{"id":105403,"date":"2022-07-23T10:46:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-23T08:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magikindia.com\/?p=105403"},"modified":"2022-07-23T13:04:59","modified_gmt":"2022-07-23T11:04:59","slug":"molela","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magikindia.com\/en\/molela\/","title":{"rendered":"The fabulous votive ceramics of Molela"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At a time when many craft traditions are being lost in India, the village of Molela is an exception. Located in the district of Rajsamand (Rajasthan<\/a>) about an hour from Udaipur, Molela is not a village like the others; it is a unique place for terracotta votive panels that the Adivasis cosmmunities come to acquire during the months of Magh and Vaishakh.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The road that leads us from Udaipur<\/a> to Molela is pleasant, dotted with typical villages where we discover the real life of the countryside of Rajasthan. Along the way, we stop at Haldighati which, in addition to its turbulent history, is known for its production of “Chaitri” rose, the rose of spring. The specialty here is Gulkand,<\/strong> rose petal jam, recommended in Ayurvedic medicine as a refreshing tonic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gulkand, rose jam and “chaitri” roses from the distillery<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We arrive in Molela half an hour later. This small town has two or three main streets along which the “Kumbhars” (potters), about twenty families, have established their workshops. That day, most shops were closed following the death of one of the members of the community. We turned into the village and we eventually found a workshop which, by chance, had remained open; it is that of Shanti Lal, a potter in her twenties who has taken up the family torch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Molela\"
Shantilal our kind host shaping a plaque dedicated to Beruji, a local deity of Rajasthan.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The young man with a communicative smile, starts telling us the story of these very special ceramics while shaping a plaque dedicated to the local deity Beruji, protector of the villages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Molela ceramics find their origin in a legend: it is said that Dev Narayan<\/strong> (local deity, incarnation of Vishnu) appeared in the dream of a blind potter asking him to create his terracotta idol. The potter hesitated to grant this wish because of his blindness; he didn’t want to disappoint the god with an ugly image. However, he ends up agreeing. The next morning, he had recovered his sight. He then made an idol of the god to fulfil his promise. Following this, people from the pottery community of Molela began to create votive images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Molela\"
Painting of Dev Narayan (the horseman), local deity, incarnation of Vishnu | Cr\u00e9dit : balodia.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Shanti Lal stops for a delicately flavored cardamom chai. Then, between two sips, he tells us: “The whole process of these plates is completely natural.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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