In a world that is increasingly driven by mass-produced fast fashion trends, a quiet revolution stirs. A revolution that isn’t stirred by industrial-grade machines, but woven by the skilled hands of artisans that carry forth their age-old familial legacy of craftsmanship. One, that doesn’t cater to directionless impulses driven by clickbait or influencer content, but fulfils a more wholesome exchange of culture, craft and sustainable fashion. This quiet revolution is a story

My Rajasthani brain glitches every time I see abundance. What do you mean fruit just… grows here? Flowers bloom like it’s no big deal?...

Towards the end of the 13th century, the founding sultan of the Khilji dynasty, Jalaluddin Khilji and his forces had laid siege to the...

In the face of overwhelming modernisation, most Indian heritage cities today are stumbling urban relics, rapidly decaying despite our...

Conservationist, assistant Vice President to a furniture company, motorcyclist and a mother of two- meet Jamnia’s Preetika Baisa as she...

It all began in 2006, when Kunwarani Sushila Kumari requested Maharani Sahiba of Jodhpur to permit her a small jewellery curation table...

Famed over the centuries for being India's most enigmatic celebration of Dussehra, Kullu's Dussehra remains as unique as it was 5 centuries ago. This year, Rajputana Collective is privileged to have Kullu's Dei Saab Rupeshwari Kumari Singh account for what these divine festivities have meant to her- as the eldest child and daughter of the house of Kullu. My memory takes me to the Dussehra of 2001 when I was merely 3 years old. My grandfather called for me, I see myself runnin

I call my annual trip to the Spiti Valley my pilgrimage. The surreal landscapes, starlit night skies and stark beauty of Spiti make their...

The sleepy town of Bundi awoke with great anticipation on the morning of the Navsamvatsar. The 2nd of April, 2022 coincided with the first day of the Hindu month of Chaitra, which formally heralds the new year for North India. The beginning of the year 2079 of the Vikram Samvat, a year filled with hope and revival, especially so, after the 2 years of the pandemic. However, for the people of Bundi, it was the eagerness to participate in an ancient tradition of the anointment o

The Gond art form remains the legacy of one of India’s largest tribal communities, the Gonds. Spreading over the Deccan, Central and Eastern India, these indigenous people have been perfecting painted and carved art for over 1400 years. Dating back to the Mesolithic Period, Gond art can be found on the walls of ancient caves. More popular expression of Gond art over the centuries is found on the mud-plastered floor and walls of Gond homes, chiefly for the totemic symbolism th

In a virtual conversation with Rajputana Collective, the newest generation Scindia introduces us to the truly inventive and futuristic concept of Pravaas, which is also deeply reflective of Mahanaaryaman’s rich sensibility of age-old heritage and values of its preservation.

In The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, celebrity influencer Marie Kondo propagates the Japanese art of decluttering and organising through a purging process of one’s immediate living spaces. The exponential growth of rapid consumerism has met with several countercurrents of ethical questioning, with minimalism leading this fray. Popular streaming channels such as Netflix have taken the lead in broadcasting commentaries on the dire need of minimalism, sustainability and c

Amidst the creative cityscape of Jodhpur that has long since bustled with design hallmarks, former NIFT graduate and 36-year-old Tarini Singh’s design label, The Cobalt Company stands out as its latest retail affair.

A devotee carrying a divine palanquin on Dussehra The incumbent Raja Maheshwar Singhji of Kullu ahead of the Dussehra festivities THE ROYAL INTRIGUE & A BRAHMIN’S CURSE   Once upon a time, the then Raja of Kullu erroneously convicted a holy man of royal intrigue. His misjudgement cost the innocent victim his life through self-immolation, and until his very last breath, the burning man cursed the Raja for his haughtiness. In lieu of insulting him, the puritan vindictively prop

Classical accounts of Indian mythology, historical narratives, legends, traditional art and iconography have all born the indigenous horse at their fulcrum at recurring points of time. One of its most iconic variants, namely the Marwari horse requires no prior introduction for its wartime heroism. This lyre-eared and fleet-footed ranger of the desert has gone down in immortal fables for having timelessly protected its people and soil from foreign invasions till its dying brea

In a bygone era where only a finite number of Fiats, Ambassadors and Heralds paraded the deserted Indian roads, P.V. Narasimha Rao’s economic reforms effectively struck the Indian automobile sector at its fundamental core and changed the game forever. Post 1992, multinational automakers such as Hyundai (South Korea), Suzuki & Toyota (Japan) began establishing a coherent automotive industry in India. In no time, the Indian consumer was almost spoilt with choices when he went o

In conversation with Vijay Singh Ajairajpura, the driving force behind Rajputana Customs Motorcycles (RCM), a Jaipur-based motorcycle outfit that changed the face of bike restoration in this part of the world.   Thanks to his father’s long-standing affair with two-wheelers, a young Vijay Singh Ajairajpura got introduced to motorcycles much earlier than his contemporaries did. He grew up riding a 500 CC BSA Falcon before getting onto bigger beasts. Upon completing his higher s

Once in a year, during the onset of the Hindu New Year, people from all spheres and walks of life unite to celebrate the divine wedlock of Goddess Parvati with Lord Shiva in Rajasthan’s most important local festival. The celestial communion of Gan (Shiva) with Gauri (Parvati), Gangaur entails a series of communal prayers, fast observances, domestic rituals and festive processions that bring Rajasthan to its celebratory best; and culminates in the bidaai ceremony or departure

“I realised that no credible online resources existed for rajput families that were looking for matches for their children. There were a couple of commercially motivated players, but nothing that had the personal touch, albeit virtual, of a confident and counsel in a matter which is perhaps the most important to parents” says Kunwarani Tripti Singh, the founder and pioneering lady behind Gathjor, the first-ever online matrimonial community dedicated specifically to Rajputs wo