Saturday, March 21, 2020

Bhil Art of Rajasthan

Bhil Art of Rajasthan

The Bhils are the second largest tribal community of Rajasthan. In Rajasthan they are distributed in southern districts. The word Bhil is derived from the Dravidian word ‘vil’ mean the archer. They speak Bhilli which belongs to the Indo Aryan family of languages. In Rajasthan they are well versed with other regional languages like Hindi, Mewari, Vagdi and so on.
The Bhils decorate their houses, walls, temples and shrines with paintings and artistic drawings. The mud walls are painted with the vibrant red and other natural colours. The figures drawn on them are mostly sacred and ritualistic. The main purpose of these drawings is to promote fertility, avert diseases, and to propitiate the dead and the ghost sprits. They are stylistically austere and primeval.
As already stated brilliant Indian red colour is their most favourite colour, but they also use primary colours like green, black and white. Some of the Bhils now a day’s also uses other colours like blue, yellow, purple and so on.  Traditional colours are prepared mostly from rock or clay of their habitat and surrounding areas. Carbon of the used cell is utilised for preparing black colour while black berry and turmeric are used to prepare blue, purple and yellow colour. Lime is used as white colouring agent. Raw materials like vegetative material, clay and rock etc. are crushed to make powder and then it is often mixed with warm water to form paste. Rice powder is also mixed with water to use it as paint. Now days, acrylic or synthetic colours are also used by the members of the younger generations for preparing traditional and modern paintings.
Twig of bamboo or neem is used as painter’s brush for traditional painting. Sometimes middle or ring finger of right hand is used to prepare some ethnic drawings. Pencil and scales are also recently introduced to draw the outline. At the time of using mid vein of the twigs as painter’s brush, its front part is crushed to make the surface flat and the same is used as the working edge of the brush.
Bhil painting may thematically be classified into three major categories:
1. Painting drawn during marriage and ritual ceremonies.
2. Painting for ceremonial purpose not involving any ritual. It depicts everyday life scenario including paintings of the first category, relief work, mural work and so on.
3. Tattooing.
Painting of the first category is generally drawn during marriage, ceremonies like Holi, Deepawali, Govardhan Puja, Navratri and so on. Some of the examples of such paintings are Bharadi, Bheruji-Mataji ka Dewara, Tejaji ka Sajawat, Gotrej, Gotrej Ganapati ka sath, Gai ka upar chitra and so on.  Ritual paintings are sacred or secular in nature. Sacred paintings of the Bhils are group activities, repetitive in nature with predominant format of space and design. The same is drawn on the houses, temples or shrines as collective or individual activities. Secular paintings like Jungle aur pal ka Drishya, Bharadi, Khet Hakokam, Mach aur Prani, etc. are also drawn during rituals to decorate houses. Secular paintings often depict floral or faunal pattern, geometric designs as well as sceneries of Bhil society and culture including nature that surrounds them.  Modern paintings are often connected with abstract drawing of the individual creator, mural work, emboss paintings, relief work, etc. in one hand and all sorts of traditional drawings with modern touch on the other.
The Bhils are fond of tattooing their hand or body. During fairs and festivals or in market places they often go to the tattooist who artistically tattoo on their body with electric operated machines. Names of gods and goddesses, names of the person or their near and dear one, floral and faunal design, miniature painting of deities and geometric designs are commonly tattooed.
Motives are frequently found in the Bhil paintings. These may be classified into natural objects like sun, star, moon; abstract symbols like dots, geometric designs. khadi (vertical), ulti (reverse), sidhi (horizontal) layers; animal designs like cattle, snake, elephant, rat, tiger, wild boar, goat and birds specially peacock are commonly noticed. Floral motives like leaf, flower, plants, banyan tree are also the integral part of their painting cult. Sacred motives, for example, swastika, trident, temples, shrines, ritual sacrifices; cultural and other day to day life motives like hunting, ploughing of field, mulching of cow, carrying of water by females, churning of milk, dancing, marriage possession and so on are also commonly observed motives of their painting tradition.
During Khekra or Govardhan Puja or cattle caressing ceremony, paintings are also drawn on the body of the cattle. Paintings for commercial purpose are drawn by some of the contemporary Bhil artists with adequate training, knowledge and expertise in contemporary drawing and painting. This kind of painting amply demonstrates in the work of the school going children who are expert in drawing houses, road and natural sceneries.  Some of the Bhils are also experts in relief work, emboss painting, glass work and portrait making of varied nature. With the relief work they are able to show traditional method for preparation of base for traditional painting. The base is prepared by the Bhils before painting by plastering with mud and cow dung. The contemporary painters often decorate their paintings with cloths, beads, glasses, etc. to make the design more attractive.








