MATA NI PACHEDI-RITUAL CLOTH PAINTING. Production Clusters.
Ahmedabad city: Vasna. Mirzapur. Products. Temple cloth paintings. Rumal-
handkerchiefs.
MATA NI PACHEDI-RITUAL CLOTH PAINTING Production Clusters Ahmedabad city: Vasna Mirzapur Products Temple cloth paintings Rumal-handkerchiefs Bed covers Yardage Tools Wooden blocks Twigs
ALTHOUGH THE TECHNIQUE of making the block printed and painted shrine cloths known as the mata ni pachedi or the mata no chandarvo is now practiced only by a handful of Vaghri families settled in Ahmedabad and in Kheda district,the craft was previously prevalent in the region of Aghar and Dholka as well.In addition to catering to the commissions received from a number of ethnic communities such as the Bharwad,the Koli,the Rawal,the Vaghri,the Rabari and the Deviputar,the craftsmen also practiced direct selling by visiting places such as Dholka,Dhanduka,Barda,Limdi,Rajkot and Bhavnagar during Navratri.The pachedi have a distinct visual identity that is developed through the used of strong bold forms and re-enforced by
the application of stark coloursblood red,black and white.The central feature of the shrine cloth is invariably the commanding presence of the mother goddess;the goddess is believed to have a hundred forms and is consequently depicted in each of these along with the appropriate iconographic details and attributes.The pachedis are essentially an expression of the 1 A contemporary mata ni pachedi. divine cosmic energy of the mother 1a A detail of the hand-painted pachedi depicting the Goddess as Mata goddess and the unified Vahanvati,riding a vahan,ship.The craftsman has elected to draw each pictorial element manifestation of the creative and the rather than use the conventional block printing and has explored a new colour palette destructive principles in her derived from indigo, ferrous sulphate, turmeric and ponegranate powder, alizarin, iron person.Pachedi is used as a canopy filings and the mordant alum. that forms a shrine,or is spread over altars or worn by the shaman while worshipping or in a trance. 2 A printing block,the figure represented is that of the purvaj or ancestor. 3 Imprints of the various blocks commonly featured in the pachedi: a. Paniharin,women carrying pots of water. b. Fulwani malan,a gardener holding flowers. c. Mor or peacock. d. Rann ki devi, the goddess of the desert. 4 A craftsperson painting in the red areas of the cloth as per the previously block printed outlines. 5 Traditionally,the pictoral space of the temple cloths are divided into various registers,each of which is defined with the aid of borders patterned with the aid of borders patterned withd geometric motifs,floral forms and figurative representations;Lord Krishna,the paniharin(women bearing water pots), the purvaj (ancestor) and mor (peacock).
A detail from an antique handpainted pachedi depicting mota,the mother goddess in different forms.The pachedi has
been painted with natural dyesblack made from iron filings and jaggery;madder red used with alum mordant.
