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Home Diaries: An Enchanting Adventure
When September came knocking, we were invited by blogger Aradhana Anand to tour her gorgeous Delhi home. Before returning to India after nearly twelve years, Aradhana had begun re-decorating her room to create a space she could move back to and truly call her own. Our morning enthrallment began in the cosy corner where her sofa sits…
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Clouds of Color: Imaginative and Vibrant Central Asian Ikat
References to Central Asia conjure up images of flat, rolling sandy deserts and a vast arid landscape. However, upon closer look it throws up colors so vivid that the eyes are mesmerized by their distinctive beauty. The vibrancy of an Uzbeki ikat robe or wall hangings adorning a carved door does justice to their name.…
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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…
Storytellers of Wonder 