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In e na ional Jou nal o Ad ance and Applied Resea ch
www.ijaa .co.in
ISSN – 2347-7075
Impac Fac o – 8.141
Pee Re iewed
Bi-Mon hly
Vol. 6 No. 40
Sep embe - Oc obe - 2025
Wa li A : A T ibal He i age in Whi e Lines
D . A chana Kundlik ao Cha a e
Depa men o Home Science,
N.S.S. R’s A s & Comme ce College, Pa ali (V.),
Dis . Beed, Maha ash a S a e, India
Co esponding Au ho – D . A chana Kundlik ao Cha a e
DOI - 10.5281/zenodo.17664003
Abs ac :
Wa li a is one o he oldes o ms o ibal exp ession in India, o igina ing om he Wa li
ibe o Maha ash a. This esea ch pape explo es i s o igin, cul u al signi icance, s ylis ic ea u es,
symbolic elemen s, and i s ans o ma ion om i ualis ic wall pain ings o a globally ecognized a
o m. By analysing i s hemes and mo i s, his pape emphasizes how Wa li a e lec s he ibe’s
wo ld iew and ecological wisdom.
In oduc ion:
India has he la ges numbe o a
o ms anywhe e in he wo ld, mainly because
i s cul u al he i age is ich, di e se and ib an .
T ibal people li e in less accessible pa s o
he coun y, no on he open plains o along
he g ea i e s. They a e bonded o each o he
by i uals, hei special ways o celeb a ing
ce emonies a he ime o bi h, ma iage, and
also he i s hai cu o he pie cing o he
ea lobes and so on. India‟s cul u al landscape
is en iched by di e se ibal communi ies, each
con ibu ing unique adi ions o a , music,
and s o y elling. Among hese, Wa li a
occupies a special place as a symbolic
ep esen a ion o ha mony be ween human li e
and na u e. P ac iced by he Wa li ibe
inhabi ing he Sahyad i anges o Maha ash a
and pa s o Guja a , his a o m da es back
o nea ly 2500–3000 BCE. Unlike mains eam
a , Wa li pain ings a e no o namen al bu
deeply i ualis ic, symbolic, and communi y-
o ien ed. In his publica ion, we ha e explo ed
ibal and olk pain ings in a ious pa s o he
coun y as pa o ou li ing adi ions since
p e-his o ic imes o now.
His o ical Backg ound:
India has he la ges concen a ion o
ibes a e A ica. 90 million people belong o
he indigenous communi ies known as
Adi asis o ibals. The e a e 573 ibes in
India and ibal communi ies comp ise abou 8
pe cen o ou popula ion. The e m „ ibe‟
usually deno es a social g oup bound oge he
by kin and du y and associa ed wi h a
pa icula e i o y. E e y ibe is known o i s
ou s anding cul u al ai s. T ibes such as
Bhil‟s, Gonds, Mu ias, Sau as, Wa li‟s and
Ra hwas a e known o hei pain ings. Some
o he ibal pain ings a e Pi ho a, Wa li,
San hal and Sau a whe eas Picch ai, Ma a ni
pachedi, Pa achi a and Phad a e olk
pain ings. The Wa li ibe is among he la ges
ibes in Maha ash a, concen a ed in Thane,
Palgha , and Nashik dis ic s. His o ically,
Wa li pain ings we e c ea ed du ing occasions
such as weddings, ha es s, and es i als. They
we e d awn on he walls o mud hu s, using
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D . A chana Kundlik ao Cha a e
547
ice pas e as pigmen and gum o wa e as a
binding agen . The pain ings we e epheme al
in na u e, made a esh wi h e e y occasion,
e lec ing he ansien ye cyclical wo ld iew
o he ibe.
O igin:
The wo d „Wa li‟ is de i ed om Wa la,
meaning “piece o land” o “ ield”. Wa li
pain ings a e p ima ily done on he walls o
homes wi h ice pas e du ing ma iage i uals
o a e he ha es season. Wa li is he main
ibe o be ound on he no he n ou ski s o
Mumbai, in Wes e n India and ex ends up o
he Guja a bo de . The Wa li‟s inhabi small
illages o ha ched mud-hu s, which a e
cons uc ed in such a way ha hey all
su ound a cen al cell. The o igin o he
Wa li‟s is ye unknown and no eco ds o his
a a e ound, bu many schola s and
olklo is s belie e ha i can be aced o as
ea ly as he en h cen u y C.E. T adi ionally, i
was women who pain ed hese wonde ul
pain ings and we e joined by men la e . Wa li
a became popula in he ea ly se en ies. I
was he only means o ansmi ing olklo e o
a gene al populace no well e sed in he
w i en wo d.
Themes and Mo i s:
Wa li pain ings a e na a i e pain ings
which equi e pe o mance ges u es and
mo emen wi h li le scope o acial
exp ession. Mos o he cha ac e s a e in
dialogue wi h each o he . The a o m deals
wi h hemes ha na a e he social li es yle and
ac i i ies o he Wa li‟s i.e. hun ing, ishing,
a ming, o es ac i i ies and illage li e.
Du ing he ha es season, weddings and
bi hs, hei houses a e ado ned wi h pain ings.
