Bharata Major Arcana Tarot
Bharata Major Arcana Tarot inspired by Indian art forms by Ishan Trivedi & Sunish Chabba, 2018.

Above: Bharata Major Arcana Tarot by Ishan Trivedi & Sunish Chabba, Guru Playing Card Company, 2018. 26 Poker size cards (63 X 88mm; 22 Major Arcana + 4 extra cards), gilded edges with an antique look, printed in China. The names of backers who supported the project on Kickstarter are mentioned in the accompanying booklet. In the back design and box elements of Indian Rajputana painting and architecture have been used. Some symbols have been picked from Indian folk arts.
The illustrations are based on traditional Indian folk art forms, Kishangarh style & miniature paintings. Apart from the classic tarot meanings, symbolism found in folk art has also been used. The trump sequence is based on Rider-Waite. Each card is hand-drawn and then finished digitally. The illustrator Ishan Trivedi’s work has been appreciated by both Indian & foreign publishers.


Above: the Tower represents sudden change, destruction and revelation. The Fool represents new beginnings, innocence and a free spirit. The Lovers card is inspired from Bani Thani, a 17th century painting by Nihâl Chand (1710-1782), chief court painter to King Savant Singh.

Above: some sources of inspiration.
REFERENCES

By Simon Wintle
Member since February 01, 1996
Founder and editor of the World of Playing Cards since 1996. He is a former committee member of the IPCS and was graphics editor of The Playing-Card journal for many years. He has lived at various times in Chile, England and Wales and is currently living in Extremadura, Spain. Simon's first limited edition pack of playing cards was a replica of a seventeenth century traditional English pack, which he produced from woodblocks and stencils.
Related Articles

Tarot hiéroglyphique égyptien
The design of the cards draws inspiration from various religious and philosophical traditions merged...

Alan Tarot Deck
Reprint of a Tarock pack originally designed by Argio Orell for the Austrian Lloyd shipping company....

Tarot Baraja Egipcia
Curious Tarot with Egyptian-style trumps issued by Franco Mora Ruiz from Mexico.

Le Tarot de Sète
Reinterpretation of the Tarot de Marseille by Julien Labat, an artist from Sète.

Tarot Philatélique
Tarot game pack with French postage stamps on all the courts, aces and trumps.

Il Tarocco del Mondo Nuovo
Imaginative Tarot card designs by Amerigo Folchi relating to Columbus and the New World.

22 Artisti Liguri in 22 Arcani
Collaborative set of major arcana devoted to Christopher Columbus and his voyages of discovery.

The Tarot of Meditation – Yeager Tarot
Marty Yeager’s original Tarot of Meditation from 1975, republished later by U.S. Games Systems, Inc....

Engel-Tarot
Set of major arcana designed by Alois Hanslian depicting angels throughout.

Tarot Actuel 1984
Major arcana to cut out, issued with the French magazine Actuel, using photographic images.

Czech Bohemian style playing cards
Czech Bohemian style playing cards with a charming aesthetic, reflecting the cultural and social lif...

Mountain Dream Tarot
Groundbreaking Tarot created by Bea Nettles, using photographs and photo montage.

Clear Skies
‘Clear Skies’ playing cards paying tribute to the Ukrainian people in the face of war.

Il Tarocco Mitologico
Fully pictorial Tarot designed by Amerigo Folchi with figures mainly from Greek mythology.

Gallia Belgica playing cards
Gallia Belgica playing cards by Cédric Volon presenting a view of Belgian culture and folklore.

The Millenium Tarot: Tarot of the Four Worlds
First Australian Tarot, designed by Mary Susan Chamberlain, with artwork by Ziba Vilmanis-Westenberg...
Most Popular
Our top articles from the past 28 days