"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary" Pablo Picasso Since the ancient period, people have been documenting their ever...
"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary" Pablo Picasso
Since the ancient period, people have been documenting their everyday lives on
cave walls, stones, monuments, etc., through paintings. They drew upon them with
great care. After a long period of time, these drawings were discovered in the caves
by the archaeologists and environmentalists who decoded these paintings and wrote
blogs, articles, etc., so that we are able to understand them and understand the
importance of them. We are able to appreciate their beauty and their significance.
With the help of these paintings, we were able to form ideas regarding their lives at
that time. With the help of the specialists, we were able to know about the existence
of different types of paintings. Among those paintings, Manjusha paintings,
Madhubani paintings, Warli art, etc., were discovered and considered among the
most precious paintings of the country.
Now let us know about one of the most beautiful paintings of the century: the
Manjusha Painting. This painting was first discovered in "Ang Pradesh" or this time
in Bhagalpur, Bihar. This painting came to the forefront of the arts and culture
industry between 1931 and 1948. Manjusha in Sanskrit means "box". During the
Bishahari Puja temple shaped bamboo, jute straw and boxes made out of paper are
required for the successful completion. This name of the art form originates from the
story of Bihula, who carried her dead husband’s body to revive him.
This art form was originally carved by two families belonging to the Kumbhakar and
Malakar communities present in the region. The malakars made the Manjusha," and
the kalash is made by the kumbhakar. These paintings that are done on the kalash
are mainly done with these primary colours: pink, green, and yellow. Pink signified
for care, relation, and victory; green symbolised for nature and health; and yellow
signified for joy, youth, fun, happiness, enthusiasm, and confidence. Previously, the
borders were drawn in green, but the artisan now draws in black as well. There are
different patterns such as Belpatr, Lehariya, Mocha, Tribhuj, and Srp Ki Ladi.
A small ritual is performed before an artist begins working on a painting. They place
a betel leaf with a betel nut on the pile of rice and start praying, waiting till the betel
leaf shifts or falls. Once this ritual is complete, the artisans start painting. All the
characters that are drawn in the painting are drawn in a distinct manner. The human
forms are drawn by portraying the letter "X", with the limbs raised above. The main
characters of the story are depicted by their big eyes and faces without ears. The
five Bishaharis are depicted with their significant symbols, such as: Jaya Bishahari is
seen holding a bow and arrow with Amrit Kalash in one hand and a snake in the
other. Dhotila Bishahari is seen with a rising sun in one hand and a snake in the
other. Padmavathi Bishahari is identified with a lotus in one hand and a snake in the
other. Mynah Bishahari is seen holding a mynah in one hand and a snake in the
other hand. Last but not least, Manasa Bishahari holds snakes in both hands.
These five Bishahari had held significance for a significant amount of time. An ICS
officer, W.G. Archer, and his wife fell in love with this form of painting. They started a
collection of these arts and presented an exhibition in the India Office Library in
London. This painting gained international acclaim from that point forward. Very
recently, this painting has also been awarded the GI tag. To celebrate this art form, it
is now being brought into clothing as well; to bring about more awareness about
many such lost arts of India.
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