MANDANA THE EXPRESSIVE ART FORM OF TRIBAL REGIONS : LITERACY AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVE

Abstract [English]

In tribal communities, folk art traditions have continued since ancient times and still keep cultural consciousness alive in society. Folk art also includes wall paintings, which remain invisibly present in many rural areas. Along with the art itself, these traditions maintain a close and harmonious relationship with nature. This tradition is especially prominent in the tribal regions of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, whose popularity has spread across the country and abroad due to its unique aesthetic value.
The main form of this art is seen in religious and auspicious occasions, where women play a primary role. They create motifs and symbols on doors, thresholds, courtyards, places of worship, prayer spaces, walls, and floors. These images include deities, symbols, trees, plants, animals, and various natural forms represented through linear designs.
Colours such as black, yellow, red, white, and saffron are commonly used. Cow dung paste is applied to walls to prepare the base, and twigs of goats or sheep hair are used as brushes, with which beautiful shapes of deities are created using linear borders. Women also create mandana art featuring folk deities, which remains highly popular due to its visual appeal.
In the present era of modernization, people migrate from villages to cities, causing a decline in folk art traditions. Efforts are being made to revive and preserve these traditions through training programs, exhibitions, and workshops that provide employment opportunities to folk artists. Government and administrative institutions have also established training centres in rural and tribal areas to keep this cultural heritage alive.