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Motifs that Speak: The Visual Narrative of Manjusha Art

Picture of Sadia Shakil
Sadia Shakil
As writer and history enthusiast, with a strong historical background and extensive research experience on the interactions of art and culture, I am fascinated about finding the tales behind historical artifacts, crafts, and customs, and my goal is to bring the past to life by making it fascinating and relatable to modern audiences. While bridging the gap between academic rigor and creative storytelling, I hope to encourage readers to understand history as a rich, dynamic tapestry. I am committed to instilling inquiry and cultivating a greater respect for our country's rich cultural past.

Image Source-manjushakala.in

The Bihulā-Biśaharī cult, which is worshipped in the Bhagalpur area and the surrounding regions, is specifically linked to the Bihar folk art form known as mañjuṣā. In this specific Bihulā-Biśaharī tradition, a snake goddess was adored. In addition to serving as a foundation for oral history and long-standing customs, Mañjuṣā art serves as a conduit for communication between the faithful and the divine. The Bihulā-Biśaharī narrative is portrayed in paintings in a sequential fashion, with distinctive imagery and subdued color schemes.

Origin and the folklore behind it:

Portrayal of Bihula taking the body of Bala Lakhendra on a boat, covered with manjusha (Image Source- Bihar Museum, Artist- Ulupi Kumari)

The art, which dates back to the 7th century, is practiced in Bhagalpur, Bihar. “Manjusa” means “box” in Sanskrit, and “Manjusas” are temple-shaped boxes composed of paper, bamboo, and jute straw. Inside these boxes, the devotees store the ceremonial items and materials they use to worship the goddess. However, the paintings that depict these boxes convey a story and are referred to as Manjusha Art. The manjusha boxes were traditionally built by the Kumbhakar community and painted by the Malakar community, who also painted the murals and scrolls.

The folk art of “Angpradesh,” known as Manjusha art, is exhibited in series and depicts the story in sequential order. Devi Bishahari, the snake goddess, and Sati Bihula, who rescues her husband from a snakebite, are the subjects of the tale. This folktale has multiple characters that relate to the main protagonists and their relationship with the local deity Bishahari, who is pre-Aryan in origin. The festival of Sati Bihula-Devi Bishahari, also called Devi Mansa, is observed annually in the eastern region of India during the month of Shravan.

Flourishment:

The colonial British administration steadily supported Manjusha painting when the Vikramshila monastery was excavated in the 1930s and artifacts were found that suggested Bishari Puja’s origins date back to the seventh century. Additionally, the India Office Library in London, UK, had an exhibition of Manjusha paintings on canvas. However, there was a sharp drop in popular interest in Manjusha paintings following India’s independence.

Image Source- MeMeraki

The Bihar government launched the “Jansampoorna Vibagh” initiative in 1984 in an effort to prevent the extinction of this art form. Through this initiative, they visited the villages of Bhagalpur, showed them slideshows of Manjusa art, and educated the locals about this ancient art form, encouraging them to revive it. To develop and popularize the art form, the Bihar government’s Department of Information and Public Relations collaborated with regional Manjusha artists like Chakravarty Devi, Jyoti Chand Sharma, and Shrimati Nirmala Devi.

Tools and Process:

The Process of making Manjusha Art. First the outline is make with free hand and then colors are filled. (Image Source- Sahapedia)

Before beginning a painting for religious purposes, such as prayer, artists prepare a pile of rice in the chamber, set a betel leaf and a betel nut on top of it, and ask the goddesses for permission to begin the painting. They interpret the slight movement or fall of the leaf as an indication that they have been granted permission to begin work. Even when creating ordinary paintings, the traditional artists begin by reciting a chant in the name of Goddess Bishahari.

Manjusha paintings are made on walls, vases, and other three-dimensional surfaces in addition to paper. In the past, artists would draw pictures using “kucchi,” which is a bamboo stick, or “pulinda,” which is a piece of fabric tied with a stick. Nowadays, artists utilize synthetic brushes, which are easily found in stores. It also adds clean, crisp lines and a noticeable contour to the painting. Additionally, artists utilize a piece of wood and canvas to create three-dimensional shapes. After drawing the outline, the details are added. Scales and other tools are not used by them. Everything is drawn by hand. Folk art, in their opinion, is characterized by minor flaws and asymmetrical lines. 

