NavaDurga Worship-Pata

$325
Item Code: DJ79
Specifications:
Madhubani Painting on Hand Made Paper Treated with Cow Dung Treated with Cow DungFolk Painting from the Village of Madhubani (Bihar)Artist: Vidya Devi and Dhirendra Jha
Dimensions 21.0 inches X 29.0 inches
Handmade
Handmade
Free delivery
Free delivery
Fully insured
Fully insured
100% Made in India
100% Made in India
Fair trade
Fair trade
This exceptionally beautiful painting contained in a magnificent triple border adding to it great beauty represents in three registers nine manifestations of Durga. It is essentially a worship-pata consecrated for nine days’ long Devi rituals performed during Nava Ratri festival. These forms of Devi are relatively late additions made for inspiring confidence among Indian masses for their own spiritual values which under pressure of Islamic and subsequent Christian rule were fast deteriorating. Unlike the usual Madhubani folk art which the bright colours in their unmixed basic tints characterise, the painting has made wide use of mixed shades like maroon and grey, besides red and black, both shaded and used also in light diluted tints. The painting is unique in rendering elaborate details by using strong and bold lines and highly diversified colour-zones.

The Great Goddess in her Siddhi-datri manifestation, represented in the centre, is the enshrining deity of the Pata. It is this very form of the Goddess that presides over the actual Nava-ratri rituals. As the series of rites accomplishes with her blessings as Siddhi-datri this form of the Goddess is worshipped on the last, that is, the ninth day of the festival. The sixteen-armed Siddhi-datri is seated in ‘padmasana’ on a large lotus in the centre of the canvas carrying in her hands sword, trident, snake, noose, bowl of pudding, rosary, lotus, spear, mace, goad, arrow, bell etc. Two of her hands are held in the gesture of varada.

Except some variations in the style of costumes, crowns and ornaments, and their mounts, all forms of the Goddess have the same anatomy and identical iconographic features. They all have the same sixteen arms and carry in them almost similar attributes. The artists, Vidyadevi and Dhirendra, have adhered to the order in which the Goddess’s other eight manifestations are actually worshipped during the festival. They have serialized them registers-wise from left to right, the upper register serializing Shail-putri, Brahmacharini, and Chandraghanta, the middle register, Kushamanda, Siddhi-datri and Skanda-Mata, and the lower, Katyayani, Kala-ratri and Maha Gauri. As Siddhi-datri is seated on the lotus, the water-pot carrying Brahmacharini is seated on a well-adorned raised chowki. Shail-putri and Maha Gauri have Shiva’s Nandi-like bulls for their mounts while Kala Ratri rides a horse.

Shail-putri, the daughter of Himvan, is the presiding deity and is hence worshipped on the first day. She is worshipped in the form of a two-year old beautiful and healthy girl. Brahmacharini, the form worshipped the second day, is the Parvati’s form engaged in penance for winning Shiva’s love. She carries rosary and water-pot, symbolic of penance. Devi’s third manifestation, Chandraghanta, has on her forehead ‘Chandra’ – moon, shaped like a bell, though this attribute is missing in the painting. Kushamanda, the fourth, is worshipped in the form of a five year old healthy and beautiful girl. Skanda Mata, Skanda’s mother, is the fifth manifestation of the Goddess. For her worship one has to worship a six-year old healthy and beautiful girl. Born as the daughter of sage Katyayana after his long rigorous penance, and hence named after him, Katyayani’s worship is accomplished by worshipping a seven year old healthy and beautiful girl. Endowed with the power to destroy death the terrible looking Kala Ratri is the seventh manifestation of the goddess. The Goddess’s eighth manifestation is known as Maha Gauri, the elegant, beautiful and delightful aspect of the Goddess. The worship of a nine year old beautiful and healthy girl is revered as the worship of Maha Gauri.

This description by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr. Daljeet. Prof. Jain specializes on the aesthetics of literature and is the author of numerous books on Indian art and culture. Dr. Daljeet is the curator of the Miniature Painting Gallery, National Museum, New Delhi. They have both collaborated together on a number of books.


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Colors of Tradition: Exploring the Artistry Behind Madhubani Paintings

Madhubani painting is also known as Mithila art as it is practiced in the Mithila region of India and Nepal. It has specifically originated from the Madhubani district of the state of Bihar. Traditionally, the women of this region created these paintings and in recent years, it has become a widely practiced art and has now become renowned throughout the world. This art expresses the creativity and culture of the people of Mithila and is passed from one generation to another. In this way, the heritage of Madhubani art has been preserved for many decades. The subjects of these paintings are usually religion, love, and fertility. Sometimes, social events like festivals, weddings, and royal court are also depicted in the paintings. The most commonly painted designs and themes are the forms of Hindu Gods and Goddesses such as Ganesha, Shiva, Saraswati, Lakshmi, Krishna, and Ram. The characteristic features of Madhubani paintings are their vibrant colors and eye-catching geometrical patterns. The empty spaces are filled with traditional motifs such as floral and foliate patterns, animals, birds, geometrical structures, and other designs. The local artists create these paintings using a variety of items such as matchsticks, twigs, brushes, pens, or even their own fingers. The paints are usually made with natural dyes and pigments.
As simple as it may seem, the making process of the world-famous Madhubani paintings is certainly not easy and requires lots of hard labor.
Traditional Madhubani paintings are done either on cloth, handmade paper, or canvas. Select the medium of painting as per your choice. If you have chosen cloth, attach it to cardboard to make a solid base. The making of the painting begins with making a double-lined border. This is a very important step because the border is filled with various geographical shapes and patterns or other motifs. The average width of the border is 1.5 - 2 cm. Now that the border is created, you will be left with a blank middle space. This is the main workspace. Start drawing your choice of figure, designs, and shapes. These must be relevant to the Madhubani painting themes.
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When the key design has been made, the empty spaces in between are filled with some designs.
Now is the time to color the painting using vivid shades and hues. Colors in Madhubani are sourced from nature; Indigo is used to produce blue, flower juice produces red, turmeric gives yellow, leaves produce green, cow dung mixed soot gives black, and rice powder gives white.
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To paint these colors, the artist uses a bamboo stick and wraps cotton around it. This acts as a traditional brush.
The entire painting is now painted using this special brush with natural vibrant colors. · However, in modern times, the common brush is used and instead of natural colors, artists prefer to use acrylic paints.
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Since the entire painting is made with natural materials and colors, it appears simple yet enriching. Originally, this art was created on mud walls or soil grounds but when it evolved over many years, the people of Madhubani started to make it on fabric and paper. Today, this art has become globalized and is receiving worldwide attention and appreciation.
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