Kaavad is a rich, oral tradition of storytelling in Rajasthan, believed to be 4oo years old. Kaavad
is also the name of the medium used for this kind of storytelling, it is a portable shrine, which
has a visual narrative of mythological and folk tales. It looks like a box with a number of doors,
with colourful illustrations decorating them with the stories are from the epics like Ramayana
and Mahabharata as well as local folk tales about semi-divine heroes.
The Kaavad shrine is made of mango or sheesham wood, by a community of carpenters (suthars)
in the Mewar district, for the storytellers (Kaavadiyas) from the Marwar district who recite the
Kaavad (Kaavad Baanchana) for their patrons (jajmans) spread over Rajasthan and other states.
