Aipan – the rich tradition of Kumaon!

Aipan or Alpana is a folk painting that holds a special place in the houses of Kumaon. It is a traditional folk painting of Uttarakhand which is exclusively related to the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. Kumaon has a tradition of decorating their homes on the occasion of any special events like festivals, weddings, worshipping, etc.  Aipan literally means to write. The Aipan is written mainly with three fingers. Any festival and religious ritual of Kumaon is considered incomplete without Aipan.  Kumauni women begin all religious rituals and festivals by making an Aipan in their courtyard. Aipan is made in festivals, god worshipping and many occasions like birth, marriage, janeu and for some reason even death. A lot of geometric line diagrams and images of deities are given a beautiful appearance in the Aipan.

Aipan with Footsteps of Goddess Lakshmi
Source: Google

Source: Google

Aipan is made from Ocher (गेरू) and “Biswar” (चावल का पिसा घोल). As the festivals approach the Kumoani women starts making Aipans in their courtyards, floor of the house, kitchen, Pooja room, their lockers, etc. during Deepavali the footsteps of goddess Lakshmi are made on the floor from the entrance of the house to the Pooja room, it is considered as the goodwill and people expect goddess Lakshmi’s blessings on them. 

The Kumaoni Women making Aipan
Source: Google

Original references of Kumauni Aipan mode are found in Vedas and Puranas.

The original references to the Kumaoni Aipan are found in the Puranas. For example, the complete description of the Dhuligarya chowki used on the occasion of marriage is found in the Shiva Purana and Vishnu Purana as a grace device. At the same time, the oldest book on this genre is believed to be written by Nathu Ram Ji, a teacher in Almora.  Kumaon traditionally has a system of tantra-based worship methods, in which special aasana “Chowkis” are made to invoke different gods.

Different Chowkies of Gods
Courtesy: Savita Joshi

In this way, it is also necessary to understand that the Aipan is not only a folk art, but it is also a special device used to invoke different folk gods of Kumaon. The description of these “Chowkis” is also found in many Puranas including Shiva and Vishnu Puranas. In Tibet also same types of “Chowkis” are found on the lands that are very large in size and are known by the name “Kinkhor”.