Revisiting Art History

Gandhi and Tagore: Similarities & Contradictions

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:40:00 -0800

Gandhi and Tagore: Similarities & Contradictions

The differences in opinion and attitude between Tagore and Gandhi are familiar to the modern Indian historians. Tagore’s letter to the Mahatma at the inception of the Non-cooperation Movement, condemning it as asceticism and ‘indulgence of frightfulness’ which found ‘a disinterested delight in any unmeaning devastation,’ ‘a struggle to alienate our heart and mind from those of the West’, ‘an attempt at spiritual suicide’ has been quoted often enough as clinching evidence of their very basic disagreement regarding the road to a better future for India.¹

The poet was also sceptical concerning other features central to Gandhi’s agenda, like the latter’s prescription that everyone should spin as a part of their daily routine. Tagore failed to see what would be gained by people better suited for other work struggling to become spinners. Besides the two most eminent personalities of modern

India

projected two very different self-images. There was little obviously in common between the ascetic in loin cloth and the divinely handsome poet in his flowing robes. One’s primary concern was the creation of a moral utopia while the other was a celebrant of life’s many splendours.

An obvious fact which one must emphasize in exploring these affinities is that their individuality notwithstanding, Tagore and Gandhi were both in many ways products of nineteenth-century struggling India. Central to the intellectual and moral concerns of that time was the attempt to grapple with the colonial experience. The Self-conscious intellectuals were beginning to evaluate the west, introspecting into the strength and weaknesses of the Indian tradition and its true character and the agenda for reconstructing Indian society. The end results were of course not uniform, but there are identifiable regularities in the thought patterns of modern

India

’s founding fathers.

In the spectrum of ideas which constitute the Indian discourse in the nineteenth and early twentieth century, those traceable to Gandhi and Tagore are remarkably similar in many ways. Tagore’s thinking on the themes as I mentioned can be located squarely within the tradition of nineteenth-century thought from Ram Mohan to the poet’s contemporary, Vivekananda. In other words, the affinities between Tagore and Gandhi can be traced to a large extent to the shared concerns of the nineteenth-century Indian intelligentsia trying to work out world-views and agenda in the context of their colonial experience.

The purpose of this paper is, however, not to trace the sources of their thought. It is only a preliminary exercise aimed at identifying the similarities.

Gandhi’s first elaborate comment on the Indian problem, his Hind Swaraj,²identified one basic evil, modern civilization. It was a threat to all that was worthwhile in human values, not only in

India

but the world over. The British, as victims of this pandemic, were to be pitied, not hated. It was not any race or nation but modern civilization itself and the Indian infatuation with it that oppressed India. At the heart of that evil civilization was the perception of man as a creature of desires and capitalism had a vested interest in honing these desires. Multiplication of wants hence become the condition of the entire system which dehumanized man, legitimized violence against nature, and the focus and purpose of life becomes endless fulfilment of desires. The end results of such soul-destroying pursuits were loss of all autonomy, mutual suspicion and violence and the exploitation of man by man. Imperialism and racism were integral to such a civilization. The much-vaunted dynamism of the West was little more than mindless activism. I can find, only two points on which Gandhi was willing to concede some moral merit to modern civilization. He admired its spirit of scientific enquiry for he saw in it a genuine quest for truth. He also found much to learn in the organizational aspect of western life.³

Tagore, despite his great admiration for many features of western life, was quintessentially in agreement with Gandhi’s judgment. Gandhiji had described Indian infatuation with the west as moha, the high road to cultural suicide. The poet compared the western impact with disease. He did add byway of apology and explanation: ‘Everything is for the good in its own place; but even what is good becomes dangerous rubbish in an inappropriate setting.’⁴He was, however, far from certain that everything was for the good in western civilization. His multi-faceted critique of the west focused on certain basic themes which recur again and again in his writings. Gandhi wrote that money was their God. Tagore states the same idea in a more elaborate language: Every Feature of western civilization is an item commanding very high price. Everything from pleasure to warfare costs a great deal of money. Money has become a great power as a result and the worship of money now surpasses all other forms of worship. Everything is therefore difficult to achieve or attain, everything is shrouded in complexity. This is the greatest weakness of western civilization.⁵He linked this obsession of money to another central feature of western civilization which he found even more disturbing. Gandhi had condemned its mindless activism.^6:which relegated human beings to a position of insignificance.

