AMHP is Not Just About the Prints!

Although most visitors come to the museum to learn about hand block printing, the haveli itself offers a look at ancient building traditions still practised today, albeit in diminishing numbers.

When AMHP recently called on local artisan, Ram Kishor, to repaint the weather-beaten façade, we requested he follow a centuries-old limewash recipe. Together with his ‘team’, he set up a temporary work space in the museum forecourt and spent the next 8-9 days mixing and nurturing the various ingredients to create the perfect earth-tinted wash. It took another two weeks to paint and embellish the walls.

Few old buildings (or new, for that matter) receive such a pampering these days! Watching this fascinating process of refreshing the wall colour, we decided to share it with our followers. Here’s a small glimpse, in photos, at how the museum was brushed up for the new season!

 

Artisan, Ram Kishor

Ram Kishor places blocks of chuna limestone into a large drum adding water that he continually replenishes for 2 days.

Constant stirring prevents the lime and water from separating. After straining it through a gauze cloth, salt is added.

To create colour, Ram Kishor mixes additional ingredients like molasses, curd, yellow sand and red clay, adjusting amounts for desired results.

Regular straining removes dust particles for a clear smooth finish.

The craftsmen scrape the walls with a thin iron blade and fill the holes with chuna cement. Scoring the surface releases trapped air to prevent cracking and also enables the 2nd and 3rd application to adhere.

An undercoat of limewash covers the entire area for a smooth finish.

Continuous stirring must never stop or the mixture will thicken and spoil.

The painter uses a string dipped in dry coal powder to mark the area for painting, a laborious task that needs a slow steady hand.

Ram Kishor carefully adds final touches to the relief- covered wall with white chuna paint brightened with a touch of indigo.

 

Text: Suki Skidmore & Rachel Bracken-Singh

Photographs: Anokhi Archives