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Home / IAS Preparation / Warli Art Painting

Warli Art Painting: History, Features, Significance & More - UPSC Notes

Last Updated on Mar 18, 2025
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Warli art Painting is a folk painting of Maharashtra. The Word Warli is inspired by the largest tribe, which is found in the Northern outskirts of Mumbai, Maharashtra. This art of painting is mainly practiced by the tribes inhabiting the North Sahyadri range in Maharashtra. This tribal art originated in Maharashtra, where it has still maintained its presence. The warli art painting dates back to the 10th century AD. 

Warli art Painting UPSC is an important part of the UPSC IAS Exam, as questions can be regularly seen from this section both in the preliminary and the mains exam. 

This article on Warli art Painting UPSC will explain in detail the Warli painting, its history, evolution, salient features, significance, and the Warli tribe.

Check out the article on Tanjore painting!

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About Warli Art Painting

Warli art painting is a traditional form of folk art that originated in the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, India. It is characterized by simplistic and geometric patterns, created using basic shapes such as circles, triangles, and lines. Warli art is known for its depiction of everyday village life, rituals, and nature.

History of Warli Art Paintings

The term Warli is derived from a word that means a small piece of tilled land. The Warli art is inspired by the tribe's coexistence with nature and the forest. Though the exact origin of the warli art paintings is debated, it is still considered to be one of the oldest paintings in India to have originated in the 10th century AD or before. The Warli culture is centered on the concept of mother nature, and elements of nature are often the focal points that find resemblance in Warli paintings.

Check out the article on Manipuri Dance here!

Salient Features of the Warli Art Designs

The main features of the Warli art paintings are as follows:

  • The theme of Warli art encompasses the marriage of God Palaghat. The Warli culture is centered on the concept of nature, and its elements are often the focal points depicted in the painting.
  • The major themes of Warli art revolve around people dancing in spirals and in open-ended circles.
  • The Warli artists use their clay huts as the backdrop for the paintings, similar to how the ancient people used caves as their canvases.
  • Originally, the paintings were done on walls, but gradually, it was drawn on various other objects like mud pots, cloth, bamboo, etc.
  • Initially, only two colours were used in the Warli art, i.e., Earth Brown and white obtained from rice paste. However, with time, the background colours of the Warli paintings also included colours like black, Indigo, Orchha, earthy mud, brick red, and Heena.
  • In the early days, the painting was done only by the Warli woman called Savasini. Later, it was shifted to many folks, too, and they contributed to the Warli art.
  • No mythological stories or deities are depicted in the Warli art of paintings.
  • Usually, images of human beings and animals, along with scenes from daily life, are depicted in a loose rhythmic pattern.
  • These paintings are painted on mud walls and usually depict scenes of human figures engaged in activities like hunting, dancing, sowing, and harvesting. These rudimentary wall paintings use a set of basic geometric shapes: a circle, a triangle, dots, dashes, and squares for depiction.
  • One of the most famous paintings is Chawk, where married women paint on the kitchen walls with white colour. A rectangular space with the goddess Palghat is painted in the centre. Around the goddess, trees, dancers, objects used by women for many activities, and animals are also painted.

Check out the article on Mughal paintings!

Types of Warli Art Paintings

Warli paintings can be broadly categorized into the following types:

  • Ritual paintings: These paintings are typically created during festivals and religious ceremonies. They depict scenes from mythology and folklore, as well as symbols of fertility and abundance.
  • Celebration paintings: These paintings are created to mark important life events, such as weddings, births, and harvests. They depict scenes of joy and celebration with dancing figures and colorful decorations.
  • Natural world paintings: These paintings depict the natural world around the Warli people, including animals, plants, and landscapes. They are often used to teach children about the importance of nature and sustainability.
  • Geometric paintings: These paintings are characterized by their bold geometric shapes and patterns. They are often used to represent abstract concepts, such as the cycle of life and the interconnectedness of all things.
  • Social commentary paintings: These paintings are used to express the Warli people's views on social and political issues. They can be critical of the status quo or offer alternative visions for the future.

Check out the article on Pahari painting!

