Celebrating Padmashri Parshuram Gangavane and the Thakar Adivasi Kala Aangan Museum & Art Gallery Nestled in the culturally rich village of Pinguli in Sindhudurg, Maharashtra, the Thakar Adivasi Kala Aangan Museum & Art Gallery stands as a vibrant testimony to India’s living heritage. At the heart of this cultural renaissance is Padmashri Parshuram Gangavane , a master artist, storyteller, and guardian of the fading folk traditions of the Konkan region. Padmashri Parshuram Gangavane: The Torchbearer of Tradition Parshuram Gangavane, fondly known as the “Guardian of Chitrakathi,” has dedicated his life to reviving and preserving the ancient art forms of the Thakar tribal community. In 2021, his lifelong contribution to Indian folk arts was honored with the prestigious Padma Shri , India’s fourth-highest civilian award. For over four decades, Gangavane has been passionately working to keep alive the Chitrakathi art , a unique storytelling tradition using hand-painted s...
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.