Devnarayan Ki Phad

Devnarayan Ki Par or Devnarayan Ki Phad (Gurjari or Rajasthani:देवनारायण की फड़) are cloth paintings which depict the legend of Devnarayan, a medieval hero venerated as a folk-deity. Traditionally, they are used to accompany a ritual in which the heroic deeds of Devnarayan are sung or recited by priests. Devnarayan is worshipped as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, mostly in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. According to the legend, he was incarnated in Vikram Samvat in 968 as the son of Gurjar warrior Sawai Bhoj Bagaravat and his wife Saadu Maata .
"Devnarayan Ki Par" contains 335 songs in all. The entire narration, recorded in 1,200 foolscap pages, runs nearly 15,000 verse lines. A professional Bhopa must remember all these songs by heart.
Devnarayan Ki Par.
The Par of Devnarayan is largest among the popular Pars in Rajasthan. The painted area of "D
evnarayan Ki Par" is 170 square feet (i.e. 34' x 5'). Some other Pars are also prevalent in Rajasthan, but being of recent origin they are not classical in composition.
Devnarayan Ki Par has the following attributes:
Reading the Devnarayan Ki Par.
The color red dominates the "Devnarayan Ki Par". Reading of the Par is started from the central figure of Shri Devnarayan. For the purpose of reading, the Par can be divided in three pars. Part A extends from the left to the central figure of Lord Devnarayan. Part B begins with the figure of Devnarayan and ends with the fourth-largest figure, Devnarayan's cousin Bhangi Ji. The rest is part C.
The Par reading is initiated with prayers or "aarati" of Lord Devnarayan and other gods such as Ganesha.
The figure of Lord Devnarayan is the largest in the Par. The central and largest figure of Lord Devnarayan is shown seated on Basag Nag (king of snakes) and the side view of Deoji has a sharp nose and prominent golden ornament. From the ear hangs a large golden ornament which most of the Gurjars still wear in Rajasthan. In one hand, there is a flower, while in the other, the Khanda (a sword).
The Bhopa.
Bhopa, the narrator, is the main singer who presents the Par to the audience with explanation and poetic narrations. The Bhopa use instruments such as Jantar when the Par is presented to the audience. The study of narrators and folk epics has been undertaken in other countries such as Russia and Finland. In Russia, these narrators are known as "Zhiraus" and "Baksi". But the tradition of Par painting where Bhopas not only dance and sing but use a painting in their narration is found only in Rajasthan.
There are three types of Bhopas of the god Devnarayan. They are:
Performance of the Par.
The performance of the Par starts after sunset. The Par Bhopa sprinkles water over the ground, followed by touching it with a gold piece to make the ground holy. Usually the Par performance is done at a place where devotees of Devnarayanji reside.
The Par performance is continued until dawn by the Par Bhopas. Initially only the Paatavi Bhopa sings the hymn of Devji, followed by the Diyala Bhopa. The whole epic, including the war of Bagaravats with Durjansaal and incarnation of Lord Vishnu as Shri Devnarayan, is sung by the Bhopas.
Maintenance of the Par.
The priests or Bhopas of the god Devnarayan are expected to know how to take care of the Par. The Bhopa offers prayers to it three times a day while playing a Jantar and lighting incense sticks. The Par of Devnarayan is kept vertical against a wall in the temple of Devji. It is not touched with unclean hands, and is only kept in holy places.
Accessories of the Par.
There are things which need to be kept along with the Par. These are the Baaaga (red skirt), a red jholi (peacock feather), and a bagatari. The Bhopas try to increase their knowledge pertaining to the epic of Devnarayan when they gather on some occasions. Bhopas from the Gurjar community generally gather at Pushkar, a religious place for the Gurjars since ancient times. Priests at Pushkar Temple are only from the Gurjar community.
Bhopas of the god Devnarayan play an important role in promoting solidarity in the community and preserving its culture.
Another famous Par painting is "Pabuji Ki Phad", though it is not as large as "Devnarayanji ki Par". "Pabuji Ki Phad" is painted on a 15 x 5 ft. canvas.