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TRIBAL VILLAGE · RATHWA ADIVASI · FOREST LIFERathwa Hamlets
The villages where Pithora is born — the Rathwa hamlets of Chhota Udaipur district, small forest settlements where the Rathwa Adivasi communities live their agricultural and forest life, paint Pithora on their walls and maintain a cultural world that has no comparison elsewhere in India.
Living tribal villages of the Rathwa
The Rathwa Adivasi hamlets of Chhota Udaipur district are small forest settlements — typically 20–100 households — scattered through the forested hills and valleys of eastern Gujarat, where the Rathwa community has lived and farmed for generations. The Rathwa live an agricultural life closely tied to the forest: seasonal farming of millets and pulses, forest produce collection, animal husbandry and seasonal labour.
Their homes are typically mud-walled, with tiled or thatched roofs, and the inner walls are the canvas for Pithora painting — the ritual mural art that is the Rathwa’s most singular cultural expression. The villages near Kawant, Naswadi and Pavi Jetpur are the most accessible for visitors, but the entire district interior is dotted with Rathwa hamlets.
The experience of visiting them — with a guide who speaks Rathwi and can introduce you to families — is unlike anything else in Gujarat. The Rathwa are known for their particular hospitality. The house of a Rathwa family that has commissioned a Pithora mural will typically be pleased to show it to respectful visitors. Always go with a local guide, ask permission at every house, and take no photography without consent.
Rathwa tribal art — Pithora mural, Chhota Udaipur.
From a riverside experiment to the road to freedom
Rathwa Pithora mural — tribal art of Chhota Udaipur.
Rathwa settlement in eastern Gujarat forests.
Millet and forest farming.
Ritual mural art on the home walls.
An active tribal community.
Reasons to make the time
Pithora
Sacred murals in homes.
Authenticity
Real village life.
Forest
Tribal ecology.
Hospitality
Rathwa culture.
Art
Pithora in situ.
Agriculture
Millet and forest.
What to look for inside
A hamlet
Pithora on the walls.
The art in situ
Sacred ritual.
How to spend an hour or two
Book a local guide
Essential — go with a guide who speaks Rathwi and can introduce you to families.
Ask for a Pithora village
Seek out a hamlet with a recent painting on its walls.
Respect the space
It is a home — behave as a welcome guest, not a tourist.
Ask about the ceremony
Learn about the Pithora ritual and what the mural means.
Look for lakhara marks
Spot the artist's touch in the painted figures.
Say thank you in Rathwi
Ask your guide how to thank your hosts in their own language.
Rathwa Pithora mural — Chhota Udaipur.
Rathwa architecture and Pithora murals
Rathwa homes are typically single-storey mud and timber structures with overhanging roofs — practical for the seasonal rain and cool winters of eastern Gujarat. The interior walls are lime-plastered and it is these walls that receive Pithora paintings during ritual ceremonies.
The paintings are typically applied over several days by the lakhara artist, with the community participating in the ritual context. Go with a guide; always ask permission; respect the ritual status of the murals.
Rathwa Adivasi hamlets — traditional forest settlements
Pithora murals on interior walls — active tradition
Agricultural life: millets, forest produce, animal husbandry
Accessible from Kawant, Naswadi and Pavi Jetpur
When to go
Cool & clear — ideal. Comfortable all day for unhurried village visits.
Lush and green, but the forest roads may flood and access becomes difficult.
Hot through the day; come right at opening and stick to early mornings.
⏰ October to March is ideal for Chhota Udaipur.
Timings & entry
- Cool, dry winter months are the most comfortable
- Monsoon turns the forest green but roads may flood
- Summer is hot — visit in the early morning
- Allow 1–2 hours for an unhurried village visit
- No ticket required to visit the hamlets
- Always travel with a local guide who speaks Rathwi
- Ask permission at every house before entering
- No photography without the family's consent
Getting there
By Air
Vadodara airport is about 100 km away, the nearest with regular flights — then continue by road into the district interior.
By Rail
Bodeli and Chhota Udaipur are the closest railheads, with onward road connections to the surrounding hamlets.
By Road
NH-56 from Vadodara reaches Chhota Udaipur; from there local roads run out to Kawant, Naswadi and the forest villages.
Shooting the hamlets
GO WITH CONSENT
Living homes and sacred murals — always ask before you photograph
Ask first
These are homes and the murals are sacred — never photograph without the family's clear consent.
What to shoot
With permission, the Pithora murals on interior walls are the most striking subject.
The setting
Mud-walled homes, tiled roofs and the forested hills make a quiet, honest backdrop.
Be a guest
Keep your camera low-key, follow your guide's lead and respect every boundary.
Know before you go
More to see close by
Hafeshwar on Narmada
A serene Shiva temple by the great river
Eastern Ghats
Rolling green country on the MP border
Kawant Holi Fair
One of Gujarat's most colourful tribal gatherings
Kawant Fair
Hafeshwar
A Shiva temple on the Narmada's banks
Koraj Hill Viewpoint
A forested viewpoint over the hills
Where to eat around the ashram
Gujarati Thali
Comfort home cooking.
Rathwa food
Forest produce & millet.
Bajra roti
Tribal staple.
Simple forest food
Expect millet rotis, forest produce and honey from the Adivasi villages rather than restaurants.
Rathwa Hamlets FAQ
How to visit?
Book a local guide who speaks Rathwi.
Photography?
Always ask — never without permission.
Are villages tourist-ready?
No — go with respect and a guide.
What to see?
Pithora murals in homes.
Best base?
Chhota Udaipur town.
Language?
Rathwi; Hindi understood by some.
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