This map is of Bijapur (Now, Vijayapura), an erstwhile melting pot of cultures, and the capital of the Bijapur Sultanate in the Deccan region of India (presently part of the state of Karnataka). Once called the Palmyra of the Deccan, Bijapur was described by Henry Cousens as a place with ‘Palaces, arches, tombs, cisterns, gateways,… Read more »
This album documents the extensive tour of the Indian subcontinent undertaken by the Prince of Wales, Edward VII, the eldest son of Queen Victoria. Prince Edward travelled widely across India between November 1875 to May 1876. Following the revolt of 1857, the British Royals embarked on long tours to establish relations with their colonies and… Read more »
We dive into a study of family portraiture with a set of three albums belonging to John Sinclair, the First Lord Pentland, and the Governor of Madras between 1912 and 1919—and draw out the themes that emerge from this treasure trove of 20th-century photography
Powerful pieces of imagery from personal albums are setting down in history what is otherwise undocumented and therefore unacknowledged, acting as the nuanced subtext that is drastically missing from our public rhetoric. We talk to the curators of these intimate archives
This text and images below are reproduced with permission from the author Bhaskar Koirala and Nepali Times and it was originally published on the Nepali Times website King Harisingh Deva of Simraongarh must have sat on his heavy-set chair while a pair of household staff was cross-legged on the black chlorite stone floor massaging… Read more »
A conversation with author and historian Rosie Llewellyn-Jones about a city whose beauty decayed and grandeur faded even as history forgot its name
An interview with Dr Xavier Bray of the Wallace Collection to understand how Bengal came to play an important role in the evolution of the striking Company School paintings
What is life without the succour and comfort of a steaming cup of chai? From the elegant tea rooms of Calcutta to the milky concoctions of corner shops, tea is our lifeblood. We trace its history, equal parts tragic and romantic, dark and wondrous, and always full of flavour
A disciple of the Wayang theatre of Indonesia, Michael Richardson found the shadow puppetry traditions of South Asia to be beautifully suited to telling American stories
After discussion sped towards the end of the zoom call, the part where people start talking candidly and share recipes or book and binge recommendations, we were mildly concerned that we were all consuming the same things. Faced with the possibility that we were caught up not in a trend, but an echo chamber, we… Read more »
The French period in Pondicherry began in 1673 with the establishment of the French Trading Centre. From then on Pondicherry became the chief Indian settlement for the French, who stayed here for 138 years. It was captured by the Dutch and British for short periods of time, but the French always took it back. As… Read more »
Come with us on a journey of Kerala’s maritime history
The work deals with the theme of crucifixion. There is a central figure on a cross and other figures are gathered around, perhaps representing the mourners. Rudimentary architectural elements can be seen in the background. KG Subramanyan was actively involved in the freedom struggle and was known for his Gandhian ideology. His visit to Santiniketan… Read more »
Presenting rare and precious glimpses of our capital as it evolved from the medieval to the modern era
Sarmaya founder Paul Abraham on why the artist has a special place in our collection
We spent an evening soaking in the gracious warmth of the city, as personified by the home of Meera and Muzaffar Ali
Hailing from the Asnona village of Portuguese Goa, A.X. Trindade was a student of one of the earliest batches of Sir J.J. School of Art, Bombay, and was trained in the classical style of academic realism. Like all students trained in the school during this period, he was an expert in various mediums like watercolour,… Read more »
The Kushanas or Kouei Shuang were the descendants of the ancient Central Asiatic clan of Yueh-chi. They ruled parts of the Bactrian region (Afghanistan and Tajikistan) in the early 1st Century CE. What makes this coin special is that it shows the syncretic spirit of this empire and offers evidence of the king’s assimilation with… Read more »
Witness a magical storytelling performance of Tholubommalaata and let your imagination take flight as the evening light suffuses the stage and the colourful leather puppets are seized with a fierce energy
Meet Paul Abraham, the collector who turned a childhood hobby into a lifelong quest for beauty and wonder. For the story of Sarmaya is the story of one man following his curiosity through the history and art landscapes of India.