Phad

Etymology: 'Phad' in the local Rajasthani dialect means to fold. 'Phad' also means cloth, the canvas on which it is created.

Origin: Phad is a 700-year-old folk art form which has been passed down from one generation to another. It originated from the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.

Location: This art form is native to the town of Shahpur in the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.

Community: Created as travelling or mobile temples, these traditional paintings were carried by priest-singers of the Rabari tribe. The priest and his wife would sing and perform mythological and legendary narratives of their local deities Devnarayanji (a reincarnation of Vishnu) and Pabuji (a local hero).

Relevance: These are religious scrolls which depict texts of Hindu epic and local legends through paintings for validating an oral narrative.

Historical Background: Phad paintings are cross-generic in nature as the folk form involves both painting and singing and dancing performance traditions. The male priest who narrates and sings the story while unfolding the scroll is called 'Bhopa', and his female counterpart who accompanies him by singing and dancing is called 'Bhopi'. The performer couple belongs to the pastoral nomadic Rabari community. They travel from one village to another across western India while carrying their two-stringed folk instrument, Ravanhatta, to perform with Phad painting as visual aids. They perform dramatic renditions of stories from the Ramayana, Hanuman Chalisa, and other mythologies.

Culture and Societies: These paintings were commissioned by the Bhopas and the Joshi family of the Chipa community to make this according to the demand of these performing priests. These paintings were used in the performances by Bhopa and Bhopi.

Legends or Myths: The legends of Pabuji are the dominant subjects of Phad paintings. The legends of Devnarayanji, locally believed to be a reincarnation of Vishnu, are other major subjects of a lot of these paintings.

Religious Significance: These paintings are a visual narration of the Hindu epics and mythologies and legends of their local hero Pabuji. Since these scrolls require singing and narration, it almost feels like a worship ritual. There are widely two sets of themes, one being the depiction of the royalties and the other being a portrayal of the Hindu deities.

Central Motifs and their Significance: Phad paintings depict plots from Hindu epics and mythologies. The archetypal motifs which are mostly used to present battle instances are - elephants, horses, guards, kings, queens, flags, and kadam trees. Phads also feature ornate arches in their designs. The borders of Phad paintings consist of either floral motifs, a bold red and yellow coloured border, or a pattern of geometrically drawn shapes.

Medium Used: Phad paintings are made on cotton fabric. This painting utilises vegetable dyes for paintings which are extracted and collected from plants, flowers, soil, and semi-precious stones.

Style: Traditionally, a Phad painting has to be thirty feet long and five feet wide. The human figures are depicted to be fuller and plump and are clad in traditional outfits and adorned with headgear. The figures in these paintings are simplistic and stout, with strikingly strong facial features like lotus-shaped bulbous eyes and a round nose. The exclusivity of Phad painting is in the placement of the characters. The human figures, which are characters of the narrative, face each other side by side instead of facing toward the front.

Process: The process of creating a Phad painting involves five major steps, which are the preparation of the Phad or the canvas, the making of colours, painting, creating the borders, and adding the finishing touches. First, the cotton cloth traditionally used for Phad painting is curated. It is soaked overnight and then starched to stiffen it. After which, it is sun-dried and smoothened with a moonstone. Then, the colours are applied. These colours are originally powder-based and are mixed with water and gum before applying to the cloth. Once the painting is finished, the borders are added according to the subject displayed. And then, finally, black finishing outlines are drawn to the figures bringing the painting to completion.

To keep up with the size of modern homes and spaces, the size of Phad scroll was decreased to the size of 2, 4, or 6 feet. Phad paintings had different stories and episodes which were shortened by Phad master artist, Kalyan Joshi into mini-stories. Furthermore, he included written content in the works of art, which were not there in traditional Phad paintings.

1. Bharucha, R. (2003) Rajasthan An Oral History. New Delhi: Penguin Books India.

2. Dalrymple, W. (2009) Nine lives. New Delhi: Bloomsbury Publishing.