WARLI

C R A F T R E S E A R C H D O C U M E N T
 Declaration
Contributors:
Kareen George BD/19/92 Paritosh Sharma BD/19/95 Shreeya Ohja BD/19/ PN 13

Srishti Roy BD/19/1853 Vedantika Ray BD/19/1 Sneha Nair BD/19/ 98

Faculty mentor:

Associate Professor Vandhana Wakhande

Year of completion:

2021

Academic department:
Fashion Communication department , NIFT Mumbai
 acknowledgments

We as a group are forever grateful to National Institute of Fashion Technology for this wonderful
opportunity to understand the traditional crafts of India.

Nothing compares to the learning we have gained from these projects, the depths to which we have
understood the craft sector and the difficulties they face as a community. It makes us feel privileged
that we have the means to work for a cause and help the grassroots of our own establishments
strengthen themselves up.

A huge token of appreciation to our mentor Associate Prof. Vandana Wankhade for her constant
support and guidance throughout the course 0f completion of this project. We would also like to extend
our gratitude to Mr.Rajaram Hengadi for his co-operation and assistance .We take this as an
opportunity to give back to the industry that has given us our beautiful heritage in which we take
immense pride.

Thank you.
 1. OVERVIEW
STNETNOC
Introduction
Need of study
Aim and Significance of study
Objectives

2. DATA COLLECTION
The Warlis of Dahanu
Location, climate and demography
Food and clothing
Lifestyle
Beliefs
Traditional Practices

What is Warli
Characteristics
Origin and history
Timeline
Raw Materials and Tools
Color
Process
Motifs and Symbolism
Types of Warli Paintings

Schemes for artisans

Modern day Warli
Marketing
Current Scenario
 2. EFFECT OF COVID 4. DATA ANALYSIS
STNETNOC
Representation of COVID in Warli art SWOT analysis
Post Covid Scenario Problems identified
Market Scenario Suggestive solutions
Conclusion

3. ARTISAN PROFILE 5. PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Timeline of the process
Rajaram Hengadi Personal experience
Introduction
Achievements
Artisan Profile
Works

Renuka Lilaka
Introduction 6. OTHERS
Artisan Profile

Plagiarism in Warli Questionnaires

Suggestions by artisans Bibliography
Image Links
 05

weivrevO nA
Introduction
Need of study
Aim and Significance of study
Objectives
 06

INTRODUCTION

The folk and tribal arts of India are very ethnic, natural, and yet vibrant enough
to speak volumes about the country’s rich heritage. Warli art is a beautiful folk
art that originated in the Sahyadri region of Maharashtra. Even though the roots
of the art trace back to the 10th century A.D, it was first explored and named in
the early 1970s.
The fundamental characteristic of the painting is that it does not depict mythical
characters or images of deities, but depicts social life. Pictures of human beings
and animals, along with scenes from daily life are created in a loose rhythmic
pattern by these skilled artisans. Warli is also one of the largest tribes on the
northern outskirts of Mumbai, in Western India. The tribes are forest-dwellers
but have made a gradual transition towards being a pastoral community. Warli
art was a means for them to transmit their folklore to a multitude not acquainted
with the written word. A little backward economically, they still maintain their
indigenous customs and traditions.
This documentation focuses on in-depth learning of Warli as a part of the Craft
Cluster Initiative. The document is a compilation of all the understandings that
we drew after conducting extensive research on the topic.

Fig 1: Warli artisan working on her painting

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NEED FOR STUDY Fig 2: Warli artisan working on his painting

India had always been recognized as the land

that portrayed cultural and traditional vibrancy
through its traditional arts and crafts. In this
highly commercial world, there is a need to stir
an awareness to investigate, learn, document,
and promote the myriad of traditional crafts to
prevent them from gradually becoming extinct.
Without a conscious effort, the techniques and
the knowledge about these crafts will remain
only in the memories of the craftsmen.

The art needs to be popularized to preserve its

reminiscent beauty by adapting it for various
other versatile uses. This will uphold bright
potentials for the upliftment of these tribal
people and will help them to bring out Warli
into the mainstream.
 0408

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The significance of this document goes far deeper than documentation

of research. Research is important to identify the real problem and to
focus on creating a solution that is viable for the artisans to gain a profit
out of it. It is high time that we raise awareness, uplift the artisans and
encourage the expansion of these crafts through interesting and
interactive ways while preserving its authenticity.

Aim:

The research is primarily done in order to

gain an in-depth knowledge on the
traditional crafts of India.
Identifying the problems faced by the
craftsman that may result in the depletion
of the craft.
Finding solutions to keep the craft afloat.

Fig 3: Pot decorated using Warli

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09

OBJECTIVES

Preserving cultural diversity of local crafts

Local art and handcrafts are an inseparable
representation of the tangible culture and spirit of the
place and of the connection between man and his
environment.

Understanding the history

Understanding the basic production process is
imperative in the preservation process as well as the
reconstruction of objects or structures.

Moral order for next generations

Traditional production methods are a potential source of
inspiration.

The question of authenticity

To ensure the craft creation is continued in its primal
and "authentic" way while adapting to the new
conditions which have been created.
 10

noitcelloC ataD
The Warlis of Dahanu
Location, climate and demography
Food and clothing
Lifestyle
Beliefs
Traditional Practices

What is Warli
Characteristics
Origin and history
Timeline
Raw Materials and Tools
Color
Process
Motifs and Symbolism
Types of Warli Paintings

Schemes for artisans

Modern day Warli
Marketing
Current Scenario
 11

Fig 4: Warli tribals engaging in Tarpa celebration

The warlis of dahanu

The ancient town of Dahanu gets its name from the word “Dhenu Gram” which means the
village of cows. It is also one of the areas of settlement of the indigenous tribal group (Adivasi)
known as the Warli/ Varli. The Warlis of Dahanu are a close knit community of around 2000
people. They lead a very simple nomadic lifestyle and carry immense respect for nature.

Another feature that the community is famous for is its art. Traditionally, Warli art was
practiced by women as a meaning of communication and storytelling. The beauty of this craft
lies in its humble nature. It depicts the daily lives of people, their traditions and customs using
basic geometrical elements such as triangles, circles, dots and lines to make humans figures,
animals, houses, birds, mountains, trees, sun etc. In the olden times, it was made using natural
materials like rice paste, mud, cow dung (for the base) and thin bamboo sticks (as brushes).
 12

location, climate and demographics

Location
Dahanu is a coastal town in Palghar district of
DAHANU
Maharashtra state. It is situated in the Konkan division
of India. It is located 110 km from Mumbai city.

Climatic conditions
Dahanu has a tropical climate with the summers being
rainier than the winters. The monsoon season starts by
the month of June and lasts till September. It is followed
by the winters till December.

Demographics
According to the census conducted in the year
2011,Dahanu has a population of 50,287. Males constitute
52% of the population and females 48%. It has an average
literacy rate of 71% wherein the male literacy is 77% and,
female literacy is 64%. 13% of the population is under 6
years of age.
 13

Food
Their food is simple and mainly diet consists of rice,
wheat bread, chicken, dal, pulses and a dry mix of
cooked wild vegetables.

Fig 5 : Warli Woman wearing a Navari style sari

Clothing
Woman wear sarees in the Navari style (by tightly wound around their waists
Fig 6: A typical Warli meal
and thighs) as they engage in laborious tasks throughout the day. They cover
their upper body by a choli or blouse. Little girls in the village wear skirts and
blouses while boys wear shorts. The men wear shirts, pants, and vests.
 14

Lifestyle
The Warlis in the beginning were hunters. Over the years, they
were denied access to the forests and became cultivators (mainly
rice) and gatherers. They share a sacred connection with nature
and depend on it for nutrition, security and health.

The people in the community share a collective sense of

responsibility. Whenever there is any festival, individuals of all age
groups come together to dance, sing songs and offer prayers. The
entire family, including women work throughout the year. Though
by tradition, Warli was practiced by the woman in the community,
men too have been showing interest for the craft lately.

The Warlis have an age old tradition to build their own houses.
The houses are mainly made up of materials like mud, bamboo,
palm leaves etc. and the entire village cooperates to build houses.
The walls are made using the stems of a local plant weaved
through bamboo which is then plastered using a mixture of mud
and cow dung. The houses are also decorated with Warli paintings
on walls and musical instruments like the tarpa made of vegetable
shells. Over the years, with the availability of various construction
materials and ease of maintenance around 50 percent of the
houses were converted to cement constructed pakka houses.

Fig 7 : Warli Woman painting on white fabric

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Agriculture
The Warli tribal community believes in self-sustenance and
sees nature as the ultimate provider. Majority of them engage
in agricultural activities especially during the time of
monsoons.
Rice is one of the major crops cultivated. It is an indispensable
part of their lives. Everything from their ceremonies, to their
diet, the songs they sing, the tales they tell, all focus on rice and
its harvest. Even the white colour used for Warli paintings have
been obtained by mixing rice powder with gum.
Dahanu is also famous for a sweet and fleshy tropical fruit
called chickoo, also known as Sapota. They also plant pulses
(like Gawar) and various wild vegetables including wild
eggplants or baingan, kohli baji, saveli and kartool. The
agricultural activities are rarely affected by the monsoons.

