Statue of Equality: Map of India in Copper

Baaya Design curated and executed a one-of-a-kind map, created like a massive jigsaw puzzle, highlighting the iconic landmarks of the country. 

Each state bursting with majestic monuments and landmarks that display its essence. While Rajasthan flaunts its many forts, Gujarat is represented as a lion and other wildlife, Charminar for Telangana, and so on. 

Deep blue, green, yellow, pink, and brown are used to visually bifurcate state borders while a series of rivers can be witnessed flowing from one state to another throughout the map representing unity in diversity. 

Each piece of the puzzle was created and rendered in isolation. Shibani Jain, Founder, Baaya Design says, “We turned to copper enamelling - a traditional artisanal craft that involves meticulously placing wires and fusing powdered glass on the copper surface. The exhaustive process required every small and large piece to be forged in fire.” 

Baaya worked with the last traditional copper enamelling family in Maharashtra to handcraft the many separate pieces. When assembled, they created a larger-than-life installation - a 12 by 11ft mural that stands tall. 

This map imagines an India that’s fluid. Where each magnificent state flows from one to another with rivers instead of borders for separation. The copper frame stores a world of wonder fusing crafts that were previously never attempted in tandem. 

“We worked in harmony, fusing unlikely craft forms, to achieve a feat considered impossible before. And it all began by working together. By dreaming larger than life. By embracing that all of us are uniquely spectacular. No matter the state we come from. That’s what it means to be Indian, to be a part of something bigger than ourselves,” adds Shibani. 

The project was conceptualized and implemented by Baaya Design under the conceptual framework provided by Urban Zen.