India is a country of art and culture. Art plays an important role in the representation of the rich history of Indian society. The artwork has often been used to depict celestial bodies or it is used as a dedication to God. One of these artworks is Pichwai art. This art is put up in many exhibitions, art collections, etc. It was usually made to be used as a backdrop behind the idol in temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and was considered as a crucial offering to God along with food, jewellery and more. The artists use the art form to represent the incidents from Shrinathji or Lord Krishna’s life.
Pichwai has a lot of significance in religion and it reflects the beauty and rich heritage. This art form mainly originates from Rajasthan. These paintings showcase the extreme skill and detailing done by the painter. The word ‘Pichwai’ can be broken down into two parts to extract its literal meaning. The prefix pich means behind and the suffix wai means hanging. The name of the painting also depicts its purpose as these artworks are often seen hanging as backdrops in the background in temples. Even though it was traditionally used in temples, many art lovers and devotees of Lord Krishna like to have the painting at their homes. For this reason, Pichwai painters also started making paintings for personal and commercial use.
Pichwai paintings can take a few weeks or even months to finish. It requires hard labour and a variety of equipment to complete the painting. First, a rough sketch is made on a starched cloth and then the sketch is filled with colours. Earlier, the colours that were filled were derived naturally and painters also used gold and pearls in the painting. But now due to reduced demand, cheap and easily available commercial colours are used instead of that.
There are different styles of Pichwai made and sold in the market like some are printed using hand blocks or woven using zardozi or dabka work. In some cases, gold threads are used to embroider in order to highlight the design. The process of the artwork is very intricate and this makes it quite expensive for the common man to purchase it.
The price of a Pichwai generally goes over INR 50,000 to lacs of rupees. Many young artists are discouraged to take up this 400-year-old art form since it is tedious and requires lots of time and effort. The original artists of Pichwai also did not carry down the skill of this painting to its younger generation which has caused the near extinction of the art.
To protect this art form lots of measures are being taken by individuals and organizations to revive it. Pichwai artists are now handcrafting the paintings on cushion covers and they are scaling down the size of these paintings and making them available in smaller sizes for art enthusiasts. There are lots of online Pichwai exhibitions that are held for the sale of these paintings. This way, art enthusiasts can purchase Pichwai paintings at an affordable price and help revive the heritage of the painting.
The Reliance Foundation, Founder and Chairperson, Nita Ambani took a variety of Pichwai paintings to Chicago in the United States of America. This was the first time these paintings were showcased in an international art exhibition. Some organizations even use the paintings for gifting purposes which helps keep the art workaround. There are also a few websites that sell the Pichwai paintings online. This helps the artists in reaching their customers more easily. The Pichwai paintings are being digitally printed on cushion covers as well. This way the making of the product doesn’t require lots of labour and the printing can be done in one go.
