The spectacular wooden figure of Lord Ganesha seated on a lotus is given a radiant treatment. Some exquisite carvings and designs have made the figure even more beautiful. One of the most-popular gods in Hinduism, Lord Ganesha is the Remover of Obstacles and the Lord of Wisdom, and he is worshipped at the beginning of any ritual or ceremony. He is the symbol of good beginning and is considered one of the most benevolent gods in Hinduism. Son of Lord Shiva, one of the Trinity Gods in Hinduism, the other two being Lord Brahma and Vishnu, and Parvati, Lord Ganesha could be easily propitiated by offering sweets.
The beautiful figure of the Goddess Lakshmi is being nicely carved out of wood with some spectacular designs and carvings. Seated on the lotus, the beautiful goddess is wearing some dazzling jewellries and ornaments. Goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi is the wife of Lord Vishnu. The aura around her four-handed figure is also given a rich and ornate treatment.
Lord Buddha in his meditation the artist using variegated colours and strong lines has painted posture and the laymen surrounding him. An attempt is being made to distract Lord Buddha but is of no avail as is evident by the figure of a woman offering him a drink. The strength of meditation has been aptly depicted by the artist with both the human beings and the demons trying their best to break his meditation. Patachitra paintings are on of the most impressive schools of paintings in India. Vibrant use of colours, strong lines, depiction of mythological figures and nature make this form of painting a popular art form.
The beautiful stone figure of the Goddess of Prosperity, the wife of Lord Vishnu, is given a refine and detail treatment. The tall and standing figure of the goddess is nicely carved out with some dazzling carvings. The upper part of the goddess of wealth is plain with her prominent breasts. The halo around her head is also given a sparkling treatment. She is one of the most-popular goddesses in Hinduism, who is worshipped for wealth and prosperity.
Love blossoms in the moonlight night and the warmth of the heavenly experience is being painted in the Batik style by the artist. The boy and the girls embrace each other with a sense of warmth and love. The colour patterns in the painting has been quite impressive as both the boy and the girl have been treated with beautiful colours. The system of applying the wax resist system gives the painting a rare beauty.
The beautiful Batik painting of the goddess Saraswati reflects some of the basic characteristics of the Batik style of painting. The Goddess of learning who is worshipped all over the country by the students. A goddess of music Saraswati is also worshipped by the musicians. She is sitting on a pink lotus and her vehicle the swan is also shown beside her. Batik paintings, one of the most popular forms of Indian paintings with a glorious history of over thousand years, are centred around West Bengal, Orissa and Tamil Nadu and they are best known for their originality, uniqueness and fineness. Batik is the art of creating images on the cotton cloth using wax resist method.
The two women are selling veena for their bread. Th etypical Batik painting has depicted the special effect due to the application of the dewaxing method. A rare sense of colour and the mastery over the patterns have been key to the beauty of the painting. The gracefulness and the innocent faces of the women have been aptly depicted. Their hands, bangles, drapery all have been treated with equal importance.
