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Odisha Renaissance: Reviving Languishing Crafts
Along with Odisha’s famed ikats, there are many more art forms, designs and weaving techniques yet to be popularized and find a foot hold in the markets outside Odisha. We are already witnessing slow death of many such textiles – dhala pathar, kala pathar, siminoi, habaspuri, kusumi, original cotton Bomkai etc. In the post-liberalisation phase…
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Re-interpreting Rohida
A brush with India has always been very stimulating for many a wandering soul, especially souls with a creative bent of mind. For years, travelers, writers, photographers, artists and the spiritually inclined have been drawn to this land that is a living laboratory of the most varied cultures and traditions, landscapes and streetscapes, the many…
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The Regional Flavours and Global Language of IKAT Weaving
The word IKAT is derived from the Indonesian word Mengikat, meaning to tie. It is a technique that employs resist dyeing similar to tie and dye on warp and/or weft threads prior to weaving. Alteration to the bindings and dyeing in more than one colour and removal of all bindings produce multicoloured patterns on weaving.…
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Tree of Life: The Many Unique Interpretations of this Ancient Symbol
The Tree of life concept appears in science, philosophy, religion and mythology and alludes to the interconnection of all life on our planet, serving as a metaphor for our common descent. It is a symbol that appears in nearly every ancient culture. With the branches reaching for the sky, and deep roots into the earth,…
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The Bauls of West Bengal
“Emotions and essence of life has remained the same over the years, so have the stories. The universal message of love in Baul music draws people looking for relief from life’s troubles.” – Lakhan Das Baul Dressed in saffron robes, with their hair uncut and coiled, wearing beads made of…
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Poetry in Stone: Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi
Walking through the ruins of the fifth city of Delhi, Firuzabad, one is drawn in by the unique scents and silver smoke emanating from incense sticks. We have found our way to the stone walls of Firuz Shah Kotla, built on the bank of the river Yamuna in 1354 by Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq. What was once the grand…
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Embroidered Elegance: The delicate art of Chikankari
There is a subtle understated elegance of intricate white thread embroidery on delicate white muslin. So uniquely exquisite is this fine creation that it has been applauded and desired for centuries. While the true origins of Chikan are shrouded in mystery and legend, it is clear that Chikankari has its roots in the Mughal reign. Although Chikankari…
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Un-veiling the story of the Ghunghat
India is a land that worships goddesses such as Saraswati, Durga, Laxmi. Ever seen them wear a ghungat, or the veil? Never. Then where did this culture of covering a woman’s head and face come from? The ghungat, yet another symbol of Indian history, in a way retells the story of the various invasions of India. It is yet another custom…
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Ajrakh Legends
Ajrakh is believed to be a symbolic representation of the universe, the blue representing the night sky, the red denoting twilight and the white geometric motifs signifying the stars in the dark sky. Their fingernails are the color of the midnight sky, and their eyes gleam like diamonds when they talk with passion about the…
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Gathering Steam: Down Memory Lane with the Locomotive Wonder
Images of steam engines whisper tales of a bygone era, billowing clouds of smoke that is now lost within the annals of time, except when it streams at us through television and films. Children in urban parks continue to make imaginary trains where the human-engine goes chhukh-chhukh-chhukh with the customary –cooo at the end. But…
Storytellers of Wonder 