Pichwai Paintings

October 31, 2023

Chennai recenlty hosted an art exhibit showcasing Pichwai paintings, some dating back 350 years.
The exhibit hosted paintings from all four schools of the art form– Nathdwara, Kishangarh and Bundi in Rajasthan and Deccan School.
The word Pichwai comes from ‘pichh’ meaning back, and ‘wai’, meaning textile hanging.
The paintings, which originated over 400 years ago in Nathdwara, about 70 kilometres from Udaipur, are always done on cloth, usually khadi.
These are used as a backdrop to the idol in the temple.
Pichwai paintings feature intricate designs and vibrant colours, depicting scenes from the life of Lord Krishna.
Other themes are also portrayed, such as the map of the Nathdwara, temple, cows (as symbols of Lord Krishna) among others and not very often, are also created on paper.
The artists use stone pigments, especially for gold and silver tones.
The brighter orange, red, chrome yellow and kesari colours come from vegetable dyes.
They are made by members of the Pushti Marg sect, founded by Shri Vallabhacharya in the 16^th