This performance was was a rendition of the twelfth-century poems of Indian feminist poet Akka Mahadevi. It was a metaphoric interpretation of subjects such as existentialism, feminine identity, and women’s rights. The work was presented in the form of the ritualistic preparation of incense sticks. The idea was to provoke thought through this act, preparing incense sticks as a repetitive and meditative labor to practice introspection, and establish one’s identity in the purest sense.

There are thousands of women in Bangalore who survive and earn their everyday livelihood by working in incense-making industries. They make thousands of incense sticks per day to survive. I considered this act as sacred and as a thread to understand the self metaphorically. I conceived this act as self-search like that which is explained in Bhakti, a philosophy where a person involves oneself in an act of Bhakti. The idea of this performance was to connect and establish the self to its pure essence, while stressing that the sacred space belongs to each and every person, and is not restricted to patriarchal male-domination. This performance was also supported by overtone sound rituals to create a meditative mode in the space and to involve the audience in the ritual act and spiritual journey.