Untitled (Panch Mata) (Mata ni Pachedi)
Natural dye on cloth
31 x 40.75 in | 78.5 x 103.5 cm
Donated generously by Paul and Pavithra Abraham, Sarmaya Arts Foundation
Sarmaya Arts Foundation helmed by Paul and Pavitra Abraham is a not-for-profit curated repository of art, artifacts and living traditions from the Indian subcontinent. Sarmaya aims to make India’s art, heritage and culture more accessible, engaging and educational through a combination of immersive online engagement and on ground programming.
This painted cloth illustrates five sanctuaries, the most significant of which is in the centre. Each shrine honours a different goddess, with Vihat Mata in the centre, Khodiyar Mata and Meladi Mata on the right, and Bahuchara Mata and Ambe Mata on the left. They were all seated on their vahanas. Sanjay Manubhai Chitara, the artist, is based in Ahmedabad and has been part of the preservation of the Mata-ni-Pachedi painting tradition for over a decade. In 2000, he received President Abdul Kalam’s National Award.