Mughal Miniature Painting - A rich traditional art form : A workshop from Banna Creations !

 The Mughal period in Indian history had seen widespread cultural development, especially in the field of miniature paintings.  They form an important part of India’s Medieval history.  Mughal miniature artists combined their existing techniques with that of the Persian School of miniature paintings. Paintings typically depicted details of their everyday life as well as important events. This style of painting has also been used to illustrate events narrated in the “ Akbarnama”.

Mughal paintings of india date back to the period between the 16 th and 18 th century, when the Mughals ruled a large part of the country. The art of Mughal painting was introduced by the Mughal emperor Humayun.

Mughal miniature painting reached its peak during the reign of Akbar, and also flourished during Jahangir's rule, as well as Shah jahan's. Mughal painting is a particular style of south Asian painting and during this period continued to refine itself with elements of realism and naturalism coming to the fore. It was a unique blend of indian, persian and islamic styles. The painters focused mostly on court scenes, royal portraits, natural scenes and landscapes. Bright colors were used in their making. They exhibited more narrative content.

In Mughal miniatures colors were derived from natural materials. They were prepared by the artists themselves. Raw materials like vegetables, fruits, oil, soil, lime, indigo and lapis lazuli were used in the making. Even eggs, gold powder and silver foil were sometimes used. The initial sketch was made using burnt wood. 

Mughal miniature paintings are still being created today by a small number of artists in rajasthan concentrated mainly in Jaipur.

Banna Creations conducted an intense two day Mughal miniature painting workshop on the 15^th and 16^th of September. This workshop was conducted by Mohan kumar Prajapati who is a master artist himself. The artist Sri Mohan Kumar Prajapati is from Jaipur and has been practicing this art form for over 30 years.  He hails from a family of Moghul miniature artists and has learnt this art from from his father. He is also a State Awardee.

The workshop:

The aim of our workshop was to create an awareness of this form of miniature painting , showcase the intricacies of the art form and demonstrate the skill and techniques involved in creating these paintings.  The workshop had about 9 participants.

Day 1 of the workshop saw the artist talking about the art form and its history.  Miniature painting not only refers to the overall size of the painting but also the level of detail that goes into every aspect of the painting including angles and expressions on the faces of the painting subjects, the folds in their clothes, their ornaments etc including a delicate and detailed representation of their attire , design details etc. 

The workshop was planned as a combination of demonstration and teaching and the artist started the first session on Day 1 not only by giving everyone detailed information on the history of the art form but also by taking them through a step by step demonstration of how natural colours can be prepared and information on the squirrel hair brushes that are used ( for their fineness) , the kind of paper that was traditionally used in the old days to replacements in the present day. As is the case with all traditional art forms this one too has evolved over the years retaining most of the old and traditional techniques whilst including certain new materials, paints, designs etc.

It would be safe to say that while the basic line work in this art form is as detailed or simple as that of any other art form, the line work, fine detailing of every aspect of the painting is at the very core of creating these paintings. For the sake of simplicity and ease especially for the first time painters who had joined this workshop we chose three or four basic paintings for them to complete.  The first step ( and might I add the easiest one ) was to create the basic outline for each of the paintings. Given this was a miniature art form, the line work was also done using a thin and very fine pencil. No dark and thick lines allowed.  The next step was to use the squirrel hair brush ( Very thin, almost as thin as a couple of strands of hair put together ) and outline this basic image.  It is often said that the most important part of any painting is the creation of the face ( and therefore expression) and features of the subjects in the painting. This is what finally determines the quality and nature of the painting as well its overall impression. Every great artist will tell you that getting this aspect right typically takes years and years of practice and at most times imperfections continue to remain.  It was interesting for all participants to see and understand the technique of creating faces complete with the eyes, nose, mouth and expressions.

The latter half of Day 1 and First half f day 2 of this workshop saw participants continue to complete and refine outlines, Angles, outline designs, etc.  The next step in the process was to fill in the outlined figures in depicted colours.  Light colours completed first and left to dry and then the dark colours as necessary.  The next step – the most interesting and yet difficult one was to complete all the detailed design work in the paintings such as designs and colours of jewellery worn by the subjects in the paintings, Folds and angles of clothes worn by then as well as designs and minute detailing of the patterns on the clothes worn by them.

The workshop therefore showcased this art form as a whole as well as demonstrated the skill , time and effort that needs to be invested in creating one such painting.

The artist Mohan Prajapati also said that the time required to complete one painting of a reasonable level of intricacy is nothing less than 10 days to 2 weeks.  For most people this is a revelation given that what we typically see at exhibitions and sales are only finished paintings….

The artist was also quite candid about the fact that takers for this art form are diminishing Day by day. While this is an art form that he learnt from his father and is something that has been passed down through generations in his family, he said that there are few people wanting to learn in the younger generations.  This is not something that can be learnt quickly and sometimes it takes years to achieve high skill levels and create near perfect paintings. With Socio- economic changes that we see around us every single day,  while some people from younger generations are willing to learn they expect results almost immediately and lose interest quickly as results take time and years and years of focussed practice.

It is a sad and unfortunate fact that this art form in its traditional mould is slowly yet steadily moving towards extinction. ………

Banna's PHAD Painting Workshop with Shri Prakash Joshi

Banna’s  PHAD painting workshop

In keeping with our promise to bring artisans painters directly to customers, we organised a 4 day PHAD painting workshop on the 26^th and 27^th of May and 2^nd and 3^rd of June.

“ PHAD “ is a traditional form of painting from the Bhilwara region of Rajasthan and is a tradition which is more than a 1000 years old. These paintings are essentially pictorial representations of the legends of “ Pabuji” and “ Devnarayan “ who are local deities of Rajasthan.  “ PHAD” basically denotes a large scroll of cloth on which these paintings are made. These scrolls usually 36ft X 36ft in size were used by priests or “ Bopa’s “ as they are commonly known to tell  the stories the paintings depict.

