

Each object in the Sarmaya archive tells a story about our Subcontinent. To begin your own discovery of India, explore our collection of ancient and medieval coins, indigenous Indian art, 19th-century photography, rare books, antique maps, etchings and engravings, and modern and contemporary art. Our collection is vast and ever-growing, so we’re sure to have something new… Read more »
The Sarmaya Archive boasts of a rich, ever-growing library, ranging across topics such as history, art, architecture, archaeology, aesthetic theory, natural history and even historical fiction. To know more, please write to us at connect@sarmaya.in. The books are non-issuable. Browse our catalogue here A few highlights from the Sarmaya library, across genres Video Resources
Work with us and become a part of the museum without boundaries At Sarmaya, we believe strongly in finding and nurturing budding enthusiasm for, and competencies in, art and heritage management in India. We are always in search of those who are as passionate as we are about this country’s immeasurable cultural wealth, and those… Read more »
Our Story What does it mean to be a modern museum? Why should a Zoomer care about the Uprising of 1857? How can the genius of Indian art inspire the next generation of young creatives? Answering questions like these has helped us shape the vision for Sarmaya, the museum without boundaries. At the heart of… Read more »
Sarmaya has collaborated with celebrated Rajasthani artist Manish Soni to reimagine Christ in a new light and through an Eastern lens. With support and direction from Sarmaya founder Paul Abraham, Soni has revived the ancient Mughal art of Hamzanama painting and used the form brilliantly to retell the legendary tales we know so well.
Click here to take a virtual tour of our first exhibition Portraits are everywhere. We think we know what they are for and what they do—they depict what people look like and they capture or distil their particular identity. But with our first-ever exhibition, ‘Portrait of a Nation, A Nation in Portraits: 19th century Photography… Read more »
Spotlight Fantastic Beasts – Second EditionFor our 40th issue of Spotlight, we’re revisiting a theme we first explored back in 2019: the magnificent beasts who have charmed us with their form and spirit over the ages.Read more Dive Right In Categories: homeBanner ‘Dakhni: A language hiding in plain sight’ by Yunus Lasania Categories: homeBanner Holy… Read more »
‘Capturing your cityscape’ allowed photographers across India a chance to reimagine a historical image through a contemporary lens. We were thrilled to see how monuments as varied as the Asafi Masjid in Lucknow and the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram were interpreted today.
When we launched our Art of Travel series this month, we just knew we had to begin with Lucknow. For all the obvious reasons, of course. It’s a city soaked in art and history, and lends itself so beautifully to all manner of poetic interpretation. Plus, the kebabs are heavenly. But there was another reason… Read more »
Our exhibition was hosted at a gallery located in one of the city’s most charming historical districts. To explore this neighbourhood and situate the show in a more local context, we teamed up with professional heritage-walkers and Bombay-lovers, Simin Patel of Bombaywalla, conservation architect Kruti Garg and Alisha Sadikot and Nishita Zachariah.
Catch all the action and adventure from the first edition of Art of Travel in Lucknow
When we launched our Art of Travel series in February 2018, we just knew we had to begin with Lucknow. For all the obvious reasons, of course. It’s a city soaked in art and history, and lends itself so beautifully to all manner of poetic interpretation. Plus, the kebabs are heavenly. But there was… Read more »
We partnered with Avid Learning to debate the true meaning of archives today; got veteran collectors and antiquarians Paul Abraham, Aditya Arya and Roland Belgrave to share stories of the chase with us; and organized a very special panel for children with our young photographers from Dharavi.
Professor Arpan Mukherjee of Santiniketan and Madhavan Pillai, the curator of our show, held workshops in vintage techniques like albumen prints, cyanotypes and painted photographs.
Just like us, people in the 1800s too wanted to look their best in pictures. They put on their finest clothes, made sure all their nicest possessions were all in the frame and angled the lens so it would tell their side of the story. Through a sampling of the works in Sarmaya’s first ever… Read more »
Founder of Sarmaya Paul Abraham and curator Madhavan Pillai took smaller groups on tours of the exhibition at Pundole’s, Mumbai that threw light on the different themes of the collection. It was a great way to get intimately acquainted with the landscape of a different time.
In the weeks leading up to our Lucknow trip, we’d share with our guests little morsels like the ones below on the culture, art and history of the city to whet appetites for the feast ahead. Here are just a few facets of this historical destination. This elegant portrait of Emperor Farrukhsiyar (r.1713-19) is… Read more »
Come away with us to discover mehfil, mehman nawazi and the magic of a teeming metropolis steeped in history: Lucknow, where poems write themselves. On our way, we will meet: THE FILMMAKER An evening with Muzaffar Ali and Meera, with a private screening of his 1981 masterpiece, ‘Umrao Jaan’, followed by dinner at their… Read more »