Fig. 14: ‘Letting the Genie Loose’ by Oommen, The Leader, 19 March 1947, p. 4. Courtesy British Library, London.

KING HORSE MATCHES, Price 15 Ps, RAJKUMAR MATCH WORKS, PERUMVADI, P.O.GUDIYATTAM N.A. Printed matchbox label, mid-late 20th c., 3.5 cm x 5 cm, Gautam Hemmady collection, New Delhi, India. [2.005.002]

[MALAYALAM TEXT]PRICE RE. 0.06. EL 4 NO. 123 /57. THOZHILALI BRAND. JAY MATCH CO. ARIMBUR. Colour printed matchbox label, vertical, mid-late 20^th C, 3.5 cm x 5 cm, Gautam Hemmady Collection, New Delhi, India. [11.370.004]
 

INDIAS PRIDE. H.H.THE MAHARAJA OF JODHPUR, MADE IN AUSTRIA.  Colour printed matchbox label, vertical, mid-late 20th C, 3.5 cm x 5 cm, Gautam Hemmady Collection, New Delhi, India. [19.121.007]

RAJA MATCHES. SAFETY MATCHES. 50'S PRICE 17 PS. RAJSEKAR MATCH WORKS. SIVAKASI. Colour printed matchbox label, vertical, mid-late 20^th C, 3.5 cm x 5 cm, Gautam Hemmady Collection, New Delhi, India. [2.304.005]
 

Hind Devi (Mother India), c.1935, Ravi Udaya Vijaya Photo Litho Offset Works, Ghatkopar, and Anant Shivaji Desai, oleograph, 24 x 34 cm. Collection of Erwin Neumayer and Christine Schelberger, Vienna. [# 112]

MALAR, 50’s PRICE 15 Ps., SAFETY MATCHES, MOHAN MATCH WORKS, ELAYIRAMPANNAI, Printed matchbox label, mid-late 20th c., 3.5 cm x 5 cm, Gautam Hemmady Collection, New Delhi, India. [2.124.002]

BHARATHA MATHA, THE SOUTH INDIAN MATCHES, S.INDIA, Printed matchbox label, early-mid 20th c., 3.5 cm x 5 cm, Gautam Hemmady Collection, New Delhi, India. [19.045.003]

Fig. 02: Political mural of the DMK party covering a house. Suryanarana Road, Chennai, March 2010. Photograph by the author.

Ravidas in the company of Mahatma Buddha. Printer/publisher: Samyak Parkashan, New Delhi, 2003. Purchased from: Dr. Mahesh Prasad Ahirwar, Department of Ancient Indian History Archaeology and Culture, Banaras Hindu University, Banaras. Book Cover: Sant Raidas Ki Mool Vichardhara (Basic ideology of Sant Raidas) by Shyam Singh.

Ravidas as a cobbler. Printer/publisher: Pankaj Parkashan, Mathura. Purchased from a roving bookseller at Ravidas Temple on the banks of the Ganga in Banaras. Book Cover: Shri Ravidas Ramayan by Sant Bakshi Dass.

Fig. 7: Jairaj in Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh (dir. Jagdish Gautama, 1954) – arguably the first ever ‘legend of Bhagat Singh’ film. Stroking his moustache, the character projects power, which is interlinked with nationalist fervour.

Fig. 15: ‘Haunted’ by Oommen, The Leader, 16 September 1947, p. 4. Courtesy British Library, London.