The Fading Art of Godna: Remembering Haryana’s Vanishing Tattoo Traditions

Historically in Haryana, tattoo art (Godna) belonged almost exclusively to women. While men rarely wore tattoos, women freely adorned their faces, arms, legs, and bodies with intricate, meaningful motifs.

A traditional sketch of Godna tattoo motifs from Haryana, depicting geometric patterns and sacred symbols like Sita ki Rasoi.

The facial adornments were precise and subtle: a single dot centered on the forehead, three dots forming a delicate triangle near the left nostril, and tiny accent dots at the corners of each eyebrow. Beyond the face, women inked their hands, arms, feet, and toes with motifs inspired by nature, faith, and daily village life—peacocks with spread wings, cuckoos, fish, scorpions, dolls, sieves, traditional ornaments, and sacred symbols.

My mother engaged in daily handcrafts, carrying forward the rich heritage of Haryana.

Childhood Memories & DIY Tattoos

Reading through these old traditions takes me right back to my childhood. Back then, girls my age loved imitating these traditional markings. My friend Sunheri and I would try making our own facial tattoos. We would collect black soot (charcoal powder) from the bottom of the kitchen griddle (tawa), place it on our skin, and repeatedly prick the spot using a simple sewing needle to push the pigment in.

The traditional "Sita ki Rasoi" Godna tattoo inked on my mother’s forearm when she was ten years old.

After rinsing off the excess soot the next day, the tiny black dots would proudly appear on our faces! Though our makeshift tattoos faded away after two or three years, the thrill of participating in that shared ritual remains etched in my memory.

Another close-up view of the fading "Sita ki Rasoi" design, a sacred symbol worn by women for household prosperity.

Sita Ki Rasoi: A Symbol of Abundance and Protection

One of the most meaningful designs from this tradition is Sita Ki Rasoi (Sita’s Kitchen).

My mother recalled how, as a ten-year-old girl, she accompanied her grandmother to the annual village fair (mela). Fairs were vibrant cultural hubs where traditional tattoo artists set up stalls, and young girls eagerly queued up to get inked. That day, my mother got Sita Ki Rasoi inked on her forearm, along with a sacred Om (ॐ) symbol on the back of her left hand.

The sacred Om (ॐ) symbol, commonly inked on the back of the hand alongside traditional motifs.

Sita Ki Rasoi holds deep cultural and spiritual significance:

• Protection: It was traditionally inked on young women before marriage to ward off the evil eye (nazar).

• Blessings of Abundance: In Hindu mythology, Goddess Sita’s kitchen was celebrated for its boundless, delicious food and warmth. Wearing this motif was believed to bless a bride with an organized, prosperous household that never ran short of food.

• Cultural Mandate: In many regions of Haryana, having this tattoo before or around marriage was considered a essential rite of passage.

A simplified structural pattern of the Sita ki Rasoi motif, traditionally symbolizing abundance and protection.

A Tradition Fading Into History

Today, traditional tattoo practices are quietly fading away. Even in rural villages, younger generations rarely opt for traditional Godna. The sacred symbols, once worn as permanent jewels of identity, protection, and heritage, are disappearing into memory.

Looking at the fading Sita Ki Rasoi design on my mother's forearm, I realize how much history, love, and cultural identity were stitched into the skin of the women who came before us. It is a tradition slowly slipping into the past, but one well worth preserving in our stories.

xoxo

visit to village Aryanagar -Decadel change in rural INDIA

i visited the village to see the decadal change of progress. i did my MSc in the year 1991 and selected two village for my study one the Aryanagar near to city and another one 25kilometers away from the Hisar City . so i did another round of survey in the year 2001, then 2011 these pics are from my third round. I found a vast difference regarding  development of village 

While tour to village it was creativity in the air. The village is model village and named AryaNagar, its original name is kurri (kurri in Haryana is .an open store for household waste) village is famous for its sturdy earthen pots. The dominated caste is kumhaar ( prajapati samaaj—the potters)  their  main traditional occupation is making earthen pots( sorry the pics of potters were damaged and can't revive). 

 We sit with the village potter to make beautiful terracotta (Kulhadies)pots and divaas. I weaved some thread on Charkha with local womenfolk; make women to lit light in mud plastered hara. We did a lot of rural activities to make it a memorable experience, from –cooking, pounding grain, grinding grains(ataa), making ghee and buttermilk and tried balancing water tokani on our head like true Haryanvi womenfolk.

Really fond memories come back to me from my childhood when I did them all. 