During the period of sowing and harvests, the Warli artisans

along with their family invest the majority of their time into
agriculture which acts as a secondary source of income.

Fig 8: Warli Tribals cultivating Rice paddies

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Beliefs
The Warli tribe have always had their own sets of
customs and believes built around nature. During
the sowing season, they worship Naran Dev (the
god of rain) along with domestic deities Himai
Devi and Hirwai Dev. The goddess Savari is
worshiped before harvesting.
During the time of harvest (November-December),
the Warli community pray to Vaghai Dev, the tiger
God. They gather around, telling stories of
previous harvests and expressing their gratitude to
Vaghai Dev for blessing the village with good
weather and harvest. This continues for 2-3 days
and is a happy occasion for the whole village.

At the time of marriage ceremonies, the Warli

community worship Palghat, The goddess of
fertility. On this auspicious occasion, the entire
village comes together and supports the family in
bondage. Some families also have a family God,
whom they worship during the festival of Diwali.
Fig 9: An artisan drawing Palghata devi
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traditional practices

Culture and Symbolism

Warli paintings usually depict scenes of human figures engaged in activities

like dancing, playing tarpa, hunting, sowing, harvesting, celebrating various
festivals and marriage ceremonies. They also portray the stories of nature,
gods and their relation with the tribal group.

When an infant is born, the symbol of Sati is drawn to welcome the new-born
into the family. The baby is also swung on a swing. The symbol of Nadar is
drawn on the ground to show the health status of the members in the family.
Gavar is drawn outside homes to welcome all the guests who arrive.

Chawks are special paintings without which a marriage ceremony is

considered to be incomplete within the Warli community. It represents the
central hall wall for the marriage ceremony and consists mainly of two types:
The Dev chawk and the lagna chawk. The chawk paintings are made on the
wall closest to the main entrance or on the wall with the entrance.

.
Fig 10: Warli wall featuring a ' Muthi' painting as well as other motifs
 18

Palghata is the name of the goddess that presides over marriage ceremonies
within the community. The number of devtas drawn on the painting differs
from family to family and is governed by the number of marriages in the
family. If there are two dulhas/grooms in the family, there will be one chawk
with two devtas illustrated. The chawk paintings are done women in the
community who have completed 10 years of marriage called the ‘suhasinis’.
The newly-wed bride is called suhassin.
.

. Dance forms

Gawri, Tarpa, Toor – Thali and Dhol are the well-known dance forms of Warli
community. Majority of these are done in pairs. The Warli tribe loves singing
their traditions and dance.

Tarpa dance is only done during the festival Diwali. People belonging to all
age group, from children to the elderly play the tarpa and dance together in
circles according to different surs of Tarpa. The steps and the instruments
vary from one event to the other but the unity amongst the community
remains unchanged.

Gauri is the most common dance form and is danced mainly before the
Ganpati festival and during the season of harvest.

Fig 11 : Villagers dancing Tarpa Dance

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19

What is Warli?

Warli tribe , living in the regions of thane and Maharashtra is known

for the sacred paintings that they paint on the walls of their huts, as
a part of their rituals and for events like marriage. Motifs inspired
from their day-to-day life is painted with a rich paste of rice flour
and water as the base. Inspiration from nature, village legends, local
incidents and folk tales painted on it with brush made of bamboo.
Palaghata, the main goddess of trees and plants that symbolises
creative energy is the primary theme used in these paintings. Warli
paintings are visually attractive because of line drawings of multiple
tiny human forms engaged in hunting, dancing, cultivating land and
doing many other activities performed in the village. The canvas of
these paintings has recently transferred to different types of cloths
and papers and cow dung is spread on top of it, which produce the
dark, natural and dull background for the motifs painted in white
colour exactly like the traditional paintings.

Fig 12 Woman showing her Warli creation on cloth

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some characteristic
features
Despite the nature of Warli paintings being such
that each painting represents a unique story, they
all have common characteristic features-
stylistically and thematically, which include the
following

'X-ray' vision
Taking an example of a Warli painting showcasing a
house with an activity taking place inside of it, a viewer
will be able to look at the boundaries of the house, as
well as the activity taking place within those
boundaries. The X-ray features allows viewers to not
only see the boundaries of a particular landmark, such
as a house for example, but will also be able to see the
activity taking place within the boundaries of the
house.

Combination of real life and fantasy

Even though Warli paintings can be distinguished as
paintings based on real life, daily activities and paintings
based on religious beliefs, a lot of these paintings tend to
combine the two. For example- the real life ritual of marriage
is expressed with the Lagna Chauk paintings, consisting of a
divine square housing the goddess of fertility, Palghata, in its
central space along with auspicious elements surrounding her
such as the sun and the moon.

Fig 13: Warli painting exhibiting 'x-ray vision'

ORIGIN AND HISTORY 21

TALASARI

Warli is a form of tribal art practiced by Warli art has become a ritual as it
“Warli” tribe of the north Maharashtra represents their culture and hence is
and borders of Gujarat. The exact preserved and practiced art by tribal
origin of this art form is not known yet, section. The art carried from one
but the roots can be traced to a period generation to next generation as a
DAHANU JAWHAR way to preserve their legacy.
between 2500 to 3000 BC. The main
places like Dahanu, Talasari, Jawhar,
Palghar, Mokhada, Vikramgadh in
Maharashtra is where warli art is
practiced.Mainly the art was only done
on the walls of the houses during VIKRAMGADH
festivals and weddings taking place in
MOKHADA
the village.
PALGHAR

VADA
Their paintings are similar to those done
between 500 and 10,000 BCE in the Rock
Shelters of Bhimbetka, in Madhya Pradesh.
Warli's visuals resembles with cave paintings
of the prehistoric era. This was the only
means of passing on folklore to a population
not familiarized with the written language. VASHI
 22

TIMELINE- WARLI IN MODERN TIMES

2009
Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) launched the Digital Cluster
Development Programme in the year. L&T and UnDP collaborated in
2010
the betterment the living and working conditions of the artisans . Gets featured in Coca-Cola's 'Come
home on Diwali' ad campaign

2011
1970 Jivya Soma Mashe received
honorary Padma Bhuhan award
The art form was BC - 3000 for popularizing warli art form.
recognized and named 00 B
25

Warli
Expected Origin

2020
National Fertilizers Limited has
decided to display Maharashtra’s
Warli art on the outer walls of its

1945 Noida corporate office.

Revolt of the warli tribe of Zari village of Talasari

district against the exploitation of the tribe at
the hands of landlord. (warli women revolt)
 23
RAW MATERIALS
Mud for base
Mortar and Pestel

Water

Sieve
Bamboo sticks

Paintbrush
Utensils (to mix paint)

Fevicol glue

Rice paste
Acrylic paint
 24

Paint Creation
The process involved in the creation of the paint begins with creating rice
flour paste- made by pounding rice into much smaller granules and then
soaking them in water for one day.

They are dried the next day, that normally takes around 3-4 hours, with the
rainy season taking an extra 2-3 hours. Water and fevicol are also mixed
with the rice paste in order to make the final base, which is painted on top
of the medium.

Paintbrushes
In the olden days, bamboo sticks were used to make brushes or paint sticks.
These sticks are made sharp using a knife or blade and eventually used as a
brush. Due to its frequent use however, its sharp tip wears out. This issue is
fixed by simply chewing the tip to attain its sharpness again.

Fig 14 : Artisan using a bamboo stick to paint Fig 15 : Bamboo sticks

Base of the paintings
Cowdung is another ingredient that helps paint stick for a longer duration,
and also provides a surface to draw over. As the paint sticks for longer on
some surfaces and sticks for a shorter time on others, applying cowdung as
a base makes it long lasting for all surfaces alike.
The final cow dung paste is mixed with cow dung, water and fevicol,
however it is only used for the purpose to create backgrounds. Initially, coal
was also used to create backgrounds, in the case of which coal powder was
mixed with water and fevicol. Nowadays, due to the availability of paints,
backgrounds are created with the same as per customers’ choices.

Fig 16 :Cow dung being applied on walls

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Colours

Traditional Colours
Warli is a traditional craft that was created years ago. Hence, during those
times, the colors were made from natural materials. Ancestors of Warli
artisans used varieties of mud, gobar or cowdung and rice paste for the colors.
Hence the common colors that one can see in Warli are shades of brown and
white used in contrast with each other. The shade of brown depends upon
the soil and its consistency.
Fig 17 Acrylic paints Fig 18: Rice Flour Paste

Colour symbolism Modern Colours

Nowadays, acrylic paint is also often used to create colorful. Despite being
colorful, eye catching, and portraying the lives of the tribals, they do not
Vermillion colour is used as a symbol of progress and God beat the traditional paintings that employ earthen red tones and white to
Naran. illustrate elaborate stories.

