-
Treasured Travelogues: India through the eyes of Artists Thomas and Willam Daniell
India has bewitched many an artist who has found such beauty in the landscape and its people that it has prompted them to translate some of the experienced charm onto the canvas. The late 18th century saw an English uncle-nephew duo, Thomas and William Daniell, setting sail to India, arriving in Calcutta in 1786. Upon…
-
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…
-
Tale Trails: A Must Visit Literary Icon in San Francisco
San Francisco, the undeniable global capital of liberalization and the birthplace of the hippie revolution and the gay rights movement, has for centuries been associated with culture, arts and creativity. And yet, little is known about how this liberalization came about. The end of World War II saw the emergence of a new genre of…
-
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…
-
Textile Discoveries
Excavations at Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro have unearthed bone needles and wooden spindles, clearly suggesting that homespun cotton was used to make garments. In fact, fragments of woven cotton have also been discovered from these sites. Historically renowned for it’s textiles, India’s woven love story dates back several centuries. The first mention of textiles in India…
-
We are Twins.. Almost..!
When we saw these gorgeous portraits of Indian royalty and these intensely ethnic rooms, we couldn’t help play match! So here you go, on a royal rendezvous, with these perfect sets of twins, well almost..! Whoever says men can’t carry off pink, hasn’t seen this handsome portrait of the Maharaja of Jodhpur yet. And the room’s just…
-
Peeking into the Past: Jaypore visits noted revivalist Suraiya Hasan
Suraiya Hasan, or Suraiya Apa as she is fondly called, is a bundle of energy as she flits around her weaving unit on the outskirts of Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh. The clacking of looms fills the air around this octogenarian as she goes about instructing her class of weavers on the nearly-extinct technique of himroo weaving.…
-
In the Bazaars of Hyderabad
What do you sell, O ye merchants? Richly your wares are displayed, Turbans of crimson and silver, Tunics of purple brocade, Mirrors with panels of amber, Daggers with handles of jade. What do you weigh, O ye vendors? Saffron, lentil and rice. What do you grind, O ye maidens? Sandalwood, henna and spice. What do…
Storytellers of Wonder 