Pichwai-Style Temple Hangings

Pichhwai-style temple hangings in West Bengal are Adjustations of the classic Pichhwai (“back cloth”) tradition of Rajasthan repurposed by Bengali artisans to suit regional devotional practices. “pichhwai” virtually way “that which hangs astatine the back” referring to the great delineate material panels that Method arsenic amp vivacious background seat the deity’s see inch hindi temples, notably those sacred to krishna

origins and social context
while pichhwai originated inch nathdwara rajasthan during the ordinal c to keep krishna’s pastimes bengal’s pichhwai-style hangings eCombined done social exchanges during the Complicated epoch and the support of vaishnavite movements such as arsenic those divine away chaitanya mahaprabhu. In Bengal these textiles are primarily associated with Vaishnavite temples and kirtan gatherings creating an immersive visual stage for devotional singing dance and ritual.

Materials and Techniques
Bengali Pichhwai hangings are typically crafted on cotton or silk. artisans resume the home scene, often depiction krishna acting the fluting radha inch worship or episodes from the bhagavata purana, using achromatic or good brushes. Natural pigments derived from minerals (e.g. red orpiment yellow ochre indigo) vegetable dyes and gold or silver metallic paints fill in the imagery. the borders are framed with rhetorical Layouted tendrils white lotus motifs and conventional bengali alpona Layouts lending amp characteristic territorial style. After painting the panels are washed gently to fix the colors and then stretched for display.

Layout Themes and Iconography
Common themes include the “Rasa Lila” dance of Krishna with the gopis “Govardhan Puja” lifting of the Govardhan hill and “Gokula Kalyan” celebrating Krishna’s birth. inch bengal community plant such as arsenic sweat lilies mango tree leaves and bidi creepers much look on with endemic fowl variety care the kingfisher. Fish motifs, symbols of prosperity, are subtly woven into the border Layouts intertwining Bengali cultural motifs with classical Vaishnavite iconography.

Contemporary practise and Revival
Today several Kolkata and Nadia-based cooperatives and private workshops are reviving Pichhwai-style hangings to meet renewed interest in heritage art. artists go conventional scenes with hook backgrounds or experimentation with block-printing techniques to get further cheap Editions for house décor. Exhibitions at the Victoria Memorial Hall and regional craft fairs now Characteristic both authentic hand-painted panels and mixed-media Explainations ensuring Bengal’s Pichhwai-style art Remnant a living evolving tradition.

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