Abirpothi

Special Story

Setting the Global Table of Indian Art and Culture: The Enterprise of Pupul Jayakar

Introduction Pupul Jayakar (1915-1997) was an extraordinary Indian cultural activist, art historian, writer, and advocate for the preservation and promotion of India’s rich cultural legacy. She was instrumental in revitalising traditional arts and crafts, facilitating international cultural interchange, and emphasising the need of maintaining India’s rich cultural heritage through her tireless work and novel concepts. […]

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Martand Singh: Reviving the Fabric of Tradition in Textiles

Introduction  The name “Martand Singh” stands as a light of rebirth in the world of Indian textiles. Martand Singh, often known as the “Textile Revivalist,” dedicated his life to preserving and rejuvenating the rich tradition of Indian textiles, which were intricately woven into the nation’s cultural fabric. His reputation as a visionary curator, historian, and

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Ms Laila Tyabji: Reviving and Reinventing Indian Handicrafts Through Dastkar initiative

Ms Laila Tyabji is a designer, writer, and the founder and Chairperson of Dastkar, a Society for Craftspeople. She has been working in the craft and innovation sector since 1978. In 2012, she was awarded the “Padma Shri” for her extensive contributions to Indian handicrafts. Ms Laila is the second-ever recipient and the first Asian

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A remarkable journey of Mr O.P. Jain: The founding father of Sanskriti Foundation and Museums

Om Prakash Jain, born in 1929, is an Indian art curator, collector, patron, and philanthropist. He founded the Sanskriti Pratishthan (Sankriti Foundation) in 1979, widely regarded as one of the foremost organisations committed to cultural preservation and advancement of arts; as well as runs the Sanskriti Kendra Museums in Anandagram, Delhi. He was chairman of

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Mayawati’s Lucknow: Buddha, Baba Saheb Becomes Visible in the Cityscape

In 2002, the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party, Kanshi Ram, announced his intentions to convert to Buddhism on 14th October 2006, the 50th anniversary of Ambedkar’s conversion at Nagpur. But on 9th October 2006, the charismatic Dalit leader died at his official residence in New Delhi after a long history of health complications. After

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A Calendar That Starts on 14th of April: Bahujan Calendar Art in India

It was in 1894 when famous Indian painter and artist Raja Ravi Verma, also regarded as the father of modern art in India, established his lithographic press in Girgaum, Bombay. In September of the same year, the chromolithographs of goddesses Lakshmi and Saraswati were launched. Expensive and exclusive pieces of Verma’s art started to circulate

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Why is No Dalit Artist on India’s Most Expensive Artists list?

The Indian caste apparatus flourished inside the womb of various religions of the Indian subcontinent. Caste practices grow across many religions, like the Sayed-Ajlaf division in Islam; and Jats, Khatris, and Aroras in Sikhism. What is primary to note is that Caste, across all faiths, is a socio-economic practice that creates innate social divisions based

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Monsoon Ragas in Painting: Megh Malhar through Miniature Paintings and Poetry of Kalidasa

The realm of Indian Art and Literature is profusely amalgamated, interwoven and innately connected. The translation of poetries into paintings was a profound form of art associating words with their visuals. Around 200 BCE, Bharat Muni’s Natyashastra, a compilation of Music, Dance, and Drama literature, intrinsically characterizes emotions as Rasas. He enunciated them into eight

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Art and Climate Change in India: Who Are the Climate Migrants, Who Affected Most?

Climate change and Global warming are not recent challenges faced by the whole planet and humanity. Human history remains a history of overcoming challenges and managing obscurity. Humankind is living in a crisis that can no prolonged be neglected. We all know about the changes we bring that impact our living space and destroy our

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