Latest news with #Phad
Scroll.in
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scroll.in
A new book brings short histories of Phad, Kalighat, and other iconic Indian folk art styles
Phad Born in Shahpura, Rajasthan, Phad is a scroll art form originally practised by members of the Chhipa caste. These paintings served as visual aids for the bhopas and bhopis, priest-singers of the Rabari tribe who narrated tales through song and dance. Travelling from village to village, they performed at night, illuminating sections of phad scrolls to ensure continuity and maintain the audience's focus. The name phad means 'to unroll' in the local dialect. Ranging anywhere between five to thirty feet in length, preparing a phad scroll is a massive undertaking. Coarse cotton or khadi is soaked in water overnight and then primed with a mixture of flour and gum to strengthen its fibres. The prepared fabric is polished with stone, which further ensures the longevity of the artwork. Naturally occurring pigments are combined with kheriya gond, a local gum, to produce rich and long-lasting shades of orange and yellow, blue and green. The illustrations – densely packed and boldly coloured – are outlined with black ink, kala or siyahi, as a final touch. Phad scrolls traditionally depicted the exploits of local heroes, chief among them being the folk deities Pabuji (Pabuji Ki Phad) and Devnarayan (Devnarayan Ki Phad). Over time, the form has adapted to include episodes from Rajasthani history and Hindu scriptures. When a phad painting begins decomposing, it is ritually immersed in Pushkar Lake. The decline of bhopa ballads, along with financial and time constraints, led to a reduced appetite for phad. In response, modern-day artisans have adopted innovations such painting episodes rather than entire stories on smaller canvases. Shahpura's Joshi family, who have practised phad for generations, have been at the forefront of efforts to preserve it. Padma Shri Shree Lal Joshi established the Joshi Kala Kendra in 1960, where artists could study phad regardless of their background. Today, the institute is thriving under the name Chitrashala and phad artwork decorates the Indian prime minister's office. Kalighat Kalighat painting originated in the 19th-century Calcutta, West Bengal. The history of this art form is closely tied to the Kalighat Temple, located on the banks of the Hooghly River. Hordes of locals, pilgrims and curious European visitors were drawn to this tourist location, giving migrant artisans and craftsmen from across the country a lucrative opportunity to sell souvenirs. These included patuas, members of an artisan community from West Bengal, who began to use cheap materials to maximise their output and cater to the growing demands of pilgrims and tourists visiting the temple. The patuas traditionally painted long narrative stories, better classified as Kalighat Patachitra, which often ran over 20 feet in length. However, given the need to work quickly and stand out amidst other competing artisans near the temple, they abandoned their elaborate narrative style to create standalone pictures with only one or two figures. They gained immense popularity for their simplicity, portability and affordability, especially among the voyaging European tourists who were on the lookout for 'exotic' artwork to take home to friends and family with ease. The artists used inexpensive materials, such as mill paper, and watercolours – either made from natural materials or brought in readymade from Britain – to paint the elements in the foreground while the background remained plain. For drawing the outlines, brushes made from squirrel or goat hair were used. Initially, the motifs used were predominantly religious, depicting the chief temple deity, Goddess Kali, along with other mythological figures. Over time, however, colonial influence in urban Calcutta led to a shift in themes represented by Kalighat painters. They began using their medium for satirical commentary on societal changes, ridiculing the lifestyle of Englishmen, and for depicting their own everyday experiences – complete with evolving technologies and lifestyles. The Kalighat movement was transient and the artworks notoriously hard to preserve, owing to the low-quality materials that were used to create them. The practice began to die out during the early twentieth century after cheaper, commercially produced images gained favour over hand-painted ones, pushing the patuas back into the rural districts, bereft of employment.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Time of India
Beed gang linked to sarpanch murder accused booked under MCOCA for violent robbery
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Police have invoked the stringent (MCOCA) provisions against a criminal gang linked to , a key accused in the kidnapping-murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, as part of a major crackdown on in gang, allegedly led by Raghunath Ramrao Phad, is linked to 10 cases involving violent crimes and property offences across Beed and neighbouring areas, including attempted murder, assault, robbery and obstructing govt superintendent of police Navneet Kanwat said the action was taken after a complaint from Sahadev Satbhai (28) of Tadoli in Parli taluka, who was brutally attacked and robbed by the gang. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "According to the complainant, he was on way to the Parli tehsildar's office with Rs 2.7 lakh when he was intercepted near Jalalpur Road by a group of assailants led by Phad," the SP said the attackers allegedly pulled him off his two-wheeler, assaulted him with iron rods and sticks, fracturing his leg, and stole his money and cellphone. Before fleeing in a white SUV, they issued death threats to him, the SP said, citing the Beed police arrested Phad on March 7. Four more accused in the case, Jagannath Vikram Phad, Sudip Sonawane, Balaji DahiPhale and Vilas Gite, were nabbed on March 28. Two other accused, Dhanraj alias Rajebhau Phad and Gyandev alias Gotya Gitte, are still absconding, the police to the police, investigations in the case revealed the gang's involvement in multiple cases in Parli, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and the proposal to invoke MCOCA provisions against the gang was submitted on April 29, which was reviewed and recommended by SP Kanwat and was cleared by Special IG Virendra Mishra on May 7. Subsequently, SP Kanwat transferred the investigation to deputy SP Anil Chormale, with relevant MCOCA sections 3(1)(ii), 3(2), and 3(4) added to the Kanwat said strict action under MCOCA would continue against habitual offenders and organised criminal groups in the district. "We are exploring all the options available for initiating stringent action against those posing a challenge to peace and harmony in the district," Kanwat added.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Folk musicians of Rajasthan battle landlessness, rising heat in fight to save ancient art
