Pithora Painting

These wall murals are created as offerings to Pithora, the God of food grains. They are only painted by men commonly in the Chhotaudepur area of Gujarat. These simple paintings are traditionally done to seek blessings before a special occasion such as a wedding, the birth of a child or a festival. The paint is prepared by mixing pigments with milk and liquor prepared from the mahuda tree. Painters use a combination of bamboo sticks, cotton and wooden stencils to create their art. Although it is traditionally practiced only as wall art, today’s generation of pithora painters use paper and canvas that they sell commercially.