Karan Singh Rajput

Pichwai painting is a 400 year old art tradition. Around 1400 A.D an idol of Krishna lifting the Govardhan mountain was discovered in Nathdwara Udaipur, Rajasthan. Later, a temple was constructed at the site in Nathdwara. The first pichwai painting was created to decorate this temple. ‘Pich’ means ‘back’ and ‘Wai’ means ‘hanging’. Pichwai paintings are painted on cloth and used as wall hangings on the temple walls.

About Karan Singh Rajput

Pichwai painting is a 400 year old art tradition. Around 1400 A.D an idol of Krishna lifting the Govardhan mountain was discovered in Nathdwara Udaipur, Rajasthan. Later, a temple was constructed at the site in Nathdwara. The first pichwai painting was created to decorate this temple. ‘Pich’ means ‘back’ and ‘Wai’ means ‘hanging’. Pichwai paintings are painted on cloth and used as wall hangings on the temple walls. They could even be embroidered textiles. The subject is always various stories of Lord Krishna, and in the pichwais from Nathdwara, Krishna is portrayed as Srinathji. Earlier natural colours were used, but the contemporary pichwai paintings are made with poster/ acrylic colours and 24 karat gold foil/ paint.