 Then we visited the village “Harijan aanganwaadi” my daughter felt bad seeing the board of “Harijan aanganwaadi” saying What it mean? Why harijan aangan baadi it should be for all caste and creed …..any how the children in aanganwadi were playing   ethnicgames-gulee danda, Pethoo, Lattoo, Kanche goli and others. We engaged ourselves in Gulel(sling) shooting, Hop skotch or Kabbadi and Kushti( wrestling bout local style) with their friends in the soft soil arena. I picked up a colorful kite from a kid and let that talk to the blue skies-to give wings to my imagination.

Swinging

swinging in the house

xoxo

Racks for Stacks: Creativity and the Art of Organizing

Good evening, everyone!

Did you know that keeping a mountain of craft supplies organized is an art in itself? Today, I am excited to share a glimpse of my creative corner and how I keep my crafting world beautifully sorted.

A Melodic Beginning

First, meet my daughter, who is busy practicing her music lessons here. This corner of our home is always filled with sweet notes and positive energy. 

My daughter practising her music lessions

Giving New Life to Old Things (Upcycling at its Best)

Can you guess where all my crafty treasures are stored? Yes, right inside these white racks! 

This tall rack is actually an old shoe rack made by my handy-man. I used to frequent a tiny workshop owned by a wonderfully skilled woodworker, and he custom-made things for me based entirely on my own designs. 

Seeing beautiful craftsmanship revitalized in this way is truly wonderful. These white racks were custom-made to perfectly fit this cozy corner. 

Yes in these racks …..These racks are fabulous examples of old-fashioned practicality. The tall long rack is an old shoe rack made by my handy-man. A wonderful wood-work-shop owner I use to frequent in his tiny shop made him made me things of my own design. 

I thought it was such a wonderful revitalization of beautiful craftsmanship. These white racks are custom made to fit here. 

The Joy of Reusing & Organizing

I simply love the idea of reusing something that was once tenderly used for an entirely different purpose. That is exactly how this fabric-covered, zipper-locked rack was born! 

Again, I just love making use of something that was so tenderly used for something completely different and this fabric covered zipper locked rack was born.

All my spinning(dropdown spindle and rags), knitting, crocheting and stitching  supplies and tools are in these racks. Don't know if that looks like a lot to you or a little. (No wheel, I use drop spindles.)

All my spinning (I use drop spindles, no wheel here!), knitting, crocheting, and stitching tools and supplies find their home in these racks. I don't know if this looks like a lot to you or just a little, but to me, it is my perfect little world. 

My Latest Experiment

This is my most recent experiment—covering a metal rack with beautiful printed fabric. Not only does it keep the dust away from my supplies, but it also adds a lovely, warm, and traditional touch to the room. 

My recent experiment to cover a metal rack with fabric

How do you like my ideas for giving old furniture a fresh, creative lease on life?

Do share your thoughts in the comments below!

Cheers and have a wonderful evening!

Recycling, and experiment with new colour

Few days back i recycled a CD and Plastic to convert them into a Vase 

not waste!!!

It's not quite recycling but is certainly not waste!!!

 I did some experiment with new type of colour 
I mix up white cement gulaal(Holi Colour) fevicol and water than apply only one coat on the vase.The result was encouraging and i think it lasts for long. Again the vase gained weight with the thick paste of colour,otherwise it was /will be light in weight. I filled the neck of the bottle with the colour paste which hardened and filled in the hallow space of bottle neck which was otherwise undesirable for the vase.
I love this vase !Its beautiful to look at!

it can be used as pen/pencil stand or flower vase.

XOXO

Just imagine

Okay, if you are a creative person, then you must enjoy an active imagination. And even though this post is not craft-related per se, my thought is that you enjoy anything of admirable creativity....So my guess is you are, at least in part, a Bronte family fan. I discovered Emily Bronte when I watched the Hindi Film Dil Diya Dard Liya  based upon Emily Brontë's celebrated novel Wuthering Heights, and glommed into their  writtings   like a child does a "blankie". I love the imaginative details; and I love that it can be shown to have much deeper symbolisms, as "classic" literature.

I became a fan of Bronte family and goggled  stories about all of them(their father father sisters and brother), which added to my enjoyment of the series. One of the blog of Bronte lover    is hosted by a French reader, a well educated lover of Literature, a writer, and a teacher (among other things and I can't figure out how he fits all of it into 24 hours). The French  writer just published a  biography of Emily Brontë; I am looking forward to reading  that. With all my own projects going on, I don't get much time to read. So when I do have time, I want what I read to be stimulating and thought provoking (unless it's at the end of a long day with my several projects, in which case several magazines with lots of pictures of crochet  and pattern suffices). If this book is anything like that writer’s commentary, it will be a good read. Even if YOU'RE not an Bronte fan, I'm pretty sure you know someone who they were.

xoxo

Turning an Old Storage Rack into a Beautiful Handcrafted Cabinet

My Handcrafted Storage Transformation: A Dust-Free Fabric Cover for an Old Metal Rack

We all have utilitarian furniture at home that serves a great purpose but isn't always pleasing to look at. That was precisely the case with my heavy-duty metal shelving unit with 5 shelves in it.

