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A Lion Hunt

This is a brush drawing from the 18th century depicting a lion hunt and is attributed to the Mughal style. As symbols of imperial wealth and power, the Mughal painting tradition frequently depicted elephants and lions as subjects, especially in hunting scenes. This visual documentation suggests that artists from the Mughal ateliers accompanied the Emperor… Read more »

Elephant Rattle

This elephant rattle is made from bamboo and was used at the Mysore Khedda (Elephant Stockade). These devices, used as elephant rattles, are traditional percussion instruments known as bamboo clappers. Bamboo clappers are common across India and are known by different names. They are made from a thick piece of bamboo, which is split halfway… Read more »

The Birth of Christ

This later Mughal miniature shows the ‘Birth of Jesus Christ’ by an unidentified artist. True to the realm of Mughal miniatures of this time produced around European themes, the setup and backdrop remain entirely Indian. Women dressed in native ensembles and veils cater to the newborn as Mother Mary lies on a bed wrapped up… Read more »

Quiz: Arts of Gujarat

The arts and architecture of Gujarat reflect its vantage point as an ancient gateway for trade, migration, faith and more

The Hindu

We’re thrilled to start 2024 with the launch of Living Archive, a series of articles produced by Sarmaya for The Hindu. Starting Jan 2024, this monthly series will be published in the Sunday Magazine of the national newspaper. Each article will explore an idea embedded in Sarmaya’s collection of art and artefacts from the Indian… Read more »

A Proud Past: The Siddis of Gujarat

Let’s meet the modern-day Siddis, defined by centuries of history in Gujarat, Sufi spiritualism, and ancestral memories of Africa

Traditional Indian art: Show and tell session

On 2nd December 2023, we invited visitors curious about Indian traditional art to our archive. In a show-and-tell session, we introduced them to some ancient storytelling artforms, from the Sarmaya collection. For this session, we explored Mithila, Pattachitra, Mata-ni-Pachedi and Tholu Bommalaata. Some of the prominent works that we presented belonged to renowned artists like… Read more »

Baadalghar

On 3 December 2023, we collaborated with Baadalghar, an art studio committed to community engagement, to present an interactive visual storytelling workshop, Documents of Today. Inspired by Sarmaya’s indigenous art collection, this three-hour workshop focused on the strength of art to narrate stories and document contextual histories and landscapes. The aim of this workshop was… Read more »

SARMAYA x PRADIGI CREATIVITY CLUB – KANPUR & GAYA

From 6-15 October 2023, Sarmaya conducted its first on-ground engagement as expert facilitators in collaboration with Pratham Education Foundation. This was part of the PraDigi Creativity Club initiative, designed for kids aged 10 to 14. The Sarmaya team facilitated a series of three camps, each spanning a two-day residential experience in Kanpur and Gaya. These… Read more »

Art and Wonderment

On September 9th, 2023, we teamed up with Art and Wonderment, an arts engagement organization led by Alisha Sadikot and Nishita Zachariah, to invite  a group of curious art enthusiasts in our archive. We opened up our collection through a session delving into the rich art traditions and histories of the Subcontinent. We showcased a curated… Read more »

Lion’s Share of History

As all eyes turn to Ahmedabad this month for the World Cup 2023 finale, we’re taking this excuse to immerse ourselves in the history and art of Gujarat for the 38th issue of Spotlight

Gujarat, land of surprises

Like the beloved Gujarati breakfast of jalebi-fafda, the contrasting flavours of this region give its cultures an irresistible piquancy. Here are some surprising facts to pique your curiosity about Gujarat