Exhibit of the week- 174 (28th September to 04th October 2023)

Exhibit of the week- 174
(28th September to 04th October 2023)

Devi Pooja Bali
A Ritual Painting done by Bhil tribe

This painting illustrates the ritual scene performed by the Bhil community at the shrine of Devi Mata during the month of Phalgun. The Hindu month of Phalgun comes after the Magh in which the festival of Holi is celebrated. Among the Bhils it is celebrated with joy and happiness. They fetch a wooden log of a Teak tree from the jungle and fix it at the specific place where they have been burning the Holi as a ritual. All villagers bring sticks and pile them around the central log. Both male and female dance around the pile on the beats of the drum. They mark Kumkum and rice with offerings to the devi Mata. On the next day they collect money from the villagers, it is called Fagwa and arrange a feast after sacrificing a cock.

This painting is created on canvas by famous Bhil artist Smt. Bhuri Bai Jor Singh. She has portrayed the figure of devi Mata in the form of a black stone on an Otla and a man is shown pouring blood of a sacrificed cock over the Otla. In addition to this scenes from nature and village life are also portrayed.

Acc. no.- 2002-130
Local name - Devi Pooja Bali
Community- Bhil
Locality - Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh

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