An echo of the living traditions and artistic spirit of Banaras,Heritage in Motion unfolded at Delhi’s Travancore Palace on a November evening shaped by intent, curiosity, and thoughtful artistry. Through evolving craft languages and material innovations, each installation revealed heritage in motion, traversing time to become a vocabulary for today.
Rooted yet inventive, the featured collections extended Banarasi into unexplored dimensions. Concept-driven displays animated the storied walls of Travancore Palace, inviting guests into layered environments enriched with texture, thoughtful storytelling, and an intimate engagement with the craft.
The displays unfolded as interconnected universes of Banarasi textile language, coexisting in dialogue and harmony, revealing the house’s holistic vision and artisanal mastery. Shikargah, once a narrative of royal hunts, transformed into stories of wilderness and tender poise. Stylised foliage gave way to naturalistic terrains in theCamouflage series, whileRanthambore Shikargahs interwove architecture with the wild, reclaiming lost habitats from former hunting grounds. In a rare confluence of two heritage art forms, repoussé metalwork reimagined Shikargah in brass, uniting utility and artistry to bring the forest into contemporary spaces.
Silk-Wool unfolded as an homage to the Himalayas, bringing native florals and bright bird accents into luminous relief. Displayed as rising and receding terrains, each piece blended the sheen of Banarasi silk with the warmth of Pashmina. A gentler expression of Banarasi emerged through Linen, where bold checks and stripes were softened by floral motifs, giving the fabric a modern edge. Antinomy presented Twill as an evolution shaped by the subtle negotiation between heritage artistry and modern minimalism. Born of material inquiry on Tilfi’s looms and articulated through structural clarity and sleek silhouettes, it offered a refined, modern articulation of Banarasi.
Tilfi Bridal celebrated continuity through woven heirlooms inspired by Deccan artistry and the Shringara rasa of Ragamala paintings. Blending ancient symbolism with contemporary sensibility, the collections honoured love’s enduring resonance and the cultural depth of two storied legacies. Together, these installations formed a spatial narrative rooted in Banaras yet reflective of diverse cultural lineages.
The evening’s culinary composition, crafted with La Marinate, advanced the theme ofHeritage in Motion into a thoughtful gastronomic experience. Traditional Banarasi flavours were reinterpreted with contemporary finesse. Additionally,in the open courtyards of Travancore, a Bharatanatyamperformance was realised through concept and installation design by Howareyoufeeling.studio, choreography by Keelaka Dance Company led by Aneesha Grover, and performed by Nandita Kalaan, Amrita Sivakumar, Benjamin Jacob and Joe Mathew.Inspired by animal movements, the choreography drew on leaps and mythic gestures, evoking the shifting tensions and raw pulse of nature through the movements of the four dancers, draped in Tilfi sarees.
The exhibition invited a quiet exchange between Banarasi craft and modern viewers, showing how its shifting idioms adapt, respond, and speak to today’s world.
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