Tsuktiben Jamir
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently concluded his three-nation Asia-Pacific tour. He visited the countries of Japan, Papua New Guinea, and Australia. This is the first visit to Papua New Guinea by an Indian Prime Minister. It is noteworthy that Narendra Modi selected pieces of tribal art and craft from various parts of India as gifts for the different leaders he met during his tour.
Courtesy: Republic World.
Official sources said that Dokra art was presented to the leaders of Australia, Brazil, the Cook Islands, and Tonga, noting that the dancing girl object discovered during the Mohenjo-Daro and Harappan excavations is one of the oldest examples of this ancient art. Dokra art frequently features statues of Hindu gods, goddesses, and other animals. The artisans of this specific work of art are from Chattisgarh.
PM Modi also gifted Gond paintings to Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada. Gond is one of the most admired tribal art forms. NDTV writes, “These paintings, created by dots and lines, have been a part of pictorial art on walls and floors of Gonds, and it is done with the construction and re-construction of each and every house, with locally available natural colours and materials like charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, leaves, cow dung, limestone powder, etc.” The term “Gond” is derived from the word “Kond,” which translates to “green mountain.”
Courtesy: Republic World.
The leader of the Pacific Island country of Niue received a Pithora as a gift from PM Narendra Modi. It is a ceremonial piece of tribal folk art made by the Rathwa craftsmen in the Gujarati town of Chhota Udaipur. It is a living example of the state’s rich folk and tribal art tradition. These paintings are representations of the cave paintings that native peoples formerly created, which reflected their way of life and cultural beliefs.
Courtesy: ANI.
It encapsulated all of nature’s wealth and diverse facets of human society; all wrapped up in a sense of innocent wonder. In the history of cultural anthropology, a Pithora painted on a wall has significant significance. It evokes a vibrant vitality that dates back to the first examples of human inventiveness.
Warli paintings were presented to the Islandic country of Comoros in South Africa. The Warli paintings originate from Gujarat’s Chhota Udaipur area and depict the jubilant celebration of the union of the earth and the sky. This is accomplished by skilfully combining the rice paste’s white with the wall’s rustic mud brown.
Courtesy: ANI.
Initially, the paintings were murals painted on the hearths of Warli households. Triangles, circles, and squares were used as graphic symbols to portray everyday objects, giving the paintings a lyrical quality. These acclaimed paintings now adorn the walls of affluent houses and exhibition halls, establishing the Warli as modern painters.
PM Narendra Modi’s gesture of choosing such gifts is testimony to his attempts to promote Indian art internationally. It also discusses the numerous distinctive and varied art styles in every corner of India, demonstrating the richness of Indian art and craft.
