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Life Style -:
The culture of Uttarakhand can be comprehended without glimpsing into the people and lifestyle. The tribes Kols, Mundas, Bhotis throng in the region and they speak Kumayani and garhwali is the main languages. Some wonderful pieces of architecture can be in forts like The Chandpur fort, Temple of Srinagar, Padukeshwar near Badrinath. Tourism industry, too, is developing as quite a number of tourists both from India and overseas throng the region.
Being the hub of Vedas and other Hindu Shastrs , the people had got high propensity towards education and learning. It is abode to the most erstwhile engineering college of India, namely the Indian Institute of Technology at Roorkee. Other premier universities of the region are the G. B. Pant University in Pantnagar, Kumaun University in Nainital and Almora. It is also a storehouse of art and crafts. Expert crafts men of the region have produced exuberant art pieces thus capturing the world market within a short span of time. The Garhwal School of painting is also famous worldwide and these include instances of Ramayana, series of Radha -Krishna love paintings etc.
Although a baby in comparison to its date of formation, the rich state of Uttarakhand can stand at par with other Indian states in terms of its excellent cultural heritage and tradition.
Arts -:
The Uttarakhand region of India boasts its own distinctive art forms. These art forms comprise painting, architecture, sculpture and other such aesthetic endeavours. Both the Kumaon and the Garhwal regions of Uttarakhand have contributed largely to the art tradition of the state.
Art in Uttarakhand goes back to the pre-historic times. Kumaon has a particular form of architecture usually called the 'Himadri' style of architecture. Numerous rock paintings from the proto-historic period have been unearthed in Kumaon. Among them, Lakhu Udhiyar and Lwethaap merit attention. ples at Jageshwar, Almora and Katarmal Thal, Baijnath, Someshwar, Dwarahat, Gangolihat, Patal Bhuvaneshwar, Marsoli are classic specimens of the regional style, corresponding to post Gupta architecture. Besides architecture, the art of Kumaon also displays a characteristic style of sculpture.
The Pahari Kalam form of painting also developed in Kumaon, observed in the Himalayan areas. The Mughal school of Miniature Painting metamorphosed into the Garhwal School of Painting.The best examples of Garhwal painting are found at the University Museum in Srinagar, Garhwal, besides sculptures and archaeological finds.
Uttarkhand also has a great tradition of folk arts and crafts. While Aipens and peeths are the major folk painting forms, the wall paintings also form a distinct tradition within the art of Uttarakhand. Clay idols, woolen works, metal works and wood carving all have their distinct places within the milieu of Uttarakhand's art scene. Other traditional art forms of Uttarakhand includes clay idols (dikaras) and wooden casks. Uttarakhand artincludes gold,silver,copper and brass ornaments using ancient designs and patterns which are thousands of years old.
Paintings of Uttarakhand range from the folk arts of the women of Kumaon to the most exquisite miniature arts of Garhwal. The natural beauty of the state, considered in the ancient times as the abode of the gods, has inspired throughout history. Uttarakhand's paintings can be divided into two broad parts, the folk arts of wall paintings and ritualistic paintings and the refined art of the miniaturists. The wonderful wall paintings of the Gurdwara Guru Ram Dai and the royal houses of Karnal and Saharanpur stand as independent memorials of excellence in the tradition of painting in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand has a great tradition of wall paintings. The womenfolk of the Garhwal and the Kumaon region paint on the floors and the walls, intricate patterns as a part of the rites of worship and social occasions like marriage. These patterns known as Aipen are of various kinds and change from one ritual to another. The 'peeth' is another form of ritualistic paintings at Uttarakhand. Both are done with finely grinded rice dyed in ocher and are applied with bare fingers on the surface.some of other types of painting are Wall Paintings,Miniature Painting,Mughal Paintings. |
Aipan -:Aipan is one of the traditional art (painting form) of Kumaon. It has great social, cultural and religious significance. Aipans are known by different names and is in popular in many parts of India with larger variations. In Uttarakhand, aipan are popularly drawn at places of worship, houses, and main entry doors of house and in front courtyard. Some of these artistic creations have great religious importance and these are drawn during particular religious ceremonies or auspicious occasions such as marriages, Threading ceremony, naming ceremony etc. to perform rituals while others are for particular God / Goddess and a few for aesthetic look. |
Painting -:Paintings of Uttarakhand range from the folk arts of the women of Kumaon to the most exquisite miniature arts of Garhwal. The natural beauty of the state, considered in the ancient times as the abode of the gods, has inspired throughout history. Uttarakhand's paintings can be divided into two broad parts, the folk arts of wall paintings and ritualistic paintings and the refined art of the miniaturists. The wonderful wall paintings of the Gurdwara Guru Ram Dai and the royal houses of Karnal and Saharanpur stand as independent memorials of excellence in the tradition of painting in Uttarakhand. Uttarakhand has a great tradition of wall paintings. The womenfolk of the Garhwal and the Kumaon region paint on the floors and the walls, intricate patterns as a part of the rites of worship and social occasions like marriage. These patterns known as Aipen are of various kinds and change from one ritual to another. The 'peeth' is another form of ritualistic paintings at Uttarakhand. Both are done with finely grinded rice dyed in ocher and are applied with bare fingers on the surface.some of other types of painting are Wall Paintings,Miniature Painting,Mughal Paintings. The raw material used is simple ochre (Geru) colour and rice paste. It is mostly women who paint the designs on the floors and walls of their homes using the last three fingers of the right hand. |
Important Features of Uttarakhand Arts -:(1) Prehistoric Rock Paintings of Lakhu Udiyar, Almora and others (2) Temple Art and Architecture of Kumaon and Garhwal (3) Art of Sculpture in Uttarakhand (4) Maularam and Garhwal School of Painting (5) Tribal and Folk Art of Uttarakhand (6) Art Institutions and Organizations of Uttarakhand #Top |