Our drive from Bikaner to Shekhawat was long and hot, and travelling with a driver who believed that both sides of the road belonged to him, meant that by the time we reached our hotel in the village of Churi Ajitghar we were tired and on edge. It was two in the afternoon and there…
Category: Art
Tracing the Origins of Madhubani Paintings in Bihar
It gave us a form, a way to express ourselves,” says Godavari Devi, remembering a time gone by. I am sitting in the modest living room of her home in the small, quiet hamlet of Ranti, near Madhubani town, while she regales us with tales from her travels as a National Award-winning Madhubani artist. Behind…
reDiscovery Podcast S3E7: Devrai Art Village, providing dignified livelihood through art
Two monsoons ago we were driving through Maharashtra heading southwards across the Western Ghat on a roadtrip which we eventually had to abandon due to excessively heavy rainfall, flooding and collapsing bridges. Our last stop on that leg of adventure, which involved climbing up forts in the pouring rain with absolutely no visibility, was the Devrai…
Pinguli’s Kala Aangan that preserves the dying art of the Thakkar community
You should meet Chetan and check out the Thakkar art, I think you’ll find it interesting. This is how many of our journeys begin and this suggestion from a fellow traveller, when we were researching stuff to explore on our Maharashtra road trip proved to be an excellent tip! Pinguli is a little town on…
The reDiscovery Podcast S02E07: Cool shopping ideas from across India
Shopping is a large part of travel for most people, especially in a place like India that is full of amazing art, handicrafts, textiles, antiques and everything in between. While we don’t shop much, since we travel on a tight budget with already stuffed backpacks in public transport, every now and then we do pick…
Chanderi: Beyond the Sari
Chanderi is known for its famous ‘tana-bana’ style of weaving, and while the Saris are stunning, this ancient trading town offers so much more.
Devrai Art Village and the Dhokra of Mohenjo Daro
Nestled amongst flowers, trees and the low call of birds, on a gently sloping hill, is an old Ficus tree, with branches that almost touch the ground around creating a natural grove. It is in the natural cave of the old tree that the concept of the Devrai Art Village was born, a space and…
Kirtan Das and the Art Village of Orissa
Something about his quiet demeanour stood out, his smile was humble, warm and inviting. His small home, dimly lit by a single naked bulb, was cluttered with rolls of canvas, painting materials and shelves full of curios.
The Patan Patola
Patola saris have adorned women of royalty for centuries, but today they are a dying art. Difficult to create in this form, Patola saris today are being made by new age looms and in some place even machines; Mr Salvi is rueful as he tells us this. There is some hope though as Mr. Salvi says that his nephew is being mentored to take over the family tradition, and so Patola will survive, in this family at least, for another generation.