Thursday, March 26, 2020

Garasia Art of Rajasthan

Garasia Art of Rajasthan

The Garasia also known as Girasia, live in the hill tract of the Aravalli in Sirohi, Pali and Udaipur district of Rajasthan. According to various opinions, Garasia means people who live in hill or forest dwellers. Garasia language is a mixture of Mewari, Bhilli and Gujarati.

The Garasias are expert in line and graphic drawing. Their painting tradition may be put under the canopy of drawing work, relief work and tattooing. They paint Gotrej i.e., clan goddesses like Jaru Mata, Alu Mata, Amba Mata, etc. during marriage. Apart from painting, on floor and wall during marriage and other prime festive occasions like Holi, Deepawali, Gangour, Navaratri etc., they also decorate kothi (grain container) with excellent relief work. The painting tradition of Garasia is simple. With the help of line drawing, they draw ghar (house), hathi (elephant), Shiv and Parvati (Hindu god and goddess), a ploughing farmer with utmost passion and devotion. As stated earlier they draw Gotrej (clan goddess) in marriage or other rituals.

The Gotrejes are the symbol of various tutelary deities or clan/lineage deities propitiated by the Garasia as Mother Goddess cult. Generally the Gotrejes other than Bheruji or Gotarji are drawn on left or right side of main entrance of the house while other side of the main gate is decorated with the Gotrej of Gotarji. It is worth mentioning that the Garasias only draw the Gotrej of their respective Mother Goddess and Bheruji or Gotarji. At least one line of the Gotrej is drawn with the dots of kumkum or kunku that is a paste of vermillion in oil. Small circles or dots are made with turmeric paste (haldi) or turmeric colour. Altogether seven lines are made in this fashion. Sometimes vermillion and turmeric lines are drawn in centre of the Gotrej or often it is drawn on one side. Various lines or geometric designs viz., semi circular lines or triangular designs are found in the Gotrejes. Outside the main chain of Gotrejes or mandal is drawn in triangular fashion which is often provided with the symbol of trident. The Gotrej is also called in the name of Mandal. The tutelary gods and goddesses are also drawn symbolically in the Gotrejes. The anointment of turmeric paste in oil (tel haldi) ceremony is often solemnized near or beneath the Gotrejes. Apart from tutelary deities, garbha griha, sabha mandap and pravesh dwar (main gate) are also symbolically depicting in some Gotrejes. Apart from Gotrejes, they also draw a number of temple paintings of Lord Shiva, Ganapati and Mother Goddess.

As far as traditional painting material is concerned, they first prepare the base where painting is done by cow dung, black sticky mud (chikna mitti) collected from the water bodies or its adjacent areas. Colours derived from various sources of clay and rocks as well as vegetative colours are traditionally used for drawing. Locally available lime in rock form and white clay colour is most commonly used. Bhali, tree bark which is locally available is boiled in water to extract brilliant red or blood red or Indian red colour. The Indian red colour is also obtained from locally available red mud often mixed with cow dung. Black colour is prepared from coal or charcoal, blue colour is prepared from the seeds of black berry or blue (used for whitening of clothes after washing) or vegetative indigo. Yellow colour is prepared from turmeric. A twig of Neem or Babul tree is smashed with stone to prepare painting brush. Nowadays, painters mainly use easily available readymade chemical colours instead of vegetable or earth colours.

Apart from the line drawing as is in vogue in the Garasia society, relief work is also found. In this connection it is to be stated that in almost all the Garasia households, kothi or grain container can easily be found for storing of grains, eatables, seeds and so on. Their expertise in relief work can be envisaged when we see that either in all the sides of the grain container or at least the front side of the same is decorated with relief work. In such relief work, they prepare the figure of human being, animals, birds, trees, flowers and a good number of geometric designs. The relief work is further beautified with the free use of glass, beads, wood etc.  Generally females prepare the relief work. Some relief work also found in the Garasia household and household articles. Relief work is mainly done by clay with or without the use of colouring agents.

Tattooing on the body is also commonly seen in the Garasia society and culture. Tattooing is generally done with an electric machine. Most often tattooing parts of the body are hands, shoulder, neck and face. Various motives that are found in their tattooing tradition include dots, tree, flower, scorpion and some geometric designs. Men often write their names, draw flower etc., while women often write the name of their husband. Apart from this both male and female often write the name of gods and goddesses of Hindu pantheon.









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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...