In an innovative endeavor, a folk artist has transformed his cowshed into a museum to safeguard the endangered Chitrakathi folk art, practiced by the Thakar Adivasi community in Maharashtra’s Konkan region. Situated in Kudal village of Sindhudurg, the museum, initiated by the Padma Shri awardee Parshuram Gangavane, has been attracting numerous researchers, students, and tourists.
Chitrakathi, a fusion of art and storytelling, is a 500-year-old art form where Thakar tribal artists craft paintings and narrate stories through them. They complement these narratives with songs and background music. Speaking to PTI, the artist, Parshuram Gangavane, aged around 70, shared his journey of converting his cowshed into a museum due to limited funds but a strong determination to preserve this art form.
The museum’s inauguration dates back to 2006 and was graced by the late Marathi theatre personality, Prabhakar Panshikar. Since then, Gangavane claims that hundreds of researchers, students, and curious tourists have explored the museum’s treasures. He boasts of housing paintings that are approximately 300 years old, a testament to the rich history of the Chitrakathi art form. Gangavane’s collection reportedly includes around 1,500 rare paintings.
Reflecting on the historical significance of Chitrakathi, Gangavane mentioned how Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had provided patronage to the Thakar tribals and this art form. Unfortunately, as time passed, the art form lost its support. To revive it, Gangavane has been using it as a medium for social awareness. He recollects his early days when he traveled to villages with puppets to raise awareness about issues like open defecation. Puppet shows were once immensely popular and served as a platform for conveying social messages before the advent of television.
Gangavane emphasized the need to pass down this folk art to future generations. At his home, his sons, Chetan and Eknath, are continuing their father’s legacy. Chetan expressed pride in his father’s work and mentioned that students from various educational disciplines come to study this art form at their museum. Konkan-based journalist Vivek Tamhankar stressed the importance of the state government’s promotion of this art form, highlighting that its preservation is vital, as once lost, it may be gone forever.