Tagore described the situation in west as “The cruel pressure of competition reduces the workers to something worse than machinery. The grand show of civilization which we see from outside astounds us. The human sacrifice which goes on day and night under that facade remains hidden. But it is no secret of Providence: social earthquakes bear witness to the consequences from time to time. In Europe, powerful groups crush weak ones, big money starves out small money and at the end swallows it up like a pill.

This excess of activism generates a poison of discontent. The monstrous factories engulfed in black smoke deprive men of their life-protecting cover of solitude—of space, time and opportunity for restful thought. People become unused to their own company. Hence at every opportunity they try desperately to escape from themselves through drink and reckless quest for pleasure. The affluent hedonists are not much better off. They are fagged out by the endless pursuit of fresh excitement.

They whirl themselves around like dry leaves in a storm of parties, horse race, hunting and travel. In the midst of such whirlwind, they fail to see clearly either themselves or the world around them; everything appears obscure and indistinct. If the continuous cycle of pleasure stops for a moment, they find even that momentary encounter with self, the experience of unity with a wider world intolerable in the extreme.⁷

Tagore was unequivocal in his rejection of this material civilization. He did not believe in it, he wrote to Gandhi, just as he did not believe ‘in the physical body to be the highest truth in man’.⁸

In his statements on western civilization, he identified one dominant concern which transcended all others—namely, an apotheosis of the nation state. Everything was permitted in its service and nothing was allowed to prevent its perceived interests. The end result of such obsessive preoccupation with national self-interest was conflict and eventually self-destruction. If Gandhi condemned the totality of modern civilization as evil, to Tagore its supreme evil consisted in nationalism, which separated man from man and led to destructive conflict.⁹Gandhi, provided in his writings indirect support for such views. He saw Europe’s greed for territories as a function of her aggressive nationalism. The nationalism he prescribed for

India

was one which would not ignore the interest of other nations, nor make even one’s own community its primary concern.¹⁰

The nineteenth-century Indian discourse on the West were inspired mainly by an urge to assess the comparative merits of Indian civilization, its differences with the dominant culture of the time and its relative superiority or inferiority. A quest for cultural self-assurance was often the unconscious motive. A more conscious purpose was to assess the impact of the west, increasingly seen as a threat to the Indian way of life with unfortunate implications for the country. Closely linked to such a perception was a recognition that there were things to learn from the west, and at another, less clearly stated level of understanding, the awareness that the clock of western influence could not be turned back altogether. There were consequent attempts to work out strategies of cultural survival. The agenda for the future — the programmes for national regeneration focussed, inter alia, on the question as to what one could adopt from the West. But nearly all such exercises started with an enquiry into the nature of Indian civilization and implicit or explicit comparisons with the west.

Gandhi’s Hind Swaraj, an uncompromising critique of modern western civilization, was based on an equally strong faith in what he believed to be the values of Indian culture. There is no hint here of any need for self-assurance to overcompensate for any perceived inferiority. Some of his data derive no doubt from the Orientalist paradigm of self-sufficient village communities, which he idealized, but in essence he projects an emotional and ideological preference rooted, arguably, in his life experience of a traditional Indian home.. Underlying Gandhi’s statements on the superior worth of

India

’s civilization one can detect his attachment to a pattern of social interaction which did not privilege the individual or emphasize achievement over other objects of human aspiration.

The Indian civilization of his imagination was essentially rural in character in contrast to the city-based modern civilization of the West. Its survival over millennia despite numberless assaults was evidence of its viability and moral validity. It was spiritual because the essentially spiritual nature of man was its discovery. Gandhi recognized an age-old culture hidden under ‘an encrust of crudity’ in rural

India

and that despite what he saw as the apparent brutishness of peasant life. The self-governing, self-sufficient and harmonious village communities of yore were the institutional protection of this ancient culture. He saw in the caste system a social order which recognized the basic differences in human temperament: except untouchability, which was an aberration, and a fall from grace. Indian society was essentially tolerant perceiving, from the days of the Upanishads onwards, the truth underlying apparently divergent beliefs. It was also a grand synthesis of different cultures, with an infinite capacity for assimilation. Thus in terms of human values it was superior in every way to the competitive, materialistic and violence-prone civilization of modern Europe driven by insatiable desire forever seeking satisfaction of new wants. The British, to bolster up their power, rubbished Indian culture and Indians, infatuated with the West, believed their propaganda. Curing Indians of their moha was one essential element of Gandhi’s agenda for reconstruction.”¹¹

