The tradition of Karva Chauth wall painting

02 November, 2012

The art of wall painting, though still prevalent in rural areas on the eve of Karva Chauth, however has vanished from the urban culture. The wall paintings done by women on various festivals were an outlet for their aesthetic urge, social vitality and creativity.

WALL PAINTINGS often use a white paste made of rice and milk or chalk powder to paint intricate motifs on brown mud or maroon or colour surfaces. On the eve of the festival both the clay pot and a part of house wall is decorated with the related visual. This remarkable art is still passed down from mother to daughter with maternal and nature-related motifs in interior villages and tribal areas.

Karva Chauth wall paintings were meant to enhance visual intelligence and preserve traditional aesthetic sensibility with simple but distinctive designs by including religious and mystical motifs in form of visual symbols. Nurturing walls and decorating them with folk art on various occasions was a part of cultural activity. Usually, deep red or maroon colours painted walls have simple visuals drawn in white colour.

Here is the literal meaning of Karva Chath. The word Karva means a diya or an earthen lamp or a clay pot and chauth means fourth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Kartik. The festival comes nine days before Diwali.

The inset picture shows a typical wall painting done on Karva Chath with white visuals on red-color wall piece. There is need to revive this tradition which provides a culture-linked aesthetic education.