The corridors of MCRHRD Institute in Jubilee Hills look almost deserted till you hear old Hindi songs wafting out of Ambedkar Hall.
A group of people, bent intently over paper sheets, infuse life into mythological figures with paint brushes and organic colours.
Prakash Joshi, a Phad painting artist and a recipient of the National Award in 2009, instructs the participants, which consists of a group of IPS officers. The workshop was conducted by Spic Macay heritage club.
“Phad means reading out a story in Rajasthani. It’s the world’s longest traditional painting which is narrated with music.
The local deities, which are being painted, are Pabuji and Devnarayan. The former is believed to be the incarnation of Lakshman and the latter of Vishnu,” says Prakash.
He belongs to the Joshi clan of Chippa caste in Rajasthan who have been engaged in this profession 10th century. Talking more about the local deities, Prakash says: “Devnarayan sits on a snake and his horse is green.
Pabuji’s horse is black. The Bhopa community of Rajasthan narrates stories from Phad, accompanied by dancing.
Pabuji is believed to have brought camels to Rajasthan. Since the local deities are not known outside Rajasthan, I incorporate stories from mythology and history too in the paintings.”
The artist rues that there are only 10-15 Phad artists left in the world.
“The reason behind this dwindling number is that our forefathers wanted to keep the skill confined to their own bloodline. During those days, there were fewer means of earning a living, and the ancestors believed that if the skills passed on to other families, it would affect their business.
That is why, daughters were never taught the art. Today, I teach whoever is willing to learn. We are trying our best to make people more aware about this art form.
I conduct workshops and lectures all over the world.” When asked about the biggest challenge he faced in his journey, the artist says: “The most difficult and rewarding part of my career was introducing miniature forms of Phad paintings. I have brought the measurements down from inches to centimeters. I received the national award for making the smallest Phad in the world, which depicted the story of Pabuji.”
IPS officer Priyanka Kashyap, who was one of the participants, said: “Since we are on the field most of the time, sitting down and creating something beautiful is a stress-buster. It’s a way of being just in the moment, and stirs of memories of childhood.”
All about Phad
What: Phad painting denotes a large cloth scroll on which the legends of Rajasthani deities Pabuji and Devnarayan are painted.
Making: Painters prefer hand-woven coarse cotton cloth, which is processed by applying a paste of wheat/rice flour and gum. The paints are made from gum, powdered earthen colours, water and Indigo.
Colour code: Orange is used to paint limbs or torsos of figures, yellow for ornaments, green for vegetation and trees, brown for architectural structures, red for royal clothing and flags, blue for water bodies and curtains
Prahar Janshakti Party leader shot dead in Maharashtra's Akot When the sun sets, members from Bhopa community erect the scroll, perform the pooja and sing the scenes, accompanied by musical instruments Jantar and Rawan Hatta. The scroll is rolled up when the sun rises.