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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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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…
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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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Tale Trails: Street-side Sunday Surprise at Daryaganj, Delhi
When Edward Spenser wrote his epic poem The Faerie Queene celebrating the Tudor Dynasty and Elizabeth I, little could he have imagined that more than 400 years later the monetary worth of his words would be tested by a weighing contraption installed in Delhi. At 0.82 kgs, Spenser’s allegorical masterpiece exchanges hands at Rs. 180.…
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Tale Trails – A hidden haven for booklovers in Ahmedabad
I had read about it. Adjectives like rare, tucked away, quaint, hidden gem etc. can make me visit anything, even a postbox, and this was a full-fledged bookstore. And so it was to be, in the summer of 2013 when I found myself in Ahmedabad, yet again. (It is quickly becoming one of my favourite…
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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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5 Unconventional Dos for first time India travelers
A discerning traveller chooses a travel destination based not just on the location or weather but based on the overall experience. Of course you could be fully satisfied with the fabricated experience courtesy of Thomas Cook but at some point you may question the integrity of it all and wonder aloud, ‘is this the real…
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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…
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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…
Storytellers of Wonder 