Pichwai

Pich means 'back' and wai means 'hanging'. These paintings were named after their function, which was to decorate the walls behind deities in a temple. Over the years, they found an audience beyond the temple walls owing to intricate details drawn by the artisan to portray tales from Lord Krishna's life.

Udaipur's Nathdwara temple is thought to be the birthplace of this art form that has now become a popular sight in many homes and exhibitions. Each canvas takes months to prepare but for the artists, this is a form of their reverence to God and they treat it with fervent devotion.