Mandana - one of the folk art forms of Western India

MANDANA: A Gujarati Folk Art Form

[Pic: Mandana on the walls of a rural home]

[Pic: Mandana on the walls of White Sanctum Art Gallery]

Like many other folk art forms, this form, too, has been woven inextricably into our social and cultural fabric. Mandana is expressed through different forms and symbols around religious and auspicious social occasion. These images are beautifully delineated through triangles, pentagons, octagons, squares, round or circles, embellished with floral motif and bird and animal form.

White chalk (khadi), red or ochre chalk (geru) and indigo powder are melded for the creation of Mandana. Each of these ingredients is soaked in water separately in different ways.

[Fig: Mandana of Brahma Vishnu Mahesh]

A piece of cloth is soaked in these colours separately, wrapped around the small finger and than different forms are executed on the cow dung plastered mud walls facing the front yard of the house.

[Fig: Mandana on floor]

What makes the Mandana art form particularly interesting is that each original image is beautifully expressed through instinctly created symbols and forms. There is no limit to elaborated and executed with a high degree of imagination and ingenuity.

[Fig: Mandana of Yog Shakti]

This folk art form reflects the quality of the life of simple folks in its entirety with great spontaneity and directness that, again,affords us a valuable insight into their world.


The rendering of this art form can be seen on the wall and court of houses and raised platforms (chabutra) on which food grains are strewn for birds to feed on.

Mandana is considered to be symbols of joy and prosperity. It is supposed to bring joy in people’s lives. Although this ancient art form is ingrained in tradition, it is seen amazingly integrated in mainstream currents of modern art.

This folk art form has evolved to become the core of traditional art and will remain so forever. It will flourish from generation to generation as a part if social customs and become one with living art.

- Atul Padia