Shri Parshuram Vishram Gangavane has been tenaciously preserving and promoting the traditional art forms of the Adivasi Thakar Tribe since 1975. Born on June 1, 1956, to the tribal family of Gangavanes in Kudal; he has learnt over ten traditional arts from his father, Vishram Gangavane. These include Chitrakathi, Kalsutri Bahulya, Leather Puppets, Pangul Bael, Powada, Gondhal, Radhanrutya, and six more traditional art forms of the Thakars. In 2006, the community at Pinguli under his leadership set up a “Thakar Adivasi Kala Aangan” (TAKA) Museum & Art Gallery depicting the 500 Years old traditional objects and puppets of the Thakar culture and has since been visited by both local and foreign tourists. A school is working to teach both women and men of the community to paint the traditional Chitrakathi,(tradition of storytelling through paintings & music)through which they preserve the Thakar art forms. The Vishram Thakar Adivasi Kala Aangan Charitable Trust owns...
The Thakar Adivasi caste of Pinguli is traditionally occupied with eleven different performance arts. Amongst these are the KalsutriBahulya, a string marionette show depicting the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata; the Dayati, shadow puppet theatre; the Chitrakathi, storytelling with the help of paintings; and the Pangulbael, a ritual form of theatre around the figure of the sacred bull of Shiva.