Preserving the legacy of Tanjore Art

Tanjore art, originating from the Thanjavur region of Tamil Nadu, is a traditional Indian art form that has captivated art enthusiasts for centuries. Known for its intricate details and use of semi-precious stones, gold foils, and textured surfaces, Tanjore paintings often depict gods and goddesses like Ganesh, Lakshmi, Krishna, and Rama.

From a young age, Banita Hamirwasia, a Delhi-based artist, was captivated by the world of colour. It was not just a passing interest, but a passion that burned brightly in her heart. Her artistic journey took her deep into the world of spirituality and culture.

She embraced the teachings and practices of her faith, feeling a profound connection with Krishna, a Hindu god. This passion and faith led her to the unique art form, Tanjore. The raised, textured effects, the use of semi-precious stones, and the rich golden tones intrigued her deeply. She was drawn to its beauty, but also to the craftsmanship and cultural heritage it embodied.

Tanjore art, originating from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu in the 17^th century, is renowned for its depiction of deities such as Ganesh, Lakshmi, Krishna and Rama. The paintings incorporate precious stones and gold foils adorning the intricately designed and painted deities. The beauty of these paintings is magnified when framed in traditional Mani or Chettinad Teak wood.

Tanjore art is said to possess a timeless appeal, blending cultural heritage, spiritual devotion, and artistic passion.

Being from Kolkata originally, what inspired you to focus on Tanjore art which has roots in Tamil Nadu?

Colours fascinated me and there was always the single most dream of being an artist one day, nothing else.

I was drawn to Tanjore because being spiritual, and being in love with colour; the passion, the intricacies and the craftsmanship of Tanjore Art fascinated me.

Those raised textured effects, the use of semi-precious stones, the golds, I loved working on it. And then of course, when you go into the depth, you realise it is cultural heritage and we want to preserve.

So, it made sense to blend my spiritual and artistic aspirations with our cultural heritage.

With rising modernisation and commercialisation of art, do you think Tanjore is losing its authenticity or is it evolving?

It is evolving and it is very important. I mean, it is all in our mind, there are people who just love Tanjore art. There are people who have houses decorated with different kinds of such paintings.

A lot of people believe that it is auspicious to have these paintings in their homes, because in Tanjore we are featuring gods and goddesses, like Ganesh, Lakshmi, Krishna, Ram Darbar (a representation of Rama’s court, which includes his wife Sita, brother Lakshman, and devotee Hanuman).

Hence the spiritual aspect of the artform is keeping it alive and relevant even after so many years.

How do you preserve the quality and authenticity of Tanjore while also like making it appealing?

I often used to visit Vrindavan and multiple temples in the south, and the difference I found is that the depiction of gods in Northern and Southern India is starkly different.

In the South and the Northern parts of India, the images, paintings and even idols of gods and deities are starkly different. I have blended the South Indian form of Tanjore Art with elements from the North in order to add my own touch to it.

Also, whenever we are doing anything, we have to go back into that history of art, rather than art I would say history of gods and goddesses with art and know the answer before we try to sketch anything, I mean I cannot just use a black background for my paintings. The process involves extensive research and you really need to be careful because with these spiritually inspired artforms, as people attach a lot of emotions to it.

People are very, very rigid about the forms of the gods and goddesses, like they will not buy anything which is not a traditional form, like a Hanuman has to be in its place when we are making a Ram Darbar, like you cannot shift those things, so we have limited freedom, we cannot just change anything like that, but within those boundaries whatever is possible we do.

I have clients who will just come and ask me that why are you using the colour blue for Krishna or why are you using blue bangles for Radha, or, why do they have blue stones whereas you are using red stones for Lakshmi’s bangles, so I have to know the answers those questions. Without knowing its history and cultural significance, you cannot preserve any artform.

What is the role of the gold foils used in Tanjore Art?

Tanjore is an art where the usage of gold is a journey in itself. We cannot make a Tanjore painting without using gold in areas like jewellery, background, or the mandap. It will not be a Tanjore unless you use gold, it will just be a normal painting.

The process involves using certain kind of clays to give the raised effect, then we use semi-precious stones to give that jadau (heavily adorned with precious stones) jewellery form.

Along with gold, we also use mirror work, and stones, it is a long process, adorning these paintings.

What are the key markets for Tanjore Art in India and overseas?  

I have a lot of clients from the United States, Canada and Singapore who love to buy but the problem over there is transport, so they prefer little smaller pieces, they cannot take a large painting with them.

It is mainly Non-Resident Indians who buy Tanjore. Within India, I would say the metro cities have the highest demand. Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, these are the places I sell more and even in Rajasthan.

What challenges do artists face in keeping crafts like these alive and relevant?

The biggest challenge is the cost, because we are using gold foil and stones and it is a laborious process. So, I have people telling me, why don’t you just make it at one-tenth of the price and give it to us. If I could, I would have. It is not a very cheap product. That is the challenge.