Black colour is used to to protect the house from evil spirits.

Hence it is used in threshold and around the door s of houses.
 26

Fig 19: Customised Warli paintings made by Fig 20: Customised Warli paintings made by
Mr. Rajaram Hengadi, using acrylic paints. Mr. Rajaram Hengadi, using acrylic paints.
 process 27

Step 1 – Theme Selection

The theme of Warli paintings are mostly celebration, marriage ceremonies, harvesting and various occasions
that form a part of the tribal life. It depicts human figures, drawn using basic shapes engaged in activities such
as hunting, gathering, dancing, sowing, drawing water harvesting etc. It also features the surroundings they
interact with on a daily basis. Each Warli painting is unique on its own and has a different story to tell. The
first step towards creating a painting is coming up with an original idea of composition. It takes an
experienced artisan just 10-15 minutes to come up with the concept of a painting. The story is then roughly
drawn on paper.
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Step 2 -Preparation of Materials Step 3- Preparation of the canvas

Brush Warli painting was traditionally done on walls.

Rice paste: Rice grains are soaked in water overnight and dried under sunlight
for 2- 3 hours the next day. The rice is then powdered (finely) using a mortar
and a pestle and later mixed with a natural gum or fevicol to a paste like
consistency. This paste is then used to paint. Fevicol is added to increase the life
of the painting.
The background colour: There are mainly three raw materials used for the
background colour
1. Cow dung (brown)
2. Mud (mostly red soil)
3. Coal ash (black colour)
These ingredients are filtered using a sieve and mixed with fevicol. The resultant
mixture forms the background.
Nowadays, even acrylic colour is used to create colorful Warli paintings.
Nowadays Warli is done on various surfaces like textiles,
canvas and even wood.
The surface is first made smooth. In the case of walls,
they are coated with a layer of cow dung increase the
fastness of the rice paste and to provide them with a
smooth canvas.
In some cases, a fevicol is added to the background to
prevent the colours from peeling off from the fabric.
.
 29

Step 4 - Painting Step 5 -Drying

Painting is the longest and also most fulfilling step of the entire process. A The painting done on smooth surfaces are coated with a layer of
border is drawn to define the area to be drawn. An experienced artisan does varnish to increase the longevity of the product. It takes 2hrs again to
not need guides to draw a perfect painting. He used a brush/stick the brush dry under normal conditions, if rainy season then it is 4-5 hrs too.
to apply the rice paste/ acrylic color onto the surface. Rice paste lasts for around 7-8 .

The Circle
represents the Sun & the Moon
The Triangle
depicts the mountains and pointed trees, also
used to create the human forms
The Square
different from other elements that mostly represent
nature, the square depicts man made elements.
30
motifs and symbolism
Warli is an art of symbolism rather than realism, consisting of several
rather simple motifs and symbols to create an intricate bigger picture. The
beauty of this art lies in it’s simplicity and stories.
Breaking the myth about Warli paintings being all about mythology -
Warli paintings are mostly themed on the simple social lives of the humble
people of the village, depicting human and animal figures engaged in their
daily chores, festivities and celebrations such as sowing, harvesting,
dancing, worshipping, hunting and so on. Nature and it’s elements are a
huge part of warli paintings, around which most activities portrayed take
place. The iconic concentric circles in Warli represents the Circle of Life.
All that intricacies in the warli paintings come down to basic lines and
shapes, being squares, circles, and triangles.
 31

Birds and
Fig 21: Peacock motif Animals Fig 22: Poultry motif

Fig 23 : Tiger motif Fig 24 : Livestock motif

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God Motifs

Warli artists believed in expression through art, and thus like every other
instance that they depicted in their artwork, they also conveyed their
beliefs and traditions. Warli art thus became one of the most popular
Fig 30 : Lord Ganesha Fig 31: Lord Dashavataar means of transmitting traditional folklores and stories relating to their
very own customs, beliefs, and traditions.

Fig 32 : Lord Krisna Fig 33 : Lord Brahma

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Thus, broadly distinguishing the different types of paintings that

are created thematically, they are of three main types: paintings
TYpes of warli paintings on their religious beliefs- gods and goddesses they worship, daily
life activities such as agriculture, rituals and customs featuring
marriage ceremonies, dance and music-based practices.

Warli paintings have, thematically undergone an evolution ever since it

was first put into practice. These paintings are representatives of a wide Fig 37: Daily Life Fig 38: Ceremonies and festivals
variety of themes that were initially restricted to storytelling based on
ritualistic ceremonies, customs and traditions. However today, along with
the already established themes, rather ‘modern’ motifs and stories are
being told, relevant to modern society. Motifs of vehicles and themes that
talk about global issues such as the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and
global warming, are commonly seen in Warli art today. Warli art
continues to be an adaptive form of art that is still in touch with its
traditional roots and purpose.

Fig 39: Rituals/ Customs

Fig 21 : Warli made with modern motifs on a wall in India

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chauk

The chauk, as a basic skeleton structure, is a

square enclosure whose edges are looped
together three to four times to make it a secure
structure. The chauk themed warli paintings are
of two main types-
the Dev chauk (God’s square) and
the Lagna Chauk (marriage square)

Fig 40: Chauk Square

Fig. 22 Lagna Chauk- The wedding square

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Dev Chauk
These paintings consist of a square which is situated within a house.
These square borders visually appear to look thick as they are an
average of five rows of designs which are- Pophala, Sakhali, Dhak,
Pasodi and the Basinga. These paintings also feature auspicious
elements such as figures of the moon, the sun, as the Warli tribe
worship natural elements, as well as the comb, signifying family
harmony and finally the ladder, which is a symbol of success in their
lives.

In the central space of the chauk, sits the ‘mother goddess’ or the
goddess of fertility ‘Palghata’. Her presence symbolizes fertility
around her within the Chauk along with the other auspicious
elements such as the sun and moon surrounding her. She is
considered to be an important figure whose presence is vital in
marriages. The smaller square that surrounds her is known as the
‘deva chauk’. Often times, the Palghata has greenery and leaves
around her to protect her and provide shade.

Fig 23 : Painting showing a Dev Chauk, a marriage procession and the agricultural lifestyle of the people
 36

Lagna Chauk
Another type of the Chauk paintings which are painted by
married women, or ‘suvasins’, who paint these in order to
bring about peace, harmony, prosperity and good luck in
the lives of the newly married couple. The lagna Chauk also
consists of the Palghata- the goddess of fertility seated in
the middle of the chauk with the sun, moon, ladder and
comb surrounding her. These are usually painted by
married women. Variations of the Lagna Chauk paintings
include marriage ceremonies to be displayed in through
Warli art featuring various elements like the Palghata,
birds, trees along with people taking part in rituals.

Fig 24: A Lagna Chauk painting on a wall, in Dhanu. Souce: Mr. Rajaram Hengadi.

Fig 25 : Chowk
Fig 27 : Bride Groom & Karawali
Fig 29 : Kalash
Fig 26 : Palghata
Fig 28: Ladder, Dhalver & Rice sack
37
Fig. 25/ Chowk literally translates as "square"; the four sides of the
chowk represents the four prominent household Gods namely
Hirwa, Himal, Narayandev, and Jotinga. These four Gods are
considered the protectors of the universe and are meant to guard
and bless the newly weds.
Fig. 26/ Palaghata is the Goddess of trees and plants. It is
considered strictly necessary to worship Goddess Palghata among
the rituals of a marriage, as it is believed a marriage cannot take
place without worshipping her.
Fig. 27/ The bride and the groom are depicted as God and Goddess
riding along with a young girl who carries a kalash on her head.
Fig. 28/ The ladders are symbolic to the stairs that lead to sacred
universe where the new couple would reside; The bags and the
comb represents the bride's belongings and Dhalvari, the woman
who holds the oil lamp is responsible for performing the sacred
rituals.
Fig. 29/ Kalash is a pot filled with water and decorated with
coconut and mango leaves. The kalash is considered an auspicious
symbol of prosperity, fertility. and growth.
 38

Fig. 25/ The bride and the groom wear a triangular crown on their
Fig. 25 : Bhasing Fig 26 : Dak heads for the wedding; The two triangles depict the said crown /
headgear, and the three dots depict the top of the same.

Fig. 26/ Dak is a musical instrument that is played on and during

auspicious occasions, the occasion being marriage here.

Fig. 27/ This motif is a representation of the mat the bride and the
groom sit on during the marriage rituals; It is made with palm
tree leaves weaved in checked pattern.

Fig. 28/ This pattern again is taken from the mentioned mat
Fig 27: Pasodi Fig 28: Dabba above, on which the bride and groom sit during the rituals.

Fig. 29/ As clearly depicted these motifs are symbolic to the Sun
and the Mood God.

