Under the latest and popular online series of Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya entitled ‘Exhibit of the Week’, the ‘Ghodia’ (A wooden cradle) collected from the community of Sutar, Vadodara, Gujarat, 1986 (Length 129 cm, Width -70 cm, Height 102 cm) was displayed in the audience as the fifth Exhibit of the month of November, 2021 through official website, Facebook, Instagram and twitter page of the IGRMS.
In this regard Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director, IGRMS said that Ghodia is a wooden cradle with intricate designs, imprinted in bright lacquer painting. It has two pairs of angularly configured legs facing opposite to one another, and a horizontal rod on the top is fixed to keep the cradle sturdy and stable. It has a shallow basket woven with a suitable design to make it comfortable and convenient for the infant to play and sleep easefully.
Cradle gives the complete support to the baby's spine and its rocking motion gives the baby to feel safely being lulled in the mother’s lap. The basket-like container suspended at the centre swings on the middle bar that allows to give a playful move and the gentle swing. Rocking cradle helps the baby to sleep in motion so that a mother can do all the household chaos. The design of the cradle shows the rich craftsmanship of Gujarat.
