THE CLOTH OF THE MOTHER GODDESS

Jagdish Chitara This textile book tells the story of the origins of Mata-Ni-Pachedi, the ritual ‘Cloth of the Mother Goddess’. Traditionally created by artisans from the nomadic Vaghari community in Gujarat, these votive cloths offer a painted image of the goddess to herself. Gifting a piece of creation to the creator is considered the highest form of worship. Hand block-printed on textile, this limited-edition artists’ book is in the form of a cloth shrine. It pays tribute not only to a sublime conception of the power of art, but also to the labour involved in creating it. The book comes with a facsimile paper edition, featuring text that takes the reader through the various panels; and with a booklet that traces the transformation of a piece of textile art into a textile book.