India’s Cultural Touch to ‘Quad’

• 25 May 2022

During the recent ‘Quad’ Summit in Japan, Indian Prime Minister presented gifts that carry India’s rich cultural heritage.

Brief on the Artefacts Presented

Sanjhi Art for US President Joe Biden

• Sanjhi, the art of hand cutting designs on paper, is an art form from Mathura in Uttar Pradesh. Traditionally motifs from Lord Krishna stories are created in stencils.
• The Sanjhi panel presented was based on the theme of Thakurani Ghat from Mathura.

Wooden Handcarved Box with Rogan Painting to Japanese PM Fumio Kishida

• This artwork is a combination of two different arts — Rogan painting and wooden handcarving.
• Rogan painting is an art of cloth printing practiced in the Kutch District of Gujarat. In this craft, paint made from boiled oil and vegetable dyes is laid down on fabric using either a metal block (printing) or a stylus (painting). The craft nearly died out in the late 20th century, with Rogan painting being practised by only one family.
• Handcarving on wood is an intricate art inspired by traditional jali designs taken from famous monuments of India.

Gond Art Painting for Australian PM Anthony Albanese

• Gond paintings are one of the most admired tribal art forms. The word ‘Gond’ comes from the expression ‘Kond’ which means ‘green mountain’.
• These paintings, created by dots and lines, have been a part of pictorial art on walls and floors of Gonds and it is done with the construction and re-construction of each and every house, with locally available natural colors and materials like charcoal, coloured soil, plant sap, leaves, cow dung, lime stone powder, etc.

Pattamadai Silk Mats for Former Japan PMs

• Pattamadai, a small village in Tirunelveli district, is home to a unique tradition of superfine silk mat weaving from ‘korai’ grass grown on the banks of river Tamiraparani.
• The mats are hand-woven using cotton or silk in the weft. Use of silk thread gives a royal sheen and definite appeal to the mat.
• The most unique aspect of a Pattamadai mat is how soft and flexible it is.