Fig 29 : The Sun and the Moon God

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Tarpa

The Tarpa paintings are a great representative example that show one
of the most widely recognized rituals practiced by the Warlis.

The Tarpa is an instrument that can range from being one to even six
feet long. Members of the Warli tribe surround the Tarpa player in a
circle and partake in dancing as they move around in an anticlockwise
direction. According to the belief system, the Tarpa gives out cosmic
forces and energies in an anticlockwise direction. They take part in
Fig 45 : Painting showcasing Tarpa dance.
Tarpa dances even during festivals, and show their love for music,
dance and liquor.

The Tarpa dance is performed by the Warlis at the start of the growth
of their crops and they continue to do so until Diwali, which is also the
time that they worship their tiger god, Vaghai.

These dances are usually performed at night after the day’s work, when
all villagers come together, the men forming the inner circle of dancers
while the women constitute the outer circles with arms around each
other’s waists.

Fig 45 : A tarpa

Fig 46 : Muthi painting imprimted behind Warli women
Muthi
These paintings are simply repetitive imprints of ‘fists’, as the
word ‘muthi’ translates to. These paintings are created when rice
is harvested and brought home, celebrating the same. These fist
prints are stamped on various areas such as home walls,
granaries, ploughs, etc. The significance of the repetition is that
it symbolizes the abundance of food.
40
Fig 43 : kanna
Kanna
The kanna is a symbol of virginity, often drawn at the house
of the bride on the third of her wedding. The kanna is also
drawn within a square and features a multiplication sign
within it. Turmeric, red kumkum powder and orange sindoor
powder are also used to make it more colorful.
 41

Other Festivals
Other festivals that are often represented in Warli paintings include
Nagpanchami- an auspicious day on which snakes are worshipped,
making use of motifs of snakes and people worshipping them. Another
festival that is a common Warli art theme is Holi, celebrated by them in
the month of March. Paintings of this theme also represent the Warli tribe
involved in festivities and celebrations.

Fig 44 : The snake motif in a Nagpanchami themed painting

 42

Schemes for Artisans

Sambhag Scheme

Government Schemes Tribal Scheme

Young Talented Artistes Scheme

Schemes

DEF + Uddyam Scheme

Non govt/ NGO

Raah Foundation Scheme


Fig 68 : Warli Schemes that empower women
At the state level, the Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation
(MSSIDC) is the nodal agency for implementation of various schemes for the
development of handicrafts and to preserve deteriorating arts in the State of
Maharashtra. MSSIDC implements the schemes for the development of handicrafts of
State Government as well as Government of India. "Umed", the Maharashtra State Rural
Livelihoods Mission (MSRLM), supports women artisans in need through different
schemes and provides a platform for artisans to showcase and market their work
through the annual 'Saras Mela' / Fairs.
43
warli schemes
The Union Ministry of Tribal affairs has a Centre of Excellence at the
Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India have
arranged for women to have sustainable means of livelihoods. India
under go skilling/mentoring sessions to get their products market
ready by training over 1000s of tribal artisans.
A number of entrepreneurs, over the years have looked at
mainstreaming handicrafts by bringing productive profit into the
supply chain through market linkages, design interventions and
creating ownerships structures where artisans have their own stake
and can be a good source of income for them. Some of the successful
brands include Rangsutra, Industree , and bigger brands like
Fabindia and Anokhi.
Instead of selling it to middlemen at low prices, Online e-commerce
has opened up new opportunities for artisans to showcase their
products to a larger audience directly. This helps the artisans earn
larger profit margins and removes the hassles of involving a 3rd
person. Initiatives like Gaatha, Craftsvilla and Okhai have been able
to create an enabling an online platform for the benefit of artisans.
 44

ngos, gi. ipr. govt acts

The Sambhag Scheme

Sambhag is an initiative of the former Chief Minister of
Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, and it attempts to summon the
youth of the state, to understand urban demands and provide with
rural supply, and provide a “forward market linkage” to thousands
of skilled artisans from Maharashtra’s 36 districts .The best-selling
items at the TDD stall are handbags with warli prints. Women
artisans and entrepreneurs are empowered and promoted through
Sahabhag, with the help of MAVIM (a network of 12 lakh women
across Maharashtra). These women at KGAF are exhibiting
handmade products like bags, pillow covers, shawls, doormats, etc.

The Tribal Scheme

In the past 10 years, the families in Dharampur, Gujarat has seen a
rise in its finances for the better. In the past , many families in
Dharampur, Gujarat relied on low paying jobs to feed themselves.
The Ministry of Tribal Affairs chose Patel, who was driven by
poverty to train in the traditional art form Warli painting that
belongs to her region-under the women empowerment scheme .

Fig 69: The Sambhag Scheme

 45

ngos, gi. ipr. govt acts

The DEF Scheme

Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) launched the Digital
Cluster Development Programme in the year 2009 with a vision to
work in handloom and handicrafts clusters of india. Uddyam –
Warli, a digital cluster initiative that aims to digitally empower the
lives of tribal artisans in Talasari block of Maharashtra was
Fig 70 : DEF Scheme
celebrated by DEF in collaboration with United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) and supported by L&T Public
Charitable Trust .

The Raah Foundation Scheme

Raah Foundation, a Mumbai-based NGO, targets to spread
awareness on warli, with the first Warli Art Studio, in Jawhar,
Palghar district. The studio wants to popularize the art form and
ensure that the commercial value of the work is transferred to tribal
artists directly. A collaboration between the Tata Trusts and the
Harvard University South Asia Institute (SAI) with Raah
foundation’s proposal was accepted under a project called ‘Rural
Livelihood Creation in the Indian Crafts Sector,’

Fig 71 : Raah Foundation Scheme

 46

MODERN DAY WARLI

As the Warli Art and it’s style peaks to popularity, it has been
adapted into several modern motifs, as to infuse the traditional
style of drawing into urban themes which gives it a rather
contemporary look.
Motifs comprising modern elements like motorcycles, cars, buses
are used in current paintings. Since the covid period many
artisans have incorporated the use of elements like corona and
masks in their artwork to depict the present times through their
art. Many contemporary warli artworks/products are also sold in
the market since the modern generation can relate with these
elements more.

Fig 34 : Use if rake in warli Fig 35 : Use of motorcycle in Warli

 47

Warli has been used as an inspiration or a motif

quite a few times. This helps the craft to be
recognised and also helps artisans who worked with
companies receive a means of livelihood. Some of
the noptable examples where Warli was
represented are:

Archana Kocchar:
In the year 2018, Kocchar showcased her collection
in New York Fashion Week. The collection was
inspired by Warli. As part of Make In India
movement, she had been working with dying
crafts. Warli piqued her interest and she wanted to
take it to an international platform to spread
awareness about the same. During the time, she
worked with artisans to give them a means of
livelihood.

Fig 48: Archana Kochhar 's collection on NYFW 2018

 48

Anita Dongre:
In her 2015 collection GRASSROOTS, worked
with 12 crafts and 5 weaves. One of the crafts
among these was Warli. Payment for each
product was decided by the NGO they were
associated with based on the number of hours
and complexity of the work. She aimed to help
artisans receive their deserved respect, dignity,
fair wages and help continue the legacy of the
craft.

Fig 49 : Anita Dongre's Grassroots showcase at Lakme Fashion Week

 49

Jade by Monica and Karishma

Jade, a bridal couture brand worked with
handicrafts in India for their flagship store
display. One of them was warli. Monica shah has
been practicing Warli and Madhubani for some
time now. And in a situation like this, where we
are stuck in a pandemic, she wishes to support
these artisans. In her collection, they depict tribal
motifs in a way that the authenticity of the craft
remains and at the same time matches their
aesthetic. Their act is to bring awareness about
the craft to the masses and support the artisans.

Fig 50 :jade 's store display inspired by Warli and Gond art
 50

Coca Cola
Coca-Cola’s Warli Diwali advertisement from
2010 uses warli as its main focus. It aimed at
showcasing India's cultural beauty and
awareness for the art form. The ad was a form of
expressing the youth's emotions of sticking to
the roots despite the paths they end up
choosing.

Fig 51 : CocaCola Warli-Diwali advertisement from 2010

 51

Tony Garnier Urban Museum

Shantaram Chaitanya Tumbada, in the year 1993
was approached by the authorities of the
museum, which required him to work on a 5
series painting which depicted the 5 continents.
The painting was done on a wall of the museum
wall at Lyon, France.

