In Kalamkari Country
Art historian Rajarshi Sengupta takes us on a tour of south India’s celebrated Kalamkari textile tradition
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India’s African History – The Siddis of the Deccan
The Siddis are unique among the multicultural communities of the Deccan. Many arrived in India as East African slaves but their lives collided with the volatile politics of the region in ways that would birth new identities
‘The Tempestuous Life & Times of Rajaraja and the Cholas’ by Kamini Dandapani
“A thousand-and-some years ago, there arose in southern India an empire that was among the most remarkable the world had ever seen. It defied a myriad of obstacles, and yet, through all the struggles and violence, it also cultivated and refined an aesthetic sensibility of breathtaking beauty.” – Kamini Dandapani on her lecture for Sarmaya… Read more »
‘The Deccan: Medieval India’s Forgotten Superpower’ by Anirudh Kanisetti
“From 600-1100 CE, the Deccan was arguably the Subcontinent’s cultural and economic centre of gravity and shaped its religious and artistic history. Its medieval contemporaries acknowledged its prominence, and understanding their world can teach us a lot about our own.” – Anirudh Kanisetti on his lecture for Sarmaya Talks. Anirudh’s talk took place on 17… Read more »
Warlords to Kings – History of the Maratha supremacy
The Maratha identity, which took shape in the 8th century and continued to wield power even under British rule, is one of the most understudied aspects of Deccan history. Travel with us to meet its most influential architects
Life on the Deccan Plateau – From dinosaurs to diamonds
Like its culture, the geology of the Deccan too is incredibly diverse and supports a dazzling variety of life
The ‘Delhi Renaissance’: Indigenous roots of colonial modernity by Swapna Liddle
“Delhi in the time of the last Mughal emperors was the site of extraordinary intellectual activity, laying the foundations of a modernity that drew on both Western and Indian ideas.” Swapna Liddle is a historian with a special interest in Delhi. As a scholar, she has studied the development of Delhi as an imperial capital… Read more »
‘The Sufi Mind: A flight of Curiosity and Love’ by Moin Mir
Moin Mir eloquently outlines for us the pillars or central tenets of Sufism
Masters of the Universe – Medieval Deccan’s kings & queens
Meet some of the most influential kings and queens of the region and understand their contribution to the language, politics and art of south India
Southern feast
Whether we’re talking geology, politics or culture, the historical region of the Deccan offers a sumptuous and varied feast for thought
Singing pillars, living rocks & posh pineapples – Architecture of the Deccan
How medieval Deccani architecture evolved to encompass such a range of marvels, from monolithic cave monasteries to Dravidian temple art to Indo-Islamic minarets
Empires of the Deccan – 1,000 years of shifting sands
The Deccan’s diversity of art, culture and language is the result of centuries of shifting politics. Let’s get to know the prominent early and late-mediaeval kingdoms of this vast region through Sarmaya’s rare photographs, coins, books, engravings and maps
Echoes of the Land – Virtual exhibition
Sarmaya’s first exhibition in Delhi is now online! Experience the sights and sounds of ‘Echoes of the Land’ as it was staged at Ojas Art in Nov 2022
Tunnel Vision – An environmental history of Indian Railways
From its start in the 19th Century, Indian Railways played a pivotal role in the trade, economy and culture of the Subcontinent. But how did the arrival of trains impact our country’s ecology?
Worship, Preserve, Witness – The role of art in the Anthropocene
Nourished for millennia by the infinite variety of nature and its boundless capacity for renewal, artists today show us how to forge a more equitable connection with the earth
“Echoes of the Land has been a revelation for us at Ojas”
In conversation with Anubhav Nath, founder of Ojas Art, on the collaboration with Sarmaya and the vitality of indigenous art
A Return to The Land – A history of Warli paintings
How did the art of a people from the Sahyadri mountains of western India capture the imagination of the nation and the world? The evolution of Warli paintings from Jivya Soma Mashe to the Vayeda Brothers
How to draw a tree like Sukhnandi Vyam
A member of the Gond-Pardhan community, Sukhnandi Vyam considers his art as an expression of the tribe’s identity and spiritual connection with nature
Gopa Trivedi’s fables of an inevitable future
Drawing from the practices of Rajasthani miniature painting and printmaking, Gopa Trivedi turns abstract concepts—time, decay, renewal—into provocative, fragmented frames
“My landscapes are testaments to the silent lands of Assam”
Through this series of woodcut prints, Chandan Benz Baruah looks back at the forests of his childhood with love for what they gave him and rage for what’s being taken from them