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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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Summer in Calcutta
What is this drink but The April sun, squeezed Like an orange in My glass? I sip the Fire, I drink and drink Again, I am drunk Yes, but on the gold of suns, What noble venom now flows through my veins and fills my mind with unhurried laughter? My worries doze. Wee bubblesring my…
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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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Planting Trees, Planting New Traditions
Coming from a land overburdened with age old customs and traditions that are fighting for survival and relevance in a constantly changing world, it is heartening to see a community sowing seeds of new traditions to fight issues that are plaguing the human society in the 21st century. Piplantri, a village in south Rajasthan, has been…
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Why do Indians wear Tilak on their Foreheads?
The beauty of most Indian Traditions is that they are little lessons in Human Physiology. Disguised as Traditions and Customs, they form habits at an early age with deep meaning attached to them that ensure the well-being of our Mind and Body. Wearing Tilak on our foreheads is one such custom. Though it symbolizes Hinduism and has…
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For the Love of the Loom: A young textile designer finds her passion in the weaving villages of Odisha
Like most fashion school graduates, Gunjan Jain began working in the apparel export industry based in the urban centres of Delhi and Bangalore. But soon she was disillusioned with the industrial process of making clothes and their resultant commoditisation. Factory and assembly process of creating clothing lacked the collective union she wished to be associated…
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The Gilded Storytellers of Lucknow
Deep kohl-set eyes follow the graceful movements of decorated fingers, the intricate beats of the tabla and the progressive tempo of rhythmic footwork. Spectators watch transfixed as elegant swirling movements, lightning quick pirouettes, subtle gestures and sudden poses combine to tell a breathtaking story. Kathak, the North Indian dance form famed for its subtlety and grace, traces…
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Kantha – An Intimate Witness to the Spirit of Womanhood
“Spreading the embroidered quilt She works the livelong night, As if the quilt her poet were Of her bereaved plight. Many a joy and many a sorrow Is written on its breast; The story of Rupa’s life is there, line by line expressed.” (From ‘Field of the Embroidered Quilt’ – a translation of ‘Nokshi Kanthar…
Storytellers of Wonder 