At a time when there was once no radio or tv, Kavad artwork was once thought to be an integral a part of leisure and the wealthy cultural heritage of Rajasthan. Richly adorned with brilliant colors, Kavad is a transportable and foldable shrine made the use of picket.
Carried by way of conventional storytellers referred to as Kavadia Bhat, it paints comic-like narratives from mythological stories and folklore in different unfolding hinged panels. It gives casual schooling to rural citizens on mythological stories, gods, goddesses, saints, kingdoms, and monuments.
Over time, the artwork has misplaced its usefulness. However for the previous 4 many years, Jodhpur’s Satyanarayan Suthar has strived to stay the 500-year-old artwork alive.
“Other people around the nation pass to temples and spiritual shrines. However there have been many old who may just no longer discuss with those puts and worship the gods. Kavad was once used to deliver teerath yatra (spiritual pilgrimage) to people who may just no longer stroll, just like the aged and ill,” the 47-year-old award-winning Kavad maker from Bassi village tells The Higher India.
Unboxing the hidden stories
Tracing the stories to the mythological persona related to the artwork, Satyanarayan says, “A girl named Kundana Bai used to stay in hiding. No person ever noticed her; it was once believed that one may just simplest listen her. She was once born as a kid within the morning, would change into younger within the afternoon, and elderly within the evening, to be reborn the opposite day. Kundana Bai were given a Kavad constituted of the Suthar group and gave it to Shravan Kumar.”
It’s believed that Ayodhya’s king Dasharatha unintentionally killed Shravan Kumar whilst he was once sporting his blind folks in a Kavad on his shoulders. Ahead of he passed on to the great beyond, he asked the king to deliver the shrine to his folks, so they might worship the gods. That is the place the concept that of the storytelling artwork of Kavad is thought to have began.
“The Suthar group was once given the duty of constructing the wood shrine and Kavadia Bhat (wandering priest) got the duty to relate the tale. They go back and forth to the jajman’s (listener) space with the Kavad and spread the panels to relate the tale,” says Satyanarayan.
Because the storyteller unboxes every panel within the Kavad, the interest of the listener grows.
“After faculty, I’d pass to my father’s room the place he can be busy making Kavad. He would hand me a small wood bar and wood pen to carve out figures of elephants and horses. He would dangle my hand and lend a hand me make the artwork,” he recollects.
Nowadays, Satyanarayan, who studied until Magnificence 8, is taking the legacy ahead. He has no longer simplest taken this historic artwork shape outdoor Rajasthan but in addition to different nations like Singapore, Germany, and New Mexico.
“I switched to on-line gross sales from offline when the pandemic hit the rustic. As a result of the web, my paintings has travelled all over. Nowadays, I’ve only a few consumers from Rajasthan. I am getting maximum of my consumers from Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Delhi, and different nations,” he stocks.
How is Kavad made?
A novel form of picket is used within the making of Kavad.
Satyanarayan says, “We use picket of Adusa plant as it’s lightweight and pest-repellent. At the start, we lower the bars from the log relying at the panel dimension. We sprinkle an insecticide powder on rainy picket after which dry it below the solar. After this, seven coats of adhesive and primer are implemented. After all, we paint the background, and upload extra colors like yellow, pores and skin, blue, crimson, white, and black to cartoon and paint figures the use of a fantastic brush.” Later, the wood items are put in combination the use of nails and hinges.
Historically, the colors had been without delay constituted of stones. Nowadays, artisans combine the stone powder in adhesive to deliver the figures to lifestyles. “It is extremely laborious and time-consuming paintings. You require endurance to make the fantastic paintings,” he says.
Satyanarayan manages to get round 3 to 4 orders day-to-day and earns Rs 1,000 in step with day. On moderate, he earns as much as Rs 30,000 a month from on-line gross sales. He additionally conducts paid workshops and teaches scholars from Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Mumbai.
A six-inch Kavad is priced at Rs 500 whilst a two-feet Kavad takes 8 to ten days to make and is priced at Rs 25,000 — the fee will increase as in step with the dimensions. Most often, there are about 8 to 16 panels.
In keeping with Satyanarayan, the normal Marwadi Kavad at the beginning featured 51 narratives unfold throughout 16 panels. Significantly, his outstanding craftsmanship in developing Marwadi Kavad was once recognised with a number of prestigious accolades. In 2014, former President Pranab Mukherjee bestowed upon him a countrywide award for his exceptional paintings. Moreover, he won state-level and district-level awards in 2009 and 2004 respectively, additional highlighting his skill and determination.
“This can be a glorious feeling to obtain reputation for our artwork. I need to stay the artwork shape alive and take it international all through my lifestyles,” he says.
Even supposing Satyanarayan is doing his phase to stay the artwork alive, he requires the eye of the federal government to maintain the artwork. “Previous, 40 households had been inquisitive about Kavad artwork making, however as of late, simplest 5 to seven households are concerned. Many have switched to different bizarre jobs, and a few have opened retail shops and change into manufacturing facility labourers. With a view to advertise their livelihood, the federal government must arrange a platform like haat bazaars (open-air marketplace) as they don’t have assets to visit different puts to promote their merchandise,” he says.
Prior to now, Kavads had been basically identified for illustrating stories from the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Alternatively, recent Kavads have expanded their subject material to surround narratives that specialize in the importance of schooling, in addition to marriage ceremony invites.
Edited by way of Pranita Bhat