Amma's Column .

Durable Link to this BlogThursday, August 1, 2002

Stories the Quilts Tell

Stories the Quilts Tell

A striated, bordered quilt

Quilts are made of old and new clothes, with various themes and designs. They are used all over the world by people of different times and climes to keep cozy and warm. These days  the quilts are used as curios and wall hangings. In India, the land of innumerable Gods and deities, the quilts associated with saintly people have attained divinity! There is a story or history behind such quilts, which draws devotees.

Two hundred years ago, a pious and God-fearing couple lived in the Sheshagiri village near Hanagal (in present day Dharwad district of theKarnataka state). They undertook several pilgrimages to holiest of Hindu places in South India, traveling by foot or bullock-cart. When they became old, and could no longer travel, they wanted to preserve their  holy memories. But the couple were illiterate and could not write. So they found a solution -- the old man cut clothes, old and new, of various color and sizes, and his wife started sewing various scenes of festivals and temple buildings with full regalia.

She created chariots (more), palanquins (more), temple processions,  holy animals (more), and symbols associated with various holy places and deities. She depicted scenes from Hindu epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata as well. The quilts hand made by this elderly couple became a medium of expression  of their unstinted devotion to God and their efforts to seek Him. When their end came, they left a message that these must be preserved.

The descendants of the couple kept the words. On a particular day of the year, called Sarvapitra Amavasya or the "Fortnight of the Mahalaya new moon", the carefully preserved quilts are taken out and are worshipped. People from adjoining villages come seeking blessings of these "divine quilts". The family members narrate events and incidents connected with the quilts and have kept the unique tradition alive.

Quilts as offerings to God seems to have percolated to other areas near Hanagal. There was a saint, Siddharudha Swamiji of Hubli monastery, whose only material possessions were quilts that he used to sit, meditate and sleep. His followers offer quilts to in his memory even today.

Amma's Column by Jyotsna Kamat

More Entries...

Browse Amma's Column by Tags

1920s - ancient India - avatars - banana - bangalore - buddha - calcutta - christmas - coins - colin mackenzie - colonel - conference ii - conversions - cousin - cows - customs - dalit - democracy - dhols - dr narayan - drums - dung - fables - far east - gandhi - gandhiji - great deluge - guru - hinduism - home library - human body - idolatry - kalpa - karnataka - kautilya - kingdoms - krishna - manners - marriage - new books - new year - nuances - obituary - old temple - patience - personalities - peru - pontiff - postal service - prime source - queen - rao - relevance - religion - revolt - romance - runners - saga - saints - Saints of India - salt satyagraha - science - shaven heads - sher - sri lanka - suresh - terracotta - tradition - trauma - tsunami - tulunadu - unity - universality - women - zen - 11th century - 75th anniversary - alberuni - all india radio - amrita - ancient art - ancient india - ancient indians - animals - anmori - arthashastra - autobiographical notes - b_g_l_swamy - babies - basham - bedas - belief - bengaluru - bhagat singh - Bhagatsingh as seen by Kamaladevi. - bhagavata purana - bhagirath - Bhakti Cult - bharata - bhat - blouse - brahmin - brute - buddha jayanti - card games - cart - caste system - centenary tribute - centennial - chanakya - chariot - cheers - chilli - chinese monk - Christmas - christmas eve - cloud messenger - cockfights - code of manu - colonel colin - complete works - conch shell - cuisine - curry - customs - dasa - demons - dessert - devil worship - dhyan - dikshit - dikshitar - discovery - doldrums - eknath - elephant - empire - epigraphy - fanny - festival foods - festive - forest scene - freedom - gandhi - gandhiji - ganesh - gautama buddha - gayatri mantra - gesture - Goa - gods - gramophone record - grandmother - great men - grinder - guru - happy new year - haste - helping hands - hind swaraj - hind_swaraj - hindu - hindu religious symbols - hindu texts - hinduism - hindus - history conference - humanist - hunger - idolatry - indian civil service - indian names - indians - institution of marriage - interviews - jaina - juggernaut - kamath - kannada - karnataka - kasaragod - kavya - keladi - krishna - laughing buddha - legacy - lotus - loving touch - m n srinivas - mallya - mama - mango season - manu - masters - materialism - medieval india - memories - middle path - midwife - misadventure - moorthy - music tradition - musical - musings - narad - narada - new articles - night life - obituary - offerings - old photo - Om - ornaments - pai - pampa - panchatantra - peacock - peacock dance - peacock dress - pearls - philanthropist - pigeons - poet - poetess - potpourri - prayer - prehistory - promising artist - prostitutes - queen - quilt - rahul - rajasthan - rajendra - ramayana - ramdas - rao - rare volume - robber - roots - rubaiyat of omar khayyam - saints - sane guruji - saraswati - saraswats - science - scorn - sea navigation - sedam - serpent worship - shameful practice - sharana - shastra - shivaji - silver art - sorab - south east asia - south india - subba rao - sunset - swami - swamy - swastika - tara - tea - temple school - temple town - terracotta_town - three books - tiger - titan - tonsure - torave_ramayan - tradition - translator - travelogue - tree of life - tribute - tsunami damage - Tulasidas - tuluva - upanishad - vedanta - vedas - viswanath - Viswanath Kashinath Rajwade - vivekananda - w h sleeman - wall paintings - what is in a name - wilks -

Jyotsna Kamat

Jyotsna Kamat Ph.D. lives in Bangalore.


Introduction


ARCHIVES


Search Amma's Column


More articles by Jyotsna Kamat

 

 

 

Kamat's Potpourri Jyotsna KamatAmma's Column

© 1996-2023 Kamat's Potpourri. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without prior permission. Standard disclaimers apply

Merchandise and Link Suggestions

Top of Page