Artist at work | Source: Special arrangement

Artist Banamalli Mohapatra is busy making cards for Deepavali, including cotton saris, squirrel brushes and gravel colors. Athrangi ganjifa has 96 cards hand-painted by Banamalli, which became the focus of ganjifa during this festival. Ganjifa is one of the oldest playing cards in the world, and its origin can be traced back to the 16th century. Although it originated in Persia, for a period of time, this art form incorporated the pantheon of Hindu mythology in its expression.

Qian Jifa artist at work | Source: Special arrangement

Each card is made through a complicated and long process using old cotton sarees, which are painted in a gravel color with a squirrel hair brush. In the past, ganjifa cards had paintings of wrestlers, acrobats, swordsmen, musicians, animals and birds. However, today's imagery has changed and now mainly revolves around pious themes.

“It was introduced by the Mughal people, but the subsequent patterns were influenced by their culture,” said Neeta Shah, general manager of Bangalore-based GoCoop, which was shown on its website with Potli, an artisan partner organization These cards. "They bring life, mythology, history and social customs to life," she added. Since card games are very popular at Deepavali, there are sales targets at this time of the year.

Go to the market to issue cards | Source: Special Arrangement

Ganjifa cards have become popular in different forms-the most popular is Dashavtar ganjifa. Others include Mughal Ganjfa, Rahi Ganjfa and Ramayan Ganjfa. "When the artisans of Orissa started to paint them in the pattachitra style, it mainly became mythological figures. For example, various forms of goddesses, Vishnu and Krsna. Especially because Orissa is also of Vishnu. One of the incarnations is the seat of the Jagannapuri Temple. The handmade dasavatharam suit depicts every form of Vishnu," Nita explained.

In the Athrangi suit (the Ath of the number 8 and the colorful rangi), each of the eight suits is depicted by stylized birds drawn in the style of pattachitra and printed with golden edges. In freestyle, the birds fly over the cards in no particular order. Each suit depicts the functions of the palace, such as the crown, the treasury, the armory, and the mint.

Go to the market to issue cards | Source: Special Arrangement

These cards are suitable for variants of modern games, such as poker and teen patty; the three-card version popular in India. Each suit is composed of a king, a wazil and 10 numbered cards. After shuffling the cards, place the cards face down on a piece of white cloth, and then divide them evenly among the players. When these cards tell the story, it also establishes a sense of community. Although ganjifa cards are usually round, according to the artist’s imagination, there are also rectangular decks.

These cards were originally used for storytelling, but are now also sold as wallboards and coasters. "The dasavatar series performed very well during Navratri. These cards are still hand-painted, but we are working hard to find practical value for them because they highlight a tradition," Neeta said.

Today, although the fair game method has disappeared in the annals of history, in some pockets across the country, people are still making cards and playing this game. These include Sawantwadi in Maharashtra, Bishnupur in West Bengal, Puri in Odisha, Mysore in Karnataka, and Neil in Andhra Pradesh. Mar and Jaipur and Mewar in Rajasthan. Neeta said: "We have created a moderate game renaissance among museums, craft lovers and traditional game lovers. This is the current source of continuous income for artisans."

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Printable version | November 25, 2021 12:14:01 PM | https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/now-you-can-gift-hand-painted-ganjifa-playing-cards -for-deepavali/article37247537.ece

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