LORD SHRINATHJI ANTIQUE PICHWAI PAINTING

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Shreenathji is a form of Krishna, manifested as a seven-year-old child. The principal shrine of Shreenathji is the Shreenathji Temple in the temple town of Nathdwara, north-east of Udaipur city in Rajasthan. Shreenathji is the central presiding deity of the Vaishnava sect known as the Pushtimarg (the path of nourishing grace). Shreenathji is worshipped mainly by the followers of Bhakti Yoga and the Vaishnavas throughout India. Pichwai (also pichhwai, pichvai, pechhavai) is a style of large devotional Indian or Hindu paintings, which are normally painted on cloth and hung as tapestries. The word Pichwai has its roots in the Sanskrit pich (behind) and wai (hanging). Pichwais are intricate and visually stunning paintings, which depict tales from Lord Krishna’s life. The Traditional Pichwai artform emerged in the 17th Century at the Nathdwara temple (built in 1692) near Udaipur in Rajasthan. Often dedicated to Krishna as Shreenathji, the paintings were typically hung behind the idol of the deity in the main temple and local shrines. These elaborately hand painted artworks celebrate the different moods and expressions of Krishna, and mostly depict temple rituals like the adornment (shringaar) of Shrinathji according to the seasons or festivals in the Pushtimarg Vaishnava calendar. Aurangabad was another area associated with them. The purpose of Pichwais, other than artistic appeal, was to narrate tales of Krishna to the illiterate. Temples had sets with different images, which were changed according to the calendar of festivals celebrating the deity.