RAJASTHAN
Rajasthan: Pandemic forces artists to give up Phad painting
ven before the Corona outbreak, Phad painting had lost many of its 150 practitioners. For some of the remaining 50-odd artists in 15-20 families living in Bhilwara, Shahpura and Chittorgarh region, depending solely on the art for livelihood is no more the option.
The pandemic has put an end to tourism and there is no idea when it will restart. Fairs, festivals, and exhibitions have stopped. During weddings in villages, people used to have Phad painting on the front walls of their houses. That window is also closed. A few families supply to agents for online sale, but that’s not option many could explore due to the small size of their business.
Phad is a scroll painting done on a starched cloth. Initially, the paintings narrated stories of deities Pabuji and Devnarayanji (God Vishnu) and folk heroes. The stories on the paintings would be narrated by priest-singers for entertaining the village crowds.