Fig 52 : Tony Garnier Urban Museum Wall


Fig 54 : Artist Rajesh Vangad in front of his work done at Tata Memorial hospital
Fig 53 : Mumbai International Airport displaying Warli art in their logo
Mumbai International Airport
The airport held a three-month-long carnival
that depicted the diversity and culture of
Maharashtra. The logo of the event was a
depiction of a man playing the trumpet, Tutari.
52
Tata Memorial Hospital Parel
Rajesh Chaitya Vangad received a project from the Tata
Memorial hospital, where he was expected to create an art
which radiated positivity keeping in mind the hospital’s
cancer patients who come there from different parts of the
country. He then created an art where is drew Amritsar’s
Lotus temple, Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge and the himalayan
ranges, all of which depicts unity and hope.
 53
modern warli paintings
across india

The walls adjoining the Governor’s bungalow at

Walkeshwar in Maharashtra have been painted with the
longest wall to have Warli art paintings in Mumbai. This
includes beautiful depictions of Banganga, Gateway of
India, Taj Hotel, CST, Kala Ghoda, Sassoon Docks,
Borivali National Park and other major landmarks of
mumbai in a form of a story. This project was taken up by
BMC and Artdesh Foundation. This painting has over 60
Fig 55 : Warli Art At wall in Walkeshwar, Mumbai
themes covering over 6000 sq ft space

Warli painting has been displayed on the outer walls of

National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) a PSU under the
Department of Fertilizers, Corporate Office in Noida to
promote indian crafts. Warli painters have also got
employment from this project during these difficult covid
times.

Fig 56 : National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) a PSU under the Fig 57 : National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) office
Department of Fertilizers ,Corporate Office in Noida.
 54

Fig 58: Warli Art to decorate Mysore during Dasara Fig 59: Warli Art to decorate Mysore during Dasara

Mysuru City Corp

Mysuru City Corp Put one step forward to attract tourists as
the heritage city was getting ready for Dasara 2018. Artists
have decorated the Metagalli Bus stand, Kumbarakakopal bus
stand and Yadavgiri Bustand . The commissioner of the city ,
K.H Jagadish has taken this initiative to support warli artists.
Most of the paintings intend to give Mysuru a bridal look. The
choose to decorate old Bus stands and watertanks
 55

Fig 60 : 100 ft wall painted with warli paintings in Nashik , India

Vidya Prasarak Sanstha

Vidya Prasarak Sanstha, has painted warli paintings on
the compound wall of his private property. The festivals,
celebrations and ceremonies from the month of Chaitra
to the month of Falgun is what is depicted in the
paintings. This 100 feet long wall is decorated with
attractive Warli paintings is an attraction in Nashik. He
used to spend 2-3 hours everyday. He decided to add
pattern to the wall instead of keeping it flat adding a
modern aesthetic touch to the design .
 56

marketing

Warli artisans market their products through

attending exhibitions and stalls or by selling their
items in the market. Kala Ghoda arts festival is one
of the most renowned exhibitions. There are
individual stalls set up for each craft sector. People
from all over the world can been seen attending this
event. Artisans say that unique pieces sell off quickly
and most of the buyers are NRI’s or visitors from
other countries.

Fig 65: Warli stall at Kala Goda Arts Festival

 57

Marketing via exhibitions

The artisans attend both Government as well as private

exhibitions to showcase their art. Exhibitions that are
organized by the Government not only provide the
artisans with great exposure, but also come along with
benefits such as provision of facilities such as free
accommodation and also cover their travel expenses.
Thus, they are overall, highly effective in terms of
organization and beneficial to the artisans.

“I usually take a taxi or bus to attend these exhibitions”,

said Rajaram, who also stated he preferred the
government exhibitions over private ones as they give
him ample time to prepare for when the showcase takes
place around the months of September and October.
“Private exhibitions are introduced to me via agents or
contacts and are usually held throughout the year, which
makes It hectic for me to replenish the stock of products
continuously.”

The artisans usually carry their work in the taxi or bus in

which they commute till Dahanu, after which they
continue to travel with it via trains. “We mostly take
traditional paintings, along with objects with Warli
artwork done on them, and any customized orders too.”

Fig 67 : Craft exhibition hosted by British Council in New Delhi, India in Feb 2021 in celebration of 'India Craft
Week'
 58

Exhibitions are the main source of income for the Warli

tribe. They are invited for exhibitions across the country.
Majority of the orders are also received from the contacts
and connections acquired through the exhibition. The
artisans’ work is looked at within these exhibitions and
customers often contact them if they require customized
work.

These exhibitions are usually held around the festival of

Diwali making it one of the most important seasons for
Warli artists. Depending on convenience as per the scale
and the number of days the exhibitions run for, the
artisans sometimes take their family members to attend
the same as well. “I take products worth 2 lakhs for each
exhibition. The profit from these exhibitions usually
ranges from 50,000 to 1 lakh.”

Fig 66: Craft exhibition hosted by British Council in New Delhi, India in Feb 2021 in celebration of 'India Craft
Week'
 59

current scenario

Warli has experienced change in some of its sectors. The artform is now
not just limited as a craft and is now commercialized. It is not just
limited to the people of the village but also to the people all around the
globe. The purpose of the artform has changed from tradition and
custom to a source of income. Warli is available to the masses in the form
of paintings and commodities. Due to commercialization of the craft,
artisans are now exploring more mediums, surfaces and colors.

Earlier where warli art was just limited to the walls of the homes in the
village is now displayed on multiple surfaces like fabric, wood, ceramic,
pottery, cutlery, jewellery and accessories, home décor etc. warli can now
also be found on the walls around the street in many regions in India.
Breaking the traditional form of using only cow dung and rice powder
mixture and using bamboo straws for painting, artisans have now
started using paints and paint brushes available in the market. They also
use a variety of colors such as neon pink, reds and various other bright
colors as required by the clients unlike the traditional use of just whites.
 60

current scenario

The artform has been attracting a lot of tourists in the recent years. People
from Japan Australia England etc has been visiting the tribe and learning
this culture. Products or paintings made by these artisans are then
displayed in museums in other countries. Since Warli has attracted a lot of
tourist, people in India has started replicating the motifs. In this process,
the authenticity of the craft is lost and also the ideas and stories are not
portrayed like it should have been. Although people from around the world
are keen about learning and understanding the art, people from the village
or India aren’t quite as involved in the same. There are only a few artisans
who practice this art. Although kids do find the craft interesting, they do
not feel the same once they grow up. Hence, leaving not many people who
pursue this art. Artisans along with private institutes and NGOs conduct
workshops in the cities where people who are interested in learning and
understanding the art participate. The craft was traditionally done by the
women on the family. Since the art is now commercialized and has a
greater demand, it is now a domain of male artisans.
 61

divoc fo tcefeE
Representation of COVID in Warli
art
Post Covid Scenario
Market Scenario
 62

representation of COVID in warli

Fig 61 : T ulsi Patel , An Art Teacher Drawing The Pain Of Migrant Workers & Frontline Workers In
Warli Art On His House Walls

Fig. 63 Depiction of the current scenario Fig. 64 Depiction of covid elements and
of the frontline workers daily life & lord Ganesha and tribute to frontline
struggles workers

A 47 year old Surar based school teacher, Tulsi Patel and his wife
decided to dedicate their house walls to Corona-warriors and the
migrant workers, who went through a lot of struggles during the
corona period which gained a lot of media attention too. It intially
took them 5 days after they applied cow dung but they decided the
painting needed more elements so it ending up taking 20 days to
complete the painting. Many artists these days have taken
inspiration from the current situation and used their Warli art
skills to depict it.

Fig 62: Image of the final Artwork

 63

POST COVID SCENARIO

COVID-19 affected every individual in some way or the other. The artisans
faced trouble not only physically but also professionally. The major source of
income for artisans was through exhibitions that were conducted for the
artisans and craftsmen. Since the exhibitions were cancelled due to the
pandemic, the Warli artisans faced issues as they lost a form of income. Not
only that, the sales in products were also decreasing since there was not
many order placements or people visiting the village. They would not
receive commissioned works like they did before and that was a
disadvantage for them. On the other hand, artisans in hope of exploring
platforms where they could sell their products, opened up to social media.
They formed sites and accounts which they would use to promote their own
works and products. Some faced issue with understand the whole scenario
about social media as it was an alien subject to them. While some tried to
learn about it, the others seeked help from those who were aware about it.

Artists also took it as an opportunity to depict the pandemic in their art.

They took this as a theme and created elements which would portray the
events that took place throughout this time. This gave them a chance to
introduce new motifs and also gave a chance to expand their genres.

Fig 72 : Warli artisan working on a painting

 64

market scenario

In the year 2019 State government signed an MoU with

Amazon, aiming to help the artists list, market, and sell
their products online. They are also taught how they can
market and pack their products for the same. The tribal
cooperative marketing development federation of India
has signed MoUs with other online sites such as Flipkart,
Snapdeal, and Government E-Market in order to help
tribal communities.

In the current scenario, artisans are trying their shot at

expanding their businesses on social media such as
Instagram and Facebook. Since there is a massive
decrease in buyers in person, they aim to provide their
facilities online through shopping sites and social media.

Fig 74 : Warli products on Amazon

 65

Marketing via exhibitions

Exhibitions are the main source of income for the Warli

tribe. They are invited for exhibitions across the country.
Majority of the orders are also received from the contacts
and connections acquired through the exhibition. The
artisans’ work is looked at within these exhibitions and
customers often contact them if they require customized
work.