Churu/Meerut, In a noisy roadside restaurant along the Delhi-Haridwar highway, Subhash Nayak sits quietly in a corner, playing his Ravanhatta. The fading notes of the ancient instrument struggle to rise above the hum of passing vehicles and chatter of diners. Dressed in a bright turban and a satin-print waistcoat, Subhash is among the last of the Bhopas traditional priest-singers of Rajasthan who still play the Ravanhatta, a bowed string instrument believed to have been created by the demon king Ravana to worship Lord Shiva. But today, he mostly plays Bollywood songs. "Folk music is my first choice, but people prefer Bollywood songs. They help me earn my bread," he says. Every summer, Subhash and his wife leave their home in Khabarpura village in Rajasthan's Churu district, where temperatures easily cross 45 degrees Celsius, and travel to Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and other towns in Uttar Pradesh to survive. The reason: their 700-year-old art, Pabuji ki Phad, a spellbinding musical performance where Bhopas sing heroic tales of the folk deity Pabuji, is slowly fading away. The heart of this struggle lies in the intersection of two pressing issues: landlessness and climate change. According to Jitendra Sharma from Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage , in Rajasthan, Pabuji is believed to be an incarnation of Lakshman. His story is painted on a cloth scroll called a Phad and folk singers called Bhopas travel from village to village singing and narrating his tale. The Koli community weaves the cloth, while Brahmins paint the pictures. The Raikas, a pastoral community known for extensive camel herding, worship Pabuji because they believe he protects their animals. The Rajputs respect him, as Pabuji himself was a Rathore Rajput. He says the Bhopas, like many nomadic communities, have long depended on land for their livelihood, both as a means of survival and as a source of cultural grounding. Yet, many are landless, which leaves them without access to the basic support structures that can offer them stability, such as housing, water, electricity and government assistance. As their connection to the land weakens, so does their ability to continue the cultural practices that define their identity. At the same time, climate change is exacerbating their plight. The rising heat is making it increasingly difficult for Subhash and his peers to perform or even travel to earn a living. Sitting in a dim, dilapidated rented room in Meerut's Sheikhpura, Amar Singh, another Bhopa from Khabarpura, recalls how elders in the community would perform Pabuji ki Phad during village ceremonies, often under the patronage of wealthy landowners. "Back then, almost every household kept camels. People relied on them and held Phad rituals to heal sick animals and pray for their family's well-being," he says. "Now, camels are gone. Tractors have taken their place. Even those who still rear them do not organise the rituals. We barely recite phad one or two times a year." The audience has also disappeared. The younger generation prefers songs on their phones. "We go from village to village, singing bhajans. People give whatever little they can," Singh says. His children haven't learned the art. "There is no future in it. It doesn't pay. Out of a hundred Bhopa families, only two still perform today." He fears the tradition won't last much longer. "It's slipping away like sand between fingers." Rising heat, he says, has made things worse. "People stay indoors after 10 am. No crowd means no work." With no land or home of their own, Singh says their semi-nomadic community is even more exposed to extreme weather. "You will understand when you see my village," he adds. In Khabarpura village in Churu, his brother Dharampal shows the harsh conditions they endure during the scorching summer. In place of a proper house, there is an asbestos roof resting on four bare walls. There's no electricity connection, so there's no fan. His six-year-old son, running a fever, lies on a jute sack spread across the floor. The tiny room has just one window, a plastic water drum, two trunks, some clothes on a cot and a few utensils. It's 1:30 pm and the temperature has reached a maximum of 43 degrees Celsius, according to the IMD's Mausam app. IMD data also shows that nine out of the 10 highest maximum temperatures in Churu have been recorded in the last 15 years, with all observations exceeding 48 degrees Celsius. Last year, the district recorded the highest temperature of 50.5 degrees Celsius on May 29, an all-time high since record-keeping began in 1956. The state recorded 11 heatwave days this April, compared to the normal four to seven days. Climate experts say rising temperatures in Rajasthan are being driven by climate change. "Rajasthan, being a desert state, is naturally hotter than other parts of the country. But temperatures are rising even further across different regions. We are witnessing more heatwave days and warmer nights," said Abhiyant Tiwari, Lead - Climate Resilience and Health at NRDC India. "Migration is often linked to better livelihood opportunities and improved living conditions, including thermal comfort. But to understand how rising heat is affecting this ancient art form, we need more ethnographic studies," he adds. Sumit