Giving Sawantwadi ganjifa cards a new lease of life

Conservation efforts by an erstwhile royal family are bringing centuries-old hand-painted cards back into the spotlight

- Sona Bahadur

The Sawantwadi ganjifa hand-painted cards came into the national spotlight last year when it was awarded the Geographical Indication tag. The recognition also brought to the fore the conservation efforts by the erstwhile royal family of the region. According to Shraddha Lakham Sawant Bhonsle, the granddaughter-in-law of the family, Maharashtra's Sawantwadi is perhaps the few places in India where ganjifa is still alive. This style of hand-painted cards first originated in Persia and came to India with the Mughals. They were adapted to the storyline of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, with Hindu deities being painted on the cards.