Handmade in India

KAVAD-MOBILE SHRINES
An antique pichhwai depicting
Krishna`s birth with details executed in
gold and silver leaf.
A pigment painted
pichhwai based on
the theme of the
Gopashtami,birth day
of Lord Krishna.
PICHHWAI - PAINTED TEMPLE HANGINGS
Details of the gopis
depicted in the style of
the Pichhwai.
Production Clusters
Udaipur
Nathdwara
Products
Picchwai - painted
wall hangings
Smaller paintings on
cloth/paper
Tools
Coconut shell
containers for colours
Jara-broad brushes of
goat tail hair
Jhina-fine brushes of
squirrel tail hair
Imli ka lakdicharcoal
from
tamarind twings
Ghonta-burnishing
tool inset with an
agate stone
Opni-small agate
burnishing tool
Nepha-wood or iron
rod used to hang the
pichhwai
AT THE SHRINE of Shri Nathji
Nathdwara and other temples of the
Pushti Marga sect,which emphasized
sewa,service,to Lord Krishna as a
means of achieving grace,large cloths
with vivid depictions of Krishna`s
childhood were hung behind the idol.
These are called pichhwai,literally
meaning at the back;they are an
effective backdrop for the idol as
well as an expression of the mood of
the deity,the spirit of the season or
the theme of the festival.Thus in the
summer months,pichhwai depicting
the lotus ponds and the shady groves
of mythical Vrindavan are used to a
provide a cool atmosphere for the
deity, while in the monsoon paintings
of stormy scenes of rain and
lightning,or dancing peacoaks fill the
entire composition, and shades of
green dominate the palette.An
especially popular theme is the
Raaslila,the great circular dance in
which each gopi or milkmaid saw
krishna beside her,as if he were
dancing with her alone;krishna in
turn took pleasure in multiplying
himself to please all his devotees.The
dance represents the culmination of
Bhakti,or devotion,in which the
human soul meets the divine in a
state of ecstasy.The Pichhwai are
created by members of the Adi Gaud
caste using traditional stone colours
on cotton.Some painters have now
begun doing smaller pieces and
working with acrylic paints as these
materials allow their work to fall
within a far more affordable price
range and thus encourage their sale to
tourists and art collectors.
Production Clusters
Udaipur district:
Udaipur
Chittorgarh district:
Bassi
Products
Shrines
Idols of Gangaur &
Isar
Bevan-processional
swings for temple idols
Bangle stands
Bajot-low tables
Chowki-smaller tables
for daily
use,marriages,domestic
shrines
Toran-plaque hung
above the main door of
the house
Sthumb-an ornamental
stand used in marriage
ceremonies
Chopda / Kumplesindoor
or vermilion
box
Toys
Rattles
Chaklota belan-rolling
pin & platform
Carved wooden panels
Furniture
Mirror frames
Figurines of :
Musicians
Elephant riders
Soldiers
Dhola-Maaru
Animals
Tools
Jack plane
Tagla-chisels
Files
Brushes
Hand saw
Hammer
Gouges
Turning lathe
Power Lathes
Band saw
Grinding wheel
Drilling sticks
AT BASSI, ARTISANS of the
kumawat caste make a range of carved
and painted objects,among which is the
kavad,the portable shrine with multiple
folding doors,each of which is painted
with representations of epics and
myths.These are used by the Kavadia
Bhatt,the itinerant priests who narrate
epics whilst simultaneously pointed to
the appropriate illustrations on the
kavad with a pointed to the appropriate
illustrations on the kavad with a
peacock feather.
The reading proceeds from the frontal panels to the inner until
the tale is completed and the last panel is opened to grant the
gathered viewers a darshan,glimpse,of the deity represented.The
basic structure of the kavad is made of medium soft,low density
wood-usually adusal,meetha neem or solar-the surface defects
of which are filled with a mixture of sawdust and adhesive.The
object is then dried and sandedd and coated with khaddi,a type
of soil found in Bhilwara district,which acts as a primer and
gives the object a shell white hue.Previously,naturally derived
colours were utilzed but they have now been replaced with
powder or poster colours that are mixed with gum and water
and finished with a coat of transparent varnish.
Inset Idols of the goddess Gangaur and Isar,the local names for
Parvati and Lord Shiva,who are said to symbolize married
couples and are used during the festivals of Teej and Gangaur.
A kavad is a portable shrine with multiple folding doors that
depicts stories from Hindu mythology.