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Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary: Where Water, Wings, and Time Meet Some places announce themselves with mountains or monuments. Bharatpur does not. It reveals itself slowly — in ripples of water, in the sudden lift of wings, in the quiet patience of a bird waiting for the right moment to strike. Located in eastern Rajasthan, Keoladeo Ghana National Park, popularly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary, is one of those rare landscapes where nature and history have grown together. It is not untouched wilderness, nor is it purely man-made. It exists in between — shaped by geography, altered by humans, and perfected by birds. A Land Shaped by Geography Before It Was Shaped by Humans Bharatpur lies at an ecological crossroads. To the west stretch the ancient Aravali ranges, among the oldest mountain systems in the world — worn down, rocky, dry, and quiet. To the east begin the fertile Gangetic plains, flatter and more water-abundant. Between these two regions lies a gentle depression in the land, where seasonal rivers like the Gambhir and Banganga once spread their monsoon waters. This region was never meant to hold deep water. Instead, it absorbed floods, released them slowly, and returned to grassland. That natural rhythm changed in the 18th century, when the rulers of Bharatpur constructed the Ajan Bund, an earthen dam built to protect nearby settlements from flooding. Unintentionally, a wetland was born. Water lingered longer than expected. Silt settled. Aquatic plants appeared. Fish followed. And soon after, birds began to arrive — first seasonally, then in vast numbers. From Royal Hunting Ground to Protected Sanctuary During the 19th and early 20th centuries, this wetland became a favored duck-shooting reserve for the Maharajas of Bharatpur and British officials. Ironically, this exclusive use prevented farming and urban expansion, allowing the habitat to survive while many other wetlands disappeared. The turning point came when Dr. Salim Ali, India’s pioneering ornithologist, recognized the extraordinary ecological value of the site. His advocacy transformed perceptions of the wetland — from a hunting ground to a sanctuary deserving protection. This led to a series of recognitions: Declared a Bird Sanctuary in 1976 Designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 What makes Bharatpur unique is that it proves conservation does not always begin with untouched nature — sometimes it begins with correcting our relationship with altered landscapes. A Wetland Designed by Water, Perfected by Birds Keoladeo Ghana is a shallow wetland, rarely deeper than one or two meters. This single feature explains much of its biodiversity. Shallow wetlands warm quickly, grow food rapidly, and create a variety of micro-habitats: Open water for ducks and geese Mudflats for waders and sandpipers Marshes and reed beds for nesting birds Wooded patches for roosting and breeding colonies The sanctuary is a mosaic rather than a uniform lake, and birds occupy it with remarkable precision. Every species seems to know exactly where it belongs. The Arrival of the Migrants Each winter, Bharatpur becomes a global meeting point. Birds arrive from Siberia, Central Asia, Europe, and the Tibetan plateau, following the Central Asian Flyway. Some travel thousands of kilometers, crossing deserts, seas, and the towering Himalayas. Bar-headed geese, famous for flying at extreme altitudes, descend gracefully onto the water. Northern shovelers and teals form floating carpets across the marshes. Painted storks and Asian open-billed storks feed methodically in the shallows. The elegant Sarus crane, India’s tallest flying bird, performs slow, ritualistic dances that seem untouched by time. Once, the sanctuary welcomed the Siberian crane — tall, white, and fragile. Their disappearance from Bharatpur is a quiet tragedy, reminding us that even the most faithful migrants cannot survive when wetlands vanish along their journey. The Aravali Connection: Dry Hills Supporting Wet Wings Though Bharatpur is a wetland, its story cannot be told without the Aravali range. The Aravalis may appear barren, but they regulate climate, slow desert winds, and feed seasonal water systems. Birds adapted to dry forests and scrublands — larks, pipits, bushchats, raptors — depend on wetlands like Bharatpur during migration, breeding, or drought periods. Thus, Bharatpur functions as a refuge ecosystem, supported by the broader Aravali landscape. Wetland and woodland, water and stone — both are necessary for regional biodiversity. More Than Birds: The Invisible Web of Life While birds are the most visible residents, the sanctuary’s foundation lies beneath the water. Fish recycle nutrients and sustain higher predators. Amphibians and reptiles control insect populations. Wetland plants purify water, trap carbon, and stabilize soil. Even microorganisms play their role quietly, maintaining balance. This unseen life is what allows the spectacular bird diversity to exist. A Wetland That Needs Care, Not Neglect Unlike untouched forests, Bharatpur survives through active management. Water must be released at the right time. Invasive plants must be controlled. Seasonal rhythms must be respected. Climate change, upstream water diversion, and declining rainfall pose new challenges. The sanctuary today is a lesson in modern conservation — showing that protection alone is not enough. Understanding ecological processes is equally vital. Why Bharatpur Matters Today In a country where wetlands are rapidly disappearing, Bharatpur stands as proof that: Man-made wetlands can support rich biodiversity Landscape-level conservation is essential Migratory birds connect continents, not just countries Water is the most powerful driver of life in dry regions Leaving Bharatpur When you leave the sanctuary, it does not follow you loudly. There are no dramatic cliffs or roaring rivers to remember. Instead, there is a quiet realization — that life persists not through force, but through balance. Bharatpur teaches patience. It teaches listening. And above all, it teaches that when water is allowed to stay, life will always return.

  Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary : Where Water, Wings, and Time Meet Some places announce themselves with mountains or monuments. Bharatpur does n...