The Art We Inherit
In a way, our culture holds on to us- it travels not in ink or dye or notes, but from one hand to another, leaping from one tongue to next, making room for itself..
In a quick glance of the modern-day lives, I realise how far behind we've left the forms of art deep-rooted in the colossal expanse of traditional values of this land. And yet, it rarely surprises me how Warli tribal painting art sleeps adjacent to my curves over my bedsheet, and how the epic scenes draped my mother in the rich work of Kalamkari only last week and how despite having shifted three houses, Gond painting follows to our living room wall everytime. In a way, our culture holds on to us- it travels not in ink or dye or notes, but from one hand to another, leaping from one tongue to next, making room for itself through the narrow streets of contemporary times.
The vast populace of India, since times immemorial, have dangled their feet in the waters of folk art and let it wash away borders that leave creases on pages. In preserving the rich cultural traditions of every inch of this diverse land, we have cultivated their stories, that eloquently paint the faces of these lands we've only named. The customs, traditions, and rituals crafted in a town will carry with itself the impersonal elements and distinct facets of the place of origin, and the echo of its beliefs will only grow louder the more it travels.
The next section is a promise, an oath, a vow, to instill in all of us, a sense of remembrance for every hand that has sculpted its community's ideas into crafts, every voice that has carried within itself, age-old tales of fraternity and every soul that has grown immortal in the treasures of folk-art. Travel with us through the art-embedded states of India.
Delhi, An Affair with Divinity (through the lens of Khusrau)
Delhi had been a city of magnificent chowks and gullies with open gutters, ghumbads casually posing in the parks and bazaars, slums and mansions, new stories and old assuring you time travels, no science could ever crack. But amongst the numerous things ‘Delhi’, I simply couldn’t ignore the nazakat of this part of city - a burst of chaos, pensive chaos, almost hypnotic, radiating in the narrow streets of Nizamuddin basti, the oldest living habitation of the city; the whiff of spices and soot, the sizzles of mutton nihari blended with the aroma desi gulab and cheap (but lovely) ittar with the labyrinth like lanes adorned with green chadar at each stall to serve as offerings at the Shrine. A sense of music prevailed which, could only be heard with the ears of the soul. A simultaneous force, that would pull you closer to your destination and take you back some seven hundred years. To this day, it is hard to describe the feeling, standing at the dehleez of the Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya of the Chisti Tariqa, maybe this is what felt so…so sufi? An emotion of love that I was so alien to, now diffusing my skies.
Read the complete article ‘Delhi, an affair with divinity’ by Noorpriya Chawla here
Kerala, My land is a Woman
She gets up at four in the morning every day, washes her long hair of ancestry in the Periyar, her rough hands that smell of mud and revolution raking through the little knots of inquilab as the deep blue water passes through it.
She pins up three bunches of fresh മുല്ലപ്പൂ (jasmines) on her hair, down the valley of her neck lies the Western Ghats, the scent of Jasmines and freshly ground coffee from Idukki the entire world sips on lingers on them.
Tonight she is excited. It is the night of the full moon, the night where she fasts for her beloved ones and dance for their prosperity. Tonight she wears her favorite traditional saree of whites and golds and is getting ready for a night of തിരുവാതിര കളി (Thiruvathira)
Read the complete article ‘My land is a woman’ by Vishwa Asokan here
Odisha, more than India’s best-kept secret
No matter how much I try, I can never explain to you the feeling of living in Odisha because the exuberance of running into art forms in every other street and still finding your identity engraved in it is supposed to be inexplicable. Though my roots are from Cuttack and have grown up in Bhubaneswar; the Chandua (Applique art) of Pipili, the pure silk sarees of Brahmapur, the Tarakasi (Silver Filigree) of Cuttack, the Rasagola of Salepur, the Sambalpuri textiles from Sambalpur, the stone utensils of Nilgiri, the handloom culture of Raghurajpur, the Mudi mansa of Baripada, the sand art of Puri; everything feels, tastes and smells like me, like every other Odia. And the Pattachitras (palm leaf paintings) dating back to the 8th century which are still embossed in pages of literature and history books of painting are just reminders that I know only a pinch of the forlorn history of my state.
