Chitari art
Chitari art is a traditional folk painting from Goa, practiced by families of the Demani locality in the village of Cuncolim, South Goa. The name comes from the Konkani chitarop, meaning "to draw". Painted freehand on the wood of jackfruit, mango or hedi (a local white wood) in vibrant reds, greens, yellows and whites, it decorates ritual and festive objects: the paat - a low wooden stool bearing two parakeets and a flower - along with chourangs (pooja pedestals), makhar (altars) and matoli (canopies hung above the altar). Its busiest season is Ganesh Chaturthi. The craft is said to date to the building of Goa's oldest temples and survived Portuguese colonial pressure; today practitioners are reviving its traditional methods alongside cheaper modern substitutes.
Defining characteristics
- Vibrant palette of red, green, yellow and white
- Freehand brushwork painted on jackfruit, mango or hedi wood
- Motifs of paired parakeets, flowers and decorative borders
- Applied to ritual objects: paat stools, chourangs, makhar altars, matoli canopies
- Made for festival cycles, above all Ganesh Chaturthi
Sources
- Chitari art - Wikipedia encyclopedia