Kaavad Tradition of Rajasthan: A Portable Pilgrimage
The kaavad of Rajasthan is a portable shrine with multiple doors that fold into themselves. The Kaavadiya Bhat or the storyteller journeys with this brightly painted wooden box to the homes of his patrons, to recite their genealogies and regale them with the stories of the pantheon of deities painted on the shrine. While the object serves as an aide – memoire for the storyteller, the keeper of its secrets his tales are meant to reaffirm the lineage of his patrons and their exalted place in the community. It is a tradition that binds communities in common memory and mythology.
Where did it come from? What is its fate in the world today? Exploring a panel at a time of this curious mnemonic device, its author, Nina Sabnani, leads as on a journey to uncover the myths and mysteries of this unique oral storytelling tradition.
Get it now and save 10%
BECOME A MEMBER
Bibliographic information
B.N. Goswamy