PHAD paintings have traditionally been made by the designated Joshi family of painters from the early ages.  Prakash Joshi – a leading PHAD artist from this family was here in Bangalore to conduct this workshop with Banna Creations.  Prakash Ji is a simply unassuming man who paints for a living and has earned fame and recognition as a traditional PHAD painter. He learnt his skill from his Father at a young age and has been painting for the last 20- 25 odd years. Breaking away from family tradition which dictates that no one outside the Joshi clan should be taught this skill, Prakash Ji also runs a small painting school called “ Chitrashala” . He conducts various painting workshops here from 2-4 day introductory ones to full- fledged painting courses that last for 6 months.

At Banna Creations it has always been our endeavour to bring artists to the forefront and provide them with a platform to showcase they skills, meet and interact with customers as well as demonstrate and teach their art forms.  Our four day PHAD painting workshop was one such endeavour. Conducted in the heart of the city on MG road,  we found that there were people from several varied backgrounds, age groups and skill levels who expressed an interest and decided to join the workshop. This workshop was simply aimed at introducing PHAD painting to our audience, and to take them through the nuances of the art form, the method of painting, the usage of natural colours and the fine brushwork involved. The build- up to the workshop involved a large amount of marketing activity including introducing the art form to people, showing them the possibilities of the painting and finished samples. For those familiar with art and painting this was an opportunity to learn something new and different … For those trying painting or anything close to it for the first time this was an adventure and then there were also a few other participants for whom this was a chance to do something different outside of their routine daily schedules. Some participants even came to learn so they could go on to teach PHAD painting basics to other people … Overall an interesting and eclectic mix of people!  Two of our participants are worth a special mention –  Mrs. Sundari Kannan who was our oldest participant being a senior citizen. She was also the fastest and picked up all techniques introduced to her with great ease and with a certain sense of familiarity.   The other participant was a lady who came thinking this was a mural art workshop that would require her to draw lines, take measurements etc, not realising that PHAD paiting entailed something else all together ! She however stuck on, gave the workshop her best and also went away with a finely completed piece of artwork.

Day 1 and Day 2 of the workshop left most people almost anxious about whether or not they would be able to learn the basics of PHAD painting given the technique and immense detailing involved. While actually drawing and painting on cloth with natural colours seemed like a distant dream, they were given sketch books and pencils to practice line drawings of the various figures, faces etc. Prakash ji would draw the figure in everyone’s sketch book in turns and they had to copy the same in order to get the shape and technique right. Another unique aspect of this method of teaching was that the participants were not allowed to use erasers. This not only perfects the hand but also enables more practice and therefore perfection in each line. Unique yes ! But also a little tiresome for some.  Starting with face profiles, and they body shapes and going on to Horses and other animal depictions, musical instruments etc .. everything was practised with pencil in a sketch book. This method even left some people wondering if they would be able to perfect the technique, draw and paint on cloth and complete one painting. Interspersed with this was Prakash Ji’s vast knowledge of the history of the art form which he discussed at length with the participants. He talked to them about the history and beginnings of PHAD painting, its uniqueness, technique etc. Another important aspect was the details he shared about the preparation of the cloth used for painting as well as the making of natural colours. Each of the colours used are from natural extracts and each colour and source has its own unique name. Also a laborious process involved in finding making and mixing of the colours for final use.

On Day 3 of this workshop, Participants were given a 12”X12” piece of cloth to start work on their painting. With two days and whole weeks practice in between this was going to be a cake walk for some and an uphill task for a few.  The Challenge was to pick out sketches and copy them onto the PHAD cloth with pencil first and then start painting with colour. All the practice put into line drawings came in handy here ! Once the sketches were complete, the interesting, core and fun part was to start using natural colours to paint.  Each colour mix which was in the form of paint was mixed with a small quantity of water to a consistency just enough to enable painting.  All seven basic colours of PHAD painting were going to be used starting with orange and green. Prakash ji explained that there was a sequence to the use of colour as well and those parts which needed the least colour were worked on and filled first.

The colours dried up almost immediately after being applied leaving no room for smudging or mistakes. 

This process of painting and filling colour continued on to Day 4 as well. As a final touch to the paintings, all figures, animals, instruments etc also need to be outlined in black ( Made from soot) using a fine almost needle like brush.  This was again almost as challenging as the line drawings themselves. This is an important and necessary part of the PHAD painting process and all paintings uniformally have the black outline as well – however large or small.

The 4 day workshop which had everyone engaged and engrossed came to an end with a promise for more in the near future. Apprehension and anxiety gave way to a sense of achievement. A Fitting end indeed !

Learn and read more about PHAD paintings and Prakash Joshi at www.phadchitrakari.com

Prakash Joshi is a National award winning PHAD artist and this workshop with Banna was his first in Bangalore.

A whole new world .... Banna goes to the North East !

As I return from a full day’s survey of people, skills and handicraft in and around this little town in upper Assam (the first major town in upper Assam I am proudly told by the locals here) the pinkish sky and the faint rays of light from a setting sun are all indicative of falling dusk and a cool evening ahead. But wait a minute! Its only 4:00 pm … seemed like way past 6:30!

Settling down on simple and comfortable Bamboo chairs as I sip my perfectly brewed cup of “ Lal Cha” I realise suddenly that there is pitch darkness outside  - the sun has set  , afternoon merging into evening and it is only 4:30…. Silence all around!  It’s the end of a long day for everyone; a far removed and different world from life in Bangalore, the city I live in.  In the town of Bokakhat (a small town in upper Assam) this is the time of day when families get together and discuss and share the day’s happenings over cups of tea (usually Lal cha), relax, unwind, make plans etc.  As I make myself part of this “ Adda” session I sense a feeling  of contentment among the people I am with and a general simplicity in their approach to living.

