GGM Tribal Ministry

Warli Arts

Maharashtra is known for its Warli folk paintings. Warli is the name of the largest tribe found on the northern outskirts of Mumbai, in Western India. Despite being in such close proximity of the largest metropolis in India, Warli tribesmen shun all influences of modern urbanization. Warli Art was first discovered in the early seventies. While there are no records of the exact origins of this art, its roots may be traced to as early as the 10th century AD. Warli is the vivid expression of daily and social events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, used by them to embellish the walls of village houses. This was the only means of transmitting folklore to a populace not acquainted with the written word. This art form is simple in comparison to the vibrant paintings of Madhubani.

Warli Tribes

Based in the Thane District, about 150 km north of Bombay, the Warli tribe numbers over 300,000 members. They have their own beliefs, life and customs which have nothing in common with Hinduism. The Warli speak an unwritten dialect mingling Sanskrit, Marathi and Gujarati words. The word « Warli » comes from «warla» which means a piece of land or a field.

In his book, The Painted World of the Warlis, Yashodara Dalmia claimed that the Warli carry on a tradition stretching back to 2500 or 3000 BC. Their mural paintings are similar to those done between 500 and 10 000 BC in the Bhimbekta caves, in Madya Pradesh. The wall paintings are done only for special occasions such as weddings or harvests. The lack of regular artistic activity explains the very crude style of their paintings, which were the preserve of the womenfolk until the late 1960s.

GGM Tribal Ministry - Introduction

GGM Ministries is located in the Tribal Region of India, 75 km from Bombay Serving Tribal is one of our primary focus. Here you can know about Tribal background, culture and art also how God is doing mighty works amongst the different tribes by convicting them by His love.