Venkat Raman Singh Shyam

Gond Paintings

For the tribals of Madhya Pradesh like Gonds, Baigas, and pradhans art is an integral to every day living and a part of a life style. In some way paintings are incidental to the communal activity of which they are part of the religious festival they celebrate. They generally decorate their walls of the huts while finishing it. Gonds of MP use dots exclusively on the body of gods and animals sometimes even without a solid line to outline the figure to indicate movement and vitality.

Folk Stories Gond Myth of Creation

Gonds worship a high god known as Baradeo, whose alternate names are Bhagavan, Sri Shambu Mahadeo, and Persa Pen. Baradeo created the universe and oversees activities of lesser gods.

Baradev was sitting on a lotus leaf when the idea of creating the world came to Him; He needed clay to create the world. There is water everywhere. Kekda Mal sought his help in finding the clay that is being eaten up by the earthworm. Kekda Mal. caught the earthworm by the neck and squeezed it hard, the earthworm spat out the clay. The crow grabbed it and flew back to Bada Dev. Spider spin a web across the sheet of water, Bada Dev spread the clay on the web and released all the animals and birds and other living being on the earth.

Gondand Santhal myths in a constructive and positive light, is suggestive of the relations that the tribal peoples established with their environment.

Gond Tribes Signs

Every Gond tribe of Madhya Pradesh has its own symbol and sign with several myths, which has importance for them. There were 100 tribe signs once upon a time but today only ten are recognizable.