Sanjhi ArtSanjhi, an ancient Vaishnava art, involves cutting paper to form intricate stencils depicting the life of Krishna and Radha. The stencils are used in different ways. Some are placed on freshly plastered mud walls and filled with coloured powder. Some are placed on plates smeared with mustard oil. After filling the stencil with various powders, the stencil is lifted gently and the plate made to float on the river. The heavy plate is then taken out as it goes down leaving only the beautiful Sanjhi floating on a bed of oil! Folklore has it that since the artists started working in the morning but displayed the creation only in the evening, the art got named Sanjhi, Hindi for evening. In modern times, the stencils are made on rice paper and other strong materials to be made into lamp shades and other utility products. The art has also found acceptance as bindis to adorn foreheads.
