In the mountainous region, various embellishments are made on the Garrick background in such a way that even good painters should be blown away by the equipment on regular occasions. In this style of color combination, they come in shape drawing which sometimes gives a grand figure by marking only natural colors like ocher and powdered rice solution. Aipan folk art of Uttarakhand is famous. The people of Uttarakhand make aipan folk art mainly during the Deepawali festival.
Aipan Folk Art of Uttarakhand
The Aipan art of Kumaon in Uttarakhand is also famous in festival season mainly in Deepawali. In this art, the sun, the moon, the swastika, the serpent, the conch(शंख), the Bell, various types of flowers, various vines, and other geometric figures are made. The God symbol used in abundance is protected from evil spirits and the sense of public welfare is absorbed in itself. Small folk tales and religious beliefs have been the source of these figures.
Lakshmi’s footsteps made on the occasion of Deepawali are inscribed in the house, courtyard, sill, floor, stairs, gates, and rooms. The women lock their fists and go from outside the house to the interior and make Lakshmi’s feet with biswar on the floor. The thumb is made on top of the figure. The circle is first colored red and then Goddess Laxmi’s thumb is made white color on it. A round sign is made on the space between the two legs which can also be of floral shape. This sign is a symbol of lotus or wealth in the posture of Lakshmi. There is a practice of making Laxmi’s outpost in the worship room also. At the outpost, Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and opulence, is built and set with pieces of sugarcane and is decorated with local costumes and decorated with ornaments. For Lakshmi Pujan, the Lakshmi thumb and Thape are inscribed on a bronze plate or a paper strap.
Conclusion
While beliefs in the race for modernity are steadily taking root, the paradigm of the nature of the art formulated by women, at least in the mountainous region, has not declined yet. It is another matter that synthetic colors are increasing in place of natural colors. Aipan folk art of Uttarakhand needs to be conserved. As a result, the government should be promoting the folk art of Uttarakhand through various programs.
