We follow rituals without thinking. From birth to death, they shape what we do, how we feel and even who we become. They tell us what to wear, how to behave, when to celebrate and how to grieve. But who decided all this? Rituals for Life, a group exhibition by the Dak-Chola Arts and Museum Management interns at DakshinaChitra, begins with this question. Instead of treating rituals as fixed traditions, the show looks at them as lived and evolving practices, something we inherit, follow, adapt and sometimes question.
The exhibition moves through four stages of life, birth, puberty, marriage and death, exploring how rituals structure these transitions. It looks at them not just as cultural markers, but as systems that guide emotion, assign roles and shape expectations. Put together by ten interns from the 2025–26 cohort, the exhibition draws from personal experiences, research and observation. It brings together everyday practices from South India, presenting them in a way that feels both familiar and unsettling.
“We are not just celebrating or criticising rituals. We are asking who decided how we should live. Most of us follow rituals on autopilot. They can be beautiful, families come together, there is colour, food and celebration. But there are also rules we don’t question,” says Mirra Muthuvel, one of the interns.
To make this idea more immediate, the team has built an interactive element into the show. At the entrance, visitors are asked to pick a card. That card decides what they can and cannot do within the exhibition space. Some may have access to certain sections, while others are restricted. “That is what rituals often do: they allow and deny. But in everyday life, we don’t stop to think about it. Here, we want people to feel that structure and question it,” Mirra explains.
The exhibition also includes spaces inspired by practices such as parikrama, Navagraha worship, and the idea of the evil eye. These are not presented as isolated traditions, but as systems that cut across life stages, influencing how people respond to both ordinary and significant moments.
Another key thread in the exhibition is emotion. The interns look at how rituals help people process grief, share joy and navigate uncertainty. They also examine how rituals often define who performs certain actions and why. The one-month show also considers how rituals help individuals move through transitions. Whether it is a birth ceremony, a coming-of-age ritual, or a funeral, these practices provide structure at moments when life feels uncertain.
Rahana RA, another intern, focuses on marriage, one of the most layered and visible ritual spaces. Her section is divided into pre-wedding, wedding, post-wedding, and self-respect marriage, allowing her to explore how meaning shifts across each. “In South India, there are different kinds of marriages: priest-led, non-priest, and self-respect marriages. I wanted to look at how identity changes within these spaces and how rituals influence that,” shares Rahana.
Her work traces the idea of marriage from the Sangam era to the present, placing historical practices alongside contemporary realities. It reflects on how marriages are arranged today, through families, brokers, or even digital platforms, where profiles are filtered and matches are proposed.
“Marriage is not just between two people. It involves families, expectations and negotiation. And often, it is the woman whose identity changes more visibly.”
Through objects, text, and visual elements, her section asks what exactly the bride is stepping into. It looks at the symbols that mark identity, from the thaali to kumkum, and questions what these markers continue to signify in a changing world.
At the same time, her work also explores shifts in thinking. “There is a growing space today to question ideas of partnership, equality and choice. This is where the idea of the Self-Respect Marriage, introduced by EV Ramasamy (Periyar), becomes significant. Unlike traditional ceremonies, this form of marriage removes the role of priests, caste rules, and Sanskrit rituals. It places the couple at the centre, focusing on mutual respect and equality. The couple themselves become witnesses and the emphasis shifts from tradition to partnership," she adds.
Across the exhibition, these individual explorations come together to form a larger narrative. "Rituals are not shown as rigid structures, but as living practices that continue to change with time. They can offer comfort and connection, but they can also carry unspoken expectations and hierarchies," says Rahana.
What the exhibition does well is resist easy conclusions. It does not attempt to dismiss rituals, nor does it romanticise them. Instead, it creates space to pause and reflect. What do rituals give us? A sense of belonging, continuity and shared meaning. But what do they take away? Choice, flexibility, and sometimes, individuality. "By placing everyday practices within a curated space, Rituals for Life makes the familiar visible again. It encourages viewers to look at what they have always known, but perhaps never questioned. As visitors move through the exhibition, picking up cues, encountering restrictions and recognising patterns, the central question lingers: Who decides how we should live?," concludes Mirra.
Rituals for Life opens on April 10 at 4 pm at the Varija Art Gallery, DakshinaChitra Heritage Museum and will be on view until May 10.