# Armed with MA and BEd Degrees, Kota Artist Dedicates Life to Preserving Rajasthan's Ancient Mandana Art

> Kota-based artist Ankit Banwadiya, who holds advanced degrees in drawing and painting, is actively working to revive the centuries-old Rajasthani folk art of Mandana amid changing urban lifestyles. He emphasizes the natural antibacterial properties of cow dung and lime traditionally used in these auspicious motifs.

**Type:** article · **Category:** Rajasthan · **Published:** 2026-11-05 · **Source:** TrendKia
**Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/rajasthan/digriyon-ke-bada-bhi-virasata-se-nata-atuta-kota-ke-chitrakara-ne-mandana-kala-ko-banaya-jivana-ka-mishana-56820 · **Language:** English
**Tags:** Mandana Art, Ankit Banwadiya, Kota, Rajasthan Folk Art, Traditional Painting, Culture Preservation

Across Rajasthan, the traditional folk art form known as Mandana has historically served as an indispensable element of festivals, weddings, and sacred household ceremonies. Yet, as modern lifestyles accelerate and living spaces evolve, this time-honored visual tradition faces an uphill battle to retain its relevance and cultural identity. Amid these shifting sands, Ankit Banwadiya, a dedicated young artist based in Kota, has taken up the mantle of keeping this centuries-old art form alive. Practicing Mandana since early childhood, he has made it his personal mission to reintroduce this indigenous heritage to common households and cultivate wider social appreciation for its deeper value.

## The Natural Science Behind Cow Dung and Lime Surfaces
According to Ankit Banwadiya, Mandana was never conceived merely as superficial ornamental decor; rather, it represents a profound, organic connection with the natural environment. Traditionally, village homes across Rajasthan prepared their surfaces using cow dung and slaked lime, creating a sacred canvas for ceremonial geometric and floral designs. This indigenous practice carries clear scientific advantages. Cow dung naturally contains antibacterial properties, while lime acts as an effective agent to neutralize microbes and purify domestic spaces.

In earlier generations, families living in rural mud homes eagerly gathered during Diwali and other significant festive occasions to hand-render auspicious signs across their entrances and floors. Sacred motifs such as the Swastika and Mataji ke Pagle (the revered footprints of the divine mother) were meticulously traced onto courtyards and platforms. These carefully rendered symbols were believed to channel good fortune, ward off negative energies, and invite lasting spiritual harmony into the domestic sphere.

## The Rapid Rise of Ready-Made Stencils and Urban Disconnection
The pace of contemporary life and persistent time constraints have dramatically changed how families prepare for celebratory gatherings. Instead of hand-drawing intricate floor designs, people increasingly opt for factory-made, printed rangoli stickers and chemical-laden stencils purchased straight from commercial markets. These mass-produced items lack the raw aesthetic vitality, warmth, and sacred intention that define authentic hand-rendered Mandana art.

Furthermore, structural shifts toward nuclear family living and the proliferation of multi-story urban apartment buildings have severed direct access to rural settings. City residents no longer have straightforward access to organic materials like fresh cow dung or traditional lime washes. This physical separation from agrarian routines has caused modern urban dwellers to gradually lose touch with natural cycles and experiential community traditions.

## Gradual Cultural Erosion Rather Than Complete Extinction
Reflecting on the trajectory of ancestral practices, Ankit observes that while traditional culture has not completely perished, it is unquestionably experiencing ongoing dilution and erosion. Modern individuals gravitate heavily toward quick-fix solutions that demand minimal labor and instant results. Yet, ancestral customs were meticulously structured around ecological harmony, scientific logic, and positive vibrational influences. Despite the fact that Mandana possesses no documented, formal written history, Ankit asserts that sustaining such inherited oral and practical traditions remains vital for preserving community identity.

## Key Recommendations to Revitalize Indigenous Art
To ensure that Mandana continues to thrive for generations to come, Ankit Banwadiya proposes concrete, actionable steps aimed at grassroots revival

- **Educating Younger Generations:** Knowledge regarding indigenous methods and organic materials should be actively taught to youth so they develop genuine respect for their architectural and folk roots.
- **Providing Dedicated Platforms:** Cultural organizations and civic bodies must organize regular exhibitions and festivals where traditional practitioners can showcase their expertise directly before the public.
- **Rejecting Synthetic Paints:** Families should return to creating hand-made floor patterns while actively eliminating or minimizing the use of toxic, synthetic coloring powders.
- **Reviving Outdoor Courtyard Patterns:** Maintaining the daily or festive custom of decorating house entrances, elevated plinths, and open courtyards helps sustain an environment of collective positivity and festive celebration.

## Background of Artist Ankit Banwadiya
Ankit Banwadiya is an academically accomplished artist who holds a Master of Arts (MA) degree as well as a Bachelor of Education (BEd) degree, with a specialization in Drawing and Painting. Despite achieving high formal academic credentials that could have led him elsewhere, his commitment to folk art never wavered. His artistic journey began during his earliest schooling years, engaging intimately with Mandana patterns from the time he was in first or second grade.

