Pithora Paintings are not merely colorful images on walls but they hold a significant place for the aboriginal tribes of Rathwas, Bhilals, and Naykas of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. These paintings denote the advent of an auspicious occasion such as weddings, childbirth, festivals in the family or the society as a whole.
This spectacular art form essentially expresses the joy and celebration of a community, thus reflecting its the collective mood. Pithora paintings of Madhya Pradesh in India with their hues and animated figures reflect the emotions of their creators.
The spirit of a Pithora painting lies in its crudity; everything from the theme to the implementation recalls the traditions of rural India. Even materials used are quite unusual: the colors are prepared by amalgamating pigments with milk and liquid which is made from the auspicious Mahuda tree.
Indeed the joy of living of the community couldn’t have found a more appropriate style of expression. It is thus, one of the most quintessential arts of Madhya Pradesh that still allures the art connoisseurs from all over the world.
Pithora Painting can be termed as a rite rather than an art form for it is performed to show gratitude to God or for a wish or a boon to be considered.
Pithora paintings consider the first wall of the house is to be the right place for painting. A Pithora takes into its ambit three walls, so the first wall and the other two walls around it are made ready for the painting. The unmarried girls of the household plaster the walls with mud and cow dung. The next step is to coat the walls with chalk powder and the very procedure is called lipna. Thereafter the painters proceed to do their work further.
