Notes on Culture & Antique Art, Ethnic Decor & Vintage Fashion | Wovensouls Art Gallery
It is Janmashtami again!
And to honor Krishna, his love for home-made butter and his theft from the homes of neighboring Gopis, communities in many cities will put up the “matki’ or clay pot filled with butter & other rewards. Hung at the height of several storeys between two buildings, the rewards tempt groups of young men to form human pyramids and break the matki.
This photo a moment before the climbing begins (Rafiq Maqbool/Associated Press) is the best I have ever seen!
Bombay must be high on the adrenalin pumped in by the Govinda-Ala-re boys! Outstanding acrobatic feats performed by teams of regular people who have no acrobatic background!
Although today this is conducted as a team – an old painting suggests that the game was played differently in the 19th century – not as a team but by individuals:
From the WOVENSOULS COLLECTION
Bundi, Rajasthan, 18th century,
Depicting the Janmashtami festival celebrating the birth of Krishna.
Gouache and gesso on paper,
290 x 160mm
Perhaps it evolved and became a team event over the decades? If only we had more details about the evolution of traditions & cultural events!
By Jaina Mishra
By wovensouls