Sanjay Manubhai Chitara (b. 1978) is a leading contemporary practitioner of Mata ni Pachedi, a ritual textile tradition from Ahmedabad. Established in devotional practices, these hand-painted and block-printed cloths serve as sacred backdrops and canopies in the worship of the matas, or mother goddesses. Mata ni Pachedi, literally ‘the cloth of the goddess’, traditionally forms the walls of a temporary shrine, while the square chandarvo functions as the canopy above. Painted traditionally in a distinctive palette of red, black, and white, these textiles centre on an imposing image of the goddess surrounded by narrative mythological scenes, sacrificial animals, devotees, and symbolic motifs. The cloths are commissioned as votive offerings, often in fulfilment of a vow or in gratitude for divine intervention in times of illness or hardship. Once completed, they help create a temporary sacred enclosure where rituals, sacrifices, and communal celebrations, dedicated to the goddess take place. Pachedis are usually displayed during Chaitra (mid-March to mid-April), the first month of Hindu calendar and during Navratri (lit. nine nights), the annual festival dedicated to the goddess Durga.
Sanjay Chitara’s works are produced through a meticulous process combining block printing and hand painting on treated cotton cloth using natural dyes. Black pigment is traditionally derived from fermented iron, while red emerges through an alizarin-based dye process; areas left unpainted remain white. Each colour carries symbolic meaning, red signifying energy, sacrifice, and divine authority; black representing protection from evil; and white expressing purity and sacred presence.
While firmly based in tradition, Sanjay Chitara reimagines and reconfigures the established vocabulary of mata ni pachedis. While retaining key ritual elements, he often reorganises traditional iconographic motifs into new compositional structures, with enlarged standalone images set against stark monochrome backgrounds. On the other hand, the introduction of a new, expanded colour scheme, derived from natural, organic materials combined with an intricacy and attention to detail make his pachedis an exceptional demonstration of craftsmanship.
A recipient of the Gujarat State Award (1999) and the National Award of India (2000) Sanjay has participated widely in India and internationally. His work has been shown at institutions and venues including the Hat Project in the United Kingdom (2006), Devi Art Foundation in Delhi (2010), Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai (2017, 2024), the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya in Mumbai, and international projects in England and Hong Kong.
