I curated the international exhibition, Gates of the Lord, to bring worldwide attention to the hereditary tradition of pichvai painting. The artists of the temple town of Nathdwara have preserved the tradition of painting pichvais for over three centuries. Pichvai literally meaning “displayed at the back” is a decorated cloth that is hung behind the Krishna image in a Pushtimarg temple. I hope that people across the world will learn to appreciate this exquisite tradition.

I belong to the Vaishnava family of Seth Jagjeevandas, devout Pushtimargis with centuries of unbroken Raj Seva at our personal shrines. Seth Jagjeevandas settled in Hyderabad with their enshrined family deities in 1729 CE. 

My family has patronized Nathdwara artists over the centuries, commissioning paintings, inviting artists from Nathdwara to Hyderabad for special commissions and generally maintaining a good personal relationship and rapport with various artists’ families of Nathdwara over the centuries, which we continue to this day. I commend the effort to broaden the reach of the hereditary artists of Nathdwara to a global audience

Pichhwais of Shrinathji and paintings depicting the life of Krishna have been keenly sought after by Pushti Marg pilgrims, by collectors and tourists. Nathdwara’s painter families often descend from a long lineage of artists: a rare, talent and skill-based tradition passed down from father to son. They support their families by practising this art. While our TAPI Collection prides itself on its holdings of old and new pichhwais, we are prouder still of having known some of the artists over decades. A new generation of artists continues this centuries-old parampara, often against all odds, into the 21st century. We are happy to know that Nathdwara artists have come together on this website, thus providing an opportunity for art lovers to access information on them directly.

Being exposed to the Pushtimarg since childhood as my mother’s family were followers, I have always been enraptured by the beauty and aesthetics of the shringar and seva found within Pushtimarg havelis. I have been visiting Nathdwara since school years and have had the good fortune to meet artists like Dwarkalal Sharma, Rajendraji Khubiram Sharma, Premnarendra Ghansiram Sharma. Reva Shankar Sharma, Chiranjeevlal Sharma, Amratlala Sharma and Parmanadji Sharma and many other and then the next generation of artists, like Piyush Sharma, Lalit Sharma, Suresh Sharma and quite a few others I have been a long admirer of the work of the hereditary artists of Nathdwara, who have had an impact not only on my art practice, but also those of my friends, like Bhupen Khakhar, Gulam Sheikh, and so many others. I am delighted to know that through this website, the artists of Nathdwara will now reach out to a wider audience and I wish them all good luck with this initiative.