Gaatha-A Tale Of Crafts

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We often say that every child is a form of God. But what if God comes to us in the form of a child?Nathdwara is one such...
03/09/2026

We often say that every child is a form of God. But what if God comes to us in the form of a child?

Nathdwara is one such place, where the idol of Shreenathji represents seven-year-old Krishna, standing with one hand raised to hold up Govardhan and the other resting on his waist. Because he is seen as a child, everything that happens around the deity is organised with the needs of a child in mind. He is dressed according to the time of day and the season, and his clothing, ornaments and surroundings change accordingly. During winter, for instance, he is put to sleep earlier and woken earlier in the morning. He is covered with a thick rajaai, or blanket, leaving only his face visible to the devotees, while a sigri, or small fire, is placed before him to keep him warm.

The final darshan of the day, Shayan, has an especially intimate atmosphere. As the temple prepares for the night, the surroundings become quiet and dark. The wooden platforms from the Dolti Bari of the main audience chamber and the doors leading towards the Sinh Pole are left open for the night. Since the child Krishna is believed to be asleep, there is no fear that he might wander out through the open gates. Such seemingly simple details reveal how deeply the idea of Shreenathji as a living child is woven into the everyday functioning of the temple.

The same care can be seen in even the smallest rituals. When the oil lamp is lit during the puja, it is positioned carefully so that the flame does not disturb or harm the eyes of the deity. Devotees visiting the temple also traditionally cover their faces so that a cough or sneeze does not reach the idol. These gestures are remarkably similar to the everyday care a mother might take of her child. The deity is not simply worshipped; he is cared for, dressed, fed, protected and put to sleep.

Pichwai artists too keep these intimate aspects of Shreenathji's life in mind while creating traditional subjects. Their paintings do not merely depict the deity; they reflect the rituals, seasons, moods and everyday moments associated with his life as a child.

Greetings for Janmashtami!

Read more ~ https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/research-pichwai-art-nathdwara/

Peruvemba’s importance is inseparable from Kerala’s musical and performance traditions. Its instruments accompany temple...
31/08/2026

Peruvemba’s importance is inseparable from Kerala’s musical and performance traditions. Its instruments accompany temple rituals, festivals, classical and traditional performance forms, making the craft part of the material foundation of Kerala’s musical culture. The chenda, thimila, idakka and maddalam are closely associated with temple ensembles and performance traditions, while the mridangam connects the village to the wider world of Carnatic music.

The maddalam provides a particularly clear example of this relationship between craft and cultural practice. It is used in Kathakali, panchavadyam and keli and has been recognised as a Geographical Indication product of Palakkad since 2008. The GI documentation describes the instrument as a traditional percussion instrument associated with Kerala’s temple arts and records its continued manufacture from a single piece of jackfruit wood.

The craft tradition in Peruvemba consequently contributes to the preservation not only of an object but also of the performance practices, tonal knowledge and artisanal techniques required to sustain it.

The cultural value of the craft is also evident in the relationship between makers and musicians. Peruvemba became particularly well known among Carnatic musicians after the mridangam maestro Palghat T. S. Mani Iyer began encouraging musicians from Madras to visit the village. His own instruments were made there by Krishnan Maruthalaparambu, establishing a relationship between a prominent performer and a local maker that helped bring Peruvemba’s instruments to a wider musical public. The village thus became part of a larger network connecting artisan knowledge with professional musicianship.

The cultural significance of Kerala’s temple percussion traditions is also deeply rooted in the relationship between music, ritual and the sacred. Temple music in Kerala is primarily associated with Bhāva and Nāṭya, elements that are prominently expressed in theatre, folk performance traditions and temple observances. These practices are closely connected with the ritual invocation (Āvāhanam) and withdrawal (Udvāsanam) of the deity’s presence, from the sanctum and back into it. Different deities and ritual contexts are associated with specific Tāḷa-s, including Pañcāri (6 beats), Muri-aṭanta (5 beats), Aṭanta (14 beats), Cempata (8 beats), Tripuṭa (7 beats) and Ēkam (4 beats), which structure the rendering of these ritual compositions. The temple percussion instruments, or Kṣētra Tāḷa Vādya-s, are likewise understood to possess a divine origin, with their rhythmic sounds often associated with sacred words and concepts. The two syllables, “Ta–Tom,” produced on the Timila, for instance, are traditionally understood as reflecting the sacred phrase “Tat Tvam”, giving the instrument and its sound a deeper spiritual significance within Kerala’s temple music tradition.
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Read here ~ https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/peruvemba-musical-instruments-palakkad/

A timeless Himalayan woolen stole created through traditional handloom weaving. With its soft warmth, artisanal texture ...
26/08/2026

A timeless Himalayan woolen stole created through traditional handloom weaving. With its soft warmth, artisanal texture and versatile length, it is perfect for wrapping, draping or layering through the colder months.
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https://shop.gaatha.com/shop-handloom-woolen-stole-scarf


Whenever we talk about sophisticated products, designers often prefer pastel colours. And yes, they do feel luxurious an...
25/08/2026

Whenever we talk about sophisticated products, designers often prefer pastel colours. And yes, they do feel luxurious and look different, perhaps partly because they are still relatively new to us. They are not traditionally Indian colours; they carry a visual association with the Western world, where the palette often appears more muted and restrained, perhaps also influenced by the climate and light.

