By Aashika Prabhakar
Playing with the Goddess is a three volume memoir and also an ethnographic exhibition by the author and curator, Aditi Ghosh Mehta. The culmination of a journey over three decades long, beginning with Mehta’s first posting in Rajasthan as a young IAS officer. The volume details her insights, experiences and interactions with the Mewar Bhils as she documented the Gavri, a dance-drama performed by the community.
On being asked about the concerns of appropriation in the interview with Ganguly, held earlier this year in the The International Centre of Goa, Mehta herself an upper caste, upper class woman responds that this work needed attention, and this fabulous tradition needed wider recognition. She had stumbled upon something wonderful and beautiful long unexplored by fellow members of her community. This is the offering that Aditi wishes to make, she chooses to be the one who can bring this vibrant community to the fore to the best of her abilities.
Gavri is a 40-day festival that consists of ritualistic folk-drama performance, concentrated in the 4 Mewar districts of Udaipur, Rajsamand, Bhilwara and Chitorgarh. Gavri represents both the goddess Gauri (a variation of the Parvati Goddess), and the ‘Khel’ or the mythic dances. It is a celebration of the Ghorkha Goddess or Parvati, as she descends to earth, blessing the dirt under our feet and everything that grows on it that comes alive with godly potential.
These narratives usually follow the popular ‘good trumps over evil’ format found in many tales. Some examples include the narrative of the ‘Gomar Chor’ as illustrated in Nishita Banerjee’s article in Shahapedia. During a drought, a particularly difficult time for the community, a young boy robs a temple. Gavri mata punishes the boy, teaching him the significance of togetherness in difficult times. Another story is that of ‘Garulia Lohar,’ where a blacksmith turns to the gods for help; at a time where no one could help him, it is Gavri mata who finally resolves the blacksmith’s troubles.
The performance itself is an offering to the Goddess of laughter, joy and play. A goddess who does not remain stationary, but is believed to be uniquely dynamic, moving from one village to the next during the Sawa Mahina that usually falls in the month of September. While the dance is called the khel, the dancers are called the khelyas. The khel is a true embodiment of communal living- a khelya (always men as women’s participation is restricted due to their menstrual cycles) from each household is offered to the Dance. Khelyas have one meal a day and the troupe perform together. The long hours they invest in these enactments attest to the selflessness of this ritual; it is not simply a khel or a tamasha, it is the portrayal of the maliciousness of society, extending beyond personal experience.
As Mehta says in an interview with Enakshi Ganguli, available on ICGGOA’s youtube channel, the Gavri festival is a collective catharsis, a trance, a frenzy, the commemoration of the divine descending to earth that can often take numerous minutes to subside.
Exhibition: Playing with the Goddess, Gavri of the Mewar Bhils
Curated by Aditi Ghosh Mehta, the exhibition opened on 18th July, 2025 in the India International Centre, New Delhi. The exhibition is a visual representation of the Gavri, an oral and visual tradition passed down through generations, where Bhil men embrace the feminine power and grace of Gavri mata (Gauri mother). Nestled in a quiet corner of the third floor, the display hosts a beautifully curated collection of photographs by Sudharak Olwe, Pradeep Paliwal, Mamta Mehta and Chetan Laxkar. Push through the glass doors into a spacious hall with grey marbled flooring. The venue itself is simple, yet the ambient yellow- white lighting of the halls is alluring. The photographs are evenly spaced- a frame appearing by itself at most times and occasionally arranged in groups of clustered quadrilaterals; all elegantly lit to highlight the flamboyance of the entire affair. The exhibit begins with an insightful brief of the Gavri and the Mewar Bhils that grips your curiosity instantly.
Your first steps into the space, and you are already drawn to the exuberance, pomp and virility of the carnival. From beginning to end, the exhibition gives the spectator a complete sense of the cultural, ritualistic and political aspects of the Gavri. The exhibition is an immersive experience that provides a wholesome overview of the 40 day festival in detail.
