>SdkbBot at 03:40, 2 July 2021

2021-07-02T03:40:21Z

New page

{{short description|Kumaoni folk art}}
[[File:Aipan design .jpg|thumb|Aipan art drawn on the entrance of a house]]

'''Aipan art''' is an established-ritualistic folk [[art]] originating from [[Kumaon division|Kumaon]] in the [[Indian Himalayas]]. The art is done mainly during special occasions, household ceremonies and rituals. Practitioners believe that it invokes a divine power which brings about good fortune and deters evil.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Baral|first=Bibhudutta|date=2015-07-15|title=D'source Design Gallery on Aipan Uttarakhand Part 1|url=http://www.dsource.in/gallery/aipan-uttarakhand-part-1|access-date=2020-12-28|website=D'Source}}</ref> The art is special as it is done on empty walls, which are brick-red in color, called ''Geru''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Virmani|first=Meeta|last2=Bansal|first2=Nitansha|date=February 2018|title=Seeking Sustainable Heights in the Lives of Women Through Aipan: Case Study ofEnactus IP College Initiative|url=http://archive.upub.in/jiid/2018/02/jiid31064044.pdf|journal=Journal of Innovation for Inclusive Development|volume=3|issue=1|pages=40–44}}</ref> The actual art is done with a white paste made of [[rice flour]]. The art is frequent to floors and walls of [[Puja (Hinduism)|Puja rooms]] and entrances of homes. It is also practiced mostly by [[Kumaoni people|Kumaoni]] women. The art form has great social, cultural and religious importance.

==Practices==

Aipan art is native to many different festivals, some of them are-
* [[Ganesh Chaturthi]]<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Baral|first=Bibhudutta|date=2015-07-09|title=Introduction|url=http://dsource.in/resource/aipan-uttarakhand/introduction|access-date=2020-12-28|website=D'Source}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=August 19, 2009|title=Aipan : Traditional Art (Painting form) Of Uttarakhand {{!}} मेरा पहाड़ (Mera Pahad)|url=https://www.merapahad.com/aipan-traditional-art-painting-form-of-uttarakhand/|access-date=2020-12-28|language=en-US}}</ref>
* [[Makar Sankranti]]<ref name=":1" />
* Kark Sankranti <ref name=":1" />
* [[Maha Shivaratri]]<ref name=":1" />
* [[Lakshmi Pujan]]<ref name=":1" />

The art form is practiced in different parts of India and known by different terms too. The art native to [[Kumaon division|Kumaon]] is always done on a brick-red wall, which is also considered to be a symbol of fortune and fertility. Some of the motifs are Saraswati Chowki, Chamunda Hast Chowki, Nav Durga Chowki, Jyoti Patta, Durga Thapa and Lakshmi Yantra. The Aipan art is passed down through multiple generations from mothers to their daughters and daughter-in-laws.<ref name=":0" /> It was primarily practiced by rich-upper-class [[Brahmin]] women.

==Etymology==

Aipan is taken from the word ''Lepana'' from [[Sanskrit]], which means [[plaster]]. Aipan art is similar in different areas of India, it is also known by separate names.<ref name=":1" />

* Aipan (in [[Kumaon division|Kumaon]])
* Aipona (in [[Bengal]] and [[Assam]])
* Aripana (in [[Bihar]] and [[Uttar Pradesh]])
* Mandana (in [[Rajasthan]] and [[Madhya Pradesh]])
* Rangoli (in [[Gujarat]] and [[Maharashtra]])
* Kolam (in [[South India]])
* Muggu (in [[Andhra Pradesh]])
* Alpana (in Chita, Jhoti and Muruja in [[Odisha]])
* Bhuggul (in [[Andhra Pradesh]])

==History==

Aipan art originated from [[Almora]] in [[Uttarakhand]], which was founded during the reign of the [[Chand kings|Chand dynasty]]. It flourished during the reign of the [[Chand kings|Chand dynasty]] in the [[Kumaon division|Kumaon]] region.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Aipan: Ritualistic Folk Art of Kumaon|url=https://artsandculture.google.com/story/aipan-ritualistic-folk-art-of-kumaon/pwUB1enKByW2Vg|access-date=2020-12-28|website=Google Arts & Culture|language=en}}</ref> The designs and motifs are motivated by the beliefs of the community and various aspects from nature.

