Mata Ni Pachedi... A Fading Folk Art Form

Mata Ni Pachedi

Mata Ni Pachedi is also known as the ‘Kalamkari of Gujarat’, owing to its similarity to the Kalamkari technique practiced in Southern India. The central theme of the Gujarati Kalamkari is the goddess - Mataji/Shakti an avatar of the Goddess Durga.

This art form was fi rst brought about by the nomadic Devipujak community (originally called Vaghari) from Gujarat, who later settled in Ahmedabad on the banks of the Sabarmati River more than 200 years ago.The people of the community belonged to a lower caste and were labeled the ‘Untouchables'. Ethnographic studies show that for a long time in history, the Devipujak community was denied entry into temples.

Often when pushed to a corner, people find a new way out. This is exactly what the Devipujak’s did. They found their solution in the Mata Ni Pachedi, thus giving rise to a beautiful folkart form. They painted an image of the Goddess on a piece of cloth, hung it up behind the temple and directed their worship at the painting of the Goddess. This Textile came to be known as Mata Ni Pachedi, which translates into “ Behind the Mother Goddess (temple)”. Although contemporary India has abolished the terrible restrictive practices towards the Vaghari community, with the changing of their name to Devipujak. However their 300-400 year old tradition of worshipping the Mata Ni Pachedi continues even today and is admired by all.Typically the Pachedi’s were made on large hand spun rectangular cott on sheets on which the Chitaras (artists) of the Devipujak community hand painted scenes and depictions of the goddess Mata.

Though the textile’s theme may be represented in various forms, the common central feature depicted on it is the bold and fierce mother goddess Mata/Shakti sitt ing on her throne, or mounted on an animal, brandishing in her hands the weapons needed to kill demons. Around her are scenes depicted from mythology and usually derived from Puranic Myths. Some of the common motifs are: Ganesha, Krishna, women with flowers, trumpeters, angels, animals and birds such as peacocks, tigers, parrots etc.

Rituals Accompanying The Textile:

At the time of worship, groups of Devipujak worshipers assemble together, hang up the textile painted with images of the Goddess and conduct the worship rituals consisting of group singing of bhajans, aarti and other puja rituals. One or more Mata Ni Pachedis are hung up and all the rituals are performed using the Pachedi as a portable shrine.

In the social system of beliefs all over India it is common to ‘take a vow’ that is associated with the asking of a specific boon or wish. If his wish is granted, a puja takes place in the form of animal sacrifice before the Goddess along with an offering of a new Pachedi to the Goddess.

Mata Ni Pachedi

(reading the cloth)

Place of Origin: Ahmedabad, India

Date: 1967

Artist/maker: Unknown (production)

Materials and Techniques: Painted and 

block-printed cotton

Dimensions: Length: 53 inches, Width: 32 inches

Descriptive line: Temple hanging of painted and 

block-printed cotton, Ahmedabad, 1967

Categories: Textiles; Religion; Wall coverings

Story Depicted On The Cloth

In a great batt le between Shiva and the asura (demon), Raktabija,every drop of the asura’s blood that fell to the earth, gave rise to more and more demons.The gods then turned to Shakti/Mata,the goddess Durga, to destroy the asuras.

The fierce goddess pierced the demon’s body and drank all his blood, thus saving both the worlds.

Why Is Durga Worshipped?

Goddess Durga / Mata symbolizes the divine forces (positive

energy) known as ‘divine shakti’ (female energy/ power) that 

is used against the negative forces of evil. She protects her devotees from evil powers and safeguards them.

It is said that her ‘shakti’ contains the combined energies of 

all the gods in the form of weapons and emblems (mudras). 

Navratri the Hindu festival symbolizing the triumph of good over evil

celebrates the 9 nights dedicated to the nine divine forms of

Goddess Durga. Mata Ni Pachedi is important during this time as

it acts as a witness to religious and auspicious festivals and is used 

as the object of holy worship.

Motifs On The Cloth

The centre of the textile depicts the 

Devi-Mata in her mighty form,

mounted on a tiger enshrined by a representation of Mount Kailash.Being the destroyer of evil, in her multiple hands she holds weaponsof destruction while looking fierce and commanding. Deities and commoners surround her with admiration and awe.

Sword: in her hand symbolizes eradication of vices teaching us to discriminate and eradicate our evil qualities.

Conch: in her hand symbolizes happiness. We must perform our duty happily and cheerfully and not with resentment.

Tiger: symbolizes unlimited power. Mata riding a tiger indicates that She possesses unlimited power and uses it to protect virtue

and destroy evil.

Sun: the presence of the celestial body in the top corner is indicative

of the continuity of life.

