yatra

yatra, 2018 / natural dyes kalamkari / 200 x 100 cm.

is a commissioned textile piece by the darpana foundation. the work was made in collaboration with master craftsman chandrakant chitara and depicts the annual rath yatra in ahmedabad. the religious procession is much feared by muslim residents of the old city due to historic communal tensions between hindus and muslims. curfews are often imposed in muslim majority areas to prevent clashes between agitated mobs and local residents, as the procession passes through. the commissioned textile work depicts an alternative reality, an idealistic hope, where the tensions turn into collective celebration of harmonious union between the two communities.

yatra is part of the kadist collection, san francisco