The Wa li‟s a e p edominan ly a me s whose
li e is go e ned by he monsoon cycle. As
hei li e is closely linked o na u e, hey
wo ship i in di e en o ms–Sun and moon,
God o hunde , ligh ning, wind, ain and
se e al o he s. Gods a e wo shipped acco ding
o he seasons. A e he i s ice cycle, hey
wo ship he god o ain and i ‟s called he
es i al o Na anade a. This is hen ollowed
by he wo ship o household gods, in he
es i al o Hi a, Nimai and Jho ing. Nex is
he es i al o Tige God, and hen is Kansa i,
he goddess o g ain. The pain ings depic
humans and animals amids a es i e
a mosphe e – a g oup o men and women
dancing a ound a pe son playing he ha p,
dancing peacocks e c. Men and women a e
depic ed engaged in a ha es scene,
cul i a ing land and hun ing and many mo e
day- o-day ac i i ies. Spi al o ma ions o men
and women and concen ic ci cula designs in
Wa li Pain ings a e symbolic o he Ta pa
dance. Fo Wa li‟s, li e is bes ep esen ed by
a ci cle which doesn‟ ha e a beginning o an
end. A all occasions–bi h, ma iage and
dea h– hey d aw ci cles. Dea h is no an end
o hem; bu a new beginning. This ci cula
and spi al mo emen gi es an e e las ing joy.
Wa li a e ol es a ound he in e dependence
o humans and na u e.
Ma e ial and Technics:
The Wa li pain ing is simplis ic in
cha ac e wi h human igu es made o
iangles and s ick like hands and legs and a
a ie y o lo a and auna in geome ical
shapes. Wa li pain ings a e p ac ised
gene a ion a e gene a ion and he e is no
o mal aining gi en o he a is s. Wa li
a uses a whi e pas e (o en ice pas e wi h
wa e ) applied wi h bamboo b ushes on a ed-
och e backg ound (mud and dung) o depic
illage li e. Al e na i ely, mode n ma e ials
like pos e o ac ylic colou s, and ab ics like
handmade pape , clo h, o e en walls, can be
used. Techniques in ol e i s p epa ing he
backg ound, hen ske ching designs di ec ly on
he su ace and applying whi e pas e wi h
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D . A chana Kundlik ao Cha a e
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b ushes o inge s o o m basic geome ic
shapes.
Symbolism in Wa li A :
Wa li a , a ibal a o m om
Maha ash a, India, uses simple geome ic
shapes as powe ul symbols o exp ess deep
cul u al and spi i ual meanings. Ci cles,
iangles, and squa es, along wi h human and
animal igu es, ep esen na u e, human li e,
and hei in e connec edness. These symbols
a e no me ely deco a i e; hey e lec he
Wa li people's belie s, hei ela ionship wi h
na u e, and hei social cus oms.
He e's a b eakdown o he symbolism:
Ci cles:
Rep esen he sun, moon, and he
cyclical na u e o li e, emphasizing he
in e connec edness o all hings.
T iangles:
Symbolize moun ains and ees,
ep esen ing he na u al wo ld and he
Wa li' connec ion o he ea h.
Squa es:
O en depic a sac ed enclosu e, he
"chauk," which can ep esen a illage, a
house, o a space o i uals and
ce emonies. They can also symbolize he
human wo ld and communi y.
Human Figu es:
Typically depic ed using wo joined
iangles, one ep esen ing he uppe
body and he o he he lowe body,
signi ying he balance be ween body and
spi i , masculine and eminine, and he
ha mony wi hin he human o m.
Ta pa Dance:
The Ta pa, a umpe -like ins umen ,
is cen al o Wa li a and cul u e. The
dance pe o med a ound he Ta pa playe
symbolizes communi y, con inui y, and
he ci cle o li e.
O he Symbols:
Animals like peacocks and cows, and
daily ools like sickles and ploughs, a e
also depic ed, showing e e ence o he
na u al wo ld and he ools ha sus ain
hei li es.
Con empo a y Rele ance:
Wi h mode niza ion, Wa li a has
mo ed beyond mud walls o Can as pain ings
and mu als in u ban spaces, Handic a s,
ab ics, po e y, and home déco . Global
ecogni ion in exhibi ions, ashion, and e en
co po a e b anding. O ganiza ions and NGOs
a e wo king o p ese e Wa li a by
empowe ing ibal a is s h ough wo kshops
and in e na ional pla o ms. Howe e , he e is
also he challenge o comme cializa ion,
which isks dilu ing i s i ualis ic essence.
Conclusion:
Wa li a is no me ely deco a i e i is
a isual na a i e o ibal li e, cul u e, and
philosophy. I s geome ic simplici y encodes
p o ound meanings abou he ela ionship
be ween humans, socie y, and na u e. As
globaliza ion expands i s each, p ese ing he
au hen ici y o his a o m is essen ial o
main ain i s cul u al in eg i y. Wa li a has
gained in e na ional ecogni ion, cap i a ing
audiences wi h i s unique s yle and
connec ion o na u e.
Re e ences:
1. Ghosh, A. (1990). Pain ings o he
Wa li. New Delhi: Lali Kala Akademi.
2. Jain, J. (1984). O he Mas e s: Fi e
Con empo a y Folk and T ibal A is s o
India. C a s Museum, New Delhi.
3. Dalmia, Y. (1988). The Pain ed Wo ld
o he Wa li. Lali Kala Akademi.
4. Go e nmen o Maha ash a, T ibal
De elopmen Repo s.