==Coverage and Conservation==

In December 2019, Minakshi Khati started The Aipan Project. The project aims to revive Aipan art. Under the project so far, 1000 orders have been placed. The project earns income for women from rural households in [[Uttarakhand]]. The project employs women from such households to who produce ''Aipans'' and deliver bulk orders to their clients.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2020-11-23|title=Uttarakhand girl revives traditional Himalayan artform Aipan, creates jobs|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/uttarakhand-girl-revives-traditional-himalayan-artform-aipan-creates-jobs/story-BmM335o4y6gQHApImHCTwI.html|access-date=2020-12-28|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref>

Minakshi Khati has started Selfie with Aipan to encourage Aipan art among youth.<ref name=":2" />

The Enactus students’ team of Indraprastha College for Women (IPCW) started Project Aipan to strengthen the Aipan art form. The strategy was to make the artists stakeholders in the business by imparting them necessary business skills.<ref name=":0" />

In order to protect domestic producers of various cultural and religious products like Aipan art, the [[Government of India]] set up the Uttarakhand Handloom & Handicraft Development Council (UHHDC) in 1860 under the [[Societies Registration Act, 1860]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Industries Department Uttarakhand {{!}} Single Window Industries Department {{!}} Industrial Policies {{!}} Hill Policy {{!}} Industrial Schemes|url=https://doiuk.org/mysite/about_uhhdc|access-date=2020-12-28|website=doiuk.org}}</ref> It aims at generating consistent employment opportunities by promoting the domestic art products.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Uttarakhand Handloom and Handicraft Development Council Dehradun|url=https://www.uttarakhandcrafts.com/about.php|access-date=2020-12-28|website=www.uttarakhandcrafts.com}}</ref>

The [[Uttarakhand]] Government, in 2015 decided that art depicting Aipan would be acquired for display in government offices and buildings.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kunwar|first=Darshan|date=December 4, 2015|title=Aipan paintings to brighten govt offices {{!}} Dehradun News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/Aipan-paintings-to-brighten-govt-offices/articleshow/50047684.cms|access-date=2020-12-28|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> Some of the government buildings included Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN), Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN) and Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL). The decision was taken by the state tourism department headed by [[Harish Rawat]].

Cheli Aipan is a government initiative, to promote the Aipan art form.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Krishna|first=Geetanjali|date=2018-11-02|title=Cheli Aipan: A unique initiative to make traditional folk art lucrative|work=Business Standard India|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/cheli-aipan-a-unique-initiative-to-make-traditional-folk-art-lucrative-118110201699_1.html|access-date=2020-12-28}}</ref>

With an aim to promote the local art form of Uttarakhand and to encourage the artists, [https://aipanresort.com The Aipan Resort] <ref>http://www.aipanresort.com</ref> was established in Chopta, Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand. The resort aims at bringing the local art to a single place and practising its raw form. Formed by a team of young entrepreneurs, the resort has been much successful in promoting art even before the non-Uttarakhandi people.

==Different Aipan arrangements==

There are a number of different Aipan forms/motifs. Some of them are-<ref name="abcd">https://www.euttaranchal.com/culture/aipan-other-arts-form.php EUttaranchal, Aipan Art Forms via Bhupendra Kunwar. Retrieved 8 January 2021</ref><ref name="abcdef">https://mediaindia.eu/culture/the-tradition-of-aipan/ MediaIndia. Retrieved 8 January 2021.</ref><ref name="abcdefgh">http://www.bharatonline.com/uttarakhand/arts-crafts/aipan.html BharatOnline. Retrieved 8 January 2021.</ref>

*[[Saraswati]] Chowki: Used to commemorate a child beginning his/her formal education.
*[[Chamunda]] Hast Chowki: It is made for auspicious or sacrificial fires.
*Nav Durga Chowki: Utilized for ritual [[Puja (Hinduism)|Pujas]]. The art is made in such a way that there are 9 dots representing the Nav Durgas.
*Shivarchan Peeth: Applied whenever worship of [[Shiva]], the ruling god takes place.
*Acharya Chowki: In popular [[Hindu]]ism, the pandit/guru is considered more important than the groom. An important motif is made for the guru.

Other important forms are Asan Chowki, Durga Thapa, Jyoti Patta, Lakshmi Yantra, Janeyu Chowki and The Surya Darshan Chowki. The [[Shaukas]] have their own art form which is mixed between Tibetan and Kumaoni art forms. It is used to decorate mattresses known as ''Dans''.

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

== External links ==

* [https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/art/stories-on-the-wall-project-fuel-in-uttarakhand/article23990206.ece Stories on the wall]
*[https://www.euttarakhand.com/aipan-flamboyant-and-eye-catchy-art-form-of-kumaon Aipan: Flamboyant and eye catchy art form of Kumaon.]
*[https://projectaipan.wordpress.com Project Aipan]
*[https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2018/06/enactus-ip-college-work-with-kumaoni-women-to-revive-art-form/ How Students From IP College Helped Revive Uttarakhand's Art Form]
*[https://mediaindia.eu/culture/the-tradition-of-aipan/ The tradition of Aipan]
*[https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/aipan-a-kumaon-art-form-that-wards-off-evil/as79417964.cms Aipan, a Kumaon art form that wards off evil]
*[https://abhipedia.abhimanu.com/Article/State/MTAyMDgy/Aipan--Craft-of-Uttarakhand--Uttarakhand-State Aipan, Craft of Uttarakhand Issues and analysis @ abhipedia Powered by ABHIMANU IAS]


[[Category:Indian folk art]]
[[Category:Arts of Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Culture of Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Indian painting]]

Aipan art - Revision history

>SdkbBot at 03:40, 2 July 2021