RAW MATERIAL The large rough chiks used for screening the outer facades of building are made of strong parallel sliced bamboo sticks while the finer chiks are made of munj stalks, saccharum munja, sarkhanda and sikri which are woven together with cotton cord.The grass, saccharum munja grows to a height of 12-15 feet in the monsoon months. It is seen growing all over the plains of North India in tall masses of narrow green leaves from the center of which feathery flower stalks rise. Growing by roadsides, riversides and surrounding agricultural plots. In fact in some areas it covers whole tracts. Almost all parts of the grass are made use of including the leaves that are used for thatching of dwellings. The flower stalk sheath is shredded finely to form ban- munj that is used for string making. The higher part of the flower stalk that grows in uniform thickness is cut to make chiks. While the tapering top of the stalk is cut to form sirki that is also used for fine chik making. The thin fine upper end stalk is tilli that is used to make products like baskets, winnows, trays, paper baskets etc. that are decorative and finely embroidered with coloured cords.There are several grasses that resemble the saccharum munja though they grow to a shorter height these are saccharum sara and saccharum ontaneum.The bamboo also popularly used is not indigenous to the areas where chik making is practiced and is bought by the artisans from traders who import it from Assam, while sarkhanda and sirki is obtained mainly from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

PROCESS TECHNIQUE Broadly there are two varieties of chiks that are crafted, the fine close meshed variety that is used within homes and offices for doors and windows and the other hardier variety using bamboo that is stronger, rougher and more suitable for enclosing outer areas like verandahs, balconies and public areas.To make the chiks the craftsperson use either bamboo or sarkhanda or sirki grass as their base material. When making bamboo chiks the artisan first splits the bamboo into fine sticks, these sticks are vigorously rubbed on to a hard surface, usually the ground, to achieve a smooth finish and to reduce the protuberances at the joints. The bamboo sticks are then dried in the sun for a few days as this makes them more manageable. The bamboo is then ready for weaving on the chik-making loom. Coloured or white cotton warp is used with the bamboo weft. The weaving is done in a fret like design so that a fine chik when hung at the window looks extremely delicate. Some chiks are sold straight after their edges are trimmed and the hanging mechanism is in place. Wooden pulleys with cords passing through them are used us a convenient system to roll up chiks. Most other chiks are edged with cotton tape (newar) and a backing of fabric is often provided to strengthen them and allow for greater protection from the sun. When used in verandahs or out of doors the chik is backed by rain proof plastic sheeting that provides protection against the monsoon rain.The practitioners of this craft create their products on the basis of individual requirements and specifications. Each size is measured and custom made according to the customers needs, their design preference and the amount that they wish to spend.

PRICING The rate for chiks varies according to the raw material used, with the sirki chiks being the most expensive followed by sarkhanda and then bamboo. The rate is also determined by the design to be implemented and the quality of the backing used. Another criteria for price is that the narrower the gap between the slats of a chik the more its price.

DESIGNS The design are named according to their shape, the repertoire includes the barfi (rectangle) jaal, choori (bangle) jaal, makdi (spider) jaal, and glass jaal. Of late, chiks are becoming popular substitute for fabric curtains in urban homes. The craftspersons are building upon the standard repertoire and introducing innovations such as cutouts, dyed bamboo sticks, printed cloth backings, and decorative tassels.

MARKETING Chiks are sold in many different ways. Some chik artisans and traders retail from pukka shops or their homes, other string up their samples on trees along high frequency traveled roads and often even do the finishing of their products under the shady trees on the road side. Many others can be seen carrying their samples on cycles along the streets of the city as they hawk their products to house owners and offices.Chik makers are now facing stiff competition from the cheaper machine made chiks that are readily available in rolls and only require to be cut up and finished with cotton edging and are therefore made up and completed in a far shorter time and at a lower cost. However enterprising chik artisans are now offering these chiks along with their own creations to the customers.As opposed to curtains drapes, chiks are light, easy to maintain, long lasting and economical. Due to the light that filters through the chiks slats the enclosed space given a feeling of space and air.

TRADITIONS Wall paintings, by their nature, are transitory and celebratory. Every daily activity depicted in these paintings - grinding flour, pounding rice, sowing seeds - was enlivened with a song. The paintings depict the hustle bustle of tribal life - ceremonies, deities, socio-economic activities, flora and fauna, and even the toys the children play with. The art-form was also integrated symbiotically with the larger 'natural' context of this area in the Western Ghats, deriving substantially from nature natural cycles, and natural elements.

PRACTITIONERS & LOCATIONS 'The Deewaru tribals' huts spell magic with their age-old chittara Wall paintings ador[n]ing their walls…'. The villages of Hasunvanthe, Honemaradu, and Majina Kaanu (in Shimoga district of south Canara) are known for the chittara mural craft. Traditionally done by the women of Malnad, in south west Karnataka, for special occasions such as weddings, festivals and auspicious days, chittara wall paintings encapsulated an entire socio-cultural tradition, in which each motif and pattern symbolised an aspect of nature or depicted the religious, social or agricultural practices of the community. COLOURS & MOTIFS The community makes its own colours, deriving them from natural sources, such as barks of trees, rocks, minerals and vegetables. While the designs on the paintings are common across the entire community, the colours used distinguish one family or clan from another.