Process of Making Easy Traditional Warli Art

The process of making easy Warli art is simple and includes the following:

  • The Warli painting is based on 3 elementary shapes combined in various ways: the triangle, circle square.
  • The figures and traditional motives are effective and highly symbolic. While having a closer look, it may seem that they have singing and shivering movements describing the daily activities of human beings.
  • To paint on the Canvas, they use poster colour, which is mixed with glue to make it more durable.
  • For the base, this still uses the same material as cow dung, coal, and Indigo, but this, too, is mixed with glue.
  • Traditionally, the paintings were made on walls, and the colours they used to paint on walls were not permanent colours and included colours like white and Earth Brown. However, with the passage of time, the background colour of the paintings has included colours like Indigo, black, brick red, and Heena.
  • The Warli art is 2 dimensional with no perspective or proportion.
  • It is simple and linear with maximum use of triangular shapes.
  • It also represents fertility as the tribal belief revolves around the circle of birth and death. Though the art has kept on with its traditional concepts, at the same time, new concepts have been allowed to seep in, which helps them to face new challenges from the market.

Check out the article on pithora painting!

Significance of Warli Art Paintings

Warli art shows the simple lives of the Warli people. Warli spherical paintings suggest that the Warli people believed in the cycle of time. Warli dancer paintings suggest that the Warli people enjoy dancing and celebrating. Warli women used to paint their walls during weddings to show happiness and celebration. Warli wall paintings are considered auspicious. Warli art is close to nature, with designs of plants, animals, and celebrations. Warli art reminds us of prehistoric paintings, which were done in a similar style.

Warli art is now so famous that it is drawn on paper and sold all over India. Warli art is also drawn on cloth and paper. Jivya Mashe was a Padma Shree awardee (2011) who made Warli tribal art popular.

About the Warli Tribe

The Warli tribes are a group of indigenous people who live in the Thane and Palghar districts of Maharashtra, India. They are one of the largest tribes in India, with a population of over 1 million people.

The Warli Revolt

The Warli Revolt was an uprising of the Warli people against the British colonial government in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 

The revolt was sparked by many factors, including:

  • British land policies dispossessed the Warli people of their traditional lands.
  • Forced labor and taxation imposed by the British.
  • Religious discrimination against the Warli people.

The Warli Revolt was led by a number of Warli chiefs, including Thakur Koli and Nana Phadke. The rebels used guerrilla tactics to attack British outposts and supply lines. The British responded to the Warli Revolt with a brutal crackdown. They burned down Warli villages, killed innocent people, and arrested and imprisoned Warli leaders. Despite the British crackdown, the Warli people continued to resist British rule. The Warli Revolt lasted for over a decade and had a significant impact on the British colonial government.

Key Takeaways for UPSC aspirants

  • Warli painting is a unique folk art tradition practiced by the Warli tribe residing in the North Sahyadri Range of Maharashtra.
  • It is characterized by the use of basic geometric shapes like circles, triangles, and squares. Each holds symbolic meaning related to nature and tribal life.
  • It is traditionally created on mud walls using natural pigments like white clay and charcoal, showcasing a deep connection with the environment.
  • Warli paintings depict scenes from everyday life, including hunting, fishing, farming, celebrations, and rituals. It offers a glimpse into their social structure and values.
  • Originally used for ritualistic purposes, Warli art has evolved into a more contemporary art form, finding expression on paper, cloth, and other mediums.

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Warli Painting UPSC FAQs

Warli folk art painting is a traditional art form that originated in the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, India. It features simplistic geometric patterns and depicts village life and nature.

Warli art originated in the state of Maharashtra, India.

To draw easy Warli art, follow these steps: Start with basic shapes like circles, triangles, and lines. Depict human figures using stick-like forms. Create geometric patterns to represent nature and village scenes. Use a black or dark brown color to fill in the shapes and patterns.

Warli paintings traditionally use a white pigment made from rice paste or chalk powder. However, modern interpretations may include other colors as well.

Warli painting is famous in the state of Maharashtra, India, where it originated.

Traditionally, Warli paintings are done on walls or on cow dung-coated surfaces. However, for portable artwork, artists often use handmade paper or canvas as a base for Warli paintings.
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