Pichwai (pichvai) is a style of painting that originated over 400 years ago, in the town of Nathdwara near Udaipur in Rajasthan, India. Intricate and visually stunning, pichwai paintings, made on cloth, depict tales from Lord Krishna’s life.Lord Krishna is often depicted as Shrinathji in Pichwais, which is the deity manifest as a seven-year-old child. Other common subjects found in pichwai paintings are Radha, gopis, cows and lotuses. Festivals and celebrations such as Sharad Purnima, Raas Leela, Annakoot or Govardhan Puja, Janmashtami, Gopashtami, Nand Mahotsav, Diwali and Holi are frequently depicted in Pichwais.The word Pichwai comes from ‘pichh’ meaning back, and ‘wai’, meaning textile hanging.Over time, pichwais also found a place in the homes of art connoisseurs, owing to their visual appeal. Like several other traditional Indian art forms, the art of Pichwai is also dying, and requires recognition and revival.
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