• White is derived from a mixture of rice (threshed and pounded rice, made into a paste) and white mud

• Red is made from crushed stone and the abundant red mud in the region

• Black is also made from rice, which is burnt and then pounded

• Yellow is made from the seeds of the gurige tree, special to Shimoga and Sagar districts in Karnataka.

According to National Award Winner Eshwar Naik, chittara painting 'has an unbroken connection' with 'Stone Age cave paintings'. The motifs derive from everyday life and include geometrical shapes and tribal figures celebrating various aspects of life. The figures are usually stylised - representing brides and grooms, fertility symbols, the sowing of the auspicious paddy, birds, trees and animals. The designs are not particular to any one family, and are instead shared by the community. (However, different families have chosen 'auspicious' colours, though for the majority it is white.) The painting is part of a much larger context of creativity and celebration. According to Pushpa Chari, 'And lilting music fills the air as Deewarus draw and paint! For every situation and chore depicted on the wall, [there is] a relevant song, which too has been revived by Eshwar Naik.' The delineation is done with fine jute pundi brushes, derived from the fibres of the pundi plant. Drawing is free hand.

CONTEMPORARY TRENDS Chittara art has been given a broader forum in which the art-form is now found not only in Deewaru huts, but also on a range of artefacts that can access a much larger urban market. The community also makes decorative artefacts with the characteristic Chittara motifs on them. Chittara painting is being done on hand-made rice paper. The traditional paddy husk kalash can be found painted with chittara art, as can papier mache and terracotta vases. Cane baskets coated with red mud, bamboo pen stands, torans or door hangings made of dried paddy, hidi (small brooms made of hittade grass), sibala (baskets made of hittade grass), pettige (small box), irike (doughnut shaped ring of woven grass, ichala chaape (palm mat) are other items that can be found decorated with chittara motifs. This adaptation has faced some opposition from elders in the community who strongly feel that the art-form and traditions should be kept within the community and not 'displayed' to the outside world.

THE REVIVAL Eshwar Naik is the craftsperson who almost 'single-handedly' resurrected chittara painting, as well as ' the entire culture of music, myth, belief and philosophy encapsulated in each line and motif'. Naik, when young, had moved away to dabble in street theatre and in literacy campaigns. The distance, he feels, helped him realise the need for documenting the rich legacy of his own community and cultural heritage before it was irrevocably gone. Naik's sister Lakshmi was the sole surviving chittara artist at the time that Naik began to resurrect this art-form. Naik learnt the painting from his mother and sister, and collected motifs and myths from village elders. Owing to his efforts a large amount of the motifs have been recovered and documented. He even set up a training centre at Hasuvanthe - here young Deewarus rediscover their traditions and learnt the craft that their ancestors were proficient at.

THE NEPALESE CHUNARI & THE INDIAN LEHERIYA The wave pattern on the textile is achieved by dyeing cloth that has first been tied with nettle yarn to a pre-determined pattern to create a resist design. This technique, the origin of which is lost in antiquity is still a robust tradition in Rajasthan (India). (Interestingly the term chunari in Rajasthan is used for the tying of fabric in roundels or rings, while the term lehariya, literally waves, is used for the wrap resist described as chunari in Nepal.) It is conjectured that the tradition of the tie and dye chunari was introduced into Nepal by the Rajputs. Just as the gift of a chunari marks the auspicious time in a woman's life in Nepal, so different types of tie-dyed fabrics are worn to mark the seasons, the festivals, and rites of passage in Rajasthan. TECHNIQUE & PROCESS The cloth used as a base for tie-dyeing the chunari is fine cotton fabric, usually muslin (malmal, khapi). This is the preferred choice as it allows the dye colour to penetrate the entire tightly rolled up textile material. The technique used is that of wrap resist. The whole cloth is first soaked in water and then thoroughly washed and dried to remove starch and other impurities and to soften the fabric. The malmal cloth is rolled up and tied at intervals to form stripes. The fabric is rolled from one corner diagonally to the selvedge and is tied at intervals with strings. The string used to tie the chunari traditionally is made from the fibres of stinging nettles. Thus, the reserved portions appear in the form of stripes and not in the form of rings or circles. For every new dyeing, new ties are applied, while some of the old ones are sometimes opened for over-dyeing. Two or three muslin lengths can be dyed together. The dye does not penetrate those parts that are tightly tied and the reserved parts are therefore left un-dyed, thus creating a resist pattern. PATTERNS The method of tying and the skill of the chippa determines the pattern of the chunari and the quality of the end product. When the cloth is rolled diagonally from one corner it forms a stripped pattern; when the fold emanates from a corner it forms a stripped pattern; and when the fabric is folded like a fan it produces a zigzag design. After the dyeing is completed and the fabric dried in the sun, the threads when opened show the pattern created: the tied nettle threads resist the dye and create the chunari effect. These coloured and patterned chunaris are also often created in multiple colours with complex squares and patterns. Re-tying the muslin cloth in an additional or opposite diagonal pattern after the first dye bath, results in patterns in the second colour. The tied portions remain un-dyed; the untied area of the muslin is coloured. At the edges there is a feathery blurring of the colours.