Wall Paintings Doing a Vanishing Act in India

THE TIMES OF INDIA
By Swati Chandra

Wall painting by Anupreet

INDIA - The bright coloured parrots, horses, gods and goddess painted on the walls of the houses, temples and ashrams of Varanasi were often seen while walking down the lanes of the city. The wall painting art, better known as 'bhitti chitrakala' is an exclusive folk art of Varanasi. But now it is struggling to breathe on the walls, ceilings and gateways of various temples, havelis and muths of the city. The paintings depicting mythological stories, colonial, Rajasthani and Mughal art at Jangambadi Muth, Bhonslaghat, Bageshwari Temple have already lost their lustrous look while various others are on the way to get extinct. "The main reason for the depletion of this art is negligence and unawareness," said Kamal Giri, a retired professor from the department of history of arts, Banaras Hindu University (BHU).According to historians and artists, the evidences of this folk art dates back to the end of 16th century. [link]