Sanjhi Art: Timeless Tales of Radha-Krishna

Sanjhi art is a paper-cutting stencilling technique that comes from Mathura city in Uttar Pradesh. Its name is derived from the word Sajja or Shringar which means Decoration. It shows the prominent traditional themes are centred around the Hindu God Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu. The Sanjhi art grew in the 16th and 17th centuries when the walls and floors of temples were decorated with Sanjhi motifs. According to legend, the origin of Sanjhi art painting is linked to Radha- Krishna’s divine consort. Radha would create these stencils to make rangolis (floor patterns) to please her lover. During the Mughal period when art was patronised by the royal courts, Sanjhi continued to gain traction. Secular themes and decorative motifs were introduced that were appreciated by all. In this way, gradually the repertoire of themes grew and the contemporary versions allude to this process.