An exhibition at the Jehangir Art Gallery (Auditorium Hall) in Mumbai will showcase artist Douglas John’s reinterpretation of the centuries-old Gadda Yatra procession. The show, titled The Eternal Within, opens on September 30 and continues through October 5, 2026. It draws inspiration from the visual traditions of Solapur’s annual festival, which unfolds alongside Makar Sankranti in mid-January.
The Gadda Yatra celebrates Shri Siddharameshvara, the revered figure of Solapur, and has been observed for over 600 years. Pilgrims from Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka participate in the event. John’s paintings capture the procession’s visual elements, white robes for male devotees and red tilaks, while deliberately avoiding ties to specific faiths or social groups. His figures emerge from fields of shadow, hue, and radiance, their anonymity blurring the line between communal devotion and personal introspection.
The glowing pathways in his work symbolize an inner pilgrimage, where faith exists beyond formal religious structures.
Read Also: Wynn Al Marjan debuts ultra-private townhomes blending resort luxury
John’s artistic practice encompasses painting, sculpture, and video, with recurring themes of illumination, space, and human presence. After graduating from Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai in 1990, he taught in its Fine Art Department and has since drawn from the artistic and cultural traditions of Mumbai and Solapur. His work at Jehangir Art Gallery creates a visual link between a local heritage and a shared human experience, where distinctions of religion, identity, and community fade into a collective search for meaning.
The exhibition’s canvases avoid depicting individual worshippers, instead using idealized faces, recognizable yet undefined, to explore what unites people across divisions. The interplay of motion and stillness in his compositions reflects the festival’s dual nature: a unified gathering where personal identities endure even as collective purpose takes center stage. John’s approach extends beyond the festival, framing the Gadda Yatra as a broader meditation on belonging and transcendence.