Woman's festival veil (Divali odhani), c. 1850-1875, 111 x 62 1/2 in. ( x cm), Silk, metallic threads, gold leaf; wrap resist dye, block printing, India, 19th century, On a moonless night in the month of Kartik (November-December), Hindu women throughout India light small oil lamps to commemorate an age-old victory of good over evil and to honor Lakshmi, goddess of good fortune. So begins the joyous festival of Divali. In times past, men and women in Rajasthan celebrated the holiday by wearing indigo-dyed cloth accented with gold, evoking Divali lamps glowing against a dark sky

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Photo credit: © Penta Springs / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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