From the Land of the Rajas: Creativity in Rajasthan

From the Land of the Rajas:

Creativity in Rajasthan

Votive Plaques

In the south of Rajasthan there is a very distinctive tradition of ceramic votive plaques. They are made by potters in Molela, a small town about 25 miles north of Udaipur, for purchase by the local tribal people. These terracotta reliefs are slab-built with additional modeling of appliquéd clay, and decorated with natural or commercial paints. Their subjects are gods and semi-divine heroes.

Once a year during January, groups from the Bhil, Gujari, and Garijat tribes visit Molela. Each group is accompanied by a priest (bhopa) who helps to choose the appropriate image of a particular god. While in trance, the priest leads the procession to a nearby river, where the deity is worshipped before returning home for installation in the shrine, accompanied by feasting, ceremonies, and prayers. It is traditional to change the votive plaques every three to five years. Customers usually purchase several, many depicting the same god. These are installed in a row in village shrines, where they are worshipped on festival days and for the alleviation of illness and other misfortune.

Devra (shrine): interior
Photo by Joanna Williams, near Udaipur, 1980s

Puppets

Henna prints

Religious Paintings