These exhibitions are usually held around the festival of

Diwali making it one of the most important seasons for
Warli artists. Depending on convenience as per the scale
and the number of days the exhibitions run for, the
artisans sometimes take their family members to attend
the same as well. “I take products worth 2 lakhs for each
exhibition. The profit from these exhibitions usually
ranges from 50,000 to 1 lakh.”

These exhibitions often attract foreign visitors as well,

who have guides along with them to explain what the
artisans try to convey through their paintings.

Fig 73 : Glimpse of a Warli Painting Exhibition organized by Bina Patel at Vapi

 66

Marketing via social media

In hopes of better opportunities during the pandemic,
several artisans belonging to the community including
Rajaram stepped into the world of social media. They got
to know about these platforms via a group of students
from the National institute of Fashion Technology, who
had documented their work earlier. Although making
Instagram accounts was a stepping stone for these
artisans, learning how to handle a page and promoting
the craft efficiently is a big hurdle for these artisans who
know very little about the digital world. “I use social
media platforms”, said Rajaram, “but I still hope for a
better reach and help inform a greater number of people
about my work.” They must be made aware on how to
create basic Instagram posts, use features such as
Instagram reels, and upload content that will increase
their reach, effectively promote and sell their products.
Yes, but I am still hoping for a better reach or help form
people in terms of work.

Fig 75 : Warli products on Instagram Fig 76 : Warli products on Instagram

 67

ELIFORP NASITRA
Rajaram Hengadi
Introduction
Achievements
Artisan Profile
Works

Renuka Lilaka
Introduction
Artisan Profile

Plagiarism in Warli
Suggestions by artisans
 68

an introduction
Mr. Rajaram Hengadi
Mr. Rajaram Hengadi is a second generation Warli
artisan who has been practicing the craft for the past 15
years of his life. He belongs to the Warli adivasi tribal
community from the coastal town of Dahanu in Palghar
district of Maharashtra. He is also one among the four
artisans who practice the craft within his locality.

Rajaram grew up seeing his father and aunt create Warli,

a beautiful tribal art that resembles pre- historic cave
paintings. His father was a master craftsman and had
handed down the tradition to his sons. By the age of 16,
Rajaram started creating Warli paintings with his
brother who motivated him in every step of his career.
He began with small-scale works under the guidance of
his brother. He completed his higher education
(Bachelors of Education) simultaneously from Panvel.
But his passion and respect for his craft bought him
back. With an abundance of experience and knowledge
in the craft, Rajaram is keen to pass on all that he has
learnt to safeguard the tradition that was handed onto
him. Apart from creating memorable stories through
Warli, he also conducts various workshops in
collaboration with design studios and educational
institutions to create awareness and new opportunities
for the craft around the country.
 69

His achievements

Achivements
1. He has won several accolades such as the Roshan
Kalapeshi Award for promising talent awarded by the
Paramparik Karigar, an association of craft persons in
India.

2. He has participated in several exhibitions, tribal

conclaves, craft melas and festivals.

3. He was one of the 10 documented artisans for the

Heart-Beat project conducted by DICRC (Design
Innovation Craft Research Centre) and the CEPT
university, Ahmedabad.

4. His works are featured in International museums.


artisan profile
Name : Mr. Rajaram Hengadi
Specialisation : Warli Art
Location : Dhaanu, Maharashtra
Experience : 15 years
Family:
Rajaram and his wife share all the
responsibilities in the house. When he
gives more time to Warli, she takes
over the responsibility of farming. Over
the years, Rajaram has also taught his
wife to create Warli.
Other sources of income:
Rajaram is also a farmer and cultivates
rice according to the monsoon. He
also teaches at a local school.
70
Amount of time taken to complete a painting:
Rajaram works for 8 – 10 hours per day to create
Warli paintings. If the painting is small, he
takes around 3 days and for larger paintings
(3X4 feet) he takes 4-5 days. The time spent on
each painting also depends upon the complexity
of the story and elements added. The biggest
commission that Rajaram has done is 4x6 feet
Warli artwork on cloth which took him 8 days.
Mode of learning:
Rajaram has not undergone any specialized
training to learn the craft. He was introduced to
the craft by his father and aunt and trained
himself by the method of doing.
He has been associated with NIFT for 5-6 years,
collaborated with them , they give me money for
the meetings. they have not given orders
though.
 71

glimpses of his work

Products incorporating Warli art

Fig : 77 Warli painting on tissue paper box by Mr. Rajaram Fig 78: Warli painting on wooden boxes painted by Mr. Rajaram
 72

Fig 79: Hanger painted by Mr. Rajaram Fig 80 : Tray painted by Mr. Rajaram Fig 81 :Pen stand Mr. Rajaram Hengadi
Hengadi, asssisted by Renuka Hengadi
 73

Commissioned paintings

Fig 83 : Village culture by Mr. Rajaram Hengadi

Fig 82 : Village scene by Mr. Rajaram
Hengadi, asssisted by Renuka

Fig 84 : Village activities and festivities by Mr. Rajaram Hengadi

 74

Fig 85: Agriculture in the village by Mr. Rajaram Hengadi Fig 86 :Tarpa celebration in the village by Mr. Rajaram Hengadi
 75

glimpses of his work on social media

Mr. Rajaram's Art on Instagram

Fig 88: Rajaram's artwork posts on Fig 89: Rajaram's artwork posts on Fig 90: Rajaram's artwork posts on
Fig 87: Mr. Rajaram's profile under his Instagram profile his Instagram profile his Instagram profile
username warliartist_rr
 76

an introduction
Ms Renuka Lilaka

Ms Renuka is a learning Warli artisan, who has

presently, been trained for 5 years in the craft. She also
belongs to the Warli Adivasi tribal community from the
coastal town of Dahanu, in the Palghar district of
Maharashtra.
Being a young school student in Dahanu, Renuka found
herself interested in the craft that she witnessed her
uncle, Mr. Rajaram Hengadi, practice. By teaching her
about the craft, and working on paintings with her, he is
essentially handing down this tradition to a younger
generation, with her being keen on adopting the same.
She has completed a 3- year Engineering course in
Dahanu and is currently enrolled to learn more about art
and sketching, besides practicing Warli.
 77
artisan profile

Amount of time taken to complete a painting:

Name : Ms. Renuka Lilaka
Specialisation : Warli Art Assisting and learning from Rajaram, the
Location : Dhaanu, Maharashtra number of hours she spends on Warli paintings
Experience : 5 years is no different from him. Smaller paintings
taking 4-5 hours per day over a 3 day period and
larger ones taking around 4-5 days for the same.
Family:
Renuka’s family consists of
herself, parents, her brother
and uncle. Out of them all, her
uncle and brother practice Mode of learning:
Warli art, while the others
including herself are still Renuka has been passed down the tradition of
learning the same. Warli art by Rajaram, as he trains her on the
same. She looks up to him as a mentor, and is
keen on continuing her practice of Warli art.
According to her, her initial 2-3 years of learning
Other sources of income: the craft helped build her base, which will only
Her primary source of income is help her learn more about the intricacies of
through the help she provides Warli art, as she has been.
her uncle, Mr. Rajaram Hengadi,
with his commissioned work.
After working on a painting with
him, she receives a portion of the
fee Rajaram receives. Being a
student, Warli is currently her
only source of income.
 78

Rajaram feels that Warli must be kept as an extracurricular activity at

schools in Dahanu to stop the craft from going extinct and to safeguard suggestions by the artisan
its traditional ways. He himself volunteers to teach interested students.
“People do show interest in the craft once they come to know about what
Warli truly is. I have had students who attended my seminars and
He strongly believes that if the government can provide a proper
workshops reach out to me to continue with their education on Warli.
appreciation to the craft and financial security to all the artisans, they
They offer a promising future for the craft and I wish that it gets taken
would be able to channelize their love for the craft more effectively.
up by the generation after me and they do justice to the craft and to our
legacy”.
Setting up Warli museums or exhibition centers at the heart of
Dhanu can solve the transportation problems, promote the
authentic craft and provide opportunities for more people to come,
learn and document the craft giving it the recognition it deserves.
Increasing the duration of exhibitions will provide people enough
time to explore all the stores set up.
 79
Rajaram highly disagrees with the practice of Warli art without prior
understanding of it, and without stepping into the community. “The
essence of our lives is manifested into this craft” said Rajaram, “This
should be stopped.”

Warli, being a less technical craft, employing the usage of basic

geometric shapes makes it a lot easier to be plagiarised. There are plagiariSm in warli art
spurious replicas created by skilled copyists, however a true master
artisan can spot such copies in no time, owing to their years of
experience, knowledge and exposure to the craft.

