Aipan
Story
Story of Aipan
The word aipan is derived from ‘arpan’ or dedication. It is a traditional art form of kumaon that originated in almora and flourished under the chand dynasty in the 11th century. Creating aipan is akin to making an offering to god. The art form and its symbols are associated with fortune and fertility. The aipan ‘likhai’, or ‘writing’ ritual designs with fingers, is done on the occasion of birth, marriage, death, the sacred thread ceremony ‘janeu’ and festivals. It is traditionally done with the white paste of rice flour on a background of red clay, ‘geru’
