How Mata ni Pachedi is Created

Like other textiles prepared using natural colours, there is an elaborate pre-treatment of the fabric before any painting or printing is started.

This involves de-starching and preparation by soaking and washing the cloth, and then treating it with a solution of harda (terminalia chebula).

The creation of a Mata ni Pachedi, an artistic sacred textile wall piece, involves a step-by-step process.

Jagdish Chitara of Ahmedabad demonstrates how the cloth is built up in stages till it is ready for the customer to take home and use it as the backdrop of a small wooden shrine.

The Mata ni Pachedi in its full form has a central figure of the female deity. The rest of the arrangements are placed in a grid with architecture-like insertions in the form of doors and archways in a stylised format.

While some forms are made free hand, wooden hand blocks are also used.

Like other Chittara artists, Jagdish’s family values their old blocks and has stored them in the family home.

Samples of some common blocks used for printing Mata ni Pachedi.

The sun and the moon are generally seen in the two top corners of a Mata ni Pachedi.

There are singers, musicians, shamans, animals and birds that seem to dance and fly in celebration of the goddess.

The elegance and refinement of all these shapes depend on the carving skills of the block maker and the artistic qualities of the Chittara painter.

Brushes made from bamboo are used for filling in the red colour. The yellow of the solution comes from a non-permanent dye the artist mixes in to make it visible during the application. The colour that will be developed on the fabric after it is treated with the mordant alizarin is a deep red.

A non-permanent yellow colour is added to the solution to make it visible for the artists while they are applying the dye on the fabric.

Once the fabric is dyed, the cloth is washed to remove any excess dye.

The community has traditionally been based near the river, hence, this process was carried out in the flowing river water.

Even today the artists go down to the banks of the Sabarmati, which flows through the city, for this stage of production.

The washed cloth is spread out to dry on whatever surface is available.

Alizarin is used as a mordant to develop and fix the dye.

Dried dhawda flowers are also added.

To ensure that a uniform solution is made, the alizarin is wrapped in a piece of cloth that functions as a make-shift pouch, which is then lowered into a container with water.

The cloth is boiled in this solution for a while. When it is removed, the red colour is visibly developed.

Jagdish Chittara learnt this art from his father and grandfather, who were both recognised nationally for the excellence in their work.

The piece is ready to be put out to dry. Natural dyeing processes are sensitive to climate conditions. The strength of the sun’s rays affect the final intensity of the colour.

Monsoon is not generally a favourable time for dyeing because of the humidity in the air. Jagdish Chittara therefore made only a small piece to demonstrate the process.

The particular image of the goddess depends on who has commissioned the textile.

There are multiple forms and attributes of the goddess and each of the communities sharing the tradition of the Mata ni Pachedi has its own particular deity.

Each of the goddess also has her own seat or form of transport. Goddess Chamundi rides a lion, while Mamai Mata sits atop a camel, and Goddess Vahanvati travels in a boat.

The iconography also represents different attributes associated with legends of the Mother Goddess.

Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, who considered auspicious for all beginnings, is commonly seen to the left of the Mata's image.

The Mother's worshippers, coming to pray, are depicted recalling the ritual ceremonies associated with the faith.

In this particular piece, you can see the musicians, the shaman holding his whisk made of peacock feathers and the sacrificial goat that will be offered to the goddess.

The sacred textile also includes references to the religious epics. Shravan Kumar from the Ramayana, who epitomises filial piety, is often seen carrying his blind parents on a pilgrimage.

There are images showing Lord Krishna or Rama, recognised by the viewer through references to symbols, like Rama’s bow or Krishna’s flute.

The Mata ni Pachedi textile captures various valued symbols and beliefs. It breaks the barriers of exclusion from entry into the temple.

In fact, it goes beyond the temple to encapsulate many aspects of what is considered sacred for the communities that it binds together in their faith of the Mother Goddess.

Read more about Mata ni Pachedi here:

- The Community
- Chittara Environs in Ahemadabad