Dancing Dots and Crimson Canvas: A Warli Art Tale

1. Introduction: Glimpses in Warli 

For the last millennium, the Warli tribes residing in the lap of the Western Ghats across the Sahyadri range have been practicing the folk art of immense traditional value—The Warli Art. Spatially, this art primarily locates itself in the northern regions of Palghar and Thane in Maharashtra. Apart from Warli, other tribal communities that engage in this art include Malkhar Koli, Kathodi, Kokana, and Dhodi, and it is a vital aspect of their cultural heritage as well. The origins of this art date back almost ten centuries. Warli art is a characteristic autochthonous feature of early medieval Deccan India, characterized by tribal-natural themes and symbolism. 

The Warli paintings adhere to a specific visual style and include an array of natural motifs. Nowadays, Warli artists are adapting their expressions, transforming their work from social expression or paintings and turning to marketing their products to the consumer base, as Warli art gains popularity among the masses in contemporary society. The epicenter of Warli art usually represents the lifestyles and cultures of the associated tribal communities. It conveys the values, traditions, and knowledge of these communities from one generation to the next, one community to another, primarily through art on the mud walls of huts, temples, and rock-cut caves. 

2. Historicity of Warli Art

The Warli paintings bear a close resemblance to prehistoric art of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh and Alaniya, Rajasthan, which is why scholars like Yashodhara Dalmia place the roots of Warli to circa 2500-3000 B.C.E. The walls of huts have been used as their canvas for centuries, sometimes rigorously prepared with fine brick powder to provide for contrasting red-ochre background to make the white hued stick figures of Warli art more visible. All these art pieces showcased a shared cultural communion and incorporated celebrations of ritualistic festivals as well as everyday life.

The word ‘Warli’ is derived from Varla, meaning a patch of land; however, some scholars attribute its etymological emergence in ‘Varalat’, i.e. name of the sixth ancient Konkan. In the decade of 1970s, artist Jiya Soma Mashe practiced Warli art as his everyday ritual, and not just a unique happenstance. A Padma Shri awardee, his honed skills have earned him global honour and recognition for his artistic penchant. His popularity nudged myriad Warli artists to embrace commercial ventures and commission their artworks, further spreading Warli paintings from the tribal folk art niche to a larger, international pedestal. 

3. Theology, Tribe, and Tradition

The Warlis relied on agriculture and wildlife domestication for subsistence, which is why there are many elements of nature worship, tribal devotee dances, and the deification of the environment in their paintings. They held Mother Nature, Palaghata, in the highest respect and dignity, and also worshipped the five-headed god, Panch Sirya Dev, a headless warrior mounted on a horse, as an important, revered deity. Hariyali Dev, the god of plants, is an important recurring god for the Warlis. Warlis primarily worshipped gods to appease them and seek their pleasant attention. Their shrines of gods consist of hard-core wooden carved statues of tigers with different natural elements.

4. Visual Symbolisms of Warli Art 

These elaborate two-dimensional paintings of Sahyadris have various common patterns, rhythms, and motifs. The Warli art rarely ever has pointed ends or straight lines; an array of dots is used to represent the connecting line. Additionally, circles are a recurring motif in paintings, which symbolise neither beginning nor end, also personifying everlasting happiness. The shape also represents the Sun and Moon, the triangle was representative of the conical mountain peaks, and squares symbolised the enclosures, fields, villages, huts, and other human dwellings. 

4.1 Geometrical Motifs 

The square enclosures of Warli paintings also stood for chauk or chaukhat and are further subdivided into three categories: the Deva-Chauk or divine enclosure, symbol of fertility of goddess Palaghat; the lagna-chauk, enclosure associated with special occasions; and the kanna, which is a square that represents chastity and virginity, created on the bride’s house, distinctly marked by a cross and adorned with yellow turmeric dots or red-orange vermillion.

Triangles have historically been utilised to represent human forms – two inverted triangles connected at the apex – the upper triangle representing the shoulders, narrowing to the slim waist, and expanding into the lower pelvic area, allowing artists the freedom to illustrate both male and female figures using the same triangular shapes. The larger upper triangle signifies a male with wide shoulders, while the larger lower triangle denotes a female. In a similar manner, triangles of varying angles and sizes interconnected have been employed to portray the animal kingdom. 

4.2 Miscellaneous Motifs 

The figures and motifs include agriculture, fishing, as well as daily hunts and local rituals. However,  amongst this, scenes of dances in an anti-clockwise direction and in harmony with cosmic and supernatural forces are prevalent. The tarpa, a trumpet-like instrument of six feet, is stringed and is played during the dances. The Warlis hold the belief that Narandeva god, bestowed the tarpa upon them. The popular, lively dance portrays vigorous movements by the youth, with the elderly observing; these tarpa-dance scenes seamlessly and frequently.

5. From Cultural Ritual to Commercialised Commodity 

In recent times, after the popularisation of Warli art in the twentieth century, Warli art has been seen in various marketing gimmicks and everyday apparel. From Salwar-Kurtis to T-Shirts and Dupattas, this alteration of the medium of Warli Art has greatly ascended. The art is now painted via acrylic mode or digitally adapted, and encapsulates how the movement of cultural symbols across different contexts often leads to a metamorphosis of their significance. Commercialisation definitely generates better income and sustenance, but also carries the risk of Warli art turning into a mere aesthetic commodity, carrying the risk of cultural appropriation and loss of value of heritage. 

6. Conclusion: Bridging Heritage and Value Generation 

In today’s day and age, where craft and artisanal practices have seen a resurgence in popular culture, textile, cinema, and every other realm, it carries with it a potential threat of being reduced to just an aesthetically pleasing pattern rather than a historical tradition rooted in tribal folklore. In the period of 2020-24, the art form has engendered a total turnover of 1.4 crores INR with a sale rate of 96%. These figures definitely boost the confidence and minds of us, as buyers and active seekers of Warli art. However, their value lies not in the monetary gains they generate but in the stories they tell—and that is the constant reminder we must cherish. 

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