Dashavatar Darchiri Ganjifa by Sawantwadi Palace
The luxury dashavatar line from the Sawantwadi royal palace.
Above: The location of Sawantwadi, Maharashtra.
Ornate borders, sumptuous colors, and detailed miniature drawings are the norm for Sawantwadi Lacquerware’s premium edition of the dashavatar pattern.
Dashavatar cards have ten suits, each devoted to an avatar of Vishnu. Each suit has ten pip and two court cards: the lower court card of pradhan (minister)
At least that’s how it goes in a standard dashavatar deck. Dashavatar Darchiri Ganjifa from the Sawantwadi Palace Workshop expands on that, featuring a drawing of Vishnu – in his traditional blue-skinned, four-armed form, not as one of the avatars – at the center of every pip card. As a result, every pip card in the deck is as lavishly illustrated as a court card.
Above: Pip card for the Kurma suit.
Above: Pip card for the Kurma suit.
Dashavatar cards have ten suits, each devoted to an avatar of Vishnu. Each suit has ten pip and two court cards: the lower court card of pradhan (minister) and the upper court card of raja (king). The pip symbols are small illustrations related to the avatar – the pips for the Matsya (fish avatar) suit for example, are fish. The avatars themselves are portrayed on the court cards only.
At least that’s how it goes in a standard dashavatar deck. Dashavatar Darchiri Ganjifa from the Sawantwadi Palace Workshop expands on that, featuring a drawing of Vishnu – in his traditional blue-skinned, four-armed form, not as one of the avatars – at the center of every pip card. As a result, every pip card in the deck is as lavishly illustrated as a court card.
The deck’s other defining feature are the multiple layers of ornate border rings, starting with a bright yellow, red, and green floral pattern. These additions necessitate an increased card size. Sawantwadi Lacquerware’s regular dashavatar cards are 3.2 inches (8.13 cm); Dashavatar Darchiri Ganjifa comes in at 3.9 inches (9.91 cm).
Above: Pip, pradhan, and raja cards for the Krishna suit; pip card for the Matsya suit.
Above: Pip cards for the Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, and Vamana suits.
Above: Pip cards for the Parashurama, Rama, Buddha, and Kalki suits.
Above: Dashavatar Darchiri Ganjifa cards and painted box from the Sawantwadi Palace Workshop.
Footnotes
- All photos courtesy of Sawantwadi Lacquerwares.
By Lev Golinkin
United States • Member since May 26, 2026
I'm a US-based author and journalist. I've been collecting playing cards since I was about 8 years old, when I got mesmerized by the various decks that were used in Soviet Ukraine, where I'm from. I collect mainly European decks such as those by Dondorf, Grimaud, and Piatnik. I love courts above all else, and am drawn toward historical and artistic decks.
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