Read the complete article ‘Odisha, more than India’s best-kept secret' by Ayushi Rout here
To those more fluent in the simplicity of life, art is a survival instinct. The indulgence of various communities in the sanctity of folk songs and paintings was a portal to the world of thoughts within them- philosophies, ideas, attitudes, impressions, aesthetics. It not only proved as a gateway to their beliefs and emotions but established as a form of communication of their lifestyle and habits allowing them to preserve not only their cultural notions but the sentiment of the moment. Folk art was not only a way of passing ethics and values through generations, but the creation of an identity for their tribes to be rejoiced in times to come.
Poetry, much alike other forms of traditional art, is known to travel like a ball of yarn, wrapping within itself, cultures, thoughts, emotions and lifestyles, across distance and time. Following below is a platter of poetry garnished with a sterling touch of folk culture, to reacquaint you with the ethos of Indian folklore.
कला भी ज़रूरत है / लीलाधर जगूड़ी
![Tribal Army no Twitter: "Warli Paintings Warli painting is a form of tribal art mostly created by the tribal people from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra, India. https://t.co/v4d98Fj3Ka" / Twitter](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25577a5a-4e42-4d6f-8f5b-75fbe6fa5cd4_894x960.jpeg "Tribal Army no Twitter: "Warli Paintings Warli painting is a form of tribal art mostly created by the tribal people from the North Sahyadri Range in Maharashtra, India. https://t.co/v4d98Fj3Ka" / Twitter")
मेहनत और प्रतिभा के खेत में समूहगान से अँकुवाते कुछ बूटे फूटे हैं जिनकी वजह से कठोर मिट्टी के भी कुछ हौसले टूटे हैं कुछ धब्बे अपने हाथ-पाँव निकाल रहे हैं जड़ में जो आँख थी उसे टहनियों पर निकाल रहे हैं खाली जगहें चेहरों में बदलती जा रही हैं महाआकाश के छोटे-छोटे चेहरे बनते जा रहे हैं कतरनों भरे चेहरे कला जिनकी ज़रूरत है धब्बे आकृतियों में बदल गए हैं यह होने की कला अपने को हर बार बदल ले जाने की कला है कला भी ज़रूरत है वरना चिड़ियाँ क्यों पत्तियों के झालर में आवाज़ दे-देकर ख़ुद को छिपाती हैं कि यक़ीन से परे नहीं दिखने लगती है वह कला की ज़रूरत है कभी भी ठीक से न बोया जा सका है न समझा जा सका है कला को फूल का मतलब अनेक फूलों में से कोई सा एक फूल हो सकता है फूल कहने से फूल का रंग निश्चित नहीं होता फूल माने होता है केवल खिला हुआ कलाओं को पाने के लिए कलाओं के सुपुर्द होना पड़ता है कलाओं में भी इंतज़ार, ज़बरदस्ती और बदतमीज़ी का हाथ होता है बद-इंतज़ामी से पैदा हुए इंतज़ाम और बदतमीज़ी से पैदा हुए तमीज़ में कलाएँ निखर कर आ सकती हैं संतुलित शिष्टाचार में लगातार व्यवहार में वे दिखने लग सकती हैं निरे इंतज़ार में ढाढ़स बँधाती हुई अगली बार किसी और नए सिरे से पैदा होने को बताती हुईं ।
मधुबनी चित्रकला / दिनकर कुमार
बादल ने तुम्हारे चेहरे को चूमकर
दामन निचोड़ दिया
सूखी नदियाँ
जीवित हो उठीं
फल ने तुम्हारी गंध
को समेट लिया
अपने भीतर
वृक्ष ने धरती को उपहार दिया
अस्सी कोस की दूरी पर
किसी ने जलाया चिराग
सोहर और समदाओन की धुन
सुनकर देवता मुग्ध हो गए
किसान ने हल चलाया
बीज बोया
खेत को सींचा
माटी से तुम अंकुरित हुई वैदेही
कच्ची मिट्टी की दीवार पर
तुम्हारा विषाद
आँसू और मुस्कान
कहते हैं - मधुबनी चित्रकला ।
कठपुतली / उद्भ्रान्त
कठपुतली का खेल देखना
मेरे बचपन के दिनों का
सबसे प्रिय शगल था
डोर से बँधी हुई
कई कठपुतलियों को
खेल दिखानेवाला
हस्त-संचालन और
उँगली के इशारों से
यहाँ-वहाँ नचाता
कभी-कभी
एक कठपुतली
दूसरी को पकड़कर
धराशायी कर देती
और खूब पीटती
धमाधम धमाधम!
