Address:
AMDAVAD HAAT VASTRAPUR AHMEDABAD, AHMADABAD ,GUJARAT - 380015
About type of art
Tribal Painting
Name of Tribal Painting Pithora Painting
Name of Tribe Rathawa Tribe
Art Form Pithora Painting
Use of Materials
Pithora painter makes bowls out of Khaakhar leaves and in it prepares Orange and Red colour from vermillion, Yellow color from turmeric, Balck colour from kajal, Green colour from tree leaves, mixes white clay, white color made from choona and then puts drops of Mahuda wine as well as cow's milk, brush and bamboo sticks etc.
Subject matter
Pithora is the God of tribals of Chhotaudepur district of Gujarat and the people of Rathwa, Bhil, Bhilala tribe living in jabua, jobat and Aliraipur districts of Madhya pradesh, Pithora is a beautiful example of the wall art of this tribal community. This community believes in the nature. This society believes that the God resides in every natural phenomena such as jungle Land moon Sun-Flora-Fauna, and manages the whole world and living beings, This power that the community believes in, is called Baba Pithora Dev. Who the relatives and the whole community gather together and chant and create beautiful pictures of on the walls of the house.
Pithora is believed to be the Clan - God of the Rathwa a Gujarati tribal clan pithora is the most important form of ancient culture of the Rath region depicting their community based prayers and rituals through the wall art. If there is sickness in the house. if farming is not happening cattle is dying or if a child is not being convevied in a house. then it is considered to be a curse of the God or one can say that the God is disdpleased or the soul of some deceased person is considered to be responsible for it At such time, the homeowner goes to the Badavo by taking urad in the leaves of khaakhar. The Badavo puts two or three grains oil in the ground and in a water filled can, and recites some words. Then, he shows to the home owner that God is angry or he in displeased or the soul of a deceased clan person is harassing, and hence, there is no happiness in your home. To prevent this from the wrath of God or the displeasure of the soul, the home owner has to take an oath of doing Paanagu within five or seven years. If the problem of homeowner is resolved during the duration of this oath. thwn he has to paint the picture of the pithora God on the wall to complete his oath, In the house where the in Pithora is to be painted, the wall on the proch and around are plastered by in the mixture of soil clay and cow dung by virgin girls over a week. On the day when the Pithora painting is be done, the home, owner bathers the Lakhara Pithara painter as well as the Badavo priest with warm water and dresses them with dry clothes. After this, the painter worships the wall with a dish in which a lamp rice and vermillion are placed for the prayer and then a preparation of the wine made out of Mahuda fruit is poured over. At the beginning, while drawing this Pithora picture, a mountain-like broad border is drawn, which is called the border of the earth. The door is made on the lower side. On both sides. two trigers are drawn with deer captured in their paws. The sun is painted on the upper left side and the moon on the right. In the middle of the pithora main horse, the first is village god the second is pithoras mother Queen kajals horse. the thrid saddle horse, and the fourth horse is that of main pithora, that has the mark of a parrot in his hand, Fifth horse is pitho Queen, sixth horse of kaanlya and seventh is that of Hoka Ganesh Belowe Pithor, in center king Bhojs elephant with a carriages is drawn After that a farmer doing farming, kothaar, carrying the grains, twelve - headed king Ravana, Mahudanu tree Taad tree and climbing man, a well a panihaari goat, hen family, cow farm singings tihtyo, kalu kings horse, Damordev hunting in the upper part, singing dancing Rathwa people, Hatraj Gods camel riding, In the middle, the five monkeys, serpent scorpion ant, police outpost, Rathwa couple, a couple desiring child copulating etc. as well as pictures of the nature and living beings is drawn, Around these, five standing horses and horses of great grandfathers are painted.
Symbolic Meanings
Pithora is being painted a singer Pithoras story singer and his companion Dhaak Daklu sing the story of each character drawen in the Pithora painting. The women of the house also sit at home and sing songs of pithora. The place where pithora is painted is considered savcred and pure To please the Lord indra, on outside of the house. five or seven Kanbi trees branches are cut and planted by in soll and dung mixture and it is worshipped at such times children Young people women and elders, play a big drum play other instruments, shout, sing and dance. The priest offers to the God Pithora, goats chicken win and Dhebra made from grains of Urad to please him. Everyone partakers this prasaad, and they all participate in painting, singing, worshipping and overall celebrations.
The picture of this pithora is made in the size of the pictures drawn on the walls of the village. A plywood boards is framed form four side, and is plastered with the mixture of white clay of the village and fevicol a border 4.75 inches wide around four sides is also plastered. After this, This picture of pithora was completed in 30 to 32 days by using a bruish made of colour in the poster shades in the size fo 4.5 to 11.9 ft.