Just as Rajasthan is known for its colourful people, art and culture, there is no escaping the overwhelming presence of its amazing rural decorations everywhere.The colourful Mandnad creations are one of the most profuse forms of decorative cultural art forms in the state.

The walls of the hutments are covered with plaster of clay, cow dung and hay, making a termite free (antiseptic) façade that blends in with the countryside around it.

Some of the other expressions of their aesthetic sentiments are the adornment of their bodies with henna or tattooing a large variety of designs especially on animals like the cow and the camels.

They put the decorative impressions on these animals for identification and affection.The regions around Sawaimadhopur and Indergarh with dominant tribal houses especially the Meena and Bhil offer a wide variety of such designs and are always a special attraction for the rural tourist.

Village sarpanch Sukhi Bai says, “Many tourists visiting the region look out to get a glimpse of the typical village culture, jewellery, utensils, lifestyles and the colourful clothing of the village folks besides the impressive artistry on the mud houses which is amazing.”

Their art of designing broadly revolves around a few basic themes, some floral, some fringy and some fillers called phoolri and bela . A whole range of fantastic designs created with meticulous permutations and combinations of these motifs. During fairs, eg, during the rainy season, patterns called phool, chopar, a game traditionally associated with the groom and bride are used.

The paglia footprint design is used specially to mark a birth in the family and is similar to Lakshmi’s feet in Alpana.

To mark the marriage celebrations and on events like the welcoming of a new guest, the women folk usually make patterns, symbolic of a swagat, which they call gadi and galicha. Vermillion, white and orange patterns are the speciality of the festival, and amongst the most popular designs, used on this occasion, are what they call kamal, hatari and the earthen diya.

Noted painter Gagan Bihari says, “according to folk traditions, the courtyard must never be left without a floor decoration after it has been hygienically cleaned and coated with gobar ka lep (coating of cow dung). Kadia, white earth or geru, lal mitti or a combination of both are used for making artistic designs on the floors and the walls and at different places inside the house.

The earth is mixed with water and for creating decorations on the floor, a small piece of cloth soaked in this paste is held between the thumb and the first two fingers to make the image.

It starts from the centre of the desired design, first drawing the contours of the geometrical figures, later filling the vacant spaces with some kind of fillers. Finally the completion is done by adding little ornamental fringy strips on the edges”.

Thus, there is a specific design for the Poornima, another for the Nava Varsh etc. Other traditional ones include the chopper, pankhi or beejani meaning a hand-fan, a typical design for the summers and lahriya, meaning a ripple, being the most popular pattern for the winter.

The designs of rangoli are also very popular where the dry gulal, wet colours and sparkling extras are used at the entrance of a venue or function. Some even use small glass pieces pasted on the walls and crushed palm sticks as rural ingredients.

Fine cotton buds are used to draw the patterns with a solution of Geru on Choona painted walls. Importance is attached to the pattern called paglia which is symbolic of the feet of Lakshmi Devi. Art researcher Abdul Hanif from Kota says that “the designs vary from place to place and from community to community”.

There is also a marked variation in the variety of colors, styles and the intensity of the decorations. The designs by the Meenas, Kewat, Nagars, Jats etc are noteworthy and have distinctive styles, geometric designs and patterns, colours though other communities also do it.  

Similarly, decorating the hands and feet and hair with  mehendi is a notable feature of the folk aesthetics and culture. The mehendi tradition is particularly famous in Ratlam, Jaipur and other places.

In the culture of the state even men adorn themselves with henna on  occasions.

‘Decorate your hands and feet with mehendi and it willbring good luck to your life’ That is how the belief goes. This traditional aspect has often been used as part of the competitions and events during tourism festivals of the state to fascinate the visitors who have always found the special art pretty interesting.

The village women are fond of tattooing and believe that it always makes them look more beautiful.The selected design is embedded into the skin through sharp needle. When the mark becomes visible and blood oozes out from different prick points, lamp black is pressed by a thumb into the design. The paste of a common herb dudhi and the similar ones are then applied as an antiseptic.