Day 5 of mandana art series

🪷 Day 5: Mandana Art in Modern Times — Disappearing Beauty or Rising Again?

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I hope you're all safe, smiling, and connected to your roots. 💫

We’ve come to the final day of our 5-day Mandana Art series, and today we’re asking an important question:

“Is this ancient art form slowly fading away — or is it being reborn in new ways?”

As always, stay with us till the end for a real-life story from one of our readers, Pooja from Maharashtra — a heartwarming memory of her childhood that shows how happiness often hides in the smallest moments.

🌿 Where Does Mandana Art Stand Today?

Mandana, once a daily expression of culture in Rajasthani households, is now rarely seen on walls and floors. With changing lifestyles, concrete houses, and migration to cities, many traditional practices like Mandana are slowly being forgotten.

But all is not lost.

✨ 1. Mandana in City Homes

Some artists and families still practice Mandana during festivals like:

• Diwali
• Govardhan Puja
• Weddings
• Baby showers

Instead of cow dung floors, they now draw on tiles, paper, and fabric using eco-friendly paints.

✨ 2. Mandana in Fashion & Decor

Young artists are giving Mandana a modern look:

• Printed sarees and stoles
• Mandana coasters and tote bags
• Cushion covers, wall hangings, and notebooks

Artisans are also selling Mandana-themed items online — keeping the style alive through fashion and craft.

✨ 3. Workshops and School Projects

In many rural and urban schools, teachers now include Mandana art as part of:

• Cultural activities
• Heritage exhibitions
• Art & craft competitions

Workshops are being organized by NGOs and art lovers to revive interest among young students.

✨ 4. Digital Preservation

Several artists and cultural historians are uploading:

• Tutorial videos
• E-books
• Instagram reels featuring Mandana patterns

These efforts are keeping the knowledge alive, even if not everyone is practicing it physically.

🧡 The Message

Mandana may not be drawn in every home today, but it still lives in memory, design, and adaptation.

And maybe — just maybe — every time someone paints a white line on red earth, a grandmother somewhere smiles.

💖 Real-Life Story: Pooja’s First Flight — A Childhood Memory She’ll Never Forget

Pooja was just 12 years old, a simple schoolgirl living in a quiet neighborhood in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Her days were filled with books, chalkboards, mango trees, and dreams that never reached beyond her city borders.

She had never sat in a train, let alone a plane. Her world was small — but warm.

Then came the news: her cousin's wedding was going to be held in the United Kingdom. The whole family was excited, but everyone assumed that Pooja, the youngest, would stay back in India. After all, who takes a 12-year-old all the way to London?

But her cousin thought differently.

A few days before the wedding, he handed her a small envelope with a golden sticker. Inside was a flight ticket — her first ever.

“I froze,” Pooja writes.
“I kept looking at the ticket like it was made of gold. It had my name on it. Me — going to London!”

The days before the journey felt like a fairy tale. Her mother packed her clothes with extra care. Her father gifted her a tiny pink suitcase. Her neighbor gave her her first ever lipstick — a soft rose shade.

When the flight took off from Nagpur, she pressed her face to the window, watching the city turn smaller and smaller until it became just lights and clouds.

“I didn’t blink,” she says.
“I was afraid I’d miss a single second of magic.”

London was cold, big, and full of wonder. She wore a lehenga with snow boots. She danced with people who spoke in accents. She tasted strawberries dipped in chocolate. She got her first hug from a British auntie and learned how to say “thank you” in a new way.

But most of all — she felt seen. She felt important. Like she belonged in the big world too.

“That trip changed me,” she says.
“I came back to India with more than a suitcase. I came back with confidence.”

Even now, as an adult, when life feels heavy or small, Pooja closes her eyes and remembers the clouds outside that airplane window — and suddenly, everything feels possible again.

🗨️ Thank You for Joining This Journey

From Day 1 to Day 5, we’ve explored:

• What Mandana is
• Its regional forms
• How to learn it
• The tools and techniques
• And finally, where it stands in today’s world

But more importantly, we’ve shared stories of real people — just like you.

Because art is not only about beauty — it’s about people, pain, strength, and joy.

🙏 Final Note from Your Writer

Thank you for walking this journey with me.

And remember — your story matters. Whether it’s a struggle, a small joy, or a memory you never forgot… share it with us. It may heal someone else.

— Your writer and well-wisher 💌