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The Royal Atelier: Preserving the Legacy of Miniature Paintings in Kishangarh
Kishangarh is an erstwhile princely state founded by the Jodhpur prince Kishan Singh in 1609. Located at the centre of this now bustling town is the Kishangarh Fort, enveloped by the Phool Mahal Palace and the Gondulav lake beyond. The Fort, built in 1649, is an epitome of the Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture.…
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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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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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The Butchered Art of Mirrorwork
For those familiar with an Indian flea market, the sight of a gypsy woman clad from top to bottom in beefy silver jewelry and a bright, ornate costume is probably not a new one. She may be found hard-selling here wares ranging from heavily embroidered shoulder bags, bedspreads or table runners. There’s truly nothing fascinating…
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Heart of Glass – Thewa
I’ve been looking around for some new jewelry. I began thinking about different mediums and started contemplating glass. Glass has the ability to take on the robust colour qualities of gems like emeralds and rubies, yet it is unfortunate that most glass jewelry you can find has a uninspired flea market feel to it. In…
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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…
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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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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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Festive Ripples: Romancing the waves of a Leheriya
The colors of spring rarely come alive the way they do on a leheriya fabric, where vibrant hues shine through and celebrate the uniqueness of each shade blended together. Leheriya is a traditional style of tie-dye practiced in Rajasthan. Deriving its name from the Rajasthani word for ‘wave’, this technique is often used to produce…
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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 