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Mata Ni Pachedi Kalamkari Paintings

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Banned from entering temples, Gujarat’s ‘Devipujak’ community would turn to art to help them carry their temples wherever they went.

Gujarat’s Portable Temples 

The ‘Devipujak’ community were forced to transform an adversity into a fascinating art form

Gujarat’s Portable Temples

A 4000 verse epic that narrates the story of Pabuji, a folk deity of Rajasthan forms the backdrop of a ‘shrine on the move’. 

Pabuji ki Phad - Sacred Shrines that Move   

Rabaris travel and follow their flock sheep and camel, even their gods travel with them in the portable shrines 

Pabuji ki Phad - Sacred Shrines that Move

She was the protector of children and venerated across faiths. We go back in time to Gandhara, to trace the story of Goddess Hariti and how she became a symbol of a great cultural confluence, with art historian Naman Ahuja  

Gandhara’s Goddess Hariti - Bridging Faiths

She was the Protector of children and venerated across faiths.

A goddess that tells the tale of the great trading empire of Kalinga across the eastern seas. Join us as we take a trip to the ancient Taratarini temple in Odisha and discover its secrets 

Taratarini: Goddess of the Eastern Seas

Join us as we take a trip to Odisha and discover its secrets

Intersections

A story of old connections that link a temple in  Maharashtra to the great goddess Taleju Bhawani of Nepal.

The Goddess Who Went to Nepal

The Taleju Bhawani temple in Bhaktapur, around 15 kms from Kathmandu, Nepal and the Tulja Bhawani temple in Tuljapur, near Solapur in Maharashtra, are more than 2000 kms apart. But connecting these two temples is a fascinating story of a king, most probably linked to the Chalukyas from the south, who established a dynasty in Nepal, and introduced the worship of Goddess Bhawani there.

Goddess Taleju Bhawani is the patron goddess of the Newar people of Nepal. The Newars are a community, who were among the earliest inhabitants of the Kathmandu valley. They follow a unique form of Hinduism, that combines Hindu and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.

Goddess Taleju Bhawani is the patron goddess of the Newar people of Nepal

In a small corner of what was once a mighty port 5000 years back- Lothal, stands a temple dedicated to the ‘Goddess of the Sea’.

The Old Goddess of Lothal 

Lothal, a mighty port 5000 years ago, is home to a temple dedicated to the ‘Goddess of the Sea’

The Old Goddess of Lothal

Cuisines & Cultures

In the village of Narendrapur in coastal Odisha, villagers have been randomly digging up pieces of its ancient past, including hundreds of Shiva Lingas. This archaeological treasure, and the tale of a goddess from afar, tells of a fascinating connection to Sri Lanka


Lankeshwari: The Odia Goddess From Sri Lanka

Narendrapur is a remote village in the coastal district of Bhadrakh in Odisha, whose presiding deity tells a fascinating story. Goddess Lankeshwari, as her name suggests, is a deity believed to have come from Sri Lanka. How did she travel all the way to Odisha, or Kalinga, as the region was known in ancient times?

There’s something else that makes Narendrapur really special. Wherever you go, you will spot a Shiva Linga. There are hundreds of them scattered all over the village. You see them in rice fields, near ponds, in playgrounds, by the roadside and in people’s homes. For the visitor, it’s a surreal experience, yet for the people of Narendrapur, it’s business as usual.

Central to the celebration of #Navratri is the recitation of the powerful Devi Mahatmya, also referred to as the Durga Saptashati or ‘Seven hundred verses to Durga’, a text dated back to 5th century CE. Here are some of the episodes it narrates-  

Navratri - The Glory of the Goddess

The Navratri – the nine nights before Vijaya Dashami or Dussera are a time when millions across India celebrate the glory of the goddesses from the Hindu pantheon.  Central to this celebration is the recitation of the powerful Devi Mahatmya, also referred to in many parts of the country as the Durga Saptashati or ‘Seven hundred verses to Durga’. An ancient text dated back to around the 5th century CE, little is known about its authors, but what we do know is that this text has an even deeper history. It brings together strains of myths and legends from Shaivite, Vaishnavite, and tribal traditions that go back thousands of years!

The seven hundred verses of Devi Mahatmya narrate three separate episodes or narratives, in which the great Goddess achieves victory over demon kings or Asuras – a depiction of good over evil.

This Navratri let us look at the ancient text of Devi Mahatmya narrating the victory of Goddess over the Asuras.

Treasures

Bihar Museum Exhibition: Women and Deities

Ashwin Sanghi on Weaving Stories Through Fact & Fiction

Trails

The Making of Jaipur

Lost Cities

Pune before the Peshwas 

Tales of Shahjahanabad

Shola Durga

Lippan White Wall Mirror

Handmade Harappan Dancing Girl Replica in Dhokra Metal

Bastar Handmade Wrought Iron Spiral Tealight Holder

The story of Mata ni Pachedi by artist Sanjay Chitara from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

In our new series ‘The Power of One’ in which we celebrate the people who are taking India’s cultural legacy, our arts and crafts, ahead, this week catch the story of Mata ni Pachedi artist Sanjay Chitara from Ahmedabad, Gujarat.