Bandora artist’s matoli showcases floral sustainability

Keri: The multi-faceted artist from Talule of Bandora, Tanaji Gaude, has displayed a mythical deity, Garuda, through the matoli tradition, which became a main attraction for Ganesh Chaturthi at Bandora.

He displayed seasonal floral wealth through the matoli, using 280 floral items from the Western Ghats of Goa and other areas of India. He has showcased the deity Garuda, with the body of a human and the beak, talons, and wings of the Eagle.

Garuda has immense religious and cultural importance in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Indian tradition considers Garuda to be the mount of Lord Vishnu. Many of the stone sculptures of Laxmi-Narayan found in Goa display the Garuda that fascinated Tanaji to create the matoli.

“This year, I decided to use floral items with ethnobotanical values. I and Datta Naik from Priol visited many forest areas of Sahyadri to collect the necessary items for the structure,” he told TOI.

He also mentioned that one of his friends from Punjab sent him ear of wheat for the matoli decoration. “I have also used Tinospora cordifolia, locally known as Amrutvel, which has been widely used in Goa since the Covid-19 outbreak. Some of the floral items I have used were grown by me,” he said.

Vanita Varak, a postgraduate student from Pali, Sattari, who visited Bandora, said, “The matoli tradition has been used by our ancestors to educate the younger generation informally. Artists like Tanaji are not only imparting traditional knowledge associated with this heritage but also teaching us to use floral items sustainably, which is important to conserve our floral wealth.”