Lal  Chai 

My work in the Handicraft sector has taken me to different parts of the country to meet with artisans , look at their traditional skills and understand the work that they are doing, products that are being created. One such trip has brought me to the North east of India including Assam, Meghalaya and Nagaland. The North East for many of us, especially down south is unchartered territory, a modern frontier land. We only hear of separatists and the odd “North East Package” offered out of political opportunism. Personally, I heard of it only from my father, who was posted in Jorhat, Assam when he was a fighter pilot with the Indian Air Force. I thus landed in Guwahati not knowing what to expect, with some trepidation but hoping to achieve all that I had set out to do

At first glance it seemed like any other smaller city in India.  Concrete and construction everywhere , roads being laid out, highways being repaired , large amounts of dust, settled on trees and leaves, changing their colour from green to a sickly grey, the famed scenic beauty of this part of the country almost hidden behind large clouds of dust.  The people - distant yet curious and friendly.   Having packed in a lunch of “ Chowmein” ( all restaurants refer to noodles of any kind as Chowmein in these parts on their menus) we set course into the interiors of Assam  heading towards upper Assam and the surrounding areas to look at handicraft, folk art, weaving techniques etc whilst soaking in the local culture to get a real sense of the people and the lives they lead .

My hosts – the mother and son duo of Mrs. Jaba Deb and Nelson Deb are friendly and welcoming, excited at the prospect of an outsider coming to see this part of the country they call their own and also very proud of what they have to offer whilst at the same time anxious of making sure my every comfort is taken care of given my lack of familiarity of these parts and their perception of me being a “BIG City Girl”.  We are headed towards upper Assam , more specifically to a town called Bokakhat not more than 25 kilometres from the famous Kaziranga national park.

Jaba Aunty - Mrs. Deb 

 Bokakhat is also home to my hosts, the Deb’s and I will be staying as a guest in their home. All along the  6 hour journey driving on mud roads in parts , Mrs. Deb ( or auntie as I am free to call her as soon as  I meet her ) is full of concern “ I hope you will be comfortable in our house. I hope you will be ok ! If not , then we don’t know where we can put you up. Ours is a small town and there are no hotels. The only ones are Homestays at Kaziranga and I am not sure you will be comfortable there on your own” she says.  I try to put her at ease .. tell her I will be fine and it’s the work that I have come for. This does not really help.  Auntie just smiles at me indulgently and shakes her head. But says nothing. Anxiety still writ large on her face.

About half way through our drive we stop for tea. This is my first introduction to “ Lal cha” or the specially brewed red tea common to these parts. Light and red in colour it’s perfect and refreshing. I notice auntie taking out a little pouch and from it a little packet of “ Supari “ or beetle nut.  She cuts it deftly, puts it into a green “ Pan” leaf and chews on it while we sip our tea.  Almost everyone I see around me does the same. Supari and Pan are integral to day to day life here. Be it after a meal, before a meal at chai time or simply anytime.  Offering Supari to guests is also an integral part of the hospitality in these parts. Another interesting tradition in these parts is the draping of the “ Gamusa”. The “Gamusa” is a hand-woven piece of cloth more like a stole which is draped around guests as a welcome gesture just like one would a garland of flowers. 

Tea and Supari done we get on our way once again. As we drive through several villages towards upper Assam , one of the things  I notice as common is the use of Bamboo.  Most homes , even the big ones don’t have concrete walls – Just large cut outs of Bamboo woven and plaited closely and fixed into the ground. A number of homes don’t even have gates.  Again bamboo poles fixed together to make movable gates.  I also see that a number of homes we drive by are actually built on stilts. This is essentially because of flooding caused by extensive rain in these parts in the summer and monsoon. For those homes that are not on stilts, a number of them have mud walls, thatched roofs and to protect the mud walls, large cut outs of Bamboo.  My curiosity getting the better of me I ask about the use of Bamboo. Again Jaba auntie smiles indulgently and says “ Bamboo is life in these parts , Bamboo is everthing. We use it to build our homes, for storage, as decoration, we use it for everything. It is our life “ she says.  I also notice that at many road side tea stalls there are also stacks of Bamboo boxes , trays , baskets and bowls in different sizes, all used for different purposes -  another testimony to how important Bamboo is here. We are by now driving through parts of the Kaziranga forest, not too far away from our destination – Bokakhat.  

A short distance after we leave the forest area, tea gardens come into view on either side. The Deb’s tell me these tea gardens have been functioning from  the pre- independence area  including the managers bungalows which are large imposing structures again built on stilts.  The view on either side of the lush and green tea gardens is simply breath taking.  The pristine greenery of the tea gardens , distant bobbing heads of workers picking tea leaves, low hanging clouds all lend themselves an almost mystical charm, a sight that is permanently etched in my mind.

We enter the town of Bokakhat  - one main road which is also a busy Bazaar area and turn off on a narrow winding road towards the Deb residence.  We are welcomed at home by “ Dadi “ ( Grandmother ) the old lady of the house. She is warm and welcoming and excited too about a guest coming all the way from Bangalore ( I am sure  Bangalore and its location in India is inconsequential to her ), I realise she only speaks Bengali.  The Deb’s are third generation Bengali’s settled in Assam having made it their home for generations.  We have a simple home cooked meal of rice, vegetable and lentils and settle into a discussion on my expectations from this trip and the handicraft available here, the possibilities etc. 

There is a lot of North east handicraft available in different parts of the country including Bangalore.  I am here to look at everything that is available, see how it is all made, talk to and spend time with the people who make products, understand their motivation, why they do it and how their products are received.  On my list to see and experience are the intricate weaves and weaving techniques, Kantha embroidery, work with Natural Fibre such as Jute, Banana Stem, Bamboo and Cane, wood craft, handmade and beaded jewellery ……

Nelson and I set out to meet a group of local women for whom “ Kantha” embroidery  is an integral part of their daily activity. It’s a skill that has been passed on for generations and there are a number of applications and uses to this skill. The ladies have been informed about my impending visit and each one of them is neatly dressed waiting for my ( read big city girl) arrival. Their homes big and small are all spruced up for this visitor. As soon as we go in and settle down to look at their work, out comes the “ Hopura “  filled with Supari and Pan leafs .  This is part of the hospitality in these parts and serving it to guests in the “ Hopura” is considered auspicious and is customary. 

