A Pichwai is a devotional painting on cloth, made to hang behind the deity Shrinathji at Nathdwara. Here is what it is, how it is made, and why it now hangs in contemporary Indian homes.
What the word means
Pichwai comes from the Hindi pichh (behind) and wai (hanging). It names a large painted cloth hung behind the image of Shrinathji, a child form of Krishna, in the Nathdwara temple of Rajasthan. The cloth changes with the season, the festival and the hour of worship, so a temple keeps many Pichwais and brings each out for its moment.
What a Pichwai shows
The recurring subjects are the sacred cow, the lotus pond, monsoon clouds, the raas leela and the gopis, all arranged around the central figure of Shrinathji. The palette is dark green, deep blue, ochre and gold, on a ground of starched cotton. Nathdwara painters use mineral and vegetable pigments, ground by hand, and finish with gold leaf on jewellery, horns and borders.
How it is made
The cotton is sized with rice starch and stretched. The ground colour is laid first, then the composition is drawn in outline, filled, and detailed last. A large temple Pichwai can take a family of painters several months. Smaller works for homes follow the same sequence in fewer weeks.
Pichwai in the contemporary home
Because a Pichwai was designed to be seen from across a temple hall, it reads beautifully from across a living room. Hang it as the one patterned object on its wall, with brass, raw wood and unbleached linen around it. Smaller framed studies suit a study or bedroom; a lotus study suits a room made for rest.
Questions people ask
Is Pichwai the same as Nathdwara painting?
Nathdwara painting is the broader school; Pichwai is its most famous form, the cloth made to hang behind the deity. UPSKARA's Gokul pieces are painted in the Pichwai tradition.
What is a Pichwai painted on?
Traditionally on starched cotton with natural pigments and gold. UPSKARA's Pichwai-inspired panels are art prints of original paintings on engineered wood with hand-finished borders, and the hand-painted borders carry real handwork.
How do I care for a Pichwai?
Keep it out of direct sun and humidity and dust with a dry, soft brush. Never wipe painted cloth with a wet cloth.
