- Main forms
- Phad, Mandana, Thape, Badaley, Thewa
- Phad centre
- Bhilwara
- Thewa centre
- Pratapgarh
- Best time
- October to March; around Diwali for fresh wall art
Painting on many surfaces
Rajasthani folk painting is not limited to paper. You will find it on house walls and courtyard floors, on cloth hangings and scrolls, and on wooden objects. The imagery usually draws on local deities, epic stories and auspicious symbols. Colours traditionally came from earth, plants and minerals, and many of the patterns are passed from mother to daughter rather than learned in any school.
Forms to look out for
- Phad: long cloth scrolls telling the stories of folk deities, once carried by travelling singer-priests and unrolled for night-long performances; Bhilwara is the main centre
- Mandana: geometric floor and wall drawings in chalk and red ochre, made by women in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to bless the home
- Thape: auspicious hand and motif designs on doors and front walls, coloured with natural materials such as turmeric, henna, ochre and kumkum
- Badaley: painted cloth or leather wrapped around metal water vessels
- Thewa: fine gold designs set on coloured glass, a speciality of Pratapgarh
Meaning and use
Most of these arts are made for a purpose, not only for decoration. Mandana and Thape designs are refreshed for festivals and family events and are believed to invite good fortune and keep harm away. Phad scrolls acted as portable temples and storyboards, and a performance was itself an act of devotion.
Seeing them on your trip
Village walks in the Udaipur and Bhilwara regions often reveal painted homes, especially around Diwali. Phad scrolls and Thewa pieces can be bought from artists and good craft stores in Jaipur and Udaipur. Ask us to include a village visit or an artist's studio when we plan your Rajasthan itinerary.
Also nearby
Plan it with us
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