The “ Hopura “ is a long lamp shaped object typically made in brass. It is a common site all over Assam and is typically found at the entrance of homes and offices or simply used to offer Supari and even sweets to guests. Just like the “ Gamusa “  the “ Hopura” is  an integral part of the culture in Assam. It is symbolic of the people here, their lives, customs and traditions.  I look around at the Kantha work around me and  am speechless !. It’s exquisite, beautiful and unlike any kantha embroidery I have seen before.  And this beautiful and exquisite work is done by a group of ladies tucked away in a quiet corner of upper Assam. 

While it is their means of earning and livelihood, it is also something they do as part of their daily routine. A skill and application that has been passed on over generations and is just second nature to them. I ask one of the older ladies - Parul Didi how she learnt all of this and she says “ I can’t say I really learnt. This is something , possibly the only thing we know as a skill outside of our regular lives as homemakers and I just use this skill. My mother used to do a lot of Kantha, my grandmother used to as well and Kantha has always been around me “ . She says “ it is only in the last few years that I do a lot of Kantha for bulk orders from people like you.  Otherwise if it wasn’t a saree or a stole, I would use thread from old and worn out cotton Sarees and embroider quilts.  It is my passion !! “ So much focussed enthusiasm and never mind that she has failing eyesight and also postural pains from sitting for long hours at her work.  I am yet again amazed at this enthusiasm and also struck by the sheer vastness of the journey  Parul Didi’s skill traverses in a sense. From her home here in Bokakhat to possibly  shop shelf somewhere in South India in Bangalore or a customer’s wardrobe.

We come back home in the darkness of the evening for the sun has set. Although it is only somewhere close to 5:00pm. Not able to contain my excitement I sit down with Jaba Auntie and tell her all that I have seen and how excited I am. It has indeed been a revelation ! She Smiles listens to me again very indulgently and disappears into one of the inner rooms of the house.  For a moment I ponder over this indulgence. We have become friends I realise in this short span of time. Never mind that I live in a big city and the Deb’s here in upper Assam.  Never mind that we are strangers to each other in several ways. Never mind that our expectations and realities in many ways are different.

The fact is that we have in many ways embraced each other in so many different ways in a short span of time, embraced the differences in the way we live, think, act and the similarities etc. Auntie now emerges her hands full of what look like several meters of cloth and textiles. One by one she lays it all out for me to look at. She looks at me silently , observing my reactions. What I have in front of me are exquisitely embroidered sarees , embroidered home linen, quilts, rugs, stoles etc.  All these are Jaba Auntie’s creations put together over many years in between running her home, bringing up two children and managing a large extended family.

 These creations are exquisite reflecting unbounded skill and talent. I ask her how and where she learnt all of this and her response is fairly similar to that of Parul Didi’s .. “  Kantha is something I have grown up with” she says with a laugh. “My mother cousins and aunts used to do this and once I got married I found that my mother – in – law and all the older women in my husband’s side of the family also worked on Kantha in their free time , in between daily chores, brining up children, etc.  This is a skill that I have and one which has been honed over a period of time. “ She also goes on to say that there have been a few people like me in the past who have taken an interest in her work and given this form of embroidery is a common enough past time in the family it took her a while to understand all the excitement around it.  However she goes on to say “  When I realised there was appreciation for the work we do, I decided it might be a good idea to create a more formal means of livelihood for some of the women around these parts who are as skilled as I am or even better. Just like for me, this form of embroidery is something they have seen and lived with all their lives and while they manage their homes , why not give them a small source of income ? “ A novel idea  I thought !

Again I am somewhat amazed at Auntie’s foresight and self- belief.  So she now works with a group of skilled women from different parts of Bokakhat intensely engaged in making Kantha embroidered products of all types. While she keeps some of the more complicated pieces to do herself,  she guides and trains this group of women prodding them gently to complete work, correcting their mistakes and finally making sure they know their work is appreciated. 

I wake up to bright sunlight the next morning. Look at the time and it is only 6:00 am in the morning. Just as the sun sets early in these parts it rises early too. The Deb household is already bustling with activity. Seems like almost one quarter of the day is already over for them. A fresh cup of Chai and breakfast done, Nelson takes me out to meet a weaver and his family. Assam is also known for its intricately woven Sarees and “ Mekhala Chadars “ ( the traditional dress of Assam worn by the women folk ) on Silk.

There are three types of silk here that are common – Muga Silk, Pat  Silk and Nooni Silk, each special in their own way. Muga is a stiff silk typically gold in colour and finds a marker mainly in Assam. Pat is the softer silk that’s easy to drape and falls well and then there is Nooni which is light.  The other rough variety of silk common to these parts is the slightly rough Eri Silk. As we head to the weavers home, a distance of 30 kilometers away from Bokakhat, I notice that we are once again driving through tea gardens. I also notice tall brown spires in the distance letting out black smoke. Nelson tells me these are Brick Kilns. Brick manufacturing and Kilns are again common to this region.  The bricks manufactured here are sent to various parts of the state and other regions in the North east. An interesting fact here is that the kilns only operate for 6 months of the year and are shut down during the summer and monsoon months because of the rain. So people engaged with and working in the kilns find other means of livelihood for six months of the year.