The art of Warli is such that, to truly master it requires one to be aware
of the Warli tribal culture, customs, stories, religious beliefs, legends,
etc. Making true, authentic Warli art is only possible by having a true
insight into the daily life of Warli tribals and taking part in it.
 80

sisylanA ataD
SWOT analysis
Problems identified
Conclusion
81

SWOT ANALYSIS

Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats

S W O T

Firstly with newer

Warli art skills can be Plagiarism ~ The art Social Media and
generations drifting
picked up easily and isn’t all that intricate other online
away from their roots,
the artworks are and only made of lines platforms can be used
Warli art is becoming
mostly made up of and simple shapes for promoting the
a dying breed.
simple lines. which makes it easy to craft and opening it
replicate by bigger up to the world, this
The simplicity of the
Warli art has crawled companies or artists. would help to keep
Artwork allows people
it’s way out to papers the Art alive.
to replicate it easily.
and walls to various Most Artists are not
products in the well educated, un-
market. aware of the media or
how to use it, due to
It is quite popular which they miss on
around the globe, the opportunity to
with demands for promote their
several wali design artworks online.
products.
 82

Strengths Weakness Opportunities Threats

S W O T

Health related threats

Warli is a medium The colors and Motifs The Government
occur as the art
that can be and is very can get monotonous could work along with
requires a lot of time
well used to spread and repetitive after a the artisans to
and patience and
and portray stories point. promote the art
most of the artisans
and folklores from outside India as
work in challenging
our history and Warli art like most handmade crafts and
conditions, in
culture. traditional art and products are quite the
postures that may
crafts, is a dying demand abroad. Few
affect their health.
Materials required for breed as the newer initiatives have
Warli art are easily generations don’t take already been taken.
available. up the legacy of the
art as enthusiastically
as their previous
generations did.
 83

PROBLEMS
Lack of social media IDENTIFIED
knowledge and online
market presence

Aware of only few Short durations of art

government schemes exhibitions leading to
for Warli artisans lesser exposure

Additional income sources Lack of Warli

(agriculture) gets hindered
due to climatic conditions
PROBLEMS exhibitions within
Dahanu

Plagiarism by brands Difficulty in

without prior connecting with
understanding of potential customers
the craft during COVID-19

Difficulty in spreading
awareness about Warli
workshops/ classes
 84

Help Artisans
ACTION PLAN
understand social
media marketing on
instagram,
Whatsapp, Facebook
Encourage artisans to Government can
through seminars organize online
make paintings on
social issues or modern Exhibitions for artists
themes to connect more to display their work
with new generation and online mediums of
We can use our social audience on social payment can be Invite Artisans to
media or approach media provided colleges during fests
activism pages with
/ events to exhibit
large audience to
encourage designers and SOLUTIONS their work which
helps them reach out
to work with Warli
Artisans and help to more potential
preserve our crafts Learn about apps We should take more buyers
like Spec India measures to make
which is specifically artisans aware of all
made to connect the policies being
artisans with traders
and buyers
provided by them
Artisans should be
made aware about
online selling
platforms like Amazon,
Filpkart, Craftsvilla etc
 85

CONCLUSION

We are living through a period where we discover new things every few weeks or months; the
search for novelty never really ends, and among the glitters of new trends we tend to ignore and
forget about the gold that is our roots, culture, and heritage.

Tribal arts are passed down from generations to generations so to carry forward the legacy and
that is how most of the Tribal arts and crafts are still thriving; However as the days pass tribal
communities like Warli themselves are struggling to preserve their dying legacy, finding
themselves in a difficult position as the newer generations resist much interest in the art. We
may conclude that promoting the art and most importantly the artisans in right ways, and places
so they reach out to the newer generations and the world beyond India is very much needed; as
the lack of income due to the lack of awareness, is another major reason why the newer
generations of the Tribe refuse to take on the skills, knowledge and practice of their parents and
grandparents.

Our conversations with the artisans, Mr. Rajaram and Ms. Renuka gave us valuable insight into
the world of Warli- from the workings of the craft to the lives the Warlis live. It was inspiring to
learn about their immense love for nature, appreciating their own culture and representing it
through this beautiful art form. Warli art requires years of practice and skills, and through these
interviews, we were able to witness the detailed, exquisite process of Warli art creation, giving us
a greater understanding of the same.
 86

ECNEIREPXE ruo

Timeline on our journey

Personal experiences
 87
TIMELINE ON OUR JOURNEY

EXPERIENCE

Step 1 : Aim & Objectives Understanding the aim and objectives of the project gave us direction to start planning the steps
required to form a detailed documentation on the craft

We used resources available on the internet to complete this step. This helped us understanding the
Step 2 Secondary Research on Warli basic process of the craft and learning facts about the warli tribe
:

Data Analysis - Our Once we had the secondary research it helped us form an opinion about the lifestyle of the warli
Step 3
: observations tribes and the craft as a whole

After analysing the data, it made it easier for us to start framing questions to form the artisan profile.
Step 4 Preparing a Questionnaire We formed questions based of our knowledge from the secondary data with the aim of gaining
: personal insights from the artisan

Interview with the artisans was a very informative experience. Interacting with them gave us a lot
Step 5 Interviewing the artisans more clarity regarding the craft and the lives of the artisans
:

Problem Identification The interview helped us understand the problems faced by the artisans from their perspectives and
Step 6
:
Creating SWOT analysis helped us analyse the data in a systematic way to form SWOT analysis

Project Conclusion and The primary and secondary data collected by us helped us understand the craft and the artisans and
Step 7
: Solutions we concluded the document with some suggestions to help the Artisans during Covid times

Step 8 Documentation Process We compiled the data in a structured manner forming our final doc
:
 88

"Despite having partaken in the Craft Cluster Initiative
online rather than what it would usually be, it was a highly
insightful, and a unique experience altogether. To be able to
speak to artisans practicing Warli in Dahanu, first hand was
a wonderful opportunity. Gaining insights into the lifestyles
of the Warli tribe, learning about their process and their
experiences with the craft were interesting aspects that I'm
grateful our team got to learn about. I hope that the
knowledge we have gained from the craft cluster today ,will
help us take our journey with Warli art forward in the most
efficient manner possible."
-Shreeya
Personal experiences
"I personally believe I could empathize with the craft better
since we had a first-hand experience with the artisans.
Through the artisans, we could get an insight as to how they
live, find inspiration, and how they make their stories into a
painting. Learning about their hardships made me want to
be able to help them. The Craft Cluster helped us learn about
a craft that we had heard about, but had never seen all this
while. There are many other out there who if given a
chance, would be willing to learn about the craft if
introduced to it. We hope we help artisans and the craft to
spread awareness and achieve the recognition it deserves."
-Sneha

" The experience with the artisans and craft cluster project
was truly insightful and gave me a broader perspective on
the craft as a whole and opened my eyes to the problems
faced by the warli artisans. Through this process i witnessed
the intricate process and skill which goes behind these
sacred paintings and how beautifully the tribe values and
depicts their culture through these pictographs. This
knowledgeable experience has increased our awareness
reguarding the craft with which we hope to be able to
contribute to the community to help the artisans carry their
legacy forward."
-Vedantika

The entire experience was refreshing and overwhelming.
We interacted with the artisans, understood their lifestyle
and problems. The craft cluster, not only helped me educate
myself on the various crafts of India but also taught me the
important lesson of staying grounded and to have my own
identity. These artisans are highly experienced and create
products of unmatched quality. I find myself grateful for
this opportunity and I would be a great reward if I could do
something for the betterment of the craft and the
community of artisans.
-Kareen
I find myself grateful to have gotten the opportunity to be a
part of this project; To have interacted with the artisans on a
personal level, getting to know about them, their lifestyle,
their struggles, and of course credible insights about the art
and it’s process. The craft cluster as a whole was an
extremely informative and fascinating experience. It breaks
our heart to see an art with such glorious history and stories
on the verge of despair, and we really hope we could make a
difference to that situation.
-Srishti
89
Personal experiences
I am an artist, that is who I am, and when it comes to
talking about the thought processes of other unique artists,
it makes me highly interested. Doesn't matter what kind of
art they make, I believe is every artist is connected with this
art force that shapes the world around us, makes it beautiful
to live in. How they live and their condition is overlooked by
people who look more inside their pockets rather the art.
What the artist wants is to make the world beautiful for all
the people in it and they will do that with more passion and
enthusiasm if they are treated well, paid well, didn't looked
down, or thought of as the ones who couldn't do what they
did , but rather the one who did what others could not. An
artist is never discouraged.
-Paritosh
 90

SREHTO
Questionnaire
Bibliography
Image Links

Family History:
Has your entire family been associated with practicing with
Warli art? If so, then for how many years?
How many members are present in your family?
Do your children go to school? What are they currently doing?
Do you presently teach any of your family member Warli
How ? from whom did you learn to create Warli art?
Who has inspired and encourages you to create Warli art?
What will you make to ensure that this art form is passed onto
your future generation? Will you encourage them to pursue
their passion even if it is not Warli?
Work, themes and process:
What are the common themes that you depict in your paintings?
What are the common types of icons (iconography) you use in your
paintings? What do they mean?
Do you use Warli art as means to spread socially relevant messages?
Have you created any icon of your own?
How do you come up with a theme or a story?
What is a typical process, from the start to the end of creating a
Warli painting?
91
questionnaire
What are the major colors used in Warli art, and what do they
represent?
What kind of warli paintings do you make/ themes of your
paintings/ what do your paintings depict?
How many paintings do you make in a day?
How long does it take to work on one warli painting ?
How do you earn a living through warli art/ do you sell your work?
Art specific:
What are the most common types of motifs that you use?
What do these motifs mean/ represent?
What colors do you use in your Warli paintings?
What are the major colors used in Warli art, and what do they
represent?