The immortal love story between Sohni and Mahiwal has been treated in a most royal manner in the Batik painting. The sense of colour pattern and the method of dewaxing have added beauty to the painting. About Sohni Mahiwal-Sohni was the daughter of a potter named Tula, who lived in Punjab near the banks of the Chenab River. As soon as the Surahis (water pitchers) and mugs came off the wheels, she would draw floral designs on them and transform them into masterpieces of art. Izzat Biag, a rich trader from Balakh Bukhara, came to Hindustan for doing business. But when he saw the beautiful Sohni he was completely enchanted. He would end up buying the water pitchers and mugs everyday just to get a glimpse of Sohni. Sohni also fell in his love and soon started building castles of love in her dreams. Izzat Baig sent off his companions to Balakh Bukhara and started working as a servant in the house of Tula, the potter. Soon he was known as Mahiwal (cowherd). However, the society didn’t approve of their love. Her parents arranged her marriage with another potter. Sohni was helpless and in a poignant state. Her parents bundled her off in the doli (palanquin), but they could not pack off her love in any doli (box). Izzat Baig renounced the world and started living like a fakir (hermit) in a small hut across the river. He had forgotten his own land, his own people and his world. Taking refuge in the darkness of the night when the world was fast asleep Sohni would come by the riverside and Izzat Baig would swim across the river to meet her. He would regularly roast a fish and bring it for her. It is said that once due to high tide he could not catch fish, so he cut a piece of his thigh and roasted it. Seeing the bandage on his thigh, Sohni opened it, saw the wound and cried. From the next day Sohni started swimming across the river with the help of an earthen pitcher as Izzat Baig was so badly wounded, he could not swim across the river. Soon spread the rumours of their romantic rendezvous. One-day Sohni’s sister-in-law followed her and saw the hiding place where Sohni used to keep her earthen pitcher among the bushes. The next day her sister-in-law removed the hard baked pitcher and replaced it with an unbaked one. At night when Sohni tried to cross the river with the help of the pitcher, it dissolved in the water and Sohni was drowned. From the other side of the river Mahiwal saw Sohni drowning and jumped into the river. This was Sohni’s courage, which every woman of Punjab has recognized, applauded in songs: "Sohni was drowned, but her soul still swims in water..."The true, immortal love story has been crystallized in the Batik painting and it is a paradigm of love and beauty.
The batik painting of Lord Ganesha, the God of wisdom is unique in itself in the sense that it gives almost a three-dimensional effect to the painting. The painter seems to have a perfect knowledge about the patterns of colour and lines. The picture-perfect painting reflects the beauty of a typical Batik painting with the application of the method of dewaxing. As waxes are removed from the painting it gives the painting a very impressive effect.
The greatest epic Mahabharata has been ascribed to Ved Vyaasa, who while thinking about the epic realised that his thoughts were flowing faster than his pen. So he requested Ganesh to write, while he dictated. Ganesha agreed on the condition that Ved Vyaas must not stop his dictation even for a second. Ved Vyaas agreed on the condition that Ganpatiji would only write a couplet after he understood it.
Ganeshji speed in writing was unsurpassed; hence Ved Vyaasji composed a difficult 'shloka' from time to time to keep Ganeshji busy trying to understand what he was writing.
A masterpiece indeed with the sensuousness and the feelings of shyness being batiked in the beautiful, sensuous painting by the artist. Amorous feelings are getting reflected in the beautiful painting with the half naked maiden with prominent breasts surrendering to the call for union with his lover. Feelings of pure love and sexual attraction are being beautifully painted in the Batik painting. The half closed eyes of the lady say the story in details. It’s a real surrender to the amorous feelings.
The sensible use of colour gradations has made the painting of Shiva Lingam a very attractive one. Batik is the art of creating images on the cotton cloth using wax resist method. A batik artist needs to have a good sense of colors and patterns. Though the motifs used in batik are simple, knowledge of color gradations and tack to remove wax finely are required. Applying the wax resist and systematic cracking are the key to a beautiful art piece. The method of dewaxing is the key to the splendour and the brightness of the painting.
The beautiful figure of goddess Kali is given a detail and refine treatment with some exquisite carvings on it. Goddess Kali is the goddess of darkness or evil and worshipping her helps us get rid of the el forces. Goddess Kali is one of the most popular goddesses in Bengal. She is shown wearing garlands of human skulls and she is carrying beheaded human figure on her hand. The ferocious form of Goddess Kali is given a nice depiction in the beautiful stone figure.
This cosmic dance of Shiva is called 'Anandatandava,' meaning the Dance of Bliss, and symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is a pictorial allegory of the five principle manifestations of eternal energy — creation, destruction, preservation, salvation, and illusion. According to Coomerswamy, the dance of Shiva also represents his five activities: 'Shrishti' (creation, evolution); 'Sthiti' (preservation, support); 'Samhara' (destruction, evolution); 'Tirobhava' (illusion); and 'Anugraha' (release, emancipation, grace). The overall temper of the image is paradoxical, uniting the inner tranquillity, and outside activity of Shiva.
