responsible for reviving the dying art of Ganjifa and lacquerware of Sawantwadi. They established Sawantwadi Lacquerwares in 1971 and managed to take the art form to the international market. He established South Ratnagiri District Shikshan Prasarak Mandal and started Shri. Pancham Khemraj Mahavidylaya in 1961. To promote women empowerment, he established Maharashtra State Handicrafts. The Sawant Bhonsle family today is persistent in upholding the art of Ganjifa and Lacquerware. Ganjifa Ganjifa are playing cards and trace back to its origin in Persia. It was brought down to India by the Mughals in the 16th Century. It is believed that Ganjifa cards arrived through Sufi saints during Mughal period. The origin of the term Ganjifa is obscure. It is said ‘Ganj’ is a Persian term meaning 'treasure, treasury or hoard' while others suggest it is from the Persian word ‘ganjifeh’ meaning ‘playing cards’. In the royal courts, the Ganjifa card game was known as Darbar Kalam, and the materials used were ivory, tortoise shell and other rich materials. At the same time, as it went famous with masses, it was called Bazaar Kalam. Bazaar Kalam was made of cheaper materials like palm leaf, stiffened cloth, paste boards, etc. which were affordable for everyone. The art form is divided into categories such as classical, traditional, folk and tribal. Ganjifa falls under traditional form. They are circular, rectangular and oval in shape and are handmade by the artisans. Initially the cards had Persian motifs and letters on the cards, but later to give them more Indian touch the royalty asked the artisans to incorporate native motifs and that is how, many figures from the Ramayana, Dashavtara and Rashis came along. It is believed that by repeating the name of God, sins are remitted. Besides being a game and an art form, Dashavtara was also used to teach people about our culture and stories from our scriptures, which is why one never gambles with the Ganjifa. It was played to build a sense of community. All the states in India had their own style of making Ganjifa cards: Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal, Punjab, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra. These cards have been decorated with varied images of indigenous figures and forms depicting various divinities, flora and fauna along with numerical details. Now only a few families in Mysore, Puri, Bishnupur and Sawantwadi are involved in practicing it. About Ganjifa Cards