Mangala Bai Maravi Wins NDTV Masterstroke Award for Excellence in Traditional Arts

Mangala Bai Maravi, a Gond tattoo artist from Lalpur village in Madhya Pradesh, is honoured with the NDTV Masterstroke Award for Excellence in Traditional Arts. A torchbearer of the ancient Baiga Godna tradition, she has preserved a sacred practice once central to tribal identity and belonging. From using handmade kajal and bamboo thorns to translating ancestral motifs onto paper and canvas, her work has travelled from rural India to the prestigious Biennale of Sydney—bringing Baiga heritage to the global stage.