Textiles in Ancient Jain Kalpasutras
Sharing the diverse range of gorgeous textiles seen in ancient Jain manuscripts from India
Hairstyles of a Mummy – A visit to Ancient Egypt via The British Museum
A captivating visit to ancient Egypt …. viewing over a dozen mummies and ancient Egyptian art all in a single hall of the British Museum, London. If there is only … Continue reading
How many Indian Manuscripts exist?
In my readings about ancient Indian texts I came across an interesting article by Wujastyk. The main page is linked below. A few interesting excerpts: India as a modern nation-state … Continue reading
The Konark Sun Temple – Celebration of Life
“Except for life there is no other God…” Imagine a temple built to worship life, a temple built to joyously celebrate life itself, this temple would look like the Sun … Continue reading
Architectural Art – ChiangMai Outskirts
No words. Just pictures. Of impressive architecture. From the present & from the past. Temples that are alive with deities & worshippers and a 17th century city in ruins. ChiangMai … Continue reading
Anachronism : Mumbai & Elephanta
Among the largest mega-cities in the world, Mumbai also has an anachronistic satellite island about an hour away from its shores. An island that is only a few kilometers away … Continue reading
Journey to the Past : The science of Epigraphy
Imagine walking through a maze with instructions written in a language we do not understand. In reconstructing the history of a civilisation, we work with very few clues – artefacts, … Continue reading
In the Presence of the Past – Ancient Caves of Odisha
Just outside Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, India monks carved out a cave complex from the stone mountain and made it their home. Today, I am here, in the same point in space … Continue reading
The Magnificent Stone Artefacts of the Odisha State Museum
Orissa has been the seat of rich ancient civilizations and some of the archaeological finds have been displayed at the State Museum, Bhubaneshwar. Museums in the cities of India are … Continue reading
Kalinga Diaries
Kalinga. Now called Odisha (Orissa). The poorest state in India financially. Yet, among the richest states culturally. Every Indian has heard of Orissa through its arts – either the dance, … Continue reading
18th / 19th Century Yao Painted scrolls, North Vietnam
Art. A subject that seems enticing, mysterious as well as ambiguous. An area where it is hard to be sure of oneself especially with respect to valuation. When I look … Continue reading
The Batak Calendar from Sumatra, Indonesia
Everyone reading this would know that it is the year 2012. And everyone would also know that the world did not begin 2012 years ago – so what does this … Continue reading
Ancient Murals of Alchi Monastery – an art-collector’s delight
Alchi is a sleepy and simple unglorified village about 70 km to the West of Leh. Nothing in its approach route or in the buildings and structures of the village … Continue reading
Christian Paintings from the Past
Old. Beautiful. Full of stories. Full of devotion. Antique Church Paintings. Many of these are on wood board. Others may be on canvas. Some hang high up on walls and … Continue reading
Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an – a photo gallery
Made of . These and other artifacts like bells, cranes, amulets and weapons are all widely speculated by experts to be part of the recreation of Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s … Continue reading
Unusual Architecture of Tamdi Surla Temple
Deep within the forested areas of Goa lies a stone temple which seems to have very unusual architecture. Made entirely of stone – some slabs that are so large that … Continue reading
