style is Pichwai. Pichwai art is the alluring art of the Nathdwara region in Rajasthan state. Nathdwara is a divine town in the district of Udaipur, Rajasthan. Devotees from worldwide come to Nathdwara to worship Lord Krishna or Shrinathji. They love to take home this beautiful Pichwai painting for home décor! Those who are unable to visit Nathdwara try to buy painting online to achieve a positive aura with Lord Shrinathji’s blessings at their place.
A 400 Years Old Folk Art Style of Nathdwara
Pichwai folk art got discovered in the Nathdwara region about 400 years ago. These paintings were predominantly used to decorate the walls behind Shrinathji idols in the holy temples. The Pichwai backdrops look truly divine and create a devotional aura there. They used to tell stories and incidences from Shrinathji’s childhood in a unique style. This ancient folk art style is able to rule over public’s hearts due to its richness and beauty!
Pichwai Art in Detail
As told above that Pichwai is a depiction of Lord Krishna’s story, there is an enticing history associated to it. Primarily the scene of Govardhan hill and story behind it was designed on the canvas. The whole Govardhan hill tale was interesting and showed how Lord Krishna helped the villagers. The residents of Vrindavan village faced the anger of Lord Indra due to which the whole region was destructed by heavy rains and thunderstorms. Therefore, Lord Krishna became their savior and he lifted the Govardhan hill on little finger. Then all the people took shelter under the Govardhan parvat. Finally, Lord Indra stopped the destruction on realization of his mistake. Since then everyone have been celebrating the festival of Govardhan pooja. On this pooja, people primarily buy painting online or offline of Shrinathji holding Govardhan hill to worship him.
A classic Pichwai painting has around 24 boxes known as Swaroops. Each of these boxes depicts Lord Krishna, his Gopis, and other things & characters. The rich Shringar(makeup) of Lord Krishna in the paintings is so captivation that no one could resist themselves from buying these painting online. These paintings show so many things in a stunning way and without making them look complex. Each element in the artwork is a perfect example of artistic beauty. It’s USPs further include the vibrant color combinations.
How Pichwai Paintings are designed?
Keeping in mind the details and the size of Pichwai paintings, anyone can easily make out that how much time it took to get ready. The designing of conventional Pichwai paintings consume more than a week and sometimes it can even take a month. Initially, it was done on the handspun starched fabric of cotton. Then the artists draw the pictures on the starched cloth canvas. Once sketching is completed, they add more beauty to the piece with organic colors and natural brushes. The colors are uniquely sourced from natural elements like coals, zinc, saffron, etc. The borders were styled with decorative elements like crystals and stones to bring a pleasant appeal to it.
Traditional Pichwai Has Got a Contemporary Touch Now
Our country and people are nothing without heritage. This 17-century folk art style has lost its importance but now it has again got the momentum. It is now undergoing redesigning stage with the resolute efforts of artists and art foundations. Nowadays, the artists and art schools are constantly trying to give a contemporary touch to this exclusive art form.
In order to make Pichwai painting famous amongst today’s generation, the artists have given it a new touch without disturbing its traditional appeal and exclusivity. Pichwai paintings originally were big sized as they were used backdrops but now they are available in reduced sizes. Additionally, the colors are no more all-natural but they are synthetic or a combination of organic & synthetic colors. Coming to the canvas, papers are being used now instead of starched cotton fabric.
Unlike ancient times when Pichwai artworks were only hung as backdrops in temples, these paintings are now used for home décor purposes too. This why artists are making them available in small sizes to make them relevant for smaller spaces!
Conclusion
So, this was the history of Nathdwara folk art style “Pichwai”. Considering the way how artists are giving it a new artistic touch, we can say it’s a highly versatile art form. So, you can buy paintings online from Pichwai range to bring a unique touch to your home!