BITTICHITRA: THE WALL ART TRADITION OF INDIA

TABLE OF CONTENT

• Bihar
• Rajasthan 
• Odisha
• Madhya Pradesh
• Maharashtra 
• Kerala
• Jharkhand 

The walls of the rural villages of India are more than mere mud structures, they are the storehouses of sagas and lores. Sometimes they are the relics, laden with motifs from the forgotten past, at other times they serve as canvases to celebrate unions and harvest, yet at other times, they function as mediums to pass down generational art and knowledge. These culturally embellished walls are lush oases of aesthetics and traditions.

Although murals are popular in many parts of India, in Orissa, Chattisgarh, Bihar and Rajasthan, they are popular by the name of Bhittichitra (Vittichitra). Bhittichitra is composed of two Sanskrit words, bhitti means “walls" and chitra, as some of us know, means “painting”. Hence Bhittichitra can be viewed as more of a technique than an art. While the saints and scholars passed down their knowledge of scriptures and canonical text orally, there emerged communities and circles who relied on creative mediums like Kavad, Kalamkari, Pattachitra, and Bhittichitra to spread across their shared experiences and sacred myths. 

BIHAR

Bihar’s Mithila region is the birthplace of world-famous Madhubani art. Madhubani essentially consists of episodes from the life of major characters from the Hindu epics and major sacred Hindu deities, like Siva and Parvati, Radha and Krishna, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and so on. Conventionally, these paintings were made by the women of the household and had two forms: Bhittichitra (paintings that were made on walls) and Aripana ( those that were made on the ground). When it comes to creating Bhittichitra at home,three locations that are traditionally deemed suitable are the room housing family gods, the room of the newlywed and the front room.

Ardhanareeshwara in Madhubani by Priti Karn

RAJASTHAN 

The bhittichittra wall art of Rajasthan is created with the incorporation of natural colours such as geru (red), jahri (black), and neel (blue). Matherans also known as the Mahatma community are known for creating these mural art with a lot of precision and efficiency in their houses as well as temples. Madan Mohan Mandir at Karauli has one of the oldest demonstrations of Rajasthan’s mural art. 

CHATTISGARH 

The women of the Rajwar community in Chhattisgarh hail the harvest season, Chhetra, by creating Bhittichitra. Gods and goddesses, animals, birds, and human forms constitute some of the primary elements in these creations. The paintings are made on the walls after the lipai work, i.e., after coating a mixture of clay, cow dung and water upon the walls and floors. 

ODISHA

Though distinct in style, Patachitra, Bhittichitra and Talapatra share a common origin in Odisha. Pattachitra is a style of painting that is a cloth-based scroll art. Bhittichitra, as mentioned earlier,  are mural paintings created on walls of  temples and palaces while Talapatra refers to those formed on dried palm leaves. The Chitrakar community, practising these art forms, hails from the small village of Raghurajpur, in the Puri district. Jaganath, Ramayana, Saiva, Shakta, Yamapati, Yatripatas are some of the recurrent themes here. The Bittichitra, along with Pattachitra, still maintains to be an integral part of Odisha’s artistic tradition.

MADHYA PRADESH 

Gond

Animated wall art is a huge part of the tribal painting tradition of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. The Gond art of Madhya Pradesh derives its name from the word ‘Kond’. Dating back over 1400 years, the Gond tribe has been painting and carving art on the walls of caves. Myths, folk stories, and nature form the foundation behind the themes of the Gond art. Closely intertwined with nature, the tribal Gond art, with its myriad shapes and geometric patterns, has a deep communion with its themes. From fierce beasts to serene animal deities like Ganesha or Hanuman, the abundant patterned designs in Gond art appear modern and captivating.

Maternal Embrace of Deer: Gond Painting by Venkat Shyam

Bhil

Bhil Art is abundant in symbolism and colours and captures the intrinsic connection between humans and nature. The Bhil community, residing in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, is the second-largest tribal community in India. Turmeric, vegetables, and leaves are readily preferred to derive natural pigments, while paintbrushes are crafted from neems-ticks and twigs. Dots are a hallmark of this painting tradition and each set of dots is said to represent a particular ancestor or deity.

Deers, Bhil Art by Geeta Bariya

MAHARASHTRA 

Quaint and distinct in its style, rooted in tribal  beliefs and daily routine, and depicting some of the earliest forms of human creativity, Warli wall paintings possess a diction that conveys the livid emotions of many indigenous inhabitants of India. The artists of the Warli community of India, especially in some regions of Maharashtra and Southern Gujarat, continue to practise nuances that they learnt from their ancestors. Motifs such as sky, mountains, rivers, earth, and vegetation are far removed from an anthropocentric view and rooted in pantheism. Here, humans are a part of nature, coexisting and rejoicing in it, rather than seeking a dominion over it.

Cultural Life of Warli Tribe, Warli Art by Dilip Bahotha

KERALA

Richly comprehensive in its style, Kerela mural art epitomises beauty and skill. Although Keralal's murals date back to the 8th century, most of these paintings were created between the 15th and 19th centuries. Apart from being heavily influenced by Pallava art and culture, the mural artists were inspired by Sanskrit texts such as Silparatnam and Chitrasutram. Did you know that Gajendra Moksha, the largest mural panel, is situated at the Krishnapuram Palace in the Alappuzha district?  Traditionally, the Panchavarna (or five colours- ochre red, yellow ochre, green, black, white) are derived from vegetable or mineral pigments. White is not applied as a colour, it is the base on which other colours are applied. Curvaceous and sensual bodies of Gods and characters, richly filled spaces and backgrounds with motifs contribute to the iconography of Kerala mural paintings.

Flower Girls, Kerala Mural Painting by Adarsh

JHARKHAND

The state of Jharkhand is home to many tribal communities, namely Oraon, Santhal, Munda, and Ho. The tribals of these communities demonstrate their gratitude and reverence to their ancestors for the abundance of crops, livestock and sustenance by celebrating the Sohrai festival. Sohrai wall art is a vital part of this festive occasion.  Especially popular in the Hazaribagh region of Jharkhand, like every indigenous art, Sohrai and Khovar heavily borrow from the forest world. Sparrows, peacocks, squirrels, and cows recurrently occur on the mud walls that serve as their canvas. The distinction of the Sohrai art lies in how it is passed down from generation to generation. With mother nature as their muse, the mothers hand down the practice of illustrating Sohrai to their daughters, ensuring that it continues over the generations. Kali mati (black soil), lal mati (red soil), and pila mati (yellow soil)  are the main varieties of clay from which the natural pigments are sourced.

Sohrai painting by Rukmani Devi

To conclude, Bhittichitra, the art of performing on a grand canvas, is incredibly diverse and awe-inspiring in a country with numerous tribal groups like India.

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