The other gods depicted on this textile - Ganesha seated appears on the top of the textile, Krishna dancing on the serpent Kaliya is just below Durga Mata on the tiger. Rama and Lakshmana are hunting the golden deer for Sita and Hanuman carrying the Sanjeevani Mountain appears on the right side of Durga. These motifs narrate scenes from Hindu epics. The remaining motifs are of her followers celebrating her victory.

Characteristics Of The Textile:

This Mata Ni Pachedi is made from hand-spun cott on from Gujarat. It’s maroon and black in colour, with the surface of the materialas the third color.

Maroon: is associated with the color of the mother Earth and is believed to possess healing powers. The dye is obtained from alizarin & alum

Black: is meant to repel evil spirits and intensify spiritual energy it is obtained from oxidized iron & molasses.

White: is considered the color for purity and contact with ancestral spirits, deities and spiritual entities. 

This colour comes from the natural cott on, silk fabric used in the textile.

The space surrounding the central image is divided into 7-9 panels, each narrating a scene from an epic. The artwork is framed within a bold border (lassa patti), and is divided into a line of single color and a band of a linear triangular patt ern. All the materials used in the creation of Mata Ni Pachedi are organic. The dyes, the fabrics (such as cotton, khadi, silk etc.), the bamboo stick Kalams are all made up of naturally available products. Extremely eco-friendly in its nature, Mata Ni Pachedi reinforces the use of non-polluting, wholesome materials to create beautiful art.

Process Of Making:

In a small locality in Ahmedabad, artisans

make these paintings using the same methods                                                              

followed 200 years ago.

Mordanting

(helps the colour fix onto the cloth)

1) Cotton fabric is de starched, washed and

dried in the sun

2) Fabric is soaked again, this time in a mixture

of salt and cow dung and then boiled.

3) Next it is immersed in water containing

caustic soda and castor oil, and a solution of

Myrobalan (Harda) and castor oil and dried.

It is ready for printing.

Printing

1) Motifs (usually the border) of the Mata Ni

Pachedi are then outlined with the bamboo

Kalam (pen) or wooden blocks using a dye

made out of rusted iron which has been

soaked for a week in sugar solution thickened

with a flour of tamarind seeds.

2) This reacts with the Myrobalan mordant to

produce black.

3) The spaces between the black printed

figures are painted with alum and starch using

a Kalam.

Dyeing

1) The cloth is sent to the dyers, who dye them

in vats of alizarin, which reacts with alum to

form a deep red.

2) The cloth is washed. Dyers take the cloth to

Sabarmati River, as the cloth must be washed

in running water only, so that any excess

colour flows away, instead of staining the

cloth.

It takes days of patience and dedication,

to prepare one piece of this beautiful folk art.

For instance, painting a cloth of 50”x 90” can take two months.

Contemporary Mata Ni Pachedi's

The strong lines and bold use of colour, that reflect the power and energy of the goddess, have now transformed to more artistic and detailed illustrations, but the depiction style of mythical characters remains the same. The artists now incorporate colours such as indigo, green and yellow in the paintings,using the age - old methods of extracting dyes from natural resources (blue is from Indigo plant and yellow from mango)

Recreating Mata Ni Pachedi

I have tried to make a small sample

of a Mata Ni Pachedi by painting motifs

in the style of the Chitara artists. I have

depicted the goddess Mata mounted

on her tiger and surrounding her are

peacocks, deer, village man with drums

and women with garlands all celebrating

her victory . The colours I have used are

the traditional maroon, black and white

and the border is made using geometrical

triangles.

Medium: Kora cotton with fabric paints

My Display

Bibliography

• ·       http://www.craftofgujarat.com/showpage.aspx?contentid=1015 
•       http://wovensouls.photoshelter.com/
• ·       http://www.artheritagegallery.com/artists_profile.php?arti=MzY3
• ·       http://resources.archedu.org/mata_ni_pachedi.html
• ·       http://ghummakkad.wordpress.com/2013/06/20/the-sacred-textile-called-the-mata-ni-pachedi/
• ·       http://www.cohands.in/handmadepages/pdf/422.pdf
• ·       http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/showcase-painted-shrines/article2813800.ece
• ·       http://gujaratkalamkari.blogspot.in/2006/02/traditional-mata-ni-pachedi-shrine.html
• ·       http://explorethisway.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/mata-ni-pachedi/
• ·       http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O455511/temple-hangin
• ·       Crafts of India - Handmade in India, edited by Aditi Ranjan, M P Ranjan, text by National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad and Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Council of Handicraft Development Corporations (COHANDS), New Delhi, 2007

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