Myths, Legends and Alphabets

The Suthars of Bassi village are a small community of carpenter-artists who make the Kavad, a unique story telling aid for a narrative folk tradition.

Among them, Ghanshyam ji is one of the oldest artisans, who has a traditional hand crafted Kavad that he shows to the interested visitor.

In traditional pieces, the story line was the essence, and the figures were painted in a bold folk style without the need for fine detailing or refinement.

The traditional Kavad commissioned by the Kavadia Bhats for their itinerant story telling, was made according to a defined format.

Typically 12 inches high, it had 12-16 panels flanking the core shrine on either side.

The story line was delineated in 51 frames. The base colour was red, with the figures painted in a palette of white, blue, yellow, green and black.

A kavad incorporates stories from religious epics; has many deities appearing in short sections; local deities revered by the family or community about which the story is being told.

In parts, the story involves the exploits and aspirations of the person commissioning the work. It has a donor drawer for contributions and painted tributes in ‘hidden’ areas to Kundana Bai, a patron saint sacred to the Kavadias.

In their original form and practice, the start of the narration was ceremonial and sacred, after which the story telling could flow freely according to the information provided and negotiated by the patron.

Contemporary Kavads are moving into urban living rooms, or art collections and museums.

While the basic format remains rooted in the traditional, Kavads are now venturing into new artistic styles and content.

Satyanarayan Suthar, an acclaimed craftsman from Bassi, explains the stories in a black and white Kavad he has made for a special order.

The 3 foot high Kavad is much bigger than the Kavads made for the Bhat story tellers, but is made in the traditional format.

Closed, its doors are guarded by the Dwarpalaks or guardian protectors.

These open to a panel dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The inner sides of the doors have images of the Sun and the Moon.

Below these are references to stories from the Ramayana, one of the sacred Hindu epics. One section also has the saint Guru Ramdev, a revered local deity in much of Rajasthan.

The central panel shows Lord Vishnu reclining on the serpent, his consort the goddess Lakshmi seated near his feet.

The three-headed Creator Bramha is also shown, as are a man and a woman, representing devotees.

Below this is another crucial element of the Kavad: the central section with Kundana Bai, the patron saint of the Kavadia Bhats.

She is shown at three stages of her life – as a young girl, as a mature woman, and in her old age.

The left door opens into the ‘secret’ panels – so called because these would not have been part of the narration.

These were patrons and references important to the Bhats, but whose information was not to be publicly shared.

A crucial component of the Kavad is the donation chamber below the illustrated panels.

Two kinds of donations were collected: one in the name of Kundana Bai the patron saint, on whose behalf the collections were to go towards the feeding of cows.


The other for the Kavadia Bhats, for the stories and virtual pilgrimage they provided to their audience.

The innermost doors of the Kavad open to the ‘sanctum sanctorum’, as it were.

Again, the references are a mix: recalling stories of the gods, as also of devotees like Meera Bai, whose faith in the Lord protected her from all attempts by her family to kill her as she was bringing the royal house disgrace; or Shravan Kumar, considered a symbol of dedication to his parents.

Dwarka Prasad is another fine Kavad artist. He has made some new Kavads which explore stories different from those of the Kavadia Bhats.

One of his themes is illustrations of the Jataka tales.

Based on animal characters, these fantastical stories end with moral lesson.

Made to the size of the traditional Kavad, Dwaraka Prasad’s Jataka Kavad adopts the same format of successive opening panels.

Rendered in a simple folk style, the paintings illustrate the story as it unfolds.

The same simplification of the story is seen in the small Kavads that sell in the shops in Bassi for tourists to pick up when they come to the village.

The themes and colours vary but the basic structure and format remains.

Satyanarayan’s School and Alphabet products embody the versatility of this unique craft.

Quaint and eye-catching little products, they are small and convenient for interested visitors and tourists to pick up.

While the Kavadia Bhats may be the original story tellers, the carpenter-artists of Bassi have successfully expanded the range of the Kavad to span myths, legends and the alphabet.

Read more about the traditions Kavad Art and Storytelling here:

- Kavad Art: Carpentry and Painting
- Kavad Art: The Quest for Recognition