Shrinathji 6 – Pichwai

Pichwai is an Indian art of intricate painting by traditional artists, developed over 400 years ago in a small temple town called Nathdwara near Udaipur, Rajasthan, a western state in India. Nathdwara has a temple dedicated to Shrinathji, who, according to Hindu mythology, is Lord Krishna at the age of seven.. Originally, Pichwai paintings were exclusively made to decorate the walls of Shrinathji temples and used to portray the different incidents and festivals in Krishna’s life.
The word Pichwai is derived from combining two different words; pichh which means back and wai means cloth hanging. Thus, Pichwai means cloth hanging at the back, which is how traditionally Pichwai paintings were used, hung behind Shrinathji’s idol in temples. However, over the years, this traditional art form has been admired by numerous art lovers, who wanted a little piece of Krishna’s life in their homes, hence, these days artists also make Pichwai paintings for personal and commercial collections.

This particular painting shows Sreenathji with his cowherd and friends.

Artist: Shrinathji 7
Brand: Eikowa