The myth of El-Dorado centres around a hidden city of gold. The myth stems from a coronation ritual of the Muisca people – an indigenous tribe of present-day Colombia. The Musica undertook this ritual in order to appeal to the Gods to bless their new king. As part of the initiation ceremony, the to-be king was adorned from head to toe in gold dust. He then sailed down Lake Gutavita in a raft laden with treasures, with a group of attendants who threw these treasures into the lake’s depths in order to please an underwater God.
This story would drive many Spanish conquistadors and explorers to their death, as they searched exhaustively for the city laden with gold. Unsurprisingly, their efforts bore no fruit, for they were chasing an illusion too good to be true. The consequences of their quest were almost karmic.
A ritual in present-day Kolhapur mirrors the spectacle of the Musica myth. It presents a story laden with hues of yellow–not gold, but turmeric. This ritual, called the Birdev Yatra, celebrates Birdev– a local deity revered by the Dhangars (Shepherds). The Godman, Sri Keloba Rajabhau Waghmode, embodies the deity, and walks for 17 days to reach the ritual site. Blessed by the deity, he showers his followers with sagely advice, and holds the ability to grant their wishes and predict their futures. He and his followers adorn themselves in turmeric in their quest for prosperity and happiness. Be it the coronation of a king or the celebration of a godman, the focus is not on the outcomes, but on the ritual itself. The Birdev festival becomes the shephards’s El- डोराडो, where the application of colour–be it gold, or yellow-transforms the space into a sacred one. My photographs attempt to capture the spirit of these mystical journeys hinged on the powerful illusion of the promise of change. Here, the application of colour is an integral aspect of performance of the ritual. Through my work, I invite you down to yellow-brick-road, where the search for meaning and the belief in the power of colour is one and the same–where any space can be transformed into the mythical El-डोराडो, as long as you believe in its existence.
