INDIA

The Secret Art of Painting

When in Udaipur: exploring its magnificent architecture and of course, tasting its food is a must! But what if we say there’s a unique not-to-miss experience rarely featured in any of the travel guides? Art and culture lovers, hold your breath…

And dive deep into Jal Sanjhi – a unique art of painting almost faded into the layers of history. A popular art form in Jaipur back in the day (over 200 years ago!), it’s now kept alive by just one family in Udaipur that has been passing on this technique through the generations. The Jal Sanjhi workshop is, without a doubt, one of the most exclusive experiences in all of India.

This special art form is based on painting on water in tribute to Lord Krishna, one of the Hindu Gods.  In order to keep the centuries old secrets intact, the artists prepare all the ingredients and colours before the painting demo – however you will get to see the process of creation.

The water is placed into a flat vessel and then a mix of charcoal and other secret ingredients is sprinkled over the water as a floating base. Once the base is settled, stencils of Krishna are placed very carefully over the water and the artist can start adding more colours. The process ends with lifting the stencils from the floating base, revealing the unique Jal Sanjhi painting to the audience.

(images: udaipurblog.com)