The Cloth of the Mother Goddess

Jagdish Chitara

This textile book tells the story of the origins of Mata-Ni-Pachedi, the ritual ‘Cloth of the Mother Goddess’. Traditionally created by artisans from the nomadic Vaghari community in Gujarat, these votive cloths offer a painted image of the goddess to herself. Gifting a piece of creation to the creator is considered the highest form of worship. Hand block-printed on textile, this limited-edition artists’ book is in the form of a cloth shrine. It pays tribute not only to a sublime conception of the power of art, but also to the labour involved in creating it. Each copy is accompanied by a facsimile paper storyboard, featuring text that takes the reader through the various panels. The new edition provides contextual information printed on a textile cover that unwraps in layers.

Read a blog post by Gita Wolf — The Cloth of the Mother Goddess: From Ritual Art to Cloth Book — that comprehensively explores the craft traditions and processes behind the second edition of this votive textile book.