Eternal India Encyclopedia

Eternal India encyclopedia

ART

Generally they are classified as cotton daris and satrangis and woollen rugs and carpets. They were made chiefly in Bengal and Northern Ifldia. The manufacture of pile carpets was introduced into India by the Saracens. These pile carpets are called in India specifically Kalin and Kalicha. Pile carpets were chiefly made in Kashmir, Punjab, Baluchistan, Sindh, Agra, Mirzapur, Jubbulpore, Hyderabad and Warangal, on the Malabar and Coromandel coasts. Floor Painting In India, there is the custom of painting on various objects most particularly the floors, walls and objects of daily use. It is, called by different names in various parts of the country - alpana in Bengal and Assam, aripana in Bihar, mandana in Rajasthan, rangoli in Gujarat and Maharashtra, chowkpurana in Uttar Pradesh and Kolafn in the South. In certain regions floor decoration is a daily ritual being consid- ered a good omen. It is believed that the guest should be welcomed appropriately by decorating the entrance to the house. Beautiful surroundings are considered conducive to godliness. Certain de- signs are very complex taking months with many women working on them. Rice paste, wheat flour, earth and for the colours vegetable dyes are used. The hands are used as the brush. Pitta is the seat of Shiva and is made up of concentric squares or circles. In the centre there is a cross towards which four paths lead from the four corners. The altar is the largest square. The steps are represented by the lines around. The chowki (seat) of Goddess Lakshmi done during Diwali has two interweaving triangles representing also the goddess of learn- ing, Saraswati. Surrounding this is the 24-petal lotus flower border. Lakshmi's footprints embellish the outer circles. The chowki of Goddess Saraswati is a dot representing the absolute, with a number of concentric circles surrounding it. She is symbolised by two interweaving triangles, round which is a circle from which issue 16 lotus petals. The Goddess Durga has a central design, with Swastikas, the outlining being done putting nine dots horizontally and nine verti- cally to invoke the deities nine names. The alpanas of Bengal and Assam are very decorative, with complex patterns, geometrical and floral. The kolam of the south is essentially sketches done in chalk powder on a wet ground. The lines are drawn with the ring finger of the right hand. The outline is done with dots and the lines are drawn across them. Patachitra This is a folk painting of Orissa. The best specimens are found in and around Puri, especially in the village of Raghurajpur. The painting is done on cloth which has been processed by coat- ing it with a mixture of chalk and gum made from tamarind seeds. The artists paint with earth and stone colours. Most of the themes are from the life of Lord Krishna. Krishna dancing with the gopis especially Radha is a common theme. The surroundings are picturesquely depicted. There is a riot of colours in the background with the blue figure of Krishna standing out.

with the help of wax and dyes. It is not a design superimposed on a fabric, like a painted motif, nor is it printed on the surface of a fab- ric. Batik is a pattern or painting dyed into cloth to become an integral part of the cloth, almost like a motif woven into it. The mo- tif is etched on both sides of the fabric. Batik is a resist process. Any part covered with the resist paste or wax does not take in the dye and so retains the original colour of the fabric while the rest of the fabric absorbs the dye used. The beginnings of batik have been lost in antiquity but India with its tradition of expertise in textiles and printing could have been the country of origin. The word batik is Indonesian but the origin of the process of batik is probably South-East India, the area formerly known as the Coromandel Coast. Probably travellers introduced the wax-resist dye technique from India into Indonesia. It is remarkable how Java has preserved the Hindu tradition and Indian influence in its famous batiks even after giving a distinctive Javanese touch to it. Indonesian batik is done with a Tjanting (a small instrument used to apply hot liquid wax to the fabric). In India blocks like the Tjap were used for printing as early as the 14th century in Madras. The Javanese claim that they invented the Tjap for the sake of the poor who could not afford a Tjanting batik. It is said that the Javanese imported the Tjap in the middle of the 19th century from India. Ananda Coomaraswamy, the well-known art writer, draws a parallel in philology between the Indian word Chap which means print and the Javanese Tjap which further discloses the origin of the batik process. A complicated medium, batik calls for immense patience, physi- cal stamina and steady application. Once the technique is mastered the batik painter has to use his knowledge of design and colour and evolve artistic compositions. Batik is an exquisite art medium as it is fluid and extremely pliable. A good artist can use batik success- fully to reflect a variety of moods, seasons and landscapes. Normally batik is done on soft, closely woven cloth to bring out its intricate effects. Pure silk and chiffon offer a good surface for batik designs. Khadi drill, corduroy and velveteen can also be used to get a variety of textural effects. Batik can also be done on paper, leather, tiles, metal, wood and egg shells. (S.B.)

Batik Batik can be defined as a pattern of painting done on a fabric