Brahmadhwaja

This artwork connects the Marathi New Year, Gudhi Padwa, to its deeper, ancient roots. The modern gudhi — a bright silk cloth, mango leaves, and a copper vessel atop a bamboo pole — is more than a festive emblem; it is the descendant of an older tradition of hoisting a dhwaja, a ceremonial flag marking renewal, victory, and auspicious beginnings. 

By naming it Brahmadhwaja, the artwork traces this lineage back to the earliest Indian customs of raising banners to signify cosmic cycles, royal proclamations, and the start of new eras. It is also called the Indradhwaja, as  a legend says it was brought to earth by the King of Gods, Indra.  The piece shows how a practice that began in antiquity still stands proudly in Maharashtrian households today. Brahmadhwaja is a meditation on cultural endurance, how a civilisation preserves its identity by lifting the same flag across centuries, from ancient courts to modern balconies.