Bandhu Das, while making tea for his customers, often overhears their chitter-chatter. They usually discuss politics, local football tournaments or wives! Amid such heated conversations and a strong temptation to spit out his usually off the mark comments, Bandhu makes sure to slip in his perspective while serving tea.  One fine afternoon, when a customer was ranting to his friends about how his wife never likes any of the gifts he gets her… Bandhu’s sharp ears caught the conversation and his face lit up with a smirk…. a wife not liking gifts was completely foreign to him!  Every ye ..read more

At the crack of dusk Hiraman cracks up Sultan. “Enroute Mandi”, he shouts in their code language. By-passing their rustic hamlet, Sultan slows down near the lake, so Hiraman can catch a longer glimpse of Laila drenched in froth. Sultan is his best friend and his sole source of livelihood too, and it is hard for him to separate from it, which results in him taking utmost care of his vehicle. Hiraman’s bullock cart helps him carry goods to the market and transport him from one place to another. And also, a lot of the ordeals he faces in his daily routine, are therefore ingrained i ..read more

It’s an usual summer afternoon in Pingla. But is it usually this quiet?  Not for long, they said, as they saw a silhouette appearing from the horizon.  As the tinkling of the cycle became louder, so did the merriment of the children. It was Mr. Pattua with his en-captivating stories, all ready to be unscrolled & recited. As he sat with folded legs, surrounded by curious children, scrolls of Dighal Patta rolled out to ignite their imagination. What would it be today? Mythology, folklore or another social evil? The age old cloth painting, sourced from the medi ..read more

The desire to communicate messages, ideas and stories through the means of visual depiction is a phenomenon, filled with the aroma of antiqueness. One can perhaps suggest that the role of ink became pivotal the very moment there were ‘writings’ on the walls. Our prehistoric family, living near the Mesolithic rocks of Bhimbetka, used geru (iron oxide) to form red, limestone to paint in white and chalcedony to be used as green. As they held twig-handles of brushes made of animal furs or semal (silk-cotton) and dipped them in the colours that they formed, they painted huge animals, realistic pots ..read more

In a time long before ours, about 100,000 years ago, a period which leaves us no written records, we have at our hands, a variety of artifacts that our ancestors left behind for us…. And like pieces of a puzzle, these objects come together to narrate the story of our shared past. One of the many mute objects left behind by our prehistoric family for us to marvel over are beads and the story of these tiny circular artifacts begins from the seas, teeming with life. Our prehistoric ancestors from the region of Skhul in Israel, journeyed for many miles to reach the sea. The purpose of this journey ..read more

The sky is still radiant from the setting sun when the people of Sheopur begin trickling out of their thatched houses. They are attired in extravagant sarees and dhoti-kurtas tonight, intended for the celebration of Holika Dahan. Excited whispers accompany them as they gather around a heap of wooden sticks and badkulla that is set up in nearly every street. The children have a skip in their steps, their hands full of peanuts and revdi as they pop them occasionally in their mouths. Momentary silence falls over the group when the dry wood is kindled. When no branch is spared, the roar of the pe ..read more

In the ordinarily quiet town of Swamimalai, there is a complete pandemonium of thousands of people tonight. They swarm the Swaminathaswamy Temple, lips moving in silent prayers as they sway under the spell of Vaikasi Visakam, the day of Lord Murugan’s birth. The throng moves slowly, the chants of the priests as they do the abhishekam becoming louder as they get closer. The sporadic shrillness of the temple bells sends their hearts into a pitter-patter. The eternally still eyes of the idol of their God and the elephant beneath him witness the people who have come offering prayers, dev ..read more

In the Ramayana of Valmiki, there is an episode in which Hanuman has to increase himself in size and leap over an ocean. To perform the task at hand, Hanuman attains his full strength and as he waves his tail with joy, he expands himself in size, as large as the universe. As he leaps over one hundred yojanas and stands on top of Mount Trikuta, he gazes in wonder at the well-guarded city of Lanka, where Sita had been abducted by the demon-king Ravana. As Hanuman looks at all the demons and cruel creatures guarding the kingdom of Ravana, he becomes afraid that he would be spotted due to his huge ..read more

Under the reign of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, in 1730, a horde of families made its way to the newly built Jaipur. It had only been three years since the city named after its King was established, making it his new capital. The sun was sinking amidst the clouds, painting the sky a brilliant periwinkle, its warmth on their tanned skins reflecting the warmth they felt as they listened to their children laugh and play. The children were sitting on ox-carts, creaking under the strain of them and their belongings. This cacophony of a community bonding over a voyage became quieter as the dark of t ..read more

A little girl sits on her bed, eyes twinkling with mirth. Her parents have returned from their trip and she knows they are going to surprise her with a present. Her father comes into her room with his hands behind his back and mother follows in tow. They sit down and he shows her the gift. She claps and clutches the doll to her chest. It is different from the conventional, plastic dolls her friends from school play with. The dolls in her collection are softer and their dresses remind her of her grandmother’s loving hands. She asks them, like always, about the people who make them and they, unl ..read more