| Specifications |
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DDI088 |
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Artist Dilip Chitara |
| Madarpat Cotton | |
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55 inch Height X 72 inch Width |
| Delivery and Return Policies |
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Ships in 1-3 days |
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Returns and Exchanges accepted within 7 days |
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Free Delivery |
A rare
masterpiece from the Vaghari community of Gujarat, this six-feet long and five
feet wide Mata Ni Pachedi (cloth paintings for hanging behind or peeche the
goddess or Mata) is a depiction of Visat Mata- she who has vees or bees
(twenty) haath (hands). Mata Ni Pachedi is a portable shrine of the Vagharis of
Gujarat that slowly grew into a rich folk-art tradition.
While earlier
Mata Ni Pachedis used only two colors- red and black, this cotton canvas
carries a multitude of hues, which suggests a personal experiment by the artist
to add vivid beauty to the visual narrative.
The process
of making a single Mata Ni Pachedi is a tedious one and by the time the
painting reaches the patron, it has gone through several stages. The journey
begins with a pure cotton cloth washed and de-starched and treated with a
solution of Harada. The dried canvas is then used for drawing and block
printing, after which it goes to the next step- filling colors.
The
traditional red and black are ritually more significant and the process of
making them is a long one. Once the canvas is painted, it is taken to the
nearest waterbody, usually the Sabarmati River, where it is washed and dried so
that the excess colors are removed.
In this
painting, the mother goddess, Visat Mata is enshrined in a domical structure,
an architectural motif that is a characteristic feature of Mata Ni Pachedis
which serves as a mobile temple for the community of Vagharis who for a long
time were not allowed to visit temples.
Visat Mata
wears a beautiful lower garment that resembles the medieval Sharara and a
headgear that attests to her folk origins. Riding a lion which is a mount of
goddess Durga, Visat Mata slays the buffalo-demon whose figure is repeated
twice on the canvas to add a dramatic essence to the battle scene.
Sea and
resources derived from it form an integral part of the life of Gujarati
communities including the Vagharis which is why they depict the goddesses with
aquatic life, and fishes which are symbols of fertility and auspiciousness,
floating in the foreground of the painting. Beyond it lies the human
civilization, with different scenes of the Vaghari lifestyle and community
displayed in great detail.
The remaining canvas is
covered by stylized trees and vegetation on which birds of different species
are perched, a representation of the Vaghari’s connection with mother nature.
An unbroken tie with tradition is visible in the use of red and black, the primary
and sacred colors of the Vagharis in the border, made from flowers, triangles,
and a rich red hue, all symbols of fertility, abundance, and powers of the
great mother.
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