The monocolor Batik painting of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi is an of originality, uniqueness and fineness. Batik prints of West Bengal, Orissa and Tamil Nadu are known for their originality and are the art of creating images on the cotton cloth using wax resist method. Rice starch and wax resists were used for printing. A good sense of colour and patterns is the key for any Batik painter. Though the motifs used in batik are simple, knowledge of colour gradations and tack to remove wax finely are required. The Batik painters apply the wax resist system. The characteristic batik effect is created by cracking of wax on the lighter hues and seeping in of the darker colours though them. Though the process is bit tedious it gives the painting a special effect. Here the Vishnu and Lakshmi have been painted in an amorous posture along with some beautiful patters.
The beautiful figure of the Goddess Durga killing the demon Mahishasur with her weapon is given a refine and detail treatment. The Goddess is holding ten different weapons on her each hand and the lion is looking at the demon king. Goddess Durga is one of the most-popular goddesses in Hinduism.
Durga is a manifestation of Shakti (power). Legends have it that once Mahishasura (a bufallo faced demon) wrought havoc on earth and the heavens. All the gods and goddesses met and thrashed out a strategy to get rid of the demon. They gave their powers and weapons to create a new goddess. The seven mothers merged together to form Durga - the powerful.
Durga armed herself with Shiva's trident, Vishnu's discus and mace, Kumaraa's spear and Indra's thunderbolt. Her face was from the light of Shiva. Her ten arms were from Lord Vishnu. Her legs were from Lord Brahma.
Equipped with the fearsome weaponry of the gods and dressed in golden armor and jewels she ultimately killed the demon.
Lord Ganesha, one of the most popular deities in Hinduism has often been painted with some laddoos that symbolizes his young nature. It is belied that he is immensely pleased if given some mudaks. A modaka is a sweet puff made from rice flour that is shaped like a fig and is stuffed with jaggery and grated coconut. It is believed that once when Lord Ganesha on his birth day was visiting various pandals, many devotees were asking to fulfill their mundane wishes. But one devotee with pure heart while offering some mudakas said, “Lord Ganesha thank you for the blessings showered upon me. In you I trust.” Lord Ganesha just wanted to listened to that. He was greatly impressed and ate some laddoos. He found the mudakas the sweetest one as the devotee was offering with a pure heart. This is why mudakas still remain his favourite The batik painting is a classic example of the mature use of colours and patters by the painter. The method of dewaxing in almost all the Batik forms of painting gives the painting a unique colour effect, though the process may be little bit more tedious. His body, the jewelleries, drapery all has been treated with typical Batik colours.
The beautiful stone figure of Mother Goddess Sherawali is given a refine and detail treatment with some nice carvings on it. Seated on a roaring tiger, the goddess is holding six different weapons on her six hands. With her two hands, she is blessing her devotees. One of the most benevolent mother goddesses in Hinduism, she can be easily propitiated. A deep sense of gracefulness and feminine nature is manifest on her face.
The beautiful stone figure of Lord Ganesha is given a refine and detail treatment with some sparkling carvings on it. The Lord of wisdom is one of the most-worshipped gods in Hinduism and he is worshipped before undertaking any journey or before beginning any ritual. Minute treatment, excellent carvings is manifest in the beautiful stone figure.
The story of Lord Krishna and Radha is a saga of immortal love. The beautiful Batik painting has captured a golden moment of love between the two in the unique Batik style. While the Lord is sitting in a relaxed mood, Radha is standing with Krishna’s flute on her hand. The peacock is a witness to their love and affection. Batik paintings are traditional to India and its efflorescence is a great testimony of cultural diversification. Batik paintings are known for their originality, uniqueness and fineness. Batik (literally means wax writing) is the art of creating images on the cotton cloth using wax resist method.