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Crafts / Pichwai

Pichwai

State
Rajasthan
Material
Cotton · Mineral colour · Gold
Rarity
Rare

A painted backdrop that changes with the festival

About

Large cloth paintings of Shrinathji and Krishna with lotuses and cows, made for the temple at Nathdwara.

A pichwai, or pichhwai, is a large devotional painting on cloth that portrays Krishna. The word means that which hangs from the back, from pich, back, and wai, hanging. Pichwais are hung behind the idol of Shrinathji, a local form of Krishna, in the Shrinathji temple at Nathdwara in Rajasthan and in other temples of the Pushtimarg tradition.

They are not permanent backdrops. Pichwais are changed according to the season, the festival and the ritual of the day, and are designed to match them. They tell the stories of Krishna's life, such as the festival of cows, the raslila with the gopis and Holi, with lotuses, cows, peacocks and trees filling the picture. Krishna is usually painted in a luminous blue.

The painters of Nathdwara live mostly in a neighbourhood known as Chitron ki gali, the street of painters, and form a close community. A pichwai is often a group effort, in which several skilled painters work together under a master artist.

How it’s made

A pichwai is painted on cloth. A thin layer of starch is first applied to the cotton so that the surface takes colour well, and the painting is done in tempera, with mineral and stone colours, and often real gold and silver. The artist sketches the composition, usually with charcoal made from tamarind twigs.

The tools are traditional: broad brushes made of goat-tail hair, colours kept in coconut shell containers, and an agate burnishing stone to smooth and polish the surface. The work is shared among painters under the master. Krishna in a typical luminous blue is painted at the centre, often in rich robes and jewels, with a crown of peacock feathers.

The background is then filled with repeated patterns: lotus leaves and flowers, cows, trees and the gopis. Gold and silver are added to the ornaments and details. Because the cloths are large and detailed, a pichwai can take weeks or months to make, and a set of pichwais is needed to cover the calendar of festivals.

Key features

  • Large devotional cloth paintings that hang behind the deity
  • Krishna as Shrinathji painted in luminous blue
  • Tempera with mineral colours and often real gold and silver
  • Changed with the season, festival and ritual of the day
  • Lotuses, cows, gopis and peacocks fill the picture
  • Made by group effort under a master artist
  • Centre in Nathdwara, with workshops also in Udaipur and Jaipur

History

The Shrinathji temple at Nathdwara was established around 1672. Vitthalnath, the chief priest and son of the founder of the Pushtimarg sect, Vallabhacharya, employed artisans under the temple administration to create pichwais, which were made only on commission for worship and ceremonies. As the sect spread to other places, such as Gujarat and Mathura, the style reached those places too, and pichwais were also taken by pilgrims and commissioned by wealthy families. Their heavy, intricate look also made them popular as stage backdrops for theatre companies.

In the nineteenth century, Western art-school styles gained favour with the Indian upper classes. Some pichwai painters adapted by using oil paints and a more realistic style, but, with the pull of the Swadeshi movement and the religious nature of the art, most artists remained with traditional techniques in their own style.

Today pichwais are among the main exports of Nathdwara. Little is known about the early artisans, but today they come mainly from the Adi Gaur, Jangir and Mewara sub-castes. Designers have also used traditional pichwai colours, patterns and printing techniques in clothing, bringing the art to wider audiences. The related Nathdwara painting tradition covers similar works and miniature paintings.

Facts

  • Behind the idol The meaning of the name. Pichwai comes from pich (back) and wai (hanging): it hangs behind the idol of Shrinathji.
  • Changed daily A calendar of cloths. Pichwais used as backdrops in the inner shrine are changed according to the season, festival and ritual of the day.
  • Eight viewings Eight adornments each day. Daily worship of Shrinathji has eight formal viewings, and pichwais may show the eight different adornments.
  • 1672 A temple's painters. When the Shrinathji temple was established around 1672, the chief priest employed artisans to make pichwais for worship.

Market

Temple cloths, art for homes and textiles

Pichwai paintings are sold as framed art, large wall hangings and small works from Nathdwara, Udaipur and Jaipur. The motifs are also printed on sarees, dupattas, cushion covers and stationery. Printed and digital copies are common. Hand-painted pichwai shows fine, even brushwork, and the real gold and stone colours are costly.

Sustainability

Mineral colours and a temple-linked craft

Traditional pichwai uses mineral and stone colours, starch, cotton and hand-made brushes, which are low-impact, but real gold and silver are costly and rare. The craft depends on a small community of painters, so buying from them directly supports the tradition.

Products

  • Pichwai paintings: Large cloth paintings for temples and homes
  • Smaller framed pichwais: Pichwai art for the living room or prayer room
  • Printed textiles: Sarees, dupattas and cushion covers with pichwai motifs
  • Miniature Nathdwara paintings: Related painted works on paper and cloth

Words to know

  • Pichwai: A painted cloth hung behind the idol in a Pushtimarg temple.
  • Shrinathji: The form of Krishna worshipped at Nathdwara.
  • Pushtimarg: The devotional tradition founded by Vallabhacharya.
  • Raslila: Krishna's dance with the gopis, a common theme.
  • Tempera: Paint made by binding pigment with a water-soluble medium.
  • Burnishing: Polishing a surface with a smooth stone such as agate.

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