Ghanshyam Ji 

The weaver, Ghanshyam ji’s home is like many others I came across and have described. It is actually at the entrance of a tea garden made of mud walls covered with large cut outs of Bamboo for protection. His looms are here as well. I am welcomed with great warmth, hospitality and enthusiasm. Again the “ Hopura “ Comes out first laden with Supari.  While I take a little bit in appreciation of their hospitality, we start talking about weaving techniques, the various possibilities, the looms, the way they operate etc. I take a close look at the Handlooms here and notice that they are essentially made of Bamboo and wood.  The weaving technique requires  excellent co- ordination between eyes hands and legs and the main controls to change and re- set design are actually  long poles of Bamboo mainly operated with ones legs. Bamboo again being an integral part.  While Ghanshayam ji speaks only Assamese, his enthusiasm to tell me all about his craft comes through. Nelson translates all that he is saying. He says “ Muga silk is only in demand in Assam and does not find a market anywhere outside. Muga silk today is very expensive essentially because its production is fast diminishing mainly due to changing weather patterns. Also  Chinese today are the largest producers of silk and have invaded our local markets here as well. It is just easier to buy readily available raw material and spin it into  yarn to then weave Sarees and Mekhala’s. “ Although Ghanshyam ji seems a little puzzled by the intensity with which I am recording his conversation and taking photographs of the weaving process he indulges me once again. Our work done, as we head out Ghanshyam ji Calls out . He says ‘ Didi , you have taken so many pictures of my looms and my people, why not one picture of me and my family ? just so you remember us ?”. I willingly oblige.

As we make our way back to Bokakhat, I see a number of little shops on the roadside selling Cane and Bamboo products like little boxes, Bags, baskets etc. There are also the stalls selling handmade wood products. One of the most common products one finds made from wood is the famous Assamese one horned rhinoceros.  A beautiful souvenir to take back home.  As we drive through Nelson tells me about a very well known temple in these parts. This is an old temple dedicated to the goddess Durga and is called the “Sri Kako Guhani Durga Than “. “ Than” means temple or place of worship in the local language. This “ Ma-r-than” as the locals call it is several hundred years old. We are asked to leave our footwear outside the temple compound and as we enter the temple premises. There are several smaller temples dedicated to various Gods in addition to the main one. 

Temple 

A long winding path leads us to the main temple structure and I can’t help but notice a small pit with a sharp edged metal block. This is the place where sacrifices are made to appease  the Goddess.  I go further in expecting to see the Goddess Durga sitting on her lion sword in hand like in all other temples. However this one is different. There is no idol of the Goddess. Instead what I see is simply a tall mound almost reaching the roof of the temple covered with several pieces of decorative cloth which are actually offerings made by devotees to the Goddess. On either side of the mound are what I count as 8 – 10 lion heads.  The long – haired priest stares at me with a warily. I am not allowed to take any pictures of the inner sanctum. “ This is a sacred place “ he says. And I am a stranger.

We head back home and over a cup of “ Lal Cha” I tell auntie all about my experience with the weaver and the cane and Bamboo I have seen. She surprises me yet again ! Goes into the inner room again and out she comes with Jute bags, Cane and Banana boxes she has made. Another home grown skill she says. Something she has picked up over the years. “ I make my own bags and baskets in different colours, shapes and sizes. I even make my own little storage boxes from cane and Bamboo. I don’t buy them. I use Bamboo to make storage baskets as well. It’s easy. “ she says. I quickly pull out some design ideas for natural fibre products I am interested in and ask her if she can make these for me. “ I have never sold any of these products I have made unlike the kantha work. But why not ?  This is also something I can do” She accepts willingly. Once again the journey her skill and products will make is a story in itself.

The Hopura 

I am headed to Dimapur the next day and this is my last day in Bokakhat. The skill and potential I have seen and experienced in Assam and more importantly Bokakhat will stay with me for a long time. The next morning I wake up nice and early to bright sunshine. It is again only 5:30 am. Jaba Auntie is busily watering her plants and tending to her Garden. As I join her I notice the care and concern with which she tends to her garden.  I walk around and see that she has flower beds all along the front which decorate her courtyard, on the side of the house is a home- grown vegetable garden and at the back is a patch of medicinal herbs. I ask her about how she manages this vast space and she says “ Beta I do all the gardening myself. This is my passion. My time with my plants is my most peaceful time of the day. During the season I also put together several flowering plants in holders and pots and display them at the bi- annual shows  held at the tea gardens close by. I also  supply a number of these plants to nurserys in and around Bokakhat. “  I am once again left marvelling at her enthusiasm, skill, initiative and enterprise.  

Its soon time for me to leave. As I prepare to do so, Jaba Deb gives me a little box and says “ I have nothing much to give you but this. A small gift for coming to visit us, spending time with us and embracing everything about us. Come again soon ! “ I open the box and see that it is a Hopura.

Ladies at work 

Woodcraft 

Loom 

temple another view 

Bamboo Gate 

Bamboo Walls 

Bamboo 

Weaving 

I drive away through winding roads lined with Bamboo walled homes and through the greenery of the tea gardens I know this has been an experience of a lifetime.  I know I am leaving with a lot more than what I came with.  My trepidation at the beginning has given way to an embrace of a new world, a new culture and newpeople
.
This will stay with me through times to come. The North East is no more unknown, unseen and unexplored.

Looking for Brand Banna !

Wrapped up the first exhibition of the year on the 11^th and 12^th of February !

   

Exciting new line of products including a new range of Sarees in Silk and Silk cotton, Raw Silk and tussar Stoles in Multiple Colours  and lighter Cotton and Silk Cotton Stoles in Vibrant colours of spring.  New additions for the new year included hand embroidered stoles and dupatta’s , a new and exciting line of hand -made home décor and vibrant contemporary and ethnic jewellery.

Hand embroidered products are a favourite at Banna and we work with multiple products created using several different forms of hand embroidery.  We use  the Kasuti form of embroidery from North – Karnataka to create wall art, photoframes, home linen, boxes and a wide range of clutch purses. This is a form of embroidery that was traditionally done on sarees and is today being promoted in the form of more usable end- products.  In a similar manner products introduced this new year were those created using Kantha work ( a form of embroidery from the North- east of India) and traditional Chikankari from the North of India.  Products included stoles, dupatta’s , homelinen etc.  All these embroidered products are made by self – help groups comprising of women  who actively practice these forms of embroidery as a traditional skill and art form.

