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Home Diaries: Pristine Pleasures
There are places that charm you with their exquisite exterior, a welcoming stairwell or the promise of a hidden wonder. As you peek closer and step inside, you’re thrilled at having walked into something built with magic, where all that you see holds a story untold and makes you forget the crowd, the chatter, the world outside. No…
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Pichwais of Nathdwara
Legend has it that in 1409 AD, near Govardhan hill in Mathura an image of Lord Shrinathji, the mountain lifting form of Lord Krishna, was discovered while a cow worshiped the lord with offerings of milk. A temple was promptly established at this site and was held in high reverence. In the 17th century, during…
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Passing on a Precious Legacy: The Handloom School in Maheshwar, Madhya Pradesh
Among the many treasures of India, the heritage derived through a Handloom is one of the most exquisite. This tradition has been celebrated in the past by kings and commoners alike, but the future looks sadly uncertain. According to the 2011 Census data, nearly seven million families are involved in earning their bread through weaving…
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Shadow and Light.. a little black a little white..
I see a rustic courtyard in dappled light, with thatched roofs, and ageing terracotta figurines… I see a woman in white cottons, with dark eyes and quaint silver rings… I see an old tree dancing, to the tranquil notes of an iktara playing in the background… I see old clay pots, dark with…
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Second Skin
She is beauty, she is grace, she is elegant in every step. She is gentle, she breathes passion, she is life in every thread. She is ancient, she is timeless, she turns at each whisper of her name. From time long past, and into the future unseen, she will hold countless stories, within the folds…
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Home Diaries: With Anuradha Varma of MyDreamCanvas
Thrilled to showcase a home tour of the lovingly decorated home of Anuradha Varma, blogger extraordinaire and creator of one of our favorite blogs, My Dream Canvas. For the last 8 years she has gradually and painstakingly built a beautiful abode that reminds her of home ten thousand miles away. Today’s feature not only showcases a fabulous…
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Birds of a feather…
Turning coloured dust into liquid to form intricate patterns on grooved gold may sound like a magpie’s luxurious daydream but in fact this is one of India’s oldest jewelry making techniques called meenakari. Meenakari is the Hindi word for enamel and is often found on the back of another ancient jewelry form called kundan that layers diamonds of gold…
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Textile Narrative: ‘Mata-ni-Pachedi’
Mata, Shakti, Devi – These names evoke vivid images from mythology. The Chitara families of the wandering Waghris tribe of Gujarat visualize Goddess’s many manifestations as hand-painted or block-printed images on textiles, surrounded by stories from myths, epics and folk traditions. ‘Mata-ni-Pachedi’ translates literally to ‘that which enshrines the Goddess’. The historical evidence of this…
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A Divine Glimpse
Etched in my mind are childhood memories of jostling a determined crowd to get a glimpse (jakhi) of Shivji Bawa, better known as Shreenathji, eight times* a day during my trips to Nathdwara, Rajasthan. I grew up in a devout vaishnav family and a yearly visit to this auspicious shrine town was a given. Shrinathji is a form of god Krishna manifest as…
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Madhubani – More Than Just A Picture on the Wall
Originating in Bihar, Madhubani or Mithila paintings were once drawn on walls and doors of homes as a gesture to delight God. As the time progressed, the art graduated to other mediums like cloth, hand-made paper and even canvas. And today, it has become widely popular, owing to its unique designs and rustic look. The figures…
Storytellers of Wonder 