Alongside traditional Mandana and rangoli compositions, Ankit regularly creates large-scale wall paintings rendered in authentic Rajasthani pictorial traditions. He persistently appeals to people of all backgrounds to remain intimately connected with nature and celebrate handmade traditions, reiterating that authentic, hand-drawn motifs are the true soul of Rajasthan's cultural legacy.

## What this means for you
Reviving traditional folk art practices and incorporating natural materials into domestic rituals directly affects lifestyle, health, and cultural heritage.

- **Across India:** Transitioning away from chemical-laden ready-made stickers in favor of handmade art preserves tangible cultural practices across modern living spaces. This conscious choice significantly minimizes household exposure to synthetic toxins while fostering an eco-friendly approach to celebrations.
- **In Kota and Rajasthan:** Direct community patronage provides young rural and urban folk artisans with viable opportunities to sustain indigenous art forms. This deliberate support ensures Rajasthan's celebrated vernacular heritage remains intact against rapid commercial urban expansion.
- **During Festive Gatherings:** Involving family members in hand-drawing traditional floor patterns strengthens interpersonal bonds far more than pasting commercial stickers. It offers children practical exposure to ancestral craft techniques that cannot be absorbed through textbooks alone.
- **For Household Hygiene:** Utilizing traditional lime washes and organic pastes historically provided natural antimicrobial protection to home thresholds. Choosing natural pigments today prevents contact dermatitis and promotes safer festive environments for families.

## Why this happened
The decline of traditional Mandana art stems from modern fast-paced routines, rapid urban structural changes, and the commercial explosion of synthetic festive products.

- **Severe Time Constraints:** Demanding work hours and urban schedules leave little bandwidth for the labor-intensive preparation that authentic floor designs demand. Consequently, households increasingly settle for quick, mass-produced stickers and stencils readily available in markets.
- **Urban Housing Evolution:** The transition toward nuclear families residing in multi-story concrete apartments has virtually eliminated open mud courtyards and platforms. This physical shift makes accessing raw, organic materials like fresh cow dung and traditional slaked lime nearly impossible for city dwellers.
- **Absence of Written Documentation:** Mandana has historically been sustained through unwritten oral traditions and informal domestic observation rather than structured academic curricula. As older generations pass without formal record-keeping, younger demographics miss out on the scientific rationale underlying these traditions.

## Questions & Answers

### 1. What is Mandana folk art and where is it traditionally practiced?
Mandana is a centuries-old traditional folk art of Rajasthan, drawn on floors and platforms during festivals, weddings, and auspicious rituals.

### 2. Who is Ankit Banwadiya?
Ankit Banwadiya is a Kota-based artist with an MA and BEd in Drawing and Painting who is dedicated to preserving and revitalizing traditional Mandana art.

### 3. What natural ingredients are traditionally used in Mandana designs?
Authentic Mandana utilizes cow dung and slaked lime, both of which possess organic antibacterial and purifying characteristics.

### 4. Which auspicious symbols are commonly featured in Mandana artwork?
Sacred geometric motifs like the Swastika and divine patterns like Mataji ke Pagle (revered footprints of the mother goddess) are prominently created.

### 5. Why has the popularity of traditional Mandana declined in recent times?
The decline is driven by busy modern routines, the convenience of synthetic ready-made rangoli stickers, and limited access to cow dung in urban apartments.

### 6. How long has Ankit Banwadiya been practicing Mandana art?
Ankit has been actively practicing and drawing Mandana patterns since his early childhood, starting around the first and second grades.

### 7. What other forms of visual art does Ankit Banwadiya create?
Beyond Mandana and rangoli, he produces wall paintings rendered in traditional Rajasthani painting styles.

### 8. What measures does Ankit recommend to save this indigenous art form?
He suggests educating younger generations, providing platforms for folk artists, eliminating toxic chemical colors, and sustaining handmade courtyard patterns.

## Inspiration & Lessons
The journey of Ankit Banwadiya demonstrates that higher formal education can be harmoniously combined with deep devotion to ancestral folk arts.

- **Staying Grounded in Roots:** Holding postgraduate MA and BEd degrees while remaining dedicated to village craft shows that academic credentials should enhance, rather than replace, traditional cultural identity.
- **Transforming Passion into Purpose:** Sustaining an interest in Mandana from elementary primary school through adulthood proves that unwavering personal focus can turn an ancient practice into a lifelong preservation mission.
- **Advocating Eco-Friendly Practices:** Champions of organic lime and cow dung remind modern societies that traditional Indian arts were inherently sustainable and grounded in natural science.
- **Mobilizing Community Awareness:** Actively sharing practical solutions and guiding younger peers underlines the lesson that preserving endangered traditions requires active public advocacy and community participation.

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