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Ganjifa: 16th Century Traditional Playing Cards of India
The Story of Ganjifa In June 1527 Babar, founder of the Mughal dynasty, sent a unique gift to Shah Hasan, a close friend from Sindh. It was an exquisite set of Mughal Ganjifa round playing cards, each hand-painted on ivory and inlaid with precious stones. Little did he know that he was going to spark…
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To Alwar and Back in a Heartbeat
The yellow of her odhni, of the mustard in the breeze, of the unabashed sun. It is the color that follows you through the dusty roads that lead out of Delhi and towards Alwar, the ‘Gateway to Rajasthan’. Sitting to the north of the capital city Jaipur, this erstwhile princely state now beckons weekend free-wheelers…
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Raja Ravi Varma and The Royal Gaekwad Collection
The Maharaja Fateh Singh Museum, housed within the Lakshmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, India, carries some of the most unique European and Indian art works, that were collected by Maharaja Sir Sayajirao Gaekwad III during his numerous trips out of India. The Museum was constructed as a school for the Maharaja’s children. It was established…
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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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Divine Scroll: Pattachitra Art from Odisha
Pattachitra is a traditional art form from Odisha that is based on Hindu mythology. The name is derived from Sanskrit word for cloth “patta” and picture “chitra”, denoting cloth-based scroll painting. The art work is specially inspired by Lord Jagannath and the Vaishnava cult and all the colours used are naturally obtained. Since the beginning of the Pattachitra…
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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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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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A Divine Glimpse
Etched in my mind are childhood memories of jostling a determined crowd to get a glimpse (jakhi) of Shivji Bawa, better known as Shreenathji, eight times* a day during my trips to Nathdwara, Rajasthan. I grew up in a devout vaishnav family and a yearly visit to this auspicious shrine town was a given. Shrinathji is a form of god Krishna manifest as…
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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,…
Storytellers of Wonder 