Kahaani: Tauli Bhud

Thousands of communities have existed and faded away, and what they have left behind were only their stories as marks that make them immortal. "Kahaani" meaning "story", is a specially curated wall painting project undertaken by Evolve Foundation in such remote villages that are in danger of disappearing.

Kahaani was initiated with the focus of reviving the lost stories of villages and its people, with the help of the villagers themselves.

By painting stories of the community on walls of their own village, Kahaani aims to preserve and showcase the local culture and history. The project envisions to impact their lives by means of social engagement, awareness messaging and driving in tourism

Unlike common folklores, there is unfortunately no textual record of the rich cultural heritage of Tauli Bhud.

Based on the stories we gathered, we then selected 8 walls of the village that would be painted with Jaunsari folklore and traditions.

A major aspect of Kahaani was the enthusiastic involvement of the villagers themselves, including the kids, who not only got introduced to characters from their community traditions but also painted their hearts out!

During the one week period the quiet village of Tauli Bhud buzzed with our group of artists and the excited residents who together coloured the walls of the village, infusing them with rich tales.

The ‘doli’ is a palanquin, and ‘Mahasu’ is a collective of four deities, who are considered brothers or as the avatars of Lord Shiva. The word is adapted from ‘Mahashiva’. During the festival, the ‘doli’ is designed for the "Char Dham Yatra". This is a holy pilgrimage to four sacred locations in Uttarakhand - Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

The first part of the painting illustrates the decorations and ornaments being carried by the villagers.

In the second section, you see the Mahasu temple, which is significant for the Jaunsari community who revere Lord Mahasu.

As festivities call for celebrations, a family from the Jaunsari community is also depicted, but with a subtle message on curbing migration - Haamuk Hamaro Gaon, Bado Achcho Laago - meaning ‘I love my village immensely’. The line drives home the local pride the community has.

Seen here are the iconic characters of the legend - the Kirmir monster and Mahasu devta beside the temple tributed to the him.

These walls were painted by artists Shenali, Sudarshan and Himalaya.

The Mahasu temple is not just part of a legend, but stands as a visitable place and is now iconic. It is also known as the Bhadraj Temple.

Depicted here is a mantra or prayer to Mahasu Devta to eliminate the Kirmir monster or the presense of evil and negativity.

Here is another wall inspired by the story, painted by artist Rajat Sharma. He presents the demon Kirmir, the Mahasu Devta temple and the natural beauty of this region in a contemporary style.

Songs are sung by people with numerous musical instruments like Dhol, Ransinga, Tamtama, etc.

Here you see a replica of every village household - where a stack of corns is hung on the pillars as a common practice.

Created by Divesh D Arya, the painting addresses how such villages are shrinking and cities are expanding. People are migrating from villages to cities in search of livelihood and in this process, forgetting their own histories, culture and local folklores.

The worries of parenthood are also highlighted. a village man reminisces about his life in the village and wonders how his kids are doing in the city.

The painting is executed in Aipan style, a folk art style traditionally made by women of Uttarakhand, which uses red and white as the dominant colours.

The style captures the essence of the thematic - of the desire for preservation, and pays tribute to the rich heritage of the Jaunsar region.