The Rapture of the Cosmic Dance – 1
Read about the sacred origins of dance as per the Indian cultural tradition. Also emphasized here is an integral vision of art in India.
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The Rapture of the Cosmic Dance – 2
The focus of drama in India was along the lines of the Indian view of life which emphasised continuity and renewal as well as an urge to create an ideal life.
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Art in India: A Quick Historical Look – I
The author emphasizes the ‘sacred’ foundation of all artistic creation in India. Part 1 focuses on a brief history of sculpture in India.
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Embracing Life in Its Many Colours and Hues
Sri Aurobindo writes in The Human Cycle, “The art, music and literature of the world, always a sure index of the vital tendencies of the age, have also undergone a profound revolution in the direction of an ever-deepening subjectivism. The great objective art and literature of the past no longer commands the mind of the new age.”
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Rasa: Its Meaning and Scope – 2
In this part the author explores if there a primary rasa from which other rasa-s originate. He also helps us reflect on how rasa is an attribute of the soul.
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Dhūlichitra: The Art Ritual of Women
The art of dhūlichitra mentioned in several ancient Indian treatises on art is known by many names such as kolam, rangoli, alpona, mandana, etc.
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Envisioning the Divine in Indian Art
The essential element of the highest art in India is the artist’s insistence on expressing the Infinite in a finite form. To quote from Sri Aurobindo, it is to “disclose something of the Self, the Infinite, the Divine to the regard of the soul, the Self through its expressions, the Infinite through its living finite symbols, the Divine through his powers”
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Art for Art’s Sake? Certainly, But Also Art for the Soul’s Sake
This remarkable letter of Sri Aurobindo, with relevant examples and detailed explanations, is a perfect response to the slogan – Art for Art’s Sake.
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Powada, a Story-telling Performance Art (Video)
Vinata Joshi speaks to us about Powada, a popular performance art from Maharashtra, involving story-telling, poetry, music and theatre arts.
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Antaryatra: An Artist’s Journey Within (Video)
We speak with artist Bindu Popli, who for the last 30 years has been immersed in creating art that comes from a place deep within her. For her, “painting is flowering, not making. The unknown world unfolds itself.”
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Rām-kathā, a Living Tradition of India
A wider view of Indian cultural forms suggests that Rām-kathā continues to thrive as an important influence despite the outer hybridity in Indian popular cultural landscape.
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Sītā’s Banishment by Rāma in Kālidāsa’s Raghuvamśam
The featured excerpt is taken from a monograph edited by Shri Kireet Joshi and written by G. C. Nayak, titled “Selected Episodes from Kalidasa’s Raghuvamśam of Kālidāsa” (2010). This monograph is part of a series on Value-oriented Education centered on three values : Illumination, Heroism and Harmony.
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The Art of Heritage Photography – A Conversation with Madhu Jagdhish (Video)
Mr. Madhu Jagdhish is a heritage photography enthusiast, with special interest in documenting the rich Indian heritage of temple sculptures. A thoughtful exposure to our culture’s artistic heritage and an overall development of aesthetic sensibility and artistic appreciation are important parts of any meaningful education. In the age of smartphones with photography becoming available at fingertips, it is important that youngsters interested in exploring photography as an art-form and a possible vocation are shown this possibility that photography can also become a great medium to go deeper into one’s cultural roots and in the process discover and reveal (for oneself and for others) the rich artistic and aesthetic traditions that we have inherited. In this regard, Mr. Jagdhish’s work makes a significant contribution.
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