Reviving Art

Artist Lakhichand Jain is adding a new lease of life to Mandana, a Rajasthani folk art form of paintings, says Anita IyerMandana paintings are gradually losing signifiance, as we no longer have mud walls and earthen homes to adorn them with this folk art. But Mandana artist Lakhichand Jain is working to give a new lease of life to Mandana and rejuvenate the dying art form. Many people are not aware of this Rajasthani folk art form of painting. Mandana is found in areas like Bundi, Kota, Tonk, Sawai Madhopur districts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Malwa, Nimar and Tanwarghar regions of Madhya Pradesh. The word Mandana is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Mandan’, which means ‘to invent’.

“My mission is to give Mandana a mainstream recognition and global accreditation. The only way to preserve such a custom is by developing it through unique ways, modern techniques and different media. Mandana has its own language which has to be comprehended to gauge the depth of its various aspects”, he says.

Mandana paintings can be divided into two forms depending on their content- Vallari Pradhan and Akriti Pradhan. The Vallari pradhan consists of floral patterns where lotus is given more importance, animals like elephant, camel, peacock, birds etc. The other form Akriti Pradhan includes geometrical forms and represents essentials of nature like triangle (fire), square (earth), circle (water), dot (ether) crescent-curve line (air).

Traditionally the Vallari Pradhan are drawn only on the walls, whereas Akriti Pradhan can be drawn anywhere from walls, windows, doors, entrance etc. varying anywhere between two to ten feet. Mandana paintings are an expression of the artist’s inclination to welcome the gods into the house. It is considered inauspicious to keep the entrance of the home empty during festive occasions so Mandana was drawn to pull in positive energy. It was also believed that Mandana protects and wards off evil. “This art is closely related to the science of vastu, beauty, holy charms and spiritualism, etc. It is necessary to go right into the depth of this art, its symbolism.. in order to understand its soul”, Says Mr. Lakhichand Jain

In Mandana paintings, lines are used extensively, as a connection of lines gives birth to art. For making this painting on the floors of the house, a mixture of brick and cow-dung is applied on the floor and left to dry. Later, a small strip of cloth is dipped in the colour and the cloth is pressed between the palms to let the colour flow through the ring finger. It requires a lot of skill to draw thick and thin lines from the same amount of colour and fingers. Lakhichand Jain, who has learnt this art form from his grand mother says, “It is a tradition to sit in a place and complete the piece sitting for 10 hours at a stretch. Also as fingers are generally used to make this art, at the end of the session the tip of the finger wears off. That is the real test of patience of an artist and his dedication to this art. Also one needs to concentrate completely while drawing because mistakes cannot be amended or corrected”.

Paintings were also made using bamboo brushes to draw the lines. This unique brush was made from bamboo sticks with cotton stuck at one end. For painting, this cotton end is to be dipped in natural colours like yellow sand, brown sand, chalk powder and used.

Lakhichand Jain is also planning a project ‘Mandana on wheels’ whereby Mandana paintings will be displayed in different parts of India. Also he is writing a book on the philosophy of Mandana. “There is a need to create awareness about this art form as not many people know about it. I would love to see Mandana as one of the identities of India and contribute to it economically”.