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Vivek Desai has made a name for himself as a lens-man of distinction. He has done path breaking work in a number of areas ranging from socio-cultural documentation of Kachchh, the Dangs, and life in Ahmedabad to the widely acclaimed photography of Banaras.

Banaras-the breathing legacy, is an excellent collection of photographs through which Vivek Desai takes us to small lanes and ghats that transform Banaras to Kashi.

Portraits of Devotion-Popular Manorath Paintings from Nathdwara in the collection of Anil Relia by Isabella Nardi

Art collector Anil Relia had always admired the miniature paintings of the Nathdwara school, which grew out of the religious devotion of the Pushti Marg (Path of Grace). On one of his trips to this pilgrimage town, he encountered manorath paintings, whose unusual visual elements attracted his attention immediately. Originally part of the Pushti Marg popular culture, manorath paintings were often commissioned by devout followers as an indelible record of a pilgrimage trip to Nathdwara.

Manorath (“mind’s vehicle”) paintings are a visual representation of the pilgrim’s wish to enter into mutual communication with a divine Pushti Marg icon. The popular manoraths in this collection, which employ mixed media and photo-realism techniques, illustrate worshippers in the presence of Shrinathji. These images had a deep emotional resonance for worshippers because they embodied both the corporeal pilgrimage to Nathdwara as also the inner devotional experience.

As author Isabella Nardi demonstrates, the paintings in this collection are not merely souvenirs of a pilgrimage trip; they represent the worshipper’s journey to Nathdwara for a darshan with their beloved and revered deity. With pilgrims as patrons, these manoraths are truly portraits of devotion.

The opening of ‘Madhvi Parekh - The Curious Seeker’ at Archer Art Gallery, Ahmedabad. This Madhvi Parekh retrospective covering five decades of her painterly career had been an interesting exercise because of the questions it threw up in the context of Indian art. 

Exhibition continues till 30 March 2019 | Daily 11am to 7pm (sundays and public holiday closed)