Dookia, associate professor at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University and a native of western Rajasthan, says the old social fabric of the state once supported many landless communities that kept ancient art forms alive. The Bhopas were among them. "Back then, wealthy landowners patronised these artists. Today, that support is gone. And without land of their own to farm, the Bhopas are forced to leave their villages just to survive," he said. Outside Dharampal's house, under a Khejri tree, 16 earthen pots, some broken, lie scattered. Only a few hold water. Nearby, a traditional well used to store rainwater for daily needs is dry. The rainfall here is erratic and the future uncertain. The government has been working to provide tap water to every household under the Jal Jeevan Mission. But without land ownership, the community is left out. "Without land ownership, the government cannot give them a house. And without a house in their name, they cannot get electricity or tap water connections," says Narendra, a local resident who has helped many of them apply for houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin . Under PMAY-G, landless beneficiaries are given high priority and it is the responsibility of states and Union territories to provide land for such individuals for house construction. Village Development Officer Manju Choudhary says the gram panchayat does not have any land that could be given to landless communities for house construction under PMAY-G. "A proposal to convert common pasture land into gram panchayat land has already been sent to the state government but approval is pending," she says. As of March, out of 55,722 identified landless beneficiaries in Rajasthan, 54,641 have been provided land or assistance for land purchase. However, families like Dharampal's remain excluded. Dharampal remembers a time, 20 to 25 years ago, when life was better. Their parents would perform Pabuji ki Phad up to ten times a month, earning between ₹2,000 and ₹5,000 each time. "We did not have land or a house, but we had enough to eat," he says. Today, it is a different story. Sitting on a cot beside the empty pots, his 60-year-old mother Shanti says, "Life would change if we had patta to build a home and access to electricity and water."
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
What I Want spotlights six indigenous women artists and their hopes for a better tomorrow
What happens when indigenous women artists from across India come together to share their dreams and aspirations? They create art that tells their stories, and what they hope for all women: access to education, the space to nurture dreams, build strong female friendships, and much more. An artist residency in Bengaluru last year brought together six such artists — Gitanjali Das, Japani Shyam, Kamta Tahed, Kritika Joshi, Lado Bai, and Minakshi Vayeda — and their artworks have now gone into What I Want, a book by Pratham Books. Spotlighting art forms such as Gond, Pithora, Bhil, Warli, phad, and pattachitra, the book has each artist sharing their one 'want'. For Warli artist Minakshi Vayeda, her 'want' was 'the solidarity of female friendships, where we can rely on each other'. Beautifully illustrated with women figurines working, playing and dancing together, the artist says she drew from her everyday life in the village. 'Women are a part of every activity: be it making art together, meeting at weddings, or conversations with neighbours. At the workshop, we were asked to think about child-friendly themes and I was instantly drawn to friendship as it is the closest to my heart,' says Minkashi, who is based in Ganjadgaon, Maharashtra, adding that the painting was done on paper, with a cow dung base. 'Although most artists may have stories to tell, we get them illustrated by someone else,' says Canato Jimo, illustrator and art director at Pratham Books. 'We thought of getting these artists together for a workshop, and get them to tell us their story in any form,' he says, adding how 'women artists don't get noticed as much as their male counterparts'. At the three-day workshop in March 2024, the artists were taken for a screening of Lapaata Ladies, followed by days of developing ideas, sharing stories, and reading. 'It was the first time we had such a workshop, and it was a great learning experience for us. We got an insight into each of their art forms and intricacies,' says Canato. 'We sat down and listened to them. All of them had something specific, passionate to talk about,' he says, adding how while the artists were aware that the workshop would culminate in a book, there was no specific brief, giving way to an 'open, organic process'. After rough ideas were discussed, the artists were given a couple of months to send their final artwork and text. Kritika Joshi, a 30th-generation Phad artist, was the youngest of the six artists. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Crafts and Design in Jaipur, she is known for Phad paintings on fabric and paper that use earthy shades made with stone. 'I chose the theme 'Nurture' to showcase how parents need to develop their child's natural skillset. My art depicts a young girl dancing in front of the mirror effortlessly, and her parents notice it and give her a pair of ghungroo (anklets). The child is overjoyed, and seen dancing in the rain with her dog,' says Kritika, who enjoyed her time at the residency. 'All the other women were married, and had stories to share about marriage, children, etc. It was interesting to hear about their dreams, and what they have achieved.' Akin to award-winning Bhil artist Lado Bai, the oldest from the group at 58 years. Known for her artwork that takes inspiration from her natural surroundings, village life, rituals, and festivals. For What I Want, Lado Bai chose to theme her art on 'Protect', depicting two women protecting a tree from being cut. 'If we cut the jungles, how will we live?' says the artist, adding how trees are protected in her town, Jhabua in Madhya Pradesh. 'It took me five days to finish the painting with acrylic paints on canvas.' Priced at ₹80, What I Want is available on and
