Mandana

The  art of painting the walls & floors of their homes by the ladies of the house with simple or intricate drawings is practiced almost all over India, though the names by which it is called may vary from state to state. In Rajasthan it is called ‘Mandana’. The designs are as many and as varied as the women painting them. They are simple.They are intricate. Mother teaches the daughter how to draw them. They are made right after the walls of the mud hut and floor have been given a new coat of mud layer & right before the festivals to welcome the deities & the guests of the family living in the house. They are usually made with a mixture of white lime. The same stuff with which we whitewash the walls of a house. Terracotta may be added as per choice or requirement to add color. These designs have a short life span because they are open to the elements. City women also draw these designs on the floors of their homes,usually before a festival, to welcome the Gods to their homes. In the cities the women may use white and red poster colors & paint brushes to draw these designs to make them last longer. In the villages of Rajasthan people are using cement to build their homes so you do not see the use of these mandanas as much as in the  days of lore. They are still drawn on festivals and other auspicious days.

These pictures are from the Shilpgram at The Jawahar Kala Kendra (JKK),Jaipur.They are  identical to the huts etc. in real villages.