Koh-e Asmai – The unspoken words of Havva
In this essay, Arshi Irshad Ahmadzai takes us into the beating heart of her art practice that carries the fragrance of Najibabad and Kabul, and the poetry of Rumi and Ghalib
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Wild Child: The world of Gond artist Japani Shyam
Taking forward her father’s shining legacy, Japani Shyam has developed her own voice, distinctive styles, point of view and stories to tell in the medium of Gond art
Stretch of imagination: The rise of panoramic photography in India
Tracing the popularisation of the panorama in photography, from its invention by a painter to the pioneering work of Felice Beato
Coins of Ancient India: A Sarmaya roundup
Our new numismatic acquisitions span the timeline between 200 BCE and 950 CE, representing a diversity of epochs in that millennium
One tradition, many lives: The Indian miniature
We welcome some priceless miniature paintings into our collection, including the Mughal Hamzanama by exploring the many traditions of this practice in the Sarmaya collection
How to collect rare coins in India
We get experienced numismatists to answer some frequently asked questions about how to collect, decipher and research old and rare coins
Madhubani paintings: Hidden Dalit histories
Hailing from a family of pioneering Dalit artists, Urmila Devi and Shravan Paswan talk about their trials and triumphs in the world of Madhubani art
Madras Talkies – Reading List
Titles from the Sarmaya library that will draw you further into the heart of Tamil Nadu’s culture through music, architecture, photography and art
Reeling them in – How Tamil cinema shaped politics
For over a hundred years, Tamil cinema has had its finger on the pulse of the region’s cultural and political life. Find out how this love story began and the chief protagonists who directed its course
Thanjavur – Country of Gods & Kings
Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Thanjavur welcomed large communities of Telugu and Marathi speakers as a consequence of Nayaka and Maratha conquests in Cholamandalam. The result was a slow mingling and simmering of cultural influences, resulting in the unique artistic heritage of this temple town
Postcards from Madras
Postcards began at the end of the 19th century as a new kind of crossover between photography and the popular print market. In a collaboration with Picture Postcard Empire, we bring you a virtual exhibition of intriguing postcards from the city of Madras
Pondicherry Dreaming – Inside French India
How native Tamil and colonial French influences come together in the charming melting pot of Puducherry
The Curious Case of Chennai’s Elleesan & the Dravidian proof
A story about Francis Whyte Ellis, a British linguist whose study of law, land and language in the 1800s would influence the Dravidian politics of the 1900s
Madras Chic: Textiles and jewels of Tamil Nadu
Temple jewellery, Kanjeevaram silks, pure cotton lace and the ever-chic Madras check—come with us on a style journey through the Madras Presidency
Remembering Cholamandalam – The cultural legacy of the Cholas
The imperial Cholas patronised all manner of visual, literary, architectural and textile arts, in essence imprinting their larger-than-life personalities on every realm that they touched
Divine Doorways – Gopurams of South India
Exploring the towering gopurams of south India through rare photographs of temples across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala
The Making of Madras
The history of the Madras Presidency is also the history of an embryonic nation finding its identity under colonial rule. We take you through some key moments, movements and personalities that shaped Madras and what would in time become India
Whose land is it anyway?
We examine the themes presented in Saju Kunhan’s work as they are represented in our collection of rare 19th-century portraits, war photography, engravings, contemporary art and Warli painting
Zarina Hashmi and the idea of home
Witness to the horrors of Partition as a child, Zarina dedicated her decades-long career to exploring the idea of home and belonging, and the lingering pain of displacement
Reading between the lines
From medieval coins to colonial-era photography, we bring a diverse array of objects from our collection that reinforce the arguments made by Saubiya Chasmawala’s art