Our line of jewellery this time was a perfect mix of the casual and contemporary with shades of ethinicity.  Semi- precious stones of different types set to ethinic and contemporary designs and an interesting new line of casual jewellery using wooden beads in multiple colours.   This was perfectly matched with handmade bags.

The excitement of all the new products apart, the other exciting and heartening feature  at this first exhibition of 2012 was that almost everybody who walked in to buy products from us came in looking for “ Brand Banna” .  It has only been about six months since Banna started ! A hard, exhausting but invigorating six months and to find so many people coming to look for our brand and our products was very exciting … a confirmation , an affirmation that our hard work and humble attempts to build the brand , market our products and vision and values was bearing some fruit.  People calling us ( from having seen our facebook page and products thereof ) to ask about the exhibition, to ask about our products was indeed very heartening.  People following us on social media also made an appearance to take a look at what we had to offer.  We had people coming in to buy jewellery and sarees for the season ahead, people looking for simple and elegant hand- crafted gift ideas, eco- friendly products ( which is another signature line at Banna), our signature textiles and jewellery line etc.  There was also a general interest and curiosity amongst our regular buyers to understand the progress we have made in the last six months since we started both in terms of products we have added as well as our vision and how we see ourselves growing.

At Banna we retail mainly through our exhibitions which are held once every six weeks and through online sales.  Another welcome change this year has been the increase in the number of online enquires and sales all a small testimony to the fact that the Banna brand is slowly getting to be known …….. we hope to continue this trend as we take this year forward ! Some great new products being added, new exhibitions coming up shortly, finally a fully functional website and several workshops where artists and customers can connect directly to see understand and learn several art and craft forms …!!!!

The Ilkal Story

The Ilkal weave is a traditional weave from Karnataka in Southern India.

The Ilkal tradition comes from the ancient weaving centre in North Karnataka dating back to over a thousand years from approximately the 8^th Century AD.  The Ilkal weave gets its name from the town of Ilkal in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka. This small town of Ilkal has been the centre point of this weaving tradition for centuries and it is here that age old weavers and artists can still be found carrying forward their age old traditions of weaving.

The Ilkal Sari is an integral part of the North Karnataka tradition. The growth of these saris is attributed to the patronage provided by the local chieftains in and around the town of Bellary/ Bagalkot. The availability of local raw materials helped in the growth of this sari.  While the town of Ilkal is the main weaving centre there are also several towns in and around ILkal, Hubli and Dharwad where looms and weavers are found.

The desire to find out more about this weave and the weavers carrying forward these traditions led me to undertake an adventurous and interesting journey to the dusty town of Ilkal. It is also important to understand here that while this is an ancient handloom tradition, this region in and around Ilkal in North Karnataka has only about 5000 handloom’s left as compared to a whopping 30,000 even as recently as 10 years ago ! Modern technology and the introduction of power looms has not only diminished and almost removed the use of Handlooms but has also taken away livelihood from several traditional weavers.  There is a marked difference between the Handloom (actually hand woven) sari and that which comes off a power loom – but more about this a little later.

I decided that the easiest way of getting to Ilkal would be to get to Hubli and drive from there to Ilkal. One can also alternately get to Bagalkot and drive down to Ilkal and getting there from Gadag (a gain in North Karnataka) is also another option.  The Distance from Hubli to Ilkal is about 130 kms and was undertaken in just under 5 hours!!!! Badly maintained state highways and mud roads for the most part contribute to making this distance a journey of almost 5 hours. The landscape around is stark! All you see are people busy in their fields and almost no vehicular traffic on this lonely route. Quite sure this is not a journey (by taxi) one might want to undertake alone!  The other thing common to most of North Karnataka is the difference in the local language spoken in these parts. While it is still Kannada ( Language spoken almost all through Karnataka) the dialect is very different making it difficult even for a native of the state like me – I usually manage very well with the Kannada I speak !

While one was prepared for Ilkal to be a really small town given it is in the interiors of North Karnataka, the one thing that struck me as we got near the town and slowly began driving through it was the extremely narrow and Dusty Lanes, Garbage dumps in almost every street corner and general unhygienic living conditions all over. For some reason the excitement of visiting one of the oldest weaving centres in the country had taken over leaving me un prepared for some of the obvious poverty one sees in Ilkal. The other thing here is that it is difficult to find a genuine and traditional weaver and if one if not prepared, has not done research etc there is every chance of meeting middle men.   My journey initially led me to the modest home of a weaver I had managed to find through extensive research and deep digging into my network.  Much to my disappointment the Saris he had (and it actually turned out that he was not a weaver himself) were not the type of Ilkal Saris I was looking for.  My search was for the old traditional rich Ilkal Silk Sari – one with Beautiful and bright colour combinations completely hand woven which also adds to its grandeur.  This man however was very hospitable and quickly understood my problem as well as what I was looking for and was kind enough to offer to take me to a traditional weaver,  to see his Handlooms and his Saris.  What is noteworthy here is that this man showed no hesitation in taking me to someone I was looking for however disappointed he might have been that I did not really want what he was looking for.

And thus we got back into my car and drove further into the interiors of the town of Ilkal passing huts and settlements, through mud roads on what seemed like a long and never ending journey to find what I was looking for. Somewhere in what I now know as the centre of this little town was a small non- descript looking white structure …. No walls, no compound, just this white structure.  This was a master weavers house I was told! You could only find this place if you knew someone locally! We entered this building through what I realised was the back entrance and were welcomed by a loud and deafening humming sound which actually comes from the constantly at work power looms. Once again a disappointment.  Power loom weaves was not what I was looking for! I was looking for actual Handloom products.  

This region in North Karnataka is actually very close to Karnataka’s neighbouring state of Maharashtra. For those of you familiar with the region, the two states have been engaged in a border dispute for decades.  My observations of the people from the town of Ilkal told me that they seemed to be culturally more inclined to Maharashtra’s including the language they spoke and the way they dressed.

