Kamangari Paintings of Kutch

The Kutch location includes a rich cultural history. One symbol with this was the Kamangari school of painting peculiar to the spot. In past the rich and the ruling class patronized these artistes to paint the walls of their houses, workplaces and worship.The specialty of Kamangari art was that the paintings were done on on a moist covered history so that they lasted longer. The artistes applied brushes produced from the bark of palm trees, using shades produced from pebbles, leaves and clay combined with gypsum.The subjects of the painting were scenes from the Indian epics as also from the day-to-day life of the folks of those days. However, some such paintings featured scenes of events and things that have been not existent in the Kutch area of more than 100 years ago. The reason given for this is that numerous individuals from this area transferred to other areas of India as well as overseas for seeking profession. There they arrived to experience of railways, planes, cricket matches that was something novel for them. When they came ultimately back to their native sites, they got the Kamangar artistes to paint these scenes on their walls.When the English came in Kutch they presented yet more matters to the Kamangari artistes who were now showing the Burra Sahibs (the big businesses), uniformed policemen, band parties inside their paintings. The initial English political agent of the region Capt. McMurdo got his house surfaces coated with the views from the Indian epics by Kamangari artistes. His bungalow is among the several places where this art has been preserved till now.A special point worth remembering about this art was that a lot of of the Kamangari artistes were Muslims however they had not a problem artwork the Hindu epics or human figures in their work. Many of the Kamangari pictures were done walls, some artistes utilized paper for this art.After enjoying the popularity for an extremely number of years, the art began dying out in with the coming of the nineteenth century and today it's just like vanished with no active Kamangari artistes employed in this work. Because the pictures were done with very long-lasting shades the decline of the art is traced by students to the socio-economic changes of the location as well as introduction of other sources of expression and entertainment.But, there are a few areas in Kutch where they could be seen. And the Kutch Museum has some samples of the artwork which bears testimony to the unmatched, superb talent of the completed artistes. The notable examples will be the Muhharam scroll in the Kutch Museum and the Royal Procession throw in the Aina Mahal, yet another memorial in Bhuj Access Academy.