This is a Gond painting created in the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh by Durga Bai in her signature style of small dashes, which replace continuous lines. It depicts two symmetrically placed deers, facing against each other and looking at a smaller animal, which look like blue foxes, on their backs. The stags have horns… Read more »
This image is created by Durga Bai shows three figures who look like Ganesha dancing with two elephants. The painting is monochromatic, and the artist has experimented with the execution style including a wavy pattern, apart from the traditional dashes and the dots. One of the three Ganeshas stands atop the composite trunk of two… Read more »
Warli painting, traditionally mural art, is practised by members of the Warli community residing in Maharashtra and parts of Gujarat. Warli art often depicts scenes and aspects from occupations such as agriculture, fishing, hunting, and significant occasions such as festivals, weddings, and births to commemorate the community’s culture and beliefs. Jivya Soma Mashe (1934-2018) was… Read more »
The Mithila or Madhubani painting tradition originated in Bihar, and is claimed to be around 1200 years old. It is primarily practiced by women, who used to create these works on the walls of their house interiors. Only a chance occasion n 1934 – a massive earthquake that led to the destruction of the mud… Read more »
The Mithila or Madhubani painting tradition originated in Bihar and is claimed to be around 1200 years old. It is primarily practiced by women, who used to create these works on the walls of their house interiors. Only a chance occasion n 1934 – a massive earthquake that led to the destruction of the mud… Read more »
The ‘phad’ is a tradition of narrative scroll paintings, practiced by the bhopa tribes of Rajasthan. They are primarily made of two icons – Devnarayan and Pabuji. These were village heroes in popular history who were later deified over time – much like the creation of icons in mainstream Hinduism as well. This particular one… Read more »
This is one of the interiors of Tipu Sultan’s summer palace situated in Seringapatnam called Dariya Daulat Bagh. The image shows a pillared collonade, and a double storied interior – a arched walkway surmounted by a balconied upper floor.
This Johnson and Henderson image shows the outer facade of one of the caves on the island of Elephant in Bombay. Originally called Gharapuri and identified as the capital of the Mauryas in the Konkan, the island is spread across two hillocks separated by a narrow valley and dotted with numerous archaeological remains going as… Read more »
This is an image from the larger album titled “The investiture of the Maharaja Madho Rao Scindia of Gwalior” – an event that was attended by various European guests and dignitaries. This image is of the king’s guests posing on the steps of the Sahasra Bahu Temple in Gwalior.
This is most likely a staged photograph of a European official flanked by his attendants. While one performs the role of the traditional chauri-bearer, waving a large bamboo hand fan, and another holds the base of an elbaorate hookah, a third standing figure on the left of the official seems to be bringing in official… Read more »
This is a Johnson and Henderson image showing the Dariya Daulat Bagh built by Tipu Sultan in his capital city of Seringapatnam, Karnataka. It is a low wooden structure with a collonaded porch around it, and was used by Tipu Sultan as his summer palace.
This is the Jami Masjid built in 1728 by Tipu Sultan in his capital of Seringapatnam. The mosque is characterised by two octagonal minarets that are double storied and crowned by domes.
The subjects of this photograph belong to the historic community of Jews in India known as ‘Bene Israel’. Dressed in traditional attire, they are teachers of the Free Church of Scotland’s Mission School and the Jewish English School in Bombay, British India. This photograph was originally published between 1855-1862 in Photographs of Western India, Volume I,… Read more »
Fishing in India is a community based profession, and the fishemen communities in Tamil Nadu comprise Mukkuvar, Paravar, Chetti, and Pattinavar among others. The three native fishermen in the photograph are seen here on the Madras(now Chennai) shoreline donning the local attire. Their traditional boat, known as the kattumaram was the first two hull boat… Read more »
by Jonathan Gil Harris
December 2, 2017
The story of how modern-day Aurangabad was planned and built by an Abyssinian slave
Inscription Recto “Bourne 1351. THE MOTEE MUSJID. DELHI.1351”. This is an image of the Moti Masjid situated inside the Red Fort in Delhi. It was built by Aurangzeb and served as his private mosque, the entre structure is built of marble with inlays in black stone. The photograph shows the front of the mosque including… Read more »
Samuel Bourne’s Himalayan expedition was an arduous one as he pursued photography and documented the untouvhed landscapes and sights in India. This photograph from the 1860s shows the giant or King fern, flora typical to this region.
This photograph of the Wanga Valley by Samuel Bourne captured in 1863 showing the Himlayan glaciers. During his three Himalayan expeditions, Bourne photo documented landscapes in compoistions and artistic styles that appealed to the Victorian notions of the ‘picturesque’ and unusual landscapes such as this image formed a category in itself.
This is a photograph of the Nakki talao, Mount Abu, from James Burgess’ book ‘Photographs of Architecture and Scenery in Gujarat and Rajputana’ taken by Colin Murray in 1872. The hill station of Mount Abu is an important place of worship for Jain pilgrimages. It is a popular tourist attaraction, renowned for the group of… Read more »
Photograph of a glacier in Kashmir taken by Samuel Bourne in 1863. During his three Himalayan expeditions, Bourne photo documented landscapes in compoistions and artistic styles that appealed to the Victorian notions of the ‘picturesque’ and unusual landscapes such as this image formed a category in itself.