Pabuji ki Phad

The Phad is a tradition of creating religious scroll paintings, practiced by the Bhopa tribal community of Rajasthan. They are primarily made for two folk deities, Pabuji and Devnarayan. The creation of the phad is just one part of the entire process—the cloth is actually the main prop of a larger ritualistic performance. Singer-priests roam through villages with the phad, and as the sun goes down, they open their scroll out for a night-long performance of music, dance and storytelling. The stories narrated are explanations of the scenes depicted on the cloth, eulogising the miracles and valorous deeds of Pabuji/Devnarayan. In a way, these phads become mobile altars for a tribe constantly on the move.