कभी प्यार करतीं वे
आपस में
शिद्दत से
और हम सभी बच्चे
देख उनका खेल यह
तालियाँ बजा-बजा
खूब होते प्रसन्न
तरह-तरह के
खेल होते कठपुतली के
और हम हैरत से
देखते हुए उन्हें
भर जाते
कई तरह की
भावनाओं से
उस समय
हमें लगता था ऐसा
जैसे वे जीवित हों
प्राणवंत होकर सारा
क्रिया-व्यापार कर रहीं!
और कुछ समय के बाद
कठपुतली वाले के इशारे पर
वे जब निष्प्राण हो जातीं तो
हम सब बच्चे
हो जाते मायूस
कठपुतली वाला
खेल खत्म कर
उस खेल के या
अपने हुनर के ऐवज में
प्राप्त करता जनता से पैसे और
खूब सराहना भी
बंद करता सारी कठपुतलियों को
झोले में और
सारे बच्चों को छोड़कर उदास
शीघ्र पुनः आने का
देते हुए आश्वासन
चला जाता
दूसरे मुहल्ले या नगर में
इसी भाँति अपनी
आजीविका चलाने के वास्ते!
How often do we sit and contemplate about the coexistence of technological advancements and handicrafts and seek answers for the industry rooted in the inherited value of its culture? When have we thought about taking a step back and lending our assistance to corner shelters that thrive on hours of manual handiwork to ensure their efforts into their traditions live on? But most importantly, have we ever spared a breath and asked the right questions? Now, is a chance. Now, is an attempt. Now, is an awakening.
Read our interview with Archana Upadhyay, Empanelled Designer in the Textile Ministry of Handicraft and take this opportunity to apprise yourself of the grey side of this flamboyant way of living.
“प्रगति अपने आप में एक सकारात्मक शब्द है। जब वह तकनीकी के साथ मिल कर अपना प्रभाव डाले तो निःसंदेह हस्तकला को एक नया आयाम मिलेगा। तकनीकी की सबसे बड़ी खूबी ही यही होती है कि वह किसी कार्य को सुगम और त्रुटिरहित कर देता है। हस्तशिल्प की अपनी एक विस्तृत दुनिया है, जहाँ हुनर, अनुभव और परिश्रम के बाद भी परिणाम की गति काफी धीमी है। ऐसे में जब उत्पाद की माँग कम समय में अधिक हो जाती है तो कम संसाधन वाले शिल्पी के सामने कई तरह की मुश्किलें आ खड़ी होती हैं। इन कारोबारी विफलताओं के कारण ही हस्तशिल्प छोटे स्थानीय बाजारों से बाहर बमुश्किल ही निकल पाता है। बीते कुछ दशकों में कई प्रदेशों में लुप्त हो रहे पारम्परिक लोक शिल्प और घटते जा रहे शिल्पियों के पीछे यह एक अहम कारण रहा है। … और इसी का समाधान है तकनीकी सहयोग |”
वस्त्र मंत्रालय,भारत सरकार में बतौर एम्पैनल्ड डिज़ाइनर कार्यरत अर्चना उपाध्याय जी से हमने हस्तकला और तकनीक के सहास्तित्व के विषय पर केंद्रित एक साक्षात्कार किया जिसे आप नीचे दी गयी लिंक पर पढ़ सकते हैं ।
Links to more articles on Indian Folk
The Tetseo Sisters from Nagaland and their contemporary brand of cool folk
‘Bandi Pethir’ – Kashmiri Folk Art on The Verge of Extinction
Now that you've travelled with us so far, we hope these facets of Indian Folk Art live through and within you and that it excites your interest to discover and explore the culture of the place you live in. But rest assured, because this journey hasn't ended just yet. This edition will be followed by a sequel covering the treasured art forms of Rajasthan, Mountains, Maharashtra, Bengal, Chattisgarh and other southern states. In the meanwhile, we urge you to write about the folk culture you have witnessed being preserved around you, under the hashtag #poetry×folk.
Here is a Spotify folk playlist to remind you of folk art that only knows how to travel up and beyond.
Contributors: Noorpriya Chawla, Vishwa Asokan, Ayushi Rout, Devansh Dixit, Resham Sharma, Aishwarya Roy, Shivam Tomar