"Celebration"! (featuring the jharokha)
Historically, the jharokha is a stone window projecting from the wall face of a building, in an upper story, overlooking a street, market, court or any other open space. It is a common feature in classical Indian architecture, most prominent in Rajasthan. A jharokha is supported on two or more brackets and has two pillars and a cupola or pyramidal roof. It is closed by a jali (perforated screen) but generally partly open for the residents to peep out to see passing processions. Jharokha darshan was a daily practice of addressing the public audience (darshan) at the balcony jharokha at the forts and palaces of medieval kings in India. It was an essential and direct way of communicating face-to-face with the public, and was a practice which was adopted by the Mughal emperors. Emperor Humayun adopted this Hindu practice of appearing before his subjects at the jharokha to hear their public grievances. The balcony appearance in the name of jharokha darshan was continued by his son, the 16th-century Mughal Emperor Akbar. Currently, jharokhas have transformed into interior decorative windows and adorn the walls of many homes. They are generally made of wood and can feature elaborate artistic carvings. They come in different shapes and sizes. They are available in a variety of colors and you can pick one that blends in perfectly with the décor of your home. Jharokha art is displayed in actual or decorative windows. Jharokhas can be adorned with mirrors, candles or diyas, photographs or other artwork. They act as frames to enhance the beauty of homes or other buildings.

My artwork is titled "Celebration"! It reflects jharokha’s current use of being artistically adorned for various celebrations, holidays and festivals. Celebration! is needlework on burlap, using multicolored thread. It is adorned with bells and assorted mirrors.