Maharani Nivritti Mewar On Craft, Custodianship And Royal Fables Season 16

Maharani Nivritti Mewar (NM): Vottary is, in many ways, a story of a journey that began long before the brand itself existed. When my ancestors migrated to establish Patna State, in what is present-day Odisha, the artisans travelled with them, carrying not just their looms and skills, but generations of knowledge and a living cultural tradition.

I am privileged to have inherited a profound understanding of this craft, but also a responsibility, to protect, honour and carry it forward. Vottary was born from my love for Sambalpuri Ikat and my desire to preserve its soul, while allowing it to find a contemporary expression and a wider audience.

And in a beautiful sense, Vottary and I have travelled a similar journey from Odisha to Mewar. The craft that once travelled with my ancestors, has now travelled with me, across generations and across 1,300 kilometres, from Odisha to Mewar. In doing so, Vottary, carries that lineage forward, allowing a heritage, rooted in Odisha, to find a new home, a new expression and a new generation of admirers.

There is something wonderfully romantic about that. If a tradition could make that journey once, carried by people and memory, why should it not make the journey again—this time from Mewar to the rest of the world?

That spirit is reflected in everything Vottary has crafted. Trunks, briefcases, bags, folders, laptop sleeves, jewellery boxes, clothing and shoes, each piece brings the richness of Sambalpuri Ikat, into daily objects, that belong to contemporary life. The purpose is not simply to place a traditional textile on a modern product, but to allow the craft itself to become part of the way we live, travel, work and carry our stories.

That is what Vottary is poised towards: to take the soul of Odisha, place it in conversation, with the heritage of Mewar, and give it a contemporary language, without losing its soul.

For me, this is not simply a brand. It is a continuation of a journey, and a humble attempt, to ensure that the hands that carried this tradition into my life, can now carry it into the future.

NM: Mewar’s relationship, with art and craftsmanship, was never merely decorative. Patronage was a responsibility, a cultural commitment and an integral part of the economy. Our ancestors understood that a State was not defined only by its forts and palaces, but also by the people, who gave expression to its culture.

The court, therefore, fostered an ecosystem, where artists, craftsmen, musicians, architects and traditional practitioners, could earn a livelihood, hone their skills and pass their knowledge from one generation to the next, creating communities of knowledge. 

It truly is remarkable that traces of that ecosystem are still found across Udaipur today, particularly, among families, who have preserved specialised crafts across generations. Crafts such as Sikligari (sword making), Danka (silver embroidery), Pichwai and Miniature paintings, Thikri (glass work) and the many specialised forms of art, were not peripheral embellishments; they were woven, into the cultural and economic life of Mewar.

I believe that initiatives like Vottary play a crucial role, in carrying that legacy forward, bringing together inherited skills, with contemporary audiences, to seamlessly deliver authenticity.

NM: Our relationship with land, water and natural resources was built on restraint, respect and the understanding that ‘we’ are custodians, not owners.

The idea of ‘living heritage’ was created and embodied by my father-in-law, Late Shriji Huzur Arvind Singh ji Mewar, the 76th Custodian of the House of Mewar. He did not just define it intellectually; he lived it with pride and with respect. His life was a continuous expression of what it means to carry tradition forward, in its true form, without diluting it, yet honouring the past while actively engaging in the present. His contributions to Mewar, went far beyond conserving palaces, monuments and collections. He created an ecosystem, where heritage, conservation, craftsmanship, environment, education, tourism and community, reinforces one another. He demonstrated that, preserving heritage and creating economic opportunity can harmoniously co-exist in the same environment. He set a benchmark that many are now aspiring to emulate and achieve.

It is this philosophy of life that has deeply influenced Vottary. We work with inherited craftsmanship, not to replicate the past, but to give it a contemporary life and a wider market, while respecting the knowledge and integrity of the artisans who carry it.

When craft becomes economically viable, preservation becomes organic. It sustains families, protects specialised knowledge, creates livelihoods and contributes to the wider local economy. It is this thought process that defines Vottary today.

NM: Mewar has an admirable range of craftsmanship — from miniature paintings and Pichwai to textiles, metalwork, woodwork and specialised decorative traditions. But what worries me most, is not only the gradual disappearance of a craft; it is the fading knowledge, patience and discipline behind it.

Folk singing is one such example. It is dying a little every day, often quietly and in the name of modernity. I remember attending a wedding, in a village, where everyone was dancing to loud modern music, under bright lights. Suddenly, there was a power cut. The lights and the DJ stopped, and almost as if someone had lifted a curtain, the women began singing traditional wedding songs, in the local language. The entire ambience transformed. People began dancing again, but this time, to voices that belonged to the community itself. There was an intimacy and beauty to it, that the amplified music had completely over powered.  

That moment stayed with me, because it made the problem very real. Sometimes, in our rush towards what we call modern, we are quietly replacing things that are far more precious. Modernity should add to our culture, not take from it.

The same applies to craftsmanship. I worry about our artisans, taking shortcuts to meet faster production deadlines. The magic of many traditional crafts lies precisely, in the intricate work, patience and extraordinary attention to detail that artisans followed, hundreds of years ago. If we lose that discipline, we may retain the appearance of a craft, while losing its soul. 

There are beautiful parallels in Odisha too, from Pattachitra and palm-leaf engraving to traditional textiles, stone carving and metalwork. Today, each piece in Vottary’s product line is a result of over 300-hours of meticulous handcraft and dedication by the artisans in Odisha. 

In both Mewar and Odisha, the real heritage lies not merely in the finished object or performance, but in the living knowledge, held by the people who create it.

For me, preservation does not mean freezing tradition in time. It means, ensuring that the next generation still has a reason, a livelihood and the pride to practise it. A craft survives, when the hands continue to make it and a song survives, when people still have a reason to sing it.

NM: Mewar and Odisha have very different visual languages, but a remarkably similar philosophy. In both traditions, craft is deeply intertwined with faith, community, nature and everyday life.

Mewar often speaks through its architecture, miniature traditions, textiles, painting and royal aesthetic, while Odisha, has an extraordinary vocabulary, spanning textiles, stone, metal, painting, palm-leaf work and temple traditions.

What connects them, is the understanding that craft is not merely an occupation. It is inherited knowledge. And inherited knowledge carries a responsibility: you are not the owner of a tradition; you are its custodian, for the next generation.

NM: Platforms like Royal Fables, create an important bridge between inheritance, aspiration and awareness.

The younger generation does not reject heritage; it rejects irrelevance. If we can present traditional craftsmanship, with contemporary design, thoughtful storytelling and strong commercial opportunities, we give young people a reason to engage with it.

Heritage should not ask the next generation to look backwards. It should give them something worth carrying forward.

NM: It needs all three, but above all it needs continuity.

Patronage, without markets, creates dependency. Markets, without institutional support, can lead to exploitation. Institutions, without consumers, create beautiful archives, but limited livelihoods.

What we need is an ecosystem, where artisans can earn with dignity, people see craft as a viable career, designers collaborate, rather than appropriate, and consumers understand the value behind what they buy.

The ultimate measure of preservation should not be how many crafts we can document, but how many artisans can build a good life from practising them.

NM: I would like a future, where an exceptionally skilled young artisan, in Mewar or Odisha or any other part of India, does not have to leave home or abandon tradition, to achieve ambition.

I want craft to be seen as innovation, not nostalgia; as entrepreneurship, not merely inheritance; and as luxury, not charity.

The future should belong to artisans, who are technologically connected, commercially confident and culturally rooted. If we can give them that, we will not simply preserve India's past. We will give its art, craft and heritage a future.