Significance of color: 

Image Source- Delhi Messenger

The color palette of Mañjusā paintings is restricted. Each of the three colors—pink, yellow, and green—has a specific meaning. The colors pink, yellow, and green stand for “love,” “development,” and “prosperity,” respectively. Green is mostly employed to create borders, which is a crucial component of Manjusha paintings. Since black and blue are not regarded as sacred in religious contexts, they cannot be employed. 

In the past, natural colors were used. The artists made advantage of local plant resources. The dyes were derived from different plant components. In addition, they utilized salt for binding and Alta, turmeric, and green leaves for the three colors. They eventually began employing kaccha colors, which are powdered colors often used for Holi. Because they are not permanent, the colors are ephemeral and  eventually disappear.

However, these days, they use cloth paints. They began utilizing fabric paints as soon as they began working on textiles, and they continue to utilize the same paints for their works on paper. Some traditional artists continue to utilize powdered colors if the painting is intended for religious purposes.

Human Figure Motifs: 

Manjusha art features distinctive human figures. They are consistently shown as angular, X-shaped figures with elevated limbs. Male characters are seen holding a stick and sporting long, curved mustaches. Women’s figures, on the other hand, are depicted in the center with their hair parted, long, curly, and nicely combed; they also have slender waists, wear lower clothing with patterns imprinted on it, and create two circular patches in place of breasts. She wears an upper garment with identical designs and is heavily ornamented. Females cover their heads with the veil, and males wear turbans. The primary characters are depicted with large eyes, no ears, and bow-shaped eyebrows.

Typical Human Figures in Manjusha Art (Image Source-Upendra Maharathi Shilp Anusanshan Sansthan)

Folklore motifs:

Legends and stories from Bihulā-Viśaharī are the source of the painting subjects. Sequences of events are used to illustrate them. The majority of artists, however, chose one scene from the ballad and painted it in accordance with it rather than according to sequential storytelling. Although they are depicted similarly, Bishaharis can be identified by the objects they hold in their hands: Maya/Manasa Bishahari holds snakes in both hands, Padmavathi Bishahari holds lotuses in one hand and a snake in the other, Jaya Bishahari holds a bow and arrow with a snake in the other and an amrit kalash in the other, and Dhotila Bishahari holds a rising sun in one hand and a snake in the other.

Scenes from the Bihula-Bishari legend depicted in Manjusha Art (Image Source-International Indian Folk Art Gallery)

An important subject is Chando Saudagar, an artisan and sahukar (businessman) who is painted in the story again and again. In addition, Sati Bihulā and Beula Lakhinder’s body are depicted riding a boat. One of the most important figures in the picture is Maniyar Nāga (Panchmuhiyasarp), a figure from the legend who is portrayed in theriomorphic shapes.

Natural Motifs:

The Sun, Moon, Turtle, Lotus Flower, Champa Flower, Fish, Snake, Elephant, Turtle, Maina Bird, Kalash Pot, Arrow Bow, Shivling, Tree, and so on are some of the forms that recur in the creation of the Mañjuṣā. Additionally, these motifs appear in scenes from the narrative. 

Sun, Lotus and Fish motifs (Image Source-International Indian Folk Art Gallery)

Border Motifs:

The painting’s border is an essential component that needs to be finished. It is required to sketch at least three of the five forms as border elements in the artwork. These five themes are:

  1. Image Source-Design Mango

    Belapatr: It is a representation of the sacred leaf. Bel Patra leaves are used to worship Lord Shiva in Hinduism.

  2. Lehariya: It is a representation of the river’s waves and the voyage of Bihula. Waves represent life’s ups and downs and how we get through obstacles. It represents strength and battle.
  3. Tribhuj: In Hinduism, the triangle represents Lord Shiva. Spirituality is indicated by a point-up triangle, whereas bodily presence is shown by a point-down triangle. The triangle’s symbol is also associated with the ideas of past and future times.
  4. Mokha: Mokha depicts the style and ornamentation that the ancient Ang people employed in their homes.
  5. Sarph Laddi: It is a design of interconnected snakes that symbolizes solidarity.

Current Standing:

Modernity and materialism pose a continual challenge to traditional Mañjuṣā art, progressively destroying our long-standing custom. It is, nevertheless, being modified to endure the times. These days, Manjusha murals can be found on the outside of the Vikramshila Express train, which runs between Bhagalpur and New Delhi, as well as on a number of commercial items including masks and upholstery. A few government buildings in Bhagalpur also have Manjusha artwork on their walls; as the Bhagalpur Smart City Project progresses, the number will only rise.

(Image Source-The Financial Express)

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