Kavad art in Rajasthan dates back 400 years. The artisan caste 'Kumawat' began a long tradition of Kaabad art in Bashi, a small town located in the Bhilwara region near Udaipur, Rajasthan. Kavad is a descendant of Shravan, a mythical figure. Shravan is a boy who was accidentally killed by Raja Dashrat (Lord Ram's father) while carrying his blind parents on his shoulders. Since they could not go there, he asked Raja Dashratha to bring the temple to his parents as his last wish so that they could worship the gods. This is where Kawada's concept of the art of storytelling emerged.
Kavad consists of mobile temples built by a community of artisans called Kaavadiya Suthar. The sutars are made by extracting the devotional mango tree. The first stage of painting the panels is carried out. After drying, the details and outlines of the painting become finer. At the end, the panels are installed on a wooden frame and the carbide is ready for storytelling.
