Devnarayan Ki Phad

Devnarayan Ki Par or Devnarayan Ki Phad  are cloth paintings which depict the legend of Devnarayan, a medieval hero venerated as a folk-deity. Traditionally, they are used to accompany a ritual in which the heroic deeds of Devnarayan are sung or recited by priests. Devnarayan is worshipped as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, mostly in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. According to the legend, he was incarnated in Vikram Samvat in 968 as the son of Gurjar warrior Sawai Bhoj Bagaravat and his wife Saadu Maata Gurjari.
Devnarayan Ki Par contains 335 songs in all. The entire narration, recorded in 1,200 foolscap pages, runs nearly 15,000 verse lines. A professional Bhopa must remember all these songs by heart.

Devnarayan Ki Par

The Par of Devnarayan is largest among the popular Pars in Rajasthan. The painted area of Devnarayan Ki Par is 170 square feet (i.e. 34' x 5'). Some other Pars are also prevalent in Rajasthan, but being of recent origin they are not classical in composition. Devnarayan Ki Par has the following attributes:

The Devnarayan Ki Par has large and small figures. The largest of them occupy the centre and the second-largest figures are situated in the central part of the Par.

The painting is full of many sections as well as subsections. The borders contain decorative geometrical designs.

The depicted scenes of the Par are related to a number of events including wars, hunting, and Sati burning.

The colors of the clothes, horses, and weapons identify the characters. Usually the faces of the figures are rigid.

The composition of the Par can be horizontal, vertical, or curved.

The Devnarayan Ki Par also includes figures of the Hindu gods such as Rama, Krishna, and Narsimha.

Horses and elephants are the main carriers of the legends and followers.

Trees and flowers also have their places in the Par but sometimes they are used just as gap fillers.

The figure of a cow is given a special appearance. It can be clearly distinguished from other figures.

Some faces are drawn in side poses, though sitting figures have a static form.

The Par is painted in five colors − orange, red, grey, green, and yellow. Each color has some significance, e.g. orange signifies the human face and body, and red signifies dress.

The standing cobra in front of a figure signifies Devnarayan who rides on Basag Nag, the king of snakes. All the male figures carry weapons such as swords, spears, and shields.

Phad painting

Phad painting is a popular style of folk painting, practiced in Rajasthan state of India. This style of painting is traditionally done on a long piece of cloth, known as phad. The narratives of the folk deities of Rajasthan, mostly of Pabuji and Devnarayan are depicted on the phads. The Bhopas, the priest-singers traditionally carry the painted phads along with them and use these as the mobile temples of the folk deities. The phads of Pabuji are normally about 15 feet in length, while the phads of Devnarayan are normally about 30 feet long. Traditionally the phads are painted with vegetable colors.

The Joshi families of Bhilwara, Shahpura in Bhilwara district of Rajasthan are widely known as the traditional artists of this folk art-form for the last two centuries. Presently, Shree Lal Joshi, Nand Kishor Joshi , Prakash Joshi and Shanti Lal Joshi are the most noted artists of the phad painting, who are known for their innovations and creativity.