Folk wisdom and geometry meet in Deevaru mural tradition

Bengaluru: The Centre for Revival of Indigenous Art (CFRIA) today launched Deevara Chittara: The Artform, the People, their Culture, a coffee table book that documents the endangered Chittara mural tradition of Karnataka’s Deevaru community.

CFRIA, a Bengaluru-based non-profit, has been working for over two decades to preserve traditional art forms, with a focus on Chittara. The new publication is intended as a resource for artists, scholars, and cultural institutions invested in indigenous knowledge systems.

The book was released by Padma Bhushan awardee and folklorist Dr Chandrashekhara Kambara at the Indian Institute of World Culture (IIWC), Bengaluru. Kambara, while congratulating the authors, said: “There are over 70 indigenous folk art forms in India. The respect they have for work and the working class, the values they hold for nature, and the compassion they show for their fellow humans is unparalleled. I thank the authors for putting out this book.”

Co-authored by Geetha Bhat and Smitha Tumuluru, with visuals by Tumuluru and design by Namrata Cavale, the book is the result of two years of field research.

Deevara Chittara presents the visual language of Chittara art—practised mainly by Deevaru women—through photographs, oral histories, folk songs, and ritual documentation. The book highlights the community’s marriage customs, festivals, and eco-friendly practices. The making of the art is also accompanied by the singing of folk songs unique to the Deevaru community.

According to CFRIA founder Geetha Bhat, Chittara art incorporates geometric designs and symbols, and weaves extremely intricate patterns that require an innate understanding of mathematics. “This book is not just an archive—it is a celebration of a living tradition. It carries the voice of a community and the wisdom of generations, brought alive through art and storytelling,” she added.

The launch also inaugurated a four-day Chittara and photography exhibition titled The Language of Lines—an exhibition of Chittara paintings and photographs—opened by textile revivalist Pavithra Muddaya, known for her work with the Vimor Museum of Living Textiles.