The Shilavanyam collection of rugs takes from the magnificent caves in India

Once revered as sanctuaries of silence and energy, caves today are often reduced to tourist checklists —crowds shuffle through with flashlights, searching for remnants of history while unknowingly disturbing its sacred stillness. These ancient spaces, once home to sages and deep spiritual energies, now echo with chatter and bear the scars of vandalism. But step into a cave untouched by tourism, and you’ll still feel it—the hush, the vibration, the sense of presence that lingers in the stone. It’s from this quiet, powerful inspiration that MuseMart introduces the Shilavanyam collection — a series of hand-knotted and tufted rugs crafted in wool, designed to evoke the grounding calm and textured beauty of these ancient spaces.

MuseMart's Shilavanyam collection is history carved in rugs

 “The rugs capture what makes these caves so mesmerising: their dramatic doorways, sacred symbols, intricate carvings, and the way light dances through ancient stone. We’ve distilled these elements into bold, graphic patterns that feel both timeless and utterly modern. Think Postmodernist meets Memphis design—vibrant, confident, and a little rebellious,” says Huzefa Rangwala, the co-founder of MuseMart.

The designs showcase dynamic interplay of light and shadow within the mysterious caves, and the fundamental relationship between built forms and void spaces. These ancient structures, with their weathered surfaces, undulating floors, contrasting illuminated and dark spaces, and profound silence, have been translated through a contemporary lens into rug designs that capture both the structural essence and experiential qualities of these sacred spaces.

Crafted with hand-tufted New Zealand wool and bamboo silk, each piece is finished with carving, embossing, knot-beating, and intricate repair techniques like Raffu, Thukai, and Gultarash—artisanal processes that add dimension and soul. “The challenge was to translate the emotional impact of walking through a cave into pattern, colour, and form,” says Jasem Pirani, the co-founder. Designed to anchor a space without overpowering it,the Shilavanyam rugs are introspective icons — quietly dramatic and artistic.

The vivid forms and colours are designed to intrigue and energise, while the meditative geometry and earthy inspiration root the space in calm. They’re meant to anchor a space while offering moments of quiet discovery—through texture, colour, and pattern.

Price on request. Available online.

Email: ananyadeval.m@newindianexpress.com

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