Lessons on Love: India’s Eternal Romances
Heer-Ranjha, Nala-Damayanti, Laila-Majnu. There are the blockbuster love stories we all know, and then there are a few hidden gems like these
Painted Stories
Pattachitra: Krishna Leela
This pattachitra describes Krishna and Balarama leaving Vrindavan to go to Dwarka – where Krishna settled and ruled as king. Gopis can be seen lining ahead of the chariot and bidding him farewell. Since this a modern rendition of the legend the figures are actually shown waving to each other – a gesture borrowed from… Read more »
Pattachitra: Story of Jagannath
This is an Orissa Pattachitra detailing the Jagannath temple in Puri, along with other scenes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The pattachitra tradition is an indegenous artform of Orissa, where religious paintings are done on a canvas created with cotton cloth (called patta). The colours emploed are also natural – derived from various minerals… Read more »
Pattachitra: Krishna Leela
This is a pattachitra executed in monochrome. The subjects are still stories from the life of Krishna, and the central panel depicts the image of Krishna and Radha in embrace. As the pattas were traditionally used as personal home shrines, the central icons were always larger and primary – being supported by stories and images… Read more »