Kalamkari of Gujarat/Mata ni Pachedi

India has a rich textile tradition,no doubt and the artist has developed several mediums to express his imagination on to the canvas in many ways.Religious textiles portray the Indian culture to a great extent.Gujarat also has a Kalam kari art of its own and its called Mata ni Pachedi. `Having read about Mata ni Pachedi,before the trip,I was very sure that I wanted to see an artist who does this art,visit him and learn .Our driver Johnny knew each art of gujarat in detail and he took us through some very narrow gulleys in the main town of Ahmedabad to show the artist at work.

This Religious textile Art is done in a cream coloured cloth.They are hangings painted with iconographic representation of  gods and goddesses.They usually form the backdrop behind Goddess Durga in temples .If the devotees wishes come true they offer  it to the lord.During the festival season this art work is in demand in villages .In earlier times,the whole work used to be done by hand.Now they have blocks available.the sides of the cloth is decorated using blockprints and then the inside is handmade.

I think its now getting evolved from religious purposes to objects of decoration.

the  representation of goddess Durga at the artists work place

his fathers photograph

the photographs of all gods at the artists workplace

Goddess Durga

Depicting Ramayana

another form of Goddess

Goddess Saraswathi devi

In the chariot 

Blockprints

artist at work,black colour is coal mixed in oil and kept in tins for days

glory of the Raja

my enthusiastic daughter even captured a video of his work

a glance at his two room house,the kitchen where the vessels are arranged  on shelves

Images and Ideas:Lakshmi Arvind
Pl do not steal the images.