Warli Painting

Warli paintings, created by the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, are also known as laganchitra. These were originally created solely on the interior walls of village huts. The colours are almost monochromatic and the process of painting tedious. They were created for occasions such as weddings, and are as important as the occasion itself. Only Savasani women (women whose husbands are alive) can make the main portion of the wedding painting, consisting of a chaukat (square) and Mother Goddess Palaghat. The figure Palaghat symbolizes creativity and prosperity and is depicted in various forms surrounded by massive horses. The Warli culture is centered around the concept of Mother Nature and therefore a majority of their paintings depict nature and wildlife, as also themes on farming, as this is the mainstay of their life.
For commercial purposes, the paintings are now created on cloth. The surface is prepared with a mixture of cow dung and gum or clay and gum. The paintings are then created on it with rice paste or acrylic/poster paint.