Elixir Magazine India Edition Phad Painting (Abhishek Joshi)

Phad painting or phad is a style of religious scroll painting and folk painting, practiced in Rajasthan state of India. This style of painting is traditionally done on a long piece of cloth or canvas, 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, who are worshipped by the Rebari community of the region. 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.

Phad painting was started in 10th century by the ancestors of the well-known "Shahpura Joshi family", who have engaged continuously with this painting style. Phad painting is a completely handmade painting and based on natural colors. It is depicted on the canvas which is handmade from cotton cloth and malt used to keep it straight. The colors are prepared with mercury mixed natural stones. The mercury stone is crushed for six months on a grinding stone. Before using these colors, gum and white mushli are mixed, and after that, they are used on canvas. The Hakik stone is also rubbed on this canvas for shining and finishing.