Gwalior 2019 Run T-shirt
The Gwalior 2019 run t-shirt is more than just a technical tee – it’s a heavily illustrated work of art you can wear. The T-shirt color is a light yellow inspired by the yellow stone walls of many of Gwalior Fort’s monuments and the designs are inspired by Gond paintings – a form of tribal and folk art practised by the Gond people found predominantly in Madhya Pradesh. The illustrations are influenced by elements unique to Gwalior – Tansen, the Jain tirthankara rock-cut statues, the number zero and its sandstone monuments.
Tansen, noted composer, singer and musician – and one of Akbar’s “Navratnas” – spent his early years in Gwalior learning music and honing his craft. He had an oversized influence on Hindustani classical music – and the run t-shirt illustrations pay tribute to Tansen’s legacy- with musicians depicted playing the veena.
The south side of the Gwalior fort is home to rock-cut Jain tirthankaras dating back to the 7th-15th centuries when the fort was controlled by Tomara rulers. These statues can be found illustrated on the run t-shirt too standing as is common in Jain iconography. The Gwalior Fort also has one of the oldest references to the zero symbol inscribed on its walls and a stylised 0 can be found on the T-shirt design panel too.
Interspersed amidst the musicians, the Tirthankaras and the zero symbol are intricate geometric designs in vivid colors against a yellow ochre background not unlike those seen in Gwalior fort.
Get yours when you sign up for Go Heritage Run – Gwalior on the 10th of March.