Like the Flowing River

Civilizations flourish on the bank of rivers. Water in its metaphorical, as well as physical sense, gives and sustains life. It also plays an important character in shaping our social, cultural and political identities. Folklores constitute the traditional beliefs, stories, and customs of a community passed through the generations by word of mouth. Their realm can be seen driven by ‘liminal’ moments. In those moments of personal transformation, people strive to understand their life in terms of main relationships, and these can bring opportunities to do something useful with their lives. Simultaneously, recognizing such possibilities from popular imagination enables them not only to reject oppressive social identity markers but also to participate in more meaningful ways. The domain of folklore is not restricted to the imagination but also borrows heavily from historic events and socio economic and political “realities” which were composed into creative forms, and were passed mostly through word of mouth. They help to unravel the connections between ideology and various socio-cultural conflicts. In a way, they lead to new perspectives. Also, there are various social and religious practices associated with water which have been mentioned quite frequently in these folklores. The artist has tried to visualize the “constant” which is connected with water throughout its journey despite the “changing yet decaying” progress of the human race.

Junagad, Veraval and Talala