Prakash Joshi a Phad artist from Bhilwara in Banglore

  I spent nice time with Prakash Joshi and Shyam Sunder Rajani at his house.Nice gentleman. Congratulations for promoting Phad(the type of paintings)

 

Arts » Crafts

Bangalore, June 1, 2012

Drawn into family tradition

SHILPA SEBASTIAN R.

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GRAND LINEAGE Prakash Joshi’s family has passed on the art of Phad painting for over 300 years Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

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Rajasthan's Prakash Joshi teaches the traditional Phad style of mythology-based painting to youngsters, to keep this dying art alive. He does not allow students to use an eraser!

There is pin drop silence on the third floor of Page Turners, M.G. Road, where the workshop on Phad (short for “padna” in Hindi) is going on. All heads are bent over drawing sheets where they are practicing to draw faces. Some are still stuck on perfecting the lines of the eyes, while some have progressed to drawing the complete face. “We are not supposed to use an eraser,” whispers a participant, while Prakash is gently correcting her neighbour.

Prakash is from the well-known Joshi family in Rajasthan that has been into painting Phad art for almost 300 years. The first question is why he avoids erasers. The reply is: “So that the student can see his earlier mistake and avoid it. If he erases it, then the same mistake is continued. Avoiding an eraser also makes the student more alert and perfect,” says Prakash.

“Phad is a 10 Century art. All the drawings are fixed. In realistic art we have long noses. In Phad, we have a round nose, large eyes and round face. If there is even a slight change in the depiction of the line, the art can be mistaken either for a Madhubani or patchitra. Even the colours here are fixed — orange, yellow, green, brown, blue, red and black,” he explains. “Most of the images are side profiles for we are drawing characters speaking to one another. Only the deities and demons are given a clear picture.”

“Our drawings narrate stories about our local heroes – Pabu (believed to be a reincarnation of Laxman ) and Devanarayan (Vishnu avataar). The two men are relevant to Rajasthan's culture and a local priest, called Bhopa, looks at our drawings and narrates the stories of these heroes in our temples. So if we change the drawing, he will not be able to relate to them,” explains Prakash, a B.Com graduate, who wanted to become a chartered accountant.

“I was not allowed to leave my hometown so I stayed back and started helping my father with his art.” Prakash took to the art of Phad when he was a child, from his well-known father Nand Kishore. “I would hang around and watch him at work and he would hand me a waste cloth and paint and ask me to do something. This was before I was 13; I was drawn into this family tradition,” recalls Joshi, who has also won several awards for his paintings. He was awarded the District Award and the State Award in 98, National Merit Award in 2008, National Award in 2009 and the Kalamani Award in 2010; he has no regrets that he could not become a CA.

In '98 he started teaching this art at a school called Chitrashaala in Bilwara. “This art is dying because men did not teach their daughters this art as they did not want the secret of the art to go to another family. But now with dwindling artists, this art is dying. So we teach anyone who is interested. There are a few girls and women who have learnt this art,” says Prakash, whose school also offers a certified course in Phad. The only prerequisite is that one has to be 15 years and above and have the basic knowledge of human anatomy.

As most paintings in Phad also include stories from Hindu mythology depicting deities, Prakash avoids painting them on bed sheets or saris. It takes Prakash anywhere from a month and above to create a piece of art. The sizes of his work vary from nine inch by 12 inch to five feet by 36 feet scrolls. “I sell my work only through exhibitions.”

He will again conduct his workshop in the city at Page Turners on June 2 and 3 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. For details call 9945611081 or e-mail bannacreations@gmail.com.

Keywords: Prakash Joshi, Phad painting

Bhilwara India.

Bhilwara is a town(now bustling)in Rajasthan India.I virtually grew up here.In my development it played an important role.I learned to wander here .To walk for hours in fields and streets was norm not exception in those days.We walked( me and Shamu and Amrik)Even when we had a bike as we were not going anywhere.I guess homes were not condusive to conversation so streets were used or may be thats why they were invented.In our case that would have to be the reason.And drinking cheap tea from street vendors( even when we had no money)Amrik mostly paid for it he worked in mines and factories and always appeared magically after ten pm .It was not that we were exploiting his generosity.I  would mention to him how much money i had in my pocket and he always seemed to make up the shortfall or entire charges for tea.I am sure at times we must have shared a cup of tea which in my memory were 7 paisa for pre made tea(today there are 50 rupees in a dollar and their were 100 paisa in one rupee) Figure it out you could buy 14 cups of tea for 2 cents .Kids in america could collect five cents by looking for empty coke bottles in those days and a kid named Amrik singh like the american kid paid for the Tea (chai).By the way the special tea made to order was called special had more milk and made to order but i think it did not taste any better.Besides you will have to waite till it was made and pay 15 paisa.
In my memory those were best of time.His genorisity did not make us beholden to him.must have been best of friendship as the view of any of us is not altered by any financial roles in buying chai.It was understood that the one who had the money normally paid.That was where i mostly used my discretionary funds.My sister was also very kind and some times gave me her allowance.

Those were the days

Reading a story in "The Dawn" about PIA flight returning as one of the passengers (A famous singer)had for gotten her pocket book at the airport .The plane returned and a thorough search for the pocket book was made ,but it could not be found.Poor passengers who had to bear this delay and extra fuel used were no concern to any body .Sad PIA has become like private plane for some people.

It reminds me of a time around 1970.I had gone to Airport in Amritsar which has started international flights to Afganistan . Afgan Air was the only airline flying to Kabul and back.I had gone to recieve mom's cousin who was coming from England.I was waiting in the airport lounge when i met Raj Narain the fire brand leader of the parliament.. He told me that his flight was recalled in route to Kabul as his mentor Jai Prakash Narain the freedom fighter and sarvodya leader was sick and his plane was returned so he could attend him quickly.This anecdote really impressed me.

Raj Narayan became an iconic figure after Indiar Gandhi arrested him and imposed emergency rule. Later on she was removed from office by the supreme court of India.

Other time many years ago i remember one of dads friend and our neighbor Mr lahri who was a high ranking official of excise and texation in Bhilwara invited us to see a film.Just it happened by chance we were late and movie had started .The owner not only provided us refreshments but said sir it was no botheration to restart the film from the beginning .It was common in those days for film reels to mal function and get broken and the cinema people had to splice the film and restart. They announced that they will have to restart the film for technical reasons and obliged our party.

Even in those days 45 years ago i thought it was not needed and today i would not accept it if somebody would offer me such a favor.

I have been writing Separately about my youth

Very interesting facts emerged in trying to find out about International basket ball gold cup competition in 1962 .Where i had seen the great basket ball legend Wilt Chamberlain interact with youth. Now i find out that Bhilwara region is the powerhouse of basketball players in India.I wonder did that early dreaming and arrogance of those organisers paid off and is continuing to give us dividends.I only say, encourage that unlikely dreamer even if he or she cannot achieve much it may encourage some body else.Is not, life is, to pass on any gifts , all about?



According to Wikipedia

Bhilwara was wiped out in 1800 and was a ghost town of zero from earlier population of couple of thousand.

British by providing resources , system and security developed it in 1822.

Its population has grown to two million in 175 or so years.I am not sure how it has happened .It is not on the banks of a Major river.

I remember Sarvodya (a Gandhian sytem and org)and self help was big and even in early eighties i had seen Gobar( COW MANURE) gas plants in homes their where cooking gas(methane) was recovered from cow dung from two cows in the house and provided enough fuel for two families .
Other facts about Bhilwara it has largest number of cars per capita in asia.