Kala Katha – Mata ni Pachedi

An exhibition on the ‘Mata ni Pachedi’ art by the students of Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University.

The students of Centre for Heritage Management, Ahmedabad University organized an interactive exhibition on the Mata ni Pachedi art in the occasion of the annual Heritage Week Festival in Ahmedabad. The exhibition held on 19th November 2016, the first day of Heritage Week showcased the unique cultural heritage of the Devipujak community in form of their art on cloth and live musical ritual performance at the campus of Centre for Heritage Management. The exhibit showcased the masterpieces of Chandrakant Chitara, a prominent Mata ni Pachedi artist who was also available throughout the exhibition along with his family including his son who recently introduced to the community culture.

 ‘Mata is Pachedi’ is a living traditional craft of the ‘Devipujak’ community which depicts mata in all her forms and her stories with paintings or block painting. The exhibition aims is to allow the public to experience the dynamics of community ownership for the craft forms and processes, as together it creates the living heritage of the art form.

The exhibition was curated by a group of CHM students pursuing their Masters in Heritage Management. Designed as part of their studio project in the second year, the students aimed to create awareness of the art form that has evolved over time, and explore various community aspects as well as the heritage management challenges. The exhibition was an opportunity to portray their one and a half years journey of learning and unlearning the varied discourses of heritage and management.

The exhibition showcased not only the art forms but also the materials used, natural colours, panels on process and issues.