Originally, it was a tall 5-tier rack. Years ago, I had to cut down its top portion so that it could fit neatly under the beam shelf in my storeroom. After serving faithfully for several years, holding books and various household items, I decided it was time to give it a much-needed makeover—and more importantly, keep all stored items completely dust-free!

The original metal rack—functional and sturdy, but open to dust and clutter.

Then several years of service, I decided to make its cover with fabric to keep my items dust free.

For that had to remount its upper part first. I simply attach them together using cord and tie them   stitching through the holes on them.  This cover has cords for opening and closing. Cords make opening and closing the cover easy, and corner straps hold up the flaps when I need access my items

The Remounting & Prepping Process

Before making the cover, I needed to restore the upper section. To reconnect the pieces, I used a practical approach: I simply threaded sturdy cords through the pre-drilled holes of the metal frame, stitching and tying them securely together.

From cutting it down to fit under the storage space, to remounting and prepping—the step-by-step transformation begins!

Designing the Custom Fabric Cover

To craft the enclosure, I picked a vibrant floral fabric that instantly brightens up the room. I wanted the cover to be both aesthetically pleasing and functional:

Drawstring Openings: For the upper four shelves, I designed unique circular drawstring openings. Pulling the cords makes opening and closing the flaps effortless.

The complete transformation! A vibrant floral cover with custom drawstring openings to keep everything dust-free.

Dedicated Lower Shelf: The bottom shelf, reserved for my sacred books, features a two-flap opening fastened with grommets and cords.

Corner Straps: To make accessing stored items hassle-free, I added corner straps that neatly hold up the fabric flaps whenever needed.

Front view showing the unique circular drawstring closures for the top shelves and grommet flap for the sacred books below.

Close-up of the neatly stitched fabric and side profile.

A closer look at the top section featuring the decorative gather and braided cord attachment.

Handcrafted detail: The circular drawstring design that makes opening and closing the flaps effortless and stylish.

Final Thoughts

Whether accessing items inside or admiring it from the outside, I absolutely love the convenience and beauty of this new cover. It keeps everything clean, organized, and protected from dust.

Handmade, budget-friendly, and practical—it is a wonderful reminder of how a little creativity can transform something ordinary into a charming functional piece!

Hand Made …..I think I am creative! 

What do you think of this DIY makeover? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

xo

Early morning

There was a thunderstorm at night full of sand. Well, I woke up at 3:40 am this morning and couldn´t get back to sleep. After one hour of turning on my pillow I gave up and made tea switched on TV to listen Class of Vatsayana at  AsthaTV .

Yet I had to wait till 4:00am for the class and I become nostalgic remembering the thunder fuu of sand……

When I was younger, we lived with   in the air force areas of different parts of country and  came to the village on vacation these days. Yes these days of Jyeshthaa(May-June)were so hot in those days that hot wind and storms with dust were regular features.

Our village had no electricity. We used to sleep in open area of our huge mansion which is at the centre part of that building surrounding the central part with room all around. I used to dip my khesi (a linen sheet to throw on at night ) in bucketful of water, squeeze and put-on tightly and  asleep. Iused to repeat the process two tree times at night daily , this was an easy way to cool myself and escape from the dust.

 We (me and my grandma)used to got up at 3:30 AM sharp ,my grand ma endelged in her daily chore of churning curd, while I used to make tea first using kachha hearth burning Khejri sticks. The raw milk of our buffalo which I used was so thick and tasty that tea taste divine .  I used to put some cream of the milk which collected on the upper layer for my tea only . The cream was so divine to taste that

  I have not forgotten to this day.. Regardless of tasty things I have ever eaten, nothing Taste divine Like the milk and its cream. My grandma used to put this milk pot(kdhavani) for boiling (backing) on the simmering heat of the dungs (in hara) in the morning for the whole day. The thick ‘malai’ used to cover the milk which used to become pinkish  by the evening. She would never allow anybody to take this malai .She would curd this milk along with raw milk of evening  at night and early in the morning when everybody was asleep she would churn this curd with long heavy wooden beater (madhani) tied with cotton  rope on a wooden stand in a clay pot called  ‘bilona ’ with her  both hands till the butter began to float on the ‘lassi’.  She would take out the butter from it and put it in a separate pot( colloquali known as timaniya’ and ‘classih’ (curd milk without butter) in a separate pot. The ‘lassi’ was served during the day, the butter was mainly used for the chapattis but the fresh butter with ‘basi-khichadi’ of preceding night and ‘lassi’ were served in the morning which used to be the breakfast

 xoxo