Coming back to the master weaver I had just met.  He was from a family of weavers and weaving Ilkal saris was their traditional means of livelihood for generations.  After my initial disappointment on seeing the power looms, I was in for a surprise.  This building was the weaver’s workshop and home and tucked away in a corner of this workshop were four traditional handlooms.  My joy knew no bounds!  It seemed like I had finally found what I was looking for. Discussions with the weaver revealed that these handlooms were traditional looms set up by his predecessors. However by his own admission, the advent of power looms had forced him like all others to adopt and use power looms in order to stay in demand and be competitive.  You see saris that are woven off power looms are less expensive compared to authentic handloom saris. However in terms of feel and texture, they are much thinner and there is a certain richness to the colour and texture that is almost missing.

This Master Weaver took a lot of trouble to explain the intricacies of the weave to me and also the difference between the saris that some off a power loom and those which come off a hand loom. The Ilka Saris are not only part of an age old weaving tradition, but also are an integral part of bridal trousseaus. These saris are also traditionally used for Kasogi Embroidery which is another interesting art form from the region.  The Ilkal Saris are available in pure silk, Silk- cotton and cotton weaves.  While the Pallav designs are similar in all saris the speciality of these saris lie in their vibrant colour combinations and border designs.  Some borders are simple with no temples, and then there are the borders with small temples (known as Kyadgi) and the borders with large temples (called Dund).

The weaver was also at pains to explain that sad as it may be, these saris do not find a very large market in the rest of Karnataka due to a lack of overall awareness.  They are however popular in the neighbouring state of Maharashtra due to cultural similarities. This has also promoted a lot of traditional weavers to move away from the town of Ilkal for better prospects. Also the largest buyers of these Saris in Karnataka are large retailers in the Hubli Dharwad area. Here too the only saris that really sell are those that are woven on power looms.  There are not too many takers for traditionally hand woven Ilkal Saris and therefore it is also hard to find Labour and weavers who will work on Handlooms. They are all either working on power looms or have simply given up this profession for better prospects.

The living conditions and obvious poor standard of living across this town now somehow explained itself.  That being said the weaver and his family were extremely welcoming and I was also treated to an authentic North Karnataka lunch complete with their traditional “ Jollada Rotti “ and “ yenne kai “ meal – ( Corn bread and a Brinjal Gravy).

My journey to Ilkal was indeed a revelation. I had expected some of what I saw but was also surprised and saddened by the State of affairs at the weaving centres. Having successfully completed by search for traditional Ilkal weaves and their weavers, I knew clearly that there was a lot of work to be done in terms of re-creating a market for the Ilkal Saris and creating awareness for the beautiful hand woven Saris.

We now work with traditional Ilkal weaves at Banna Creations! All saris and colours can be customised based on specific requirements. 

Mysooru Ganjifa - Article originally published on The Better India Website

Mysore Ganjifa - Reviving a Forgotten Art form 

In search of Ganjifa and the Artist

“ Ganjifa“is the name given to an ancient Indian card game. Historically this game is believed to have been brought to India and popularised during the Moghul period.  Quite aptly the name Ganjifa comes from the Persian word “ Ganjifeh “ which means playing cards.

The speciality of these cards is that they are traditionally hand- painted. The cards are typically circular. This was a game that was popular and played across Medieval India. Each region in the country had its own form of the game. There was the Sawantwadi Ganjifa from Maharashtra, Navadurga Ganjifa from Orrisa, Rajasthan and Gujrat Ganijfa , Kashmir Ganjifa, Nepal Ganjifa and the Mysooru Ganjifa which was greatly patronized by the Mysore Royal family during their reign.

A quest to find out more about the traditional “Mysooru Ganjifa” and its popularity in our present times (read: non- existence) will lead you  to a tucked away corner in the city of Mysore – the capital of the Erstwhile Mysore State(Karnataka) . Mysore or Mysooru as it is now known was once the seat of the Mysore kings

In one hidden corner of this city, tucked away in a quiet locality near the famous Chamundi Hills of Mysore is the home of  Shri Raghupathi Bhatta or Ganjifa Rahupathi Bhatta as he is popularly known. A very humble and simple man, a large chunk of whose life as an artist was spent reviving Mysooru Ganjifa in an attempt to popularize it in our present times. His interest  in traditional paintings of the region that led to his active interest in the restoration and revival of Ganjifa Miniature paintings.

Early History of the game 

In the days before the Moghul period the traditional game of cards played with hand- painted miniature cards was known as “Chad”. “Chad” means growing or the growth of money in the old Kannada language.  Chad was played mainly in the royal palaces. Another earlier name for the cards was “ Kreeda patra “ – meaning playing cards or “ Devaratada yelegalu “ meaning Cards representing the game of God. These cards  were used to devise several card games each representing different Hindu Shloka’s, Mythological stories, stories from the Hindu Purana’s, the Upanishads etc.

The Moghuls brought with them their own version of a card game called, Ganjifa, now known as Moghul Ganjifa and patronised their own playing methodologies during their time. It is believed that Ganjifa as we know it in modern times is really an amalgamation of the Moghul playing style and our own Chada or Kreedapatra.

 Quite contrary to this popular belief, Ganjifa Raghupathi Bhatta has an interesting story to tell us on what he believes are the actual origins of the game. Shri Raghupathi Bhatta is of the firm belief that the Moghuls actually adopted the Indian Kreedapatra to devise the Moghul Ganjifa paying form. Indian Ganjifa from different regions across the country, including the Mysooru Ganjifa have several different types of games each played with different sets of cards, numbers and their own unique methodology. The Mysooru Ganjifa itself has 18 different types of sets and games.  

