Lucknow :

When engineer Ashrya Srivastava sat talking art with her childhood friend Meenakshi Srivastava, an MA student at Lucknow University’s Arts College, both the 23-year-olds were shocked to find that 63 Indian art forms were on the verge of death. Determined to revive and propagate them, the two roped in friends from different fields. Dr Anitya Srivastava (24), who had just finished her MBBS and commerce graduate Naghma Parveen (21), joined the cause.

The four young girls have now formed a group called ‘San Rachna’ and are organising an Indus Valley inspired ‘galiyara’ (art aisle) on July 8, at Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Park to bring art forms other than just the popular Madhubani to the city’s notice.

“Starting with awareness, we will move on to conservation and lastly the revival of these indigenous art forms, since there are only a handful of people practicing them,” shares Anitya.

“Art forms like Kohvar and Sohrai were practiced by tribes from Chhattisgarh and focused on women issues. They are now almost defunct, since the tribe itself is slipping into extinction. The Basholi and Guler paintings, primarily from the mountains with a hint of Mughal and Rajasthani influence, are also dying. There are scores of such arts that will fade into oblivion, if people are not made aware of their existence and urged to follow them,” she says.

Ashrya recalls, “Two years ago, I was pursuing engineering in Allahabad when a foreigner at the Kumbh Mela asked me where ‘my’ indigenous Indian art form was amid all the western abstract art that had taken centre stage at the mela. He had a point, we had lost track of our cultural heritage.”

The girls have been managing all the funds themselves for the upcoming live demonstration of art and culture under ‘Ek Shaam’.

“We have done it all on our own, from designing the logo to preparing everything. We have put in all our internship stipends for this traditional galiyara setup, which will have painting, pottery, music and dance, all orchestrated by students. It has all been possible under the guidance of senior artist Asha Srivastava,” said Ashrya.

After three months of six hours of intense research daily on the history of art, the girls are now all set to revive indigenous art forms of India.

“As we sat studying our cultural heritage, we came to know why particular colours are used, what season and area they depict, and the various arts forms practiced and styles used, both in art and dress codes. It was all new and interesting information and we wish to bring out from within the yellowing pages of old books,” say the two girls.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India /Home> City> Lucknow / by Yusra Husain, TNN / July 07th, 2015