Post Covid situation:
How has work changed ever since the pandemic?
What are some of the main obstacles you have had to, and still
overcome to this very day after the onset of the pandemic?
Work environment:
Where do you work on the daily?
What is your work environment like- location wise? Is it
comfortable?
How many hours do you spend in your workspace daily?
Within your work environment, what kind of technology do
you use? If any (any extra tools/ machines)
Wages and Security:
Is there any NGO(s) looking over your
work?
Do you think you get fair wages?
How are the agencies / agency over you
helping you out with your work?
Is there anything else that you do besides
creating warli art, for a living?
92
questionnaire
Materials:
What materials do you usually use when creating warli
art?
Where do you get your raw materials?
Where do you source these materials from?
Do you make your own colors?
Is there a scarcity in any of the materials you use and look
out for/ is there any material that Is difficult to obtain?
Post Covid situation:
How has work changed ever since the pandemic?
What are some of the main obstacles you have had to, and
still overcome to this very day after the onset of the
pandemic?

Future prospects/ expectations:
What do you think about the current warli market
scenario? Do you think it’s in a good place, and why?
Have the demands for warli paintings reduced over the
years, and specifically after the covid-19 pandemic?
What would you consider as a solution or an ideal
situation with respect to warli being in the commercial
market?
Social Media:
Have you promoted or sold your products on social media
platforms?
Have you ever been a victim to plagiarism? And How often
do you think it happens & how do you deal with it?
Do you think you can do anything to avoid plagiarism?
How do you promote your art if not on social media, or
besides social media.
93
questionnaire
Lifestyle:
How are the daily chores divided within the family?
What is the major diet of the people in Dahanu?
What are the daily clothing styles of people?
Is there any special custom that is practiced?
What are the attires worn by the villagers during these
festivals?
Rituals, Customs and Beliefs:
Which entity does the Warli tribe believe in?
Is there any special custom that is practiced?
Is there any special dance performed during these
festivals?
What are the instruments/materials used during these
festivals?
When are these festivals celebrated?
How do they prepare for these festivals?
Are there any stories associated with these festivals?
What are the local festivals of Dahanu (harvest) and how
are they celebrated by the villagers?
What are the various ritualistic practices that are practiced
by the Warli tribe? Are any paintings drawn specifically
during these ceremonies?
 94
bibliography

https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/news/warli-paintings-different-types-styles

https://merikalamurti.medium.com/warli-painting-art-made-from-geometry-9257d9570a2e

http://ijahms.com/upcomingissue/08.03.2018.pdf

http://researchjournal.co.in/upload/assignments/9_491-495.pdf

https://www.nimsme.org/ranzo/uploads/articles/Warli_Painting_Book_603.pdf

https://downtowndurham.com/warli/

https://jayahegvknewmuseumstore.wordpress.com/2019/07/12/wonders-of-warli-the-tribal-legacy-of-mud-and-rice-art/

https://www.scoonews.com/news/this-art-teacher-drew-the-pain-of-migrant-workers-frontline-workers-in-warli-art-
on-his-house-walls-9107
 95
bibliography

https://issuu.com/dicrc/docs/1_heartbeat_dicrc_lr

http://researchjournal.co.in/upload/assignments/9_491-495.pdf

http://theidealhomeandgarden.com/promoting-indian-art/

https://swadesee.com/visit-warli-tribe-arshi-shaikh/

https://www.instagram.com/warli_shaili/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/warli_art_painting/?hl=en

https://www.whatshot.in/amp/mumbai/beautiful-warli-art-at-walkeshwar-c-14611

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.exoticindiaart.com%2Fproduct%2Fpaintings%2Fworshipping-
mother-goddess-on-eve-of-marriage-
pv80%2F&psig=AOvVaw3K0rGgdf5mR_BWkbYtbbx0&ust=1629614466489000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoT
CMivrI3BwfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK
 96
image LINKS

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fjayahegvknewmuseumstore.wordpress.com%2F2019%2F07%2F12%2Fwonders-of-warli-the-tribal-legacy-of-mud-
and-rice-art%2F&psig=AOvVaw0MzfHme-790jYcfrqPuQBa&ust=1629618039960000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCKjYoLXcwfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F164640260408014%2Fposts%2Fsunder-lagna-chauk-by-vijay-
vadu%2F1237387873133242%2F&psig=AOvVaw1OkED1ckn7usYnsZ7ch-
e8&ust=1629621847826000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCLCep_XcwfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.artgalleryaustralia.com.au%2Fproduct%2Fdev-chowk&psig=AOvVaw2-
AzglnAWWGS_C0FOOolxL&ust=1629622059756000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCKjavbPewfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1253/5017/products/2_aec2b601-469f-4f40-9ea5-222fe768ff1b_1024x1024.jpg?v=1463033102

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fojasart.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2FWarli-e-
Brochure.pdf&psig=AOvVaw13s8S13SfYCPg7GQaIVNte&ust=1629624632914000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCMD445XnwfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fknappily.com%2FLifestyle%2Fwarli-the-art-of-nature-for-
nature%2F59a6923a3ccd0a4919e049c6&psig=AOvVaw3aSHoagfCBve-
XY_pNviW8&ust=1629624996722000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCIi1_arowfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.unnatisilks.com%2Fwarli-painting-introduction-indian-
crafts.html&psig=AOvVaw3YZ17bx8wGTJHUvk3lH2uc&ust=1629626233016000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCOiM6fnswfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.utsavpedia.com%2Fmotifs-embroideries%2Fvarli-an-attire-of-dadra-and-nagar-
haveli%2F&psig=AOvVaw0AZp_kf7z2ibxS_f0GF-bZ&ust=1629630658513000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCPjz2Lv9wfICFQAAAAAdAAAAABAL
 97
image LINKS

Lagna Chauk- http://www.khambatti.com/shabbir/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=173

Dev Chauk- https://vidyarty.com/index.php/2020/05/27/warli-art/
Lagna chauk- https://icharchive.intach.org/Detail/objects/15325
Tarpa- https://www.remek.in/products/warli-painting-from-maharashtra
Kanna- https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/news/warli-paintings-different-types-
styles
Nagpanchami- https://www.amazon.com/Exotic-India-Panchami-Pooja-
Jungle/dp/B07L9DDJ5Z

Warli artisan working on a painting-

Muthi painting imprinted behind Warli women- https://engrave.in/blog/warli-art/
Warli painting exhibiting 'x-ray vision'- https://www.memeraki.com/products/28th-
june-online-warli-art-workshop-by-anil-wangad
https://www.utsavpedia.com/motifs-embroideries/varli-an-attire-of-dadra-and-
nagar-haveli/attachment/warli/
https://www.craftsvilla.com/blog/warli-art-history-maharashtra/amp/

Agriculture pg 35
https://chssachetan.wordpress.com/2017/07/15/the-warli-tribals-of-maharashtra-a-
progressive-culture-to-be-emulated-2/amp/
Current Scenario - pg 40
https://www.scoonews.com/news/this-art-teacher-drew-the-pain-of-migrant-
workers-frontline-workers-in-warli-art-on-his-house-walls-9107
 98
image LINKS

Current Scenario - pg 40
https://www.scoonews.com/news/this-art-teacher-drew-the-pain-of-migrant-workers-frontline-
workers-in-warli-art-on-his-house-walls-9107

Current Scenario - pg 41
https://www.whatshot.in/amp/mumbai/beautiful-warli-art-at-walkeshwar-c-14611
https://www.deshdoot.com/amp/story/deshdoot-times/teacher-creates-100-ft-long-warli-painting
https://indiacsr.in/national-fertilizers-adorns-its-walls-with-warli-paintings/
https://citytoday.news/warli-artistic-touch-to-heritage-city/

Exhibition
https://www.indulgexpress.com/culture/art/2021/feb/19/the-warli-exhibition-showcases-unique-
collaboration-in-craft-between-india-and-the-uk-31827.html
https://twitter.com/prafulkpatel/status/1231790560203231233/photo/3

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/General-Discussion/Exploring-Traditional-Indian-arts-and-
crafts-at-Urban-Haat/td-p/1778591