Mysooru Ganjifa was extensively patronised by the Mysore Royal Family – The Wodeyar Kings . Given that the main aim of the game was to teach, learn and tell stories from our ancient scriptures and holy books all the 18 games in the Mysooru Ganjifa Style were set to stories and shloka's from the Hindu Purana’s and stories from our great epics.  The Dashavatara Ganjifa which is a series based on the 10 different forms of the Hindu God Vishnu was the most popular of the 18 Ganjifa games and is the best known to this day. The Dashavatara Ganjifa has a set of 120 different playing cards..

In the old times,  there was always one lead artist or creator in the Royal Palace  who along with the king decided on the Shloka’s and stories that would be used for a game.  They would then decide on the number of cards that would be made for that particular story and the artist would complete all illustrations and drawings/ paintings  for the first set.  This would then be replicated by the artists employed in the Royal palace. Another interesting comparison the artist makes is between the modern day set of 53 cards and the Mysooru Dashavatara Ganjifa each of which have 10 main card types. Based completely on his own research Shri Raghupathi Bhatta believes that modern day playing cards as we know them might well have origins in the Dashavatara playing style with 10 main cards, King and Queen likened to Goddess Lakshmi and Lord Shri Narayan and the Joker card likened to Garuda- the mythical bird from Hindu Mythology.

The Artists Tryst with Ganjifa  

The artist had an early induction into the Mysooru Ganjifa miniature style of painting during his studies at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat. However it was not until many years later in the early 1980’s ( 1981- 82) that he chanced upon Ganjifa originals from the Mysore Palace. The originals he chanced upon were about 200 years old and he was attracted to the beauty of the painting and fascinated with the fact that these cards had stood the test of time and not lost any of their original beauty.  All Mysooru Ganjifa paintings were made from natural dyes and colours and squirrel hair brushes were used for their fineness.

Thus began Ganjifa Shri Raghupathi Bhatta’s early quest to study Ganjifa and his pursuit to revive this form of painting (even if not the game itself) in modern times.  His research and Ganjifa studies not only covered the Mysooru form but also other forms of Ganjifa that exist in our country and their specific nuances. In re- creating some of these miniature paintings, the artist also uses natural colours and dyes by making his own colours from natural sources.  He makes all his colours by hand and they are rich in natural minerals and vegetable dyes. He also uses his own fine brushes  including squirrel hair brushes suitable to the Ganjifa painting technique. Shri Raghupathi Bhatta successfully re- created a large number of Ganjifa paintings and cards. He also had a significantly large customer base as people started buying his re- creations, made using the traditional painting technique. 

While there is no specific and documented technique to the Mysooru Ganjifa, the artist’s early studies revealed that all figures, illustrations and faces were made in the form of the ancient Hindu Lotus Face. The Mysooru Ganjifa paintings in addition to being very intricate and detailed, were usually made on cards which have three inch diameters.The early Ganjifa paintings were made on leafs, paper and  Ivory and cloth were also used along with several layers of paper. All paintings are now done on Paper or thick cloth but the  colours used for original re- creations are still made  using water, gum and other  natural resources .

An attempt at revival 

As a part of his quest to revive and popularise this ancient tradition of miniature paintings Shri Raghupathi Bhatta  used to exhibit his Ganjifa work  in a museum in Srirangapatana close to Mysore. The artist shifted his works to a smaller museum and studio in Mysore once the museum shut down. This too had to be shut down  in the year 2000 due to lack of any support financial or otherwise from the Government and patrons. So after an almost 18 year focused study and attempted revival of Ganjifa, what is left today are a large number of miniature paintings and the man himself – Ganjifa Shri Raghupathi Bhatta one of the pioneers of Mysooru Ganjifa.

A testimony to his early recognition as a Ganjifa Revival artist is that fact that he has demonstrated this fine art at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum and his works are also part of a permanent exhibit there. He also has several awards to his name including the Presidents Award in 1993 and the Lalitha Kala Akademi Award in 1996 for his pioneering work in this field.

Lack of proper support and encouragement  not only put paid to his aspirations of reviving this age old art but also left him at a loss on all counts.  His plans and dreams of establishing a permanent museum and revival centre somewhere got lost in the sands of time. As an artist Shri Raghupathi Bhatta had to suddenly contend and compete with cheaper imitations done using acrylic paints  and copied original pictures.

The only memories of his 18 years spent in close association with the art form are several original miniature paintings he has with him from 200 years ago as well as some of the originals he re- created.

Shri Raghupathi Bhatta’s work with Ganjifa is not restricted to the form and technique of painting and its origins. A detailed discussion with him reveals  that he has not only studied this school of miniature painting but is also a storehouse of knowledge on the history and origin of the game, playing techniques etc. He has written several pieces on the subject which have been published as well. Also with him is an unpublished manuscript of a book on the subject. 

Final words 

Ganjifa Shri Raghupathi Bhatta today works on traditional paintings based on the Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Upanishads and has showcased a lot of his work overseas in countries like Japan and Canada. For a man who once had made it his life’s mission to revive Ganjifa, he is today more focussed on commissioned art works overseas and is almost reticent  and withdrawn when asked about Ganjifa and his work in the field.

As we talk about this there is an underlying feeling of regret and disappointment in the artist’s demeanour . The journey he embarked upon 20 years ago is obviously incomplete for reasons not totally within his control such as a lack of appreciation for hard work and originality.   Ganjifa Shri Raghupathi Bhatta whilst having weaned himself away from his life’s mission deep down wishes there was some way to completely revive this lost art.

 His last words are reflective of what he wishes deep down. He wishes people and patrons of art would learn to recognise originals from cheap copies and encourage, buy and use local art forms like Ganjifa. All we need are discerning and enthusiastic patrons who believe in this cause and those who have the conviction to Support artists like Ganjifa Shri Raghupathi Bhatta – A simple and humble artist living in isolation and seclusion. 

At Banna Creations, Ganjifa Is one of the art forms we are working on reviving with the artist himself.  In keeping with our model to revive and re- create an awareness for dwindling art forms within our country we promote Ganjifa as one of our premium art forms and also facilitate workshops conducted by the artist himself.

Please go to www.bannacreations.com for details.