Rogan Art
![Tree of life rogan painting]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
![Tree of Life Rogan Art by Rizwan Khatri-Paintings by Master Artists]()
About Rogan
Rogan art is a unique and ancient form of textile painting that hails from the Kutch region in Gujarat, India. This traditional craft has a rich history, dating back over 300 years, and has recently gained renewed interest, both in India and internationally.
History and Legend
Rogan art is believed to have Persian origin, practiced by the Muslim Khatri community. The term "Rogan" itself is derived from the Persian word "rog," meaning oil. The craft has been passed down through generations within the Khatri community in the village of Nirona, in the Kutch district.
Techniques and Details
Rogan art is a painstakingly detailed process. The craft involves boiling castor oil until it thickens, then adding natural pigments to create a vivid, colorful paste. Artisans use a metal stylus, known as a "kalam," to draw intricate designs on fabric, typically cotton or silk. At body temperature, threads of colors are carefully twisted using Kalam, to create designs. Unlike conventional painting, the artisans don’t use pre-drawn patterns; instead, the designs are created freehand, often inspired by nature, folklore, or traditional motifs.
One of the most striking features of Rogan art is its vibrant colors and intricate patterns. Artisans can spend hours or even days on a single piece, carefully layering the colored paste to create a 3D effect. Common motifs include peacocks, trees of life, flowers, and traditional Indian designs like paisleys and mandalas.
For many years, Rogan art was at risk of disappearing. However, thanks to the efforts of the Khatri families in Nirona, the craft has seen a resurgence. In 2014, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, presented a Rogan art piece to then-U.S. President Barack Obama, bringing international attention to the craft.
FAQs
The art of Rogan dates back centuries, having its origin in Persia, it descended to the village of Nirona.
The floral, geometric and calligraphic motifs were traditionally used for the art of Rogan painting. The traditional floral motifs were small, like chauphulla, tik, ghonta( marigold) and keyri (mango). The floral borders included panfarei, single fareei (flower and seed pod), kangsi or phullivel (comb like pattern and phulvels), popat gulvel (parrots and flowers). Fauna was also a common element in stylised forms, haathi, with or without ambadi (Howdah and rider). Other figurative elements are mahiyarin – two women wearing ghagras, chunaris, churning curd and a garud. During ancient times, calligraphy motifs were used in Persian alphabets.
Its long dedication is the reason for its high cost. Each process is long and independent, handled mostly by skilled artisans. The Rogan jelly is prepared by burning castor oil, which is not fit for humans and produces a foul odour as well.
The traditional method to procure dye was through natural sources such as stone and plants. The colours like blue (vadadi), green (leelo), orange, red (lal) and white (safed) were used in pure form. The colours were obtained from varied sources
To prepare the Rogan colour paste, the artisans have to be highly skilled. The main equipment used for the preparation of colour paste is kharal, a manual stone grinder, to mix the colour paste. The ingredients are napthol, white chalk powder and water.
Traditionally, the equipment was hand made using organic material, which is now replaced by its inexpensive metal alternatives. The original ingredients of Rogan painting were castor oil, dyes, kerosene oil and wood.
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