200 year-old art uses rusted iron and jaggery as paint

The Chitaras, a tribal family from Gujarat's Vaghri community, are one of just 5 remaining that practice a traditional fabric painting technique. Here's a rare chance to view this dyeing art

The Chitaras, a tribal family from Gujarat's Vaghri community, are one of just 5 remaining that practice a traditional fabric painting technique. Here's a rare chance to view this dyeing art

An art gallery in South Mumbai is where you should be heading if you want to see a 200 year-old art that a tribal artist family from Gujarat has been practicing for four generations. When Sanjay Chitara was 10, he was initiated into the art of making Matano Chandarartvo (painting of the Mother Goddess' clothes to make veils used to cover the roof and walls of bamboo-structured village temples). Considered auspicious, the veil is draped on the temple while shlokas are chanted.

This week, Sanjay, who is now 30, is in Mumbai to exhibit 16 such painted veils made by his father Mannubhai, mother, wife, brother, four sisters and son. It's been a traditional occupation for more than 200 years and the Chitara family is in its fourth generation of practicing the art. The art form they practice is exacting with no scope for error, and they've won five National Awards and held exhibitions all over India, and in the UK.

What troubles the Chitaras is the steady decline of their tradition. Over the last decade, the number of families practicing the art has come down from 40 to just 5. The reasons vary from severe drought, that led tribals to relocate to cities, to economic constraints.

Curator of the exhibition Dr Sofiya Karanjia, an art historian and Indophile from Russia, stumbled on this art peculiar to Gujarat's Vaghri community, during research, and ended up making repeated visits to their village near Ahmedabad. "Unlike Madhubani and Warli art, that are relatively known, this art form is alien," she says.

Guardian angels protect the paintings

Most paintings revolve around the incarnations of Goddess Durga and the folk tales that tribes pass on. "Since they are close to nature, you'll notice symbolism in their paintings. Images of trees, mountains, fish and birds are rampant," shares Karanjia. The backdrop holds legends of Shravan, and Sita haran. Jogani Matas (guardian angels) dot each art work, protecting it from evil. The village Goddess usually occupies centrestage, and depending on her avatar, she rides a buffalo (Visat Mata), goat (Meladi Mata), crocodile (Khodiar Mata) or dog (Harakey Mata).

A year to make a painting

It takes anywhere from six months to a year to make a single painting. In fact, the entire Chitara family comes together to make a single piece. "If just one of us were to make it, it would take two years," smiles Sanjay.

The process is a complex one where the cotton fabric is soaked in water for two days, then dried. After dipping it in water mixed with Harda powder (helps the cloth absorb colour better) and drying it again, they begin making an outline of sketches with residue obtained by soaking pieces of rusted iron and jaggery in water for a fortnight. Instead of paint brushes, they use bamboo and date twigs. The colours used are naturally obtained red from tamarind seeds, orange from Amba Halad (turmeric), green from Mehendi leaves and pink from bougainvillea flowers.