Pilgrimage, 2009 | Pont Aven, France
Video – Photographs – Painting
This video installation shows the stark contrast that different cultures have and the artist’s observation and experience whilst staying with a host family in France.
This host family was completely devoid of the quintessential feminine and spiritual touch such as compared to home in India. Thus the artist takes on this pilgrimage to fill in the void through a symbolic cleansing process and the journey back to the source.
Cleansing – to purify
This video is about a metaphoric expression of cleansing the space
It begins with washing of clothes then dipping them in saffron colour, and putting them to dry in the backyard. Thus inviting a spiritual presence with the saffron colour which is synonyms to the deities and gods of the east.
The Holy Triangle
Lying in the divine Himalayas of Tehri Gamwal district, three Siddha Peeths can be located well on top of three different mountains, dedicated to Sati the wife of lord ‘Shiva’. The holy triangle of the temples is linked with a famous tale when Siat, daughter of Daksha Prajapati, immolated herself at the sacrificial spot lord Shiva took the dead body of his wife and started walking towards the Himalayas. The places where the parts of her dead body fell are known as Kunjapun, Surkanda Devi and Chandrabadni and are thus worshipped as Siddha Peeths.
The holy triangle is recreated in the purified backyard, depicting the presence of the goddess and the holy temples with the saffron threads
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a long journey or search of great moral significance. Sometimes, it is a journey to a sacred place or shrine of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith. Members of many major religions participate in pilgrimages. A person who makes such a journey is called a pilgrim
Concluding with the barefooted – holy walk to the chapel of Tremalo, (where I painted the Christ in blue, the color of my lord Krishna- 2001)