'Gotipua' is a dance form where young boys dress up as girls in honour of Lord Jagannatha and Lord Krishna can be traced back to the 16th century and earlier. Let's learn about this unique dance and its 400 year old origin.
Durga Pujo Memories of Kuntal De
Writing Mahabharata is easier than penning my memory of Durga Puja that spans 40 plus years. The rains slowed down, sky was still cloudy and sombre, structures of bamboo and cheap wood would mushroom everywhere in the city, our new playgrounds. We used to climb the structures the whole day and scolded by the uncles... Continue Reading →
100th post, 5 years!!!
This is the 100th post celebrating 5 years of this blog!!! I can't believe it! I had never imagined I would be able to write regularly but here it is - 100 posts 🙂 thank YOU for reading them and giving encouraging feedback. Through this 100th post I formally announce the 'Museum Memories Project' -... Continue Reading →
Museum Memories #23 by Nidhip Mehta
5 Museum Memories of Storm King Art Center (New York, USA) By Prof. Nidhip Mehta Architect and Former Dean, Pearl Academy School of Design My favourite museum to visit in the entire world isn’t even technically a museum at all. It’s 500 acres of rolling hills, woodlands, and green fields that holds one of the... Continue Reading →
Instagram takeover #3: Chelsea Santos
The world is passing through a strange situation brought upon by the fear of the Coronavirus 19 (Covid 19). Most of us are unaware of what it actually means but it has generated a high level of crazy speculation, stress resulting into a rise in depression. There is a global 'lockdown' - people are... Continue Reading →
Pondi – cherry times…
Come, let’s travel the city of Pondicherry, now Puducherry, lovingly called Pondy. In happier times, I had taken a nearly 48-hour train journey to reach there, and it had been worth every bit. That was my second visit to the lovely city on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. The first time had […]
Jodhpur: soaring high!
Jodhpur: beating the blues... contd... As mentioned in the previous post, Jodhpur is famous for its textiles, arts and crafts. Even today, its woodcarvers create some of the most popular contemporary furniture that are found online - just Google for 'Jodhpur furniture' and check the results! You have to walk around the old city to... Continue Reading →
Jodhpur: beating the blues
Jodhpur. It is not just another city. It is an offering. Of everything stunning in nature: desert, sunrise, sunset, mist, flora and fauna. All beautifully entwined in the local history, arts, architecture, crafts, textiles, design, and cuisine. Much loved by its inhabitants. Jodhpur is a treasure. History: Jodhpur was established by Rao Jodha in 1459,... Continue Reading →
Instagram takeover #2: Pragati Singhal
"Best design is something which works with all of your 5 senses and is invisible." Pragati Singhal, Textile Designer, February 2020 For February, the second VarnikaDesigns Instagram takeover was by Textile Designer, Pragati Singhal. She was very keen on highlighting 'senses' and took us on a Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious ride. We love it and will never forget... Continue Reading →
Instagram Takeover #1: Suyash Srivastava
Dear Debby This post is especially for you - thank you for your encouragement and being such a wonderful inspiration VarnikaDesigns started its first social media colab with Suyash Srivastava, Textile Designer. He was completing his project from Siwan in Bihar, one of India's most sensational states, and gave us live coverage from there. His... Continue Reading →