Time and again, at Meiraas, we have re-iterated, that Motifs are artworks which convey deep stories via handmade arts, and textiles being one of them.

Since the ancient ages, sacred wisdom of our civilisation, was relayed via ‘Smriti’ (memory) and ‘Shruti’ (spoken word). These knowledge pearls were further imbibed into fine arts, like architecture, sculptures, murals, theatre, songs and even textiles, in the form of motifs. This was done to create an engulfing ambience of art, where not only are the stories remembered, but its wisdom helps evolve the human mind, from the day-to-day banality, into a more mindful way of living.

The Mrigya motif, used extensively in Meiraas Chikankari, was created by a young boy in our block making unit. Having just learnt Coral Draw, he utilised his talent to create the figure of a woman carrying a pitcher, and a Deer with ‘mayavi’ antlers. He made the woman looking back at the deer, as though mesmerised.

I loved the motif immediately, and expressed my pleasure at the art, when he said very shyly, “This is Sita ji and Maricha”. I was stunned! Such a young age, from a socio-economic background that is completely diverse, doing work of art like a bargain basement shop, how did this idea strike him?

“I saw the Ramayan TV serial didi, I liked the story,” that was all he said. This was year 2017. Today he is grown up and newly married; his interest in history of Lucknow, Awadh & Ayodhya continues, though life has caught on as a grown-up man.

The motif kept revolving in my mind, as I created more Kurtas, Sarees, Dupattas etc. with it over the years. Mrigya, the Elusive Deer; what is the deeper message it conveys?

Even as I wear my Mrigya Kurtas for work or other activities, my hand invariably goes at the motif, and I remember what they stand for – An Elusive Mirage, but one that we keep falling for.

In Maharishi Valmiki’si Ramayan, Sitaji is nearing the end of the 14 years ‘vanvaas’ that her husband, brother-in-law and she had been facing. These 14 years, she happily lived in harmony with the forest life. She never complained and was deeply content with her husband being by her side, when the Golden Deer appeared to test her resolve.

Maybe due to the fact that of being so far away from palace luxuries, or that she was poised to return to them, Maricha’s disguise of a Golden Mrigya, got her enchanted.

Quite uncharacteristically, she implored Sri Rama to capture the Deer. Sri Rama loved his wife so tenderly, that he had to fulfill her wish. Maybe it was a misplaced guilt that he felt of his beloved wife living in the forest with him for so many years. Maybe he felt a misplaced weight of being responsible for it, despite her never making him feel so; he agreed to capture the Elusive Golden Deer.

Sri Lakshmana was the only voice of reason here.

“What is the matter with both of you? Have you ever heard of a Golden Deer? Don’t you know we live in a forest where many ‘mayavi rakshasas’ live? It could be one of them. Don’t get fooled.”

Yet Sita ji implores, and Sri Rama complies. We all know what happened next.

What is this Maricha syndrome? Let us look at our own lives carefully. When we look back, there are many decisions we have made in a fit of impulse, looking for our Mrigya, the Elusive Golden Deer.

We knew such decisions would be bad, we saw the red flags, we were even made aware by a Lakshmana voice, yet we couldn’t fight the charm of the Mrigya.

Not only did we go down that path, we even took the ones nearest and dearest to us, down the same rabbit hole.

An Elusive Deer, an Oasis, a Myth, a Tilisma, Maya, is just that – a decoy that we fully know is one, and yet enter into willingly, making decisions that might affect us and ones nearest to us very deeply.

Now see, how one Motif in Chikankari, or any textile art, can make you think so much; it can make you remember ancient wisdom of Ramayana, Mahabharat and Puranas, and help you live a more mindful life, with better decisions.

This is why Textile Art needs motifs that tell stories.

[Source: Valmiki Ramayana by Geeta Press Prakashan, Youtube Animated series 21 Notes]

The author of this blog post, Vidhi Rastogi, has loved reading the stories of Ramayana, Mahabharat & Puranas from her childhood. They formed a deep impact in her mind to understand the Darshana (Philosophy) behind these stories. These have also acted as inspirations for designs created for Meiraas Chikankari.