DHRUPAD : HINDUSTANI CLASSICAL MUSIC

From Maihar, Gwalior, Indore Gharanas to Dhrupad & Khyal styles, Madhya Pradesh is endowed with various musical houses and genres of Indian Classical Music. Among these soulful music forms, Dhrupad is one of the oldest continuing forms of Hindustani Classical Music in the world. The harmonious genre represents the deepest thoughts of Indian culture and connection with the inner self. It uses the whole body in a yogic manner to produce a melodic sound

Batik print

• It’s an age-old craft of wax-resist dyeing and printing which is believed to have been practised in the countries like Egypt, Japan and India for over 2000 years.
• Batik, the art of antiquity, knocked on the doors of handloom and craft industry in Madhya Pradesh.

 

The Marble Art of Bhedaghat

• Marble and stone moulding is a full-fledged business here.
• The sculptors shape the astonishing white marble into intricate deities and other quirky Stones found in the bed of Narmada provide occupation to many carvers and their families.
• One can easily get souvenirs from the rows of stalls selling carved artefacts such as the statues of Shiva and Ganesha including other exquisite decorative items.

 

Bead Jewellery – An Appealing Art

• The history of Madhya Pradesh has been glorious and so is its art & crafts.
• Travelling through the villages of Jhabua and Alirajpur districts in Madhya Pradesh, one can witness a colourful pastiche of tribal culture and lifestyle in the creative work.
• The tribal communities like Bhil and Bhilala who practise bead work, skilfully express their notions in the designs of bead necklaces, bracelets, and earrings.
• It highlights the traditional occupations emphasising rich art and aesthetics fromrural Madhya Pradesh.
• The fusion of bright colour schemes and contemporary designs make this jewelleryan inspiration for many including the travellers and designers.

 

Zari Zardozi – An Art that Speaks Richness

• Zardozi comes from the Persian term which means ’embroidering with gold threads’.
• In this embroidery, gold coils and beads are tucked onto fabric using a needle and thread.
• Metals like gold and silver are transformed into a zari or taar that is used to adorn motifsonto rich fabrics like silk, velvet, organza, chiffon, etc.
• The art has revived a lot over the years all thanks to the contribution of local artists who showcase the best possible facet of the craft at the exhibitions, and fashion houses that are introducing it in their clothing and decor range.
• They themselves used the batuas to put currency, cloves and other personal belongings. The royal dresses were also made using the delicate work of zardozi on opulent fabrics.

 

Batto Bai Dolls – Preserving the Heritage of Handicrafts

• The heritage city of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, that is popularly known for its forts, museums and monuments, is also famous for its unique Batto Bai Dolls.
• This distinguished craft is named after Batto Bai, an enterprising craftswoman from Gwalior.
• Her fourth generation family members continue to carry forward the legacy of crafting these unique dolls to perfection.
• These dolls range from few inches to almost 2 in height are popular to decorate the household.
• Handcrafted by using rags, paper, clay, cotton, wires, silver paint, bamboos and bright traditional fabrics, Batto Bai Dolls have an exotic tribal feel to them.
• Also, these are made of organic colours that are permanent in nature. The expressions and costumes of these traditional dolls are all very traditional, inspired from real-lifeinstances.

 

Dhokra – An embodiment of tribal beliefs

• The state speaks volume about its cultural diversity through its rich art & craft.
• From delicate weaves to a good range of exquisite artefacts, the heart of Incredible India is blessed with many distinguished crafts and talented craftsmen who give their souland heart to create countless masterpieces.

• Dhokra is one such attractive art form which is quite popular in the It is widely practised in the Betul district by the local tribal community.
• It’s a non- ferrous (other than iron or steel) metal moulding craft, created using the lost-wax casting technique.
• The Bharewas community of Betul, a sub-tribe of Gonds is still putting all their efforts to improve and enrich this craft in nearby villages namely Amla, Tigaria, Barkhed, Chunahazuri and Kamleshara.
• Intertwined with their culture, the artists traditionally made ceremonial items like the dagger worn by the groom, oil lamps gifted to the bride by her parents and accessories for the tribal gods.
• The most popular ritual associated with craft among the tribal community is enshrining of the deity in the house of newly married to give blessings for their new journey

 

Nandna block print

From the plateaus of Madhya Pradesh, we bring you yet another colourful art named Nandna block print practised in Tarapur village of Neemuch district. Popular among Bhil tribe, the art includes graceful yet aligned arrangements of motifs on the fabric. Considered very comfortable while performing day-to-day work like farming, Nandna printed fabric was regularly worn by the ladies of Bhil tribe. The long working hours was also the reason for the clothing to be of dark colours like blue and green. Traditionally, there are four motifs namely, Mirch (chilli), Champakali (magnolia bud), Amba (mango) & Jalam buta (creeper web) used in the printing of Nandana.

However, Champakali buti was common amongst the unmarried women of the tribe whereas the skirts or ghagras with Amba print were worn during marriages and pregnancy. Followed by tradition, the brothers also used to gift Nandna printed dresses to their sisters on the occasions like Raksha Bandhan and Diwali.

 

Why is indigo considered auspicious?

Indigo is the most prominent and highly honoured natural dye among the Nandna craftsmen. The community believes that a cow that drinks the indigo solution becomes stronger and if people eat the food with Indigo-stained hands, they don’t face any problems related to digestion. They also say that Indigo has the influence to turn anything natural. Thus, wearing Indigo-dyed fabric is considered lucky. The fading of an art!

According to the craftsmen there, the procedure of Nandna printing is very difficult and lengthy. The rigorous process of repeated washing, dyeing, and printing takes around a month to complete one lot of fabric i.e. roughly 800 metres. Many traditional techniques of this handloom have been dropped because of being laborious.

 

Bhil or Pithora Paintings

• The Gondwana region of Madhya Pradesh, which includes Mandla, Balaghat, Chhindwara, Seoni and Shadol, has held the status of being a cultural hub for  years.
• It is from this region that the matchless and popular Gond art originates. For an art this unique, the role of the canvas is often played by walls and  doors.
• Artists use geru for walls, over which they use yellow and black clay for patterns. These patterns are a signature identity of the Gond art. Co-existing with this is another ancientand popular art form – the Pithora paintings.
• Pithora paintings with their bright colours and animated figures often reflect thejoyful sentiments of the tribe and the artists.
• Both these art forms can be sighted prominently across the landscape of Madhya Pradesh.
• But there’s one more art form, which, together with Gond and Pithora art, makes the state a treasure of tribal art

 

Shaan Academy Blogs :-

Development of Culture & Heritage of Uttar Pradesh

PRESENT CULTURAL HERITAGE OF UTTAR PRADESH

Uttar Pradesh Ka Itihaas, The Oldest Civilisation Of The World

Archeological Sites In Uttar Pradesh

Best Visual Arts In Uttar Pradesh, Get Information

 

Social Link – Facebook, Twitter
Shaan Academy – Best Institute For IAS In Delhi