To a weary traveller or parched soldier in 19th-century India, there was perhaps no sight as welcome as the approach of a bhishti. A quick untwisting of the mouth of the mashaq slung over his shoulder, and cool clear water would splash into a grateful cupped palm.
The Untitled Gond-Pardhan painting is an ink-on-paper work by artist Jangarh Singh Shyam (1962-2001). Gond is a celebrated, shared art tradition practised by the Gond-Pradhan community in India. It was first ‘discovered’ by Jagdish Swaminathan, searching for original artworks from Indian tribes in the 1970s. The search ended with him meeting the talented artist Jangarh Singh Shyam,… Read more »
This work from the series ‘Unborn’ by Anju Acharya (b.1992) illustrates a realistically rendered fish on rice paper. The fish appears to be preparing to give birth. The overarching themes in Acharya’s series ‘Unborn’ are birth, death, and decay. She draws on her personal pregnancy experience. She considers how this connects her to all the… Read more »
This photograph of La Martiniere, the oldest college in Lucknow, was taken by photographer Felice Beato (1832-1909) in 1858. General Claude Martine (1735–1800), a Frenchman, constructed La Martinere in 1795. It was intended to be a country home and was given the original name Constantia. The place was later converted into a college and served… Read more »
This shadow puppet of Duryodhana is a Togalu Gombeyatta puppet, a shadow puppet tradition of Karnataka, India. It translates to the dance of leather puppets, with ‘Togalu’ meaning leather, ‘Gombe’ meaning a doll or a puppet and ‘atta’ meaning dance. Duryodhana is an important personality in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He is the eldest of… Read more »
This work from the series Unborn by Anju Acharya (b.1992), illustrates a realistically rendered skeleton of a fish. Birth, says Acharya, can only be comprehended entirely when viewed in the context of death. All in between is the process of deterioration. In this piece, she portrays how changes in nature impact the body of living… Read more »
Mughal emperors considered gardens as one of the most important architectural components of their state—so what made a garden adequately ‘Mughal’? Here are 10 clues
On 27th August 2022, we collaborated with Art and Wonderment, an arts engagement organisation led by Alisha Sadikot and Nishita Zachariah. We opened out our collection to a group of arts enthusiasts for a session on the diverse art traditions and histories of the Subcontinent, seen through the lens of a curated selection of objects… Read more »
Two contemporary creators, Zishaan K Latif and Sahil Vasudeva, on how water flows through their filmmaking, photography and music practice
This talk sheds light on the émigré community of the Baghdadi Jews in Bombay and interprets their built legacy in the context of Bombay’s economic, philanthropic and cosmopolitan milieu.
This intensely illustrated talk invites you to eavesdrop on previously unheard dialogues between the built and unbuilt, the city as it was and as it might have been.
Sarmaya Founder Paul Abraham’s talk traces the routes taken by some fascinating travellers to the Subcontinent between the 16th and 19th centuries.
In this talk, Sarmaya Brand Custodian Pavitra Rajaram examines the tensions between the eastern and western perspectives on nature.
Did you know that most of India’s rivers originate in forests? To understand this invisible connection, we interviewed conservationist, naturalist, wildlife photographer and President of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, Dr Anish Andheria
Social Media Associate Location: Mumbai Organisation: Sarmaya Duration: Full time Starting Date: September 2022 Website: https://sarmaya.in/ Instagram: Sarmaya_india Desired Skills and Experience A self-starter who is excited to uncover new tools, opportunities, and behaviors to drive our thinking forward Excellent writing, editing, communication, and presentation skills with 2+ years’ experience managing social media channels for… Read more »
This work illustrates a Fishing Net, also called Paagir, by Warli artist Sadashiv Mashe (b. 1860), son of the celebrated artist and Padma Shri awardee Jivya Soma Mashe (1934-2018). A common subject, this net is portrayed in a twin format, which means it is composed of two paintings of the subject that the artist has… Read more »
Avehi Menon As Archive Director Avehi Menon leads the team at Sarmaya, oversees the archive and guides the museum’s strategy and vision of developing immersive and accessible programming and outreach. She has led successful collaborations with diverse partners such as Pratham Education Foundation, Saturday Art Class, Museum Rietberg and TARQ art gallery among others, with the objective of… Read more »
A unique heritage walk led by Akanksha Gupta helped us understand Mumbai’s history, politics and culture through an exploration of the routes water takes to reach our homes
These terms of use apply to your access and use of our website, sarmaya.in. By using the website, you accept that you will be bound to the terms of use in full. If you do not agree to any of these terms, we request you to cease your access/use of our website. If you have… Read more »
Sarmaya Arts Foundation and sarmaya.in collects and uses personal data as needed for us to provide you with events, programmes, and services (collectively, our “Services”). Our Privacy Policy will explain to you what data we collect, and how we use your personal data. Sarmaya Arts Foundation operates sarmaya.in. Our mailing address: 1602, Spring Towers, Island… Read more »