Wooden Box With Rogan Painting: PM's Gift To Japan's Fumio Kishida

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday gifted a wooden hand-carved box with Rogan painting to his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida during his meeting with him in Tokyo, Japan.

Rogan painting is an art of cloth printing practised in the Kutch District of Gujarat. In this craft, paint made from boiled oil and vegetable dyes is laid down on fabric using either a metal block (printing) or a stylus (painting). The craft nearly died out in the late 20th century, with Rogan painting being practised by only one family.

PM Modi had earlier gifted a traditional Rogan painting to the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II during his three-day Europe tour this month.

The word 'Rogan' comes from Persian, meaning varnish or oil. The process of making Rogan painting is very laborious and skilful. Artists place a small amount of this paint paste into their palms.

At room temperature, the paint is carefully twisted into motifs and images using a metal rod that never comes in contact with the fabric.

Next, the artisan folds his designs into a blank fabric, thereby printing its mirror image. In effect, it is a very basic form of printing. Previously the designs were simple and rustic in nature but with the passage of time, the craft has become more stylized and now is regarded as a high art form.

This craft is a form of surface embellishment and practised for over a hundred years, but now by only a single family in Nirona, Kutch. A special paste made of castor is used in this craft. Castor seeds are hand-pounded to extract the oil and turned into a paste by boiling, Colored powder diluted in water is then mixed with this.

The pastes of different colours yellow, red, blue, green, black and orange are stored in earthen pots with water to prevent them from drying up. The kalam, an iron rod, flat at both ends, is used to paint half the design with the support of the fingers of the left hand. It is then impressed on the other half of the cloth by pressing the two halves together.

As they were inexpensive substitutes for embroidered textiles, they were popular alternative textiles for clothing.

Today, cushion covers, bedspreads, skirts, kurtas, curtains, tablecloths and wall hangings are painted using this technique. Generally, geometrical motifs are preferred; motifs from nature such as tree-of-life are very popular for wall hangings.

Hand carving on wood is an intricate art inspired by traditional jali designs taken from famous monuments of India. The designs are created by the experts in the most synchronized manner. The skill of wood carving is an example of the excellent craftsmanship & rich tradition of India.

PM Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, held a bilateral meeting today. They had a productive exchange of views on enhancing bilateral relations in various spheres as well as on some regional and global issues.

The two leaders agreed to further enhance bilateral security and defence cooperation, including in the area of defence manufacturing. They concurred that the next 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Meeting may be held in Japan at the earliest.

The two leaders appreciated the growing economic ties between the two countries. They agreed that both sides should work jointly towards implementing their decision to have 5 trillion yen in public and private investment and financing from Japan to India in the next five years.

The two leaders exchanged views on recent global and regional developments. They noted the convergences in their respective approaches to the Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their commitment towards a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

In this context, they welcomed the progress in the Quad's contemporary and constructive agenda such as vaccines, scholarships, critical technologies and infrastructure.

PM Modi thanked Prime Minister Kishida for the warmth and hospitality extended to him and members of his delegation during the visit. PM Kishida extended an invitation to PM Modi to visit Japan for the next Annual Bilateral Summit, which was accepted with pleasure.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)