Aparita Bhandari

They are drawn only by women to beautify the house and welcome visitors. While aipans can either have cultural or religious significance, such household aipans are generally made up of decorative motifs such as the amiya (raw mango), shankh (conch), and floral patterns. Certain Hindu symbols, such as the feet of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, are also used in decorative aipans.

Religious aipans are mostly found in home altars. They are also drawn during ceremonies ranging from the namkaran (baby naming ceremony) and marriages to festivals associated with Hindu gods such as Shiva, Vishnu, and Lakshmi. Aipans made for such religious

purposes are called either chauki or peeth.

The chauki or peeth aipans are thought of as a seat for God or a divine representation. The name of the God being represented precedes chauki, such as Saraswati chauki or Vishnu peeth. Like other parts of India, Kumaon is steeped in Hindu legend. Kumaon has ancient temples dedicated to Hindu as well as local gods.

The region now known as Kumaon matches one of the five geographical zones of the Himalayas mentioned in ancient Hindu texts. It’s said that Kumaon is actually a derivative of Kurmanchal, or the land of the Kurmavatar. One of Lord Vishnu’s dashavatars (10 incarnations) was Kurmavatar, the tortoise. The Kailash-Mansarovar, said to be Lord Shiva’s abode, is to the north of Kumaon. — Beliefnet.com