Stunning theatrical images adorn the white walls of the venue. Every photograph is a blast of amalgamated colour and celebration. Bright pinks in the textiles draped over the khelyas create a brilliant contrast with the yellows and oranges of the marigold garlands worn by them. Ranging from gods, devis, monsters, animals and humans, each being sees an appearance in the plays. Stories also depict the consumption of evil- a heavy dark sphere of negativity by the festival Goddess and deities. Photographs of idols and divine figures wrapped in bright vermillion material, heavy with golden embroidery and tassels is a recurring imagery. One can witness the different plays and stories that the khelyas engage in. Their simplistic props yet grand makeup and surprising acrobatic skills for dramatic flair is another moment of the Gavri exhibition that stays with you. These photographs rightly depict the Gavri as an activity fostering unity in the community. The khelyas perform keeping in mind a 360-degree purview, and the onlookers slowly gather all around them as expected. The khel is interactive and without ulterior motives; the khel is an offering to the goddess, it looks beyond the self, to the wellbeing of all who walk this earth.
A single video installation stands in one nook of the exhibit, its low hum cutting through the silence of the gallery. As you close in, the audio transports you to the midst of the preparations of the fest. Performers, craftsmen and onlookers speak to you via the screen, offering you a quick plunge into the theatrical soundscape that sets the atmosphere of the festival.
While the photographs themselves provide quite the mise-en-scène of the Gavri, the marvelous tit-bits on the informative text panels take you one step further into their world. The captions break down each aspect of the grand carnival with enlightening precision. An explanation of the austerities a khelya follows in these 40 days is broken down as follows in the caption-
“Play as a Moral Act within the scaffolding of ritual abstinence- No alcohol, No non-vegetarian fare, No sexual relations, No green vegetables, No footwear, No sleeping on beds or cots, but on the ground on sackcloth, No bathing except on Dev Jhulni Gyaras, No cutting nails or hair, No changing of clothes and resisting urination while the gaba is worn, Most village castes observe food abstinences”
Another caption takes you through the specific characters and material objects of relevance in this period, from the pots prepared by specially assigned potters to the dramatic masks, and the elephant models made by using cloth. The khels employ practical insights, sarcasm, satire, humour and drama; a reflection of the community’s lived experiences through performance.
These photographs and captions also capture what Mehta calls “Social Inversion through Khels.” The Gavri transcends caste and class barriers. During this period, the socially marginalised Bhils are seen to experience what one would call a ‘transference’. The Bhils embody the divine within them.
These photographs and captions also capture what Mehta calls “Social Inversion through Khels.” The Gavri transcends caste and class barriers. During this period, the socially marginalised Bhils are seen to experience what one would call a ‘transference’. The Bhils embody the divine within them. Thus, they confer blessings on the Brahmins, Rajputs and upper caste denominations of the community during their performance. The upper castes touch the feet of the khelyas, visit Bhil temples and gain participation in this ritual by following the restrictions of the khelyas of their own accord. As the plaque explaining this phenomena notes.
‘It is a cultural form which does not openly contest caste but, in its very construct subverts the notion of caste hierarchy.’
Gavri in this sense is a vehicle of social change. The once obscure performance has gained much academic attention and its annual return in subsequent years has struck the general consciousness towards empowering the Bhils. In a state like Rajasthan, where social justice moments have not had popular support, such traditions are significant moments that cause a rift, a disruption in caste hierarchies that we accept as a given.
As we come to the close of the exhibit, we see the spectacle of the final festival days unravel before us. Frenzied participants of the Gavri dance in huge crowds, amongst roaring fires and shimmering fabrics that envelop their movements; this is known as Upat- Nipat ka Jhamta, their creation myth. The magnificent closing tamasha begins on the thirty-ninth day, the penultimate night of the carnival of the 40-day cycle. Performed at 3:00 am, and continuing into the wee hours of the morning of the 40th day, the images of this final khel are flamboyant and full of life and reverence for the divine. This narrative exploring the cosmological universe is one of the longest khel’s, adding up to over 170 pages.
The Bhils are the second largest tribe in India, yet their beliefs, practices and rituals are little known by the masses. The Bhils declare that they are true ancestors of Shiva and Parvati, and this carnival is a reflection and testament to their belief. Shunned and driven to the outskirts of civilisation over the decades, this carnival is an assertion of their identity and their rightful place in our socio- cultural narratives. The final caption of the exhibition reads,
‘The most moral act is play- to walk, sing, dance, grieve, live and be. The rest is all maya.’
The exhibition remains open till 1st August, 2025 in the India International Center, New Delhi. The 3 volumes of the book are also available for purchase at the venue.
BIO: Aashika holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy, with research interests spanning art history, epistemology, and the cultural dimensions of folklore. Her work engages critically with knowledge systems, visual culture, and historical narratives, with a particular focus on the intersections between tradition, interpretation, and the construction of meaning.
References:
Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSLckRmaQgI&t=2469s