India, however, has its own unique visual vocabulary. And even that cannot be described as one single “Indian” visual language.

As technology becomes smarter, faster and more accessible, we are also slowly losing this individual expression. Today, we often see similar things everywhere. But there was a time when almost everything was made according to individual taste and personal choice.

The auto-rickshaw is a wonderful example. An auto driver would approach an artist with a simple brief, perhaps a colour, a name, a deity, a film star or a particular image, and the artist would interpret it in his own style. The result was not simply a reproduction. It was a collaboration between the owner and the artist: one auto, one artwork, one expression.

These hand-painted portraits of film stars are part of that visual culture. Simple boards were transformed into vivid icons through exaggerated features, saturated colours, dramatic expressions and confident brushwork. The artist was not trying to create a perfectly realistic portrait. He was creating an image that had to be instantly recognisable, attractive from a distance and, above all, full of personality.

With time, standardised production practices, quick graphic design and digital printing have pushed many such artists out of the market. The artist's hand is no longer part of every object. The personal interpretation disappears. And slowly, the unique visual character that once made every object different begins to disappear with it.

Perhaps one day, we will rediscover these old visual languages and make them trendy again. Perhaps AI will learn to reproduce these colours, forms and brushstrokes, and we will feel happy seeing them return. But perhaps that is exactly where we are getting it wrong.

Chikankari is one of India’s oldest and most celebrated embroidery traditions. The term Chikankari is believed to be der...
21/08/2026

Chikankari is one of India’s oldest and most celebrated embroidery traditions. The term Chikankari is believed to be derived from the Persian word chakeen or chikan, meaning “delicate patterns” or “fine embroidery on fabric”. However, there is no single consensus regarding its exact origin, and several theories and legends surround its development. Evidence of fine embroidered textiles in India can be traced back to ancient times. The Greek ambassador Megasthenes, who visited India in the 3rd century BCE, described the use of flowered muslins by Indians, suggesting the existence of sophisticated textile embellishment techniques.

India has always been rich in textiles. Since ancient times, skilled people have been actively engaged in this craft, and in some texts, weaving and textile-making are also mentioned among the various skills or Kalas. The excavations at Alamgirpur in Uttar Pradesh have yielded fascinating evidence of cloth. Impressions found on a trough suggest the use of a fairly fine yarn, though not of uniform thickness, with the technique appearing to be that of plain weaving. Many details about textile manufacturing as an organised industrial activity are also found in Kautilya’s Arthashastra, which primarily discusses the administration of the Mauryan period. It mentions that the state was expected to engage in large-scale textile production. The sutradhyaksha, the officer in charge, was responsible for having yarn spun from wool, bark fibre, cotton, h**p and flax by women.

Read More ~ https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/chikankari-embroidery-lucknow/

One of the oldest weaves, still loved by everyone...Patola.Unsung songs of Ikat’s stories, poetically woven together by ...
20/08/2026

One of the oldest weaves, still loved by everyone...Patola.

Unsung songs of Ikat’s stories, poetically woven together by the artists who create these paintings of colour and majestic patterns, become a grand expression of culture and beauty.
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https://shop.gaatha.com/shop-gujarati-patola-stoles-dupattas

One of the oldest weaves, still loved by everyone...Patola.Unsung songs of Ikat’s stories, poetically woven together by ...
20/08/2026

One of the oldest weaves, still loved by everyone...Patola.

Unsung songs of Ikat’s stories, poetically woven together by the artists who create these paintings of colour and majestic patterns, become a grand expression of culture and beauty.
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https://shop.gaatha.com/shop-gujarati-patola-stoles-dupattas
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From where do we take inspiration? Today, without a doubt, we visit different sites on the internet. But what if we don’...
18/08/2026

From where do we take inspiration? Today, without a doubt, we visit different sites on the internet. But what if we don’t have such a facility? Well, we look around, take inspiration from nature and forms.

The visual identity of Bastar stone carving is defined by a sculptural language that combines technical restraint with symbolic richness. Unlike the highly ornamented stone traditions of Khajuraho, Konark or Hoysala architecture, Bastar sculpture is characterised by simplified forms, powerful silhouettes and balanced compositions that privilege symbolic meaning over elaborate surface decoration.

They are not influenced by any one tradition, but are inspired by the local surroundings. The figures also appear to reflect the physical characteristics of the local community, with short stature, broad and rounded faces, strong bodies, and relatively small noses. These forms can be recognised in the people of the region, suggesting a close relationship between the sculptural imagination and the lived environment of the artisans. Similar human forms and proportions can also be observed in the region’s wood-carving traditions, indicating a shared visual vocabulary across different materials.

Developed within tribal communities for ritual participation rather than architectural display, it reflects indigenous concepts of sacred presence, community memory and ecological relationships rather than the prescriptions of classical sculptural treatises.
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Read more
https://gaatha.org/Craft-of-India/stone-carving-bastar

Wishing everyone a very Happy Independence Day! 🇮🇳~ 🇮🇳
15/08/2026

Wishing everyone a very Happy Independence Day! 🇮🇳
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Vishwakunj Char Rasta, Paldi
Ahmedabad
380007

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