Wise, compassionate and endlessly inventive, Badri Narayan added a pinch of fantasy to every story he told. His art occupies a special place in the Sarmaya collection, not just for their incredible skill and craft, but also for their essentially hopeful perspective on life. His world of dreams and fables offered not the empty promise of escapism, but the deeper comfort of transcendence.
We partnered with the City as Lab initiative to help young researchers illustrate civic and social issues through art.
In the summer of 2016, we partnered with the education and culture organisation Flow India to conduct workshops titled ‘Price of Precious’ for corporates in Mumbai and Bengaluru. There were intended to build a better understanding of our irreplaceable material heritage in young working adults. Teams from IndusInd Bank, Mumbai and Thomson Reuters, Bangalore participated… Read more »
How an Indian-origin community in Hungary is battling prejudice through art
As the world welcomes a Museum of Candy, it’s time to ask some uncomfortable questions
Pattachitras helped solidify relationships within the villages—they brought about a kind of unity and oneness
It is tough for us today to imagine the enormous excitement in the late 19th century over what India was really like.
Iraqi women are learning to save Mesopotamian monuments attacked by ISIS, including the world’s oldest bridge
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.
By Jonathan Gil Harris
The fascinating tale of modern-day Aurangabad and its creation by a former Abyssinian slave and rival of Emperor Jahangir, Malik Ambar, who designed the city and its complex water supply system, and taught the Marathas guerrilla warfare.
Lucknow was the first stop on Sarmaya’s Art of Travel, a curated travel experience for an intimate group of guests who appreciate art, history and culture. In February 2018, we travelled to the heart of Awadh and were utterly charmed by Lucknawis and their living traditions. Read all about it here.
Journalist and author of Love and Life in Lucknow: An Imaginary Biography of a City’, Mehru Jaffer kept us amused and enthralled during this morning walk around the Bara Imambara complex. She gave us a personalised, opinionated and intelligent tour of the landmark and left us with a real sense of the man who built… Read more »
During our trip to Lucknow, we were thrilled to have author, journalist and dyed-in-the-wool Lucknawi, Mehru Jaffer lead us on two heritage walks. One of them was to The Residency, which was the centre of the action during the Siege of Lucknow in 1857. This video captures a few snippets from our rambling walk around… Read more »
Find out how the founder of Sarmaya was inspired to start his collection of rare Indian art and historical artefacts. Paul Abraham explains the power of old coins to instantly transport him to another world. It’s a kind of magic that has lasted a lifetime and led him to many other fascinating discoveries. This is… Read more »
Sarmaya is a carefully curated repository of art, artefacts and living traditions from the subcontinent, but our mission extends beyond showcasing our collection. We want ancient history to spark new conversations. We want tribal art to thrive in urban classrooms. We want to nurture a community of curious travellers. Most of all, we want to… Read more »
As you study the vault marked ‘Tipu Sultan’ in the Sarmaya archives, a picture begins to emerge. Of a man who sought beauty and harmony in everything he created, from coins to palaces. Of a warrior so fierce, even his enemies admired him. Of a ruler so charismatic and flawed, even history hesitates to pass judgement.
INTO THE JUNGLE The Dravidian term Gond comes from Kond, which means green mountains. The community is naturally focused on the preservation of nature. Without green mountains, wildlife habitats and water tables die out. And without the bees and the birds, plant cycles are affected. The Gonds understood it. READ MORE COLOUR SWATCHES FROM A… Read more »
On 7 April, 2018 a team from Grindlay’s Bank, Mumbai spent the morning getting a sneak peek at our Issanama commission before it was unveiled to the world. Just one of the many perks of being in the audience at Saturdays at Sarmaya! To join us for the next one in Mumbai, write in to us… Read more »
This rare book from late 18th century offers a look at the different kingdoms that were part of the highly strategic and viciously fought Anglo-Mysore wars. It includes 18 letters from 1779 to 1784 covering the British Army’s operations in India, as well as several illustrations of the Isle of France, and charts. Maps include… Read more »