Aipan is a ritualistic folk art, an identity of Kumaon, evidence of which can be witnessed all over, be it entrance of houses, walls, temples, clothes, posters, decorative items etc. Aipan is made during special occasions in Kumaon, from weddings to ritualistic ceremonies, festivals, even mourning as well. Different forms of Aipan are made for different occasions which as per practitioners is believed to invoke divine powers, bring fortunes and ward off evil presence. It holds great socio-cultural and religious importance in the lives of Kumaoni people.

Aipan consists of various geometric patterns, religious symbols like Swastika, figures of gods and goddesses, floral designs etc. which are arranged in different ways to make elaborate designs. Aipan basically falls under the umbrella of Rangoli which itself is a ritualistic folk art and is practiced in different parts of India in distinct forms. It’s called as Kolam in Tamil Nadu, Mandana in Rajasthan, Aripana in UP and Bihar, Alpana in Bengal. Rangoli finds its mention in Chitra Lakshana, the earliest treatise on Indian painting and is believed to have originated around 1200 BC in Vidarbha region of present day Maharashtra.

Origin 

As per legends, Lopamudra wife of Agastya Rishi who is known as one of the most revered sages of Hinduism, used to draw Rangoli around Yagya Kund, symbolizing five elements of nature from rice, spices, flowers, pulses etc. and thus Rangoli came into existence. His disciples travelled through different parts of country to preach his teaching and so travelled Rangoli with them. It became Aripana in Bihar and UP, Alpana in Bengal and subsequently with migrants from these regions reaching Kumaon and assuming the form of Aipan. It’s believed that Aipan in Kumaon started flourishing in medieval era under Chand Kings who were descendants of  Awadh region of UP and their forefathers were aware of such art in form of Aripana. Even if we see the etymology of Aripana, Alpana and Aipan, all of these words have originated from same word Alimpana which in Sanskrit means ‘to plaster’. The first two carry more elements and vibrancy in their design while Aipan is simplest one among them. 

Process, Significance, Symbolism

Due to lack of enough resources in mountainous terrain, people adopted the habit of using just two colors to make Aipan. Reddish Ochre known as Geru in Kumaoni obtained by grinding of hematite rock and soaking it in water to make reddish paste. This pigment has been used as paint in Kumaon since prehistoric times evidences of which can be found in the caves of Lakhudiyar, Jeevapani and Lwethap. The other one is white which is obtained from soaked rice made into paste known as Biswar in Kumaoni. 

To make an Aipan women first prepare a base from Geru, on it with the help of three fingers different forms of Aipan are designed from Biswar. Every Aipan starts with a dot and ends with a dot, any Aipan without dot is considered to be inauspicious. Dot here symbolizes the center of the universe and everything else is designed around it. Some of the major types of Aipan are Lakshmi chowki which is made during Diwali to welcome good fortune in house, Vasudhaara which is made on entrance of house and around Yagna Kund, Nav Durga chowki which is made for Devi Poojan, Sya Aipan which is made during naming ceremony of a child, Saraswati chowki which is made when a child starts formal education, Shiva Peeth which is made in month of Shravan to worship Shiva, Jyoti Patta which is made on the occasion of a wedding, Var Chowki which is made at bride’s house for reception of the Groom, Bhuyya Aipan which is made to ward off evil spirits.We are inspired by this beautiful ceremonial art of Uttarakhand and we incorporated some of this symbolism in our block prints.

1. The patterns used in the border are part of Vasudharaa form of Aipan which is drawn at doorsteps, place of worship and love. Any Aipan in the household is incomplete without the presence of Vasudhara.
2. The spiral patterns used in the border are prominent parts of Shiva chowki and Surya chowki. Shiva is a prominent Himalayan divine force who is worshipped extensively during Shivratri and Shravan month and Shiva chowki is drawn to seek Shiva’s blessings. Surya Darshan Chowki is associated with the birth and naming ceremony of a newborn child in a family. The center represents the seed, the core of life  and the spiral lines around it represent continuity.
3. The wavy pattern used in the border is seen in many forms of Aipan be it Lakshmi Peeth, Ashtadal Kamal and others. It signifies flow of life like a river and this pattern has been in use in the area since prehistoric times, evidence of which can be found in prehistoric caves of Lakhudiyar, Lwethap and Jeevapani.
4. The pattern used in the last fabric on block print slide is inspired by Bhadra Aipan, specifically 36 Bindu Bhadra. Bhadra is drawn in the room of worship and around Yagna Kund and are distinguished by the number of dots used in the Bhadra. Typically there are 12, 19, 24 and 36 Bindu Bhadra which are drawn as per the occasion.

-Written and researched by Anjan Singh with contribution by Meenu Devrani