Ashara Birds

“This painting’s title is Ashara. In our language, we call it Varcha. When these birds are in one community/group (samooh) we call it Ashara. These birds are a form of Sauri Devi. Once in a year on the day of Amavasya (new moon) they come out in one group. Together, they travel the land and when they come across a sacred site such as a temple of the Wagh Devta, they circle around it once before moving on. These birds are very peaceful, they don’t shout and in fact no sound escapes from their beaks. They also prefer moving across quiet areas. These birds fly out in the morning and by evening they reach the sea. Once they reach the sea they disappear. No one has been able to find out where they go.” – Amit Mahadev Dombhare (transl from Hindi: Shardul Deshpande)

This work was displayed as part of Sarmaya’s exhibition – ‘In the Dappled Light’ (29th March – 4th May 2025)