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| Related Articles: Replica of the Maharaja's Throne http://www.sikhnet.com/Sikhnet/discussion.nsf/3d8d6eacce83bad8872564280070c2b3/dfe0792086693d19872569100047c2c9!OpenDocument&Highlight=0 Portrayal of piety and Splendor http://www.sikhnet.com/Sikhnet/discussion.nsf/3d8d6eacce83bad8872564280070c2b3/c2d884e59d744026872568a70063454b!OpenDocument&Highlight=0 Sikh Heritage Exhibition http://www.sikhnet.com/Sikhnet/discussion.nsf/3d8d6eacce83bad8872564280070c2b3/51cfc784ab1a9bce87256950000fae13!OpenDocument&Highlight=0 ******************************************************************************** Piety and Splendor: Sikh Heritage in Art 'De Gaye Tohmatan Te Kohinoor Lai Gaye, Aas Kaum Di Kunwar Dalip Singh Nu Gore, Des Punjab Ton Door Lai Gaye' (They left us with accusations and took away the Kohinoor; As also the Crown Prince Kunwar Dalip Singh, far away from the land of Punjab.) Such was the poetic outburst of the traditional ballad-singing style of Punjab at the plunder of the splendors of the Sikh Kingdom in the final annexation of Punjab under British rule. It is not surprising that some of the priceless treasures of Maharaja Ranjit Singh's kingdom are housed in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the diamond of destiny, Kohinoor, embellishes the British Royal Crown. At the opening of the yearlong celebrations of the 300th year of the Khalsa, the Victoria and Albert Museum mounted an exhibition of these artefacts and some more, borrowed from the Indian museums. The gala show has already traveled from London to San Francisco and may now move to Montreal. Designed for the Non-resident Indians, the exhibition was not for India. Well, what could the reason be? The museum pinned it on lack of infrastructures here but grapevine had it that it might stir not-too-pleasant memories and, who knew, there might even be protests and claims. Well, every now and then, we have had people from Punjab staking claim to nothing less than the Kohinoor. Leaving the habit aside of looking before and after, let us glance instead at the home-grown exhibition on Sikh Heritage in Art which opens as a grand finale to the tercentenary celebrations at the acclaimed National Museum on Delhi?s Jan Path on March 14. Titled 'Piety and Splendor', the exhibition may not have many of the great treasures which the Victoria and Albert Museum is showing round the world, but it has the spirit of a truly Indian religion, which the West can not capture. Piety is the key word to understanding the show and splendor follows. Curated by the famous art historian, B N Goswamy, who is a renowned scholar of the miniature tradition of painting, the exhibition has each object chosen with care. The thrust is on paintings and they are beautiful miniatures of the Sikh school on display. Each painting has to be read with care. The experience is truly spiritual. And, this is our advantage of viewpoint, which, perhaps, the exhibition put up by the Victoria and Albert Museum could not match. The art objects have been culled from the collection of the National Museum and other museums in Chandigarh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh as well as private collections. These include paintings and drawings, manuscripts, jewelry, textiles, coins, medals and historical arms. A replica of the throne of Maharaja Ranjit Singh has been specially created by crafts-persons for this show. The exhibition is designed to invite the viewer to 'enter' the world of Sikh Art and Thought. There are, thus, Guru Nanak?s encounters in the forms of Janamsakhis, which are legends on his life and beautifully illustrated on finest painted leaves. A high-point of the exhibition is a book written by Goswamy, which serves as a catalogue to the show. The exhibition display has been done by well-known theater-person, Neelam Mansingh Choudhury, using the Khalsa colors of blue and turmeric, the latter actually created by mixing turmeric powder with Fevicol. The design and the lighting add to the ambience of the show, creating a period that is gone through subtle touches. The exhibition, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, will be on display till the Baisakhi festival on April 13, which is also the day of the founding of the Khalsa. The National Museum has organized a number of events to coincide with the show. These include lectures, film-shows, book exhibitions, poets? meet, plays and performances by folk musicians. A slice of Punjab: now and then. - N.D copyright indianexpress.com |
 | Art - Piety and Splendor:... (Preet Mohan S Ahluwalia - 5.Oct.00) |
