Mata Ni Pachedi Painting Workshop | India Craft Week 2019

About The Craft

Mata Ni Pachedi literally means “behind the mother goddess”, and is a cloth that constitutes a temple of the goddess. The rectangular fabric is divided into seven to nine columns followed by a narrative format which is made easier to interpret and impart the stories within the space created through layout work on the cloth. Maroon (red) and black were the only colors used with the surface of the cotton material as the third color. Mata Ni Pachedi is also known as the “Kalamkari of Gujarat”, owing to its similarity of the Kalamkari practiced in Southern India and the use of pens (kalam) fashioned out of bamboo sticks, for painting.

About The Artist

Sanjay Manubhai Chitara of Gujarat uses new ways of presenting the sacred art form known as Mata Ni Pachedi or “that which enshrines the goddess mother”. Mr. Chitara has liberated the traditional format while retaining the Pachedi's ritualistic significance. He paints the whole cloth using the kalam, which makes his work extremely intricate and elaborate. He barely uses the block print, except to form the border. He has also incorporated several elements that were not a part of the traditional Pachedi. For example, the tree of life.

Meet the master at India Craft Week 2019.

Please Note

1. Includes free entry to the event on the day of the workshop
2. Includes art & craft material required for the workshop

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