Mata Ni Pachedi

The tradition & historical record

Mata ni Pachedi (Gujarati: માતા ની પછેડી), meaning "behind the Mother Goddess", is a ritual textile painting tradition originating from Gujarat, India. These cloth panels serve as portable shrines or sacred backdrops for the worship of the Mother Goddess (Mata) and are intrinsically associated with the Devipujak or Vaghri community of Ahmedabad. ¹

The tradition is believed to be at least 300 to 400 years old, with community oral histories suggesting a lineage extending back 700 to 1000 years. Its inception is attributed to caste-based exclusion, which barred the Devipujak community from mainstream Hindu temples. In response, they began painting their own sacred images of the goddess on cloth, effectively creating mobile places of worship. These textiles were often used to construct makeshift shrines, typically with four or five panels arranged together. ¹

Kiran Bhulabhai Chitara is an Indian folk artist associated with the traditional Mata ni Pachedi art form of Gujarat, India. He belongs to the Chitara family of Ahmedabad, which has preserved and practiced the ritual textile painting tradition for generations. He is known for creating hand-painted and hand-block-printed depictions of Hindu goddesses using traditional natural dyes and temple-cloth compositions. Kiran Chitara received the National Award in 2006 for his contribution to Mata ni Pachedi art. His works have been exhibited in India and internationally as examples of Gujarat’s ritual textile heritage. He has also contributed to preserving and teaching the traditional techniques of the craft. ¹

Website https://matanipachedi.co/ Contact https://www.matanipachedi.co/team-1/ ¹

Om Chitara is an Indian contemporary folk artist associated with the traditional Mata ni Pachedi painting tradition of Gujarat. He belongs to the Chitara family of Ahmedabad and represents a younger generation of artists continuing the hereditary practice of ritual textile painting. His work focuses on preserving traditional iconography while presenting Mata ni Pachedi through exhibitions, workshops, and cultural heritage initiatives. Om Chitara is regarded as one of the youngest practicing artists in the Chitara lineage connected to the Mata ni Pachedi tradition. ¹

Website https://matanipachedi.co/ Artist Contact https://www.matanipachedi.co/team-1/ The Devipujak community, historically nomadic and marginalized under British rule as a 'Criminal Tribe,' has long been associated with ritual practices centered around the goddess. Within the community, specific roles were delineated: Chitaras (painters), Bhuvas (ritual priests), and Jagorias (narrative singers). ¹

Mata Ni Pachedi paintings depict the Mother Goddess in her many forms— Durga, Kali, and local manifestations such as Vahanvati, Hadkai, Meladi, and Bahuchar Mata —often enshrined in temple-like architecture and surrounded by devotees, animals, and mythological narratives. Traditionally, the artwork is rendered in a restricted palette: black from iron rust and jaggery fermentation, red from alizarin with alum mordant, and white from the base cotton cloth. These colors carry symbolic weight: red for energy and divine blood, black for spiritual protection, and white for purity. Other natural dyes like turmeric, indigo, and henna were used sparingly. The central goddess is positioned hierarchically at the core of the textile, framed by symmetrical panels and narrative grids. The use of block printing for repetitive motifs and borders often complements the freehand kalam (pen) drawing of primary figures. ¹

Beyond aesthetic function, Mata ni Pachedi serves as a sacred space imbued with spiritual presence. It is central to rituals conducted during Navaratri and other goddess festivals. The textiles are also used as votive offerings (manat), gifted to the deity in fulfillment of vows. Over time, damaged or old cloths are ritually immersed in holy rivers, acknowledging their sacredness even in disuse. The art form functions within a performative ritual matrix, activated by priests, singers, and devotees. These practices represent a confluence of visual, oral, and ceremonial traditions rooted in the lived religious expression of the Devipujak community. ¹

The text above is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Mata Ni Pachedi”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence. ¹

Mata Ni Pachedi is ritual textile painting tradition originating from Gujarat, India, according to the structured record cited below. This entry was generated automatically from that record and has not yet been reviewed by a person familiar with the tradition. ²