Kachvel

KACHVEL" IS THE SUCCESSOR OF ANAND YADAV`S AUTOBIOGRAPHIES; "ZOMBI`', "NANGARANI`', AND "GHARBHINTI`'. IN THE RURAL AREAS IT IS A CUSTOM TO MAKE A DESIGN ON THE FLOOR USING THE BROKEN GLASS BANGLES. THIS IS ALWAYS SHAPED IN THE FORM OF A VEIL INDICATING THE COMING GENERATION. EVERY HOUSEWIFE CONSIDERS HERSELF TO BE THE VEIL, HER OFFSPRING BEING THE VARIOUS BUDS AND FLOWERS BLOOMING. SHE DRAWS AS MANY BRANCHES AS HER CHILDREN. MY MOTHER POSSESSED THIS DIVINE FOLK ART, I SAW HER DIVINITY FOR THE FIRST TIME. IN THE COMING YEARS, ALL MY SIBLINGS CRAWLED ON THE VEIL. IN ITS PRESENCE, I COMPLETED MY STUDIES. THE "KACHVEL` WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR MANY YEARS, RESEMBLING A CARPET. THERE ONWARDS, FOR THE PAST 60 YEARS, I HAVE TRIED TO COLLECT AS MANY BROKEN GLASS PIECES AS POSSIBLE. I HAVE PRESERVED ALL THE GLASS PIECES I THOUGHT WORTHY. THEY WERE GIVEN TO ME BY MANY EXPERIENCED AND DEXTEROUS ARTISTS. THEY HAVE MOULDED ME AS A PERSON. AT THE END, I HAVE FELT THAT THIS `KACHVEL` IS A SYMBOL OF MARATHI COMMUNITY AND CULTURE; WITH ME AS A MERE PORTER.