Tagore’s idealization of Indian society and his implied declaration of faith in its essential superiority was based on an imaginative interpretation of what he had seen and experienced. He too repeatedly emphasized its essentially rural character. And what Gandhi had described as the predominantly spiritual proneness of

India

’s civilization, the poet pictured in terms of very concrete images. He contrasted Europe’s endless and frantic pursuit of pleasure with the Indians’ very different style of quest for happiness:

India

has diluted the density of her material pleasures by distributing it among friends, relations and neighbours; and she has simplified the complexity of action and distributed it among various groups. As a result, there is always the space to cultivate one’s essential humanity in one’s pleasures, one’s activity and one’s meditations. The trader—he too listens attentively to the bards retelling stories from the ancient scriptures and performs his rituals; the craftsman also reads the Ramayana tunefully. To a large extent this expansion of one’s leisure helps preserve the purity of one’s home, one’s mind and the society at large and saves them from the dense vapours of vice. . . ..’¹²

He saw an essential balance, an element of unity between the various aspects of their existence in the life of the peasants in rural Bengal:

There is no grandeur, no complexity there. One does not need a great deal of philosophy, science or sociology to live one’s life at this far end of the world and satisfy one’s few modest wants. One requires only a few ancient rules which govern the family, the village and one’s duties as a subject of the king. They blend very easily with people’s lives to become a total vibrant reality.’¹³

The poet found the illiterate villagers and the insignificant village beautiful because their steady allegiance to a set of feelings, beliefs and attitudes over many generations gave them a sense of dignity and imparted a quality of sweetness to their life. He saw in their faces an impression of compassionate patience, a simple-hearted trustfulness which moved him. He preferred it to the ‘tremendous din of high civilization’ which reached his ears from London and Paris.¹⁴Even in the life of urban India of his times he found a quality of contentment and happiness undiminished by the paucity of material goods. He found it more satisfying and worthier in terms of human value than anything he had encountered in Europe. He cited one concrete example in support of his argument. The Indian villager never turned away a guest or supplicant from his door and did not consider any discomfort entailed by his act of hospitality as discomfort. A profound and age-old belief in the sacredness of this duty had become a part of his emotional make-up.¹⁵Tagore was not unaware of the miseries of rural life and its pervasive sin of pettiness. Many of his short stories, based on his intimate knowledge of rural Bengal, are tales of man’s inhumanity to man. But he still saw the quality of dignified integrity as the central feature of India’s traditional civilization, a quality of wholesomeness he missed in Europe.’¹⁶

Tagore also came very close to Gandhi’s position in his perception of India’s political traditions. While he did not emphasize the notion of self-sufficient village republics he questioned the value of state power and, in fact, of nationhood itself for the life of a people. He shared with other thinkers of the nineteenth century the notion that society rather than the state was the central focus of Indian life. Like Gandhi, he too was extremely suspicious of centralized state power. Only, he went further to reject the need for nationhood which raised barriers between man and man and led to vicious conflict. The fact that the idea was alien to

India

was for him a plus point. His agenda for national reconstruction, like Gandhi’s, emphasized the rural unit rather than the grand edifice of the state.¹⁷

Tagore discussed at great length and repeatedly the assimilative power of Indian civilization, the belief first projected by Orientalists that it represented a grand synthesis, a pattern of unity in diversity. It had not rejected any of the numerous cultures which had come to its shores. ‘The Scythians, the Huns, the Pathans and the Mughals had all merged into one single body’, he declared in one of his most famous poems.¹⁸

The main features of Gandhi’s agenda for national reconstruction are well-known.¹⁹ He saw the central problem of Indian life as not something of external origin, but a flaw in the Indian character—a persistent lack of courage and a consequent tendency to blame others for one’s misfortune. The degradation and humiliations

India

suffered ultimately derived from this flawed character. India’s infatuation with western civilization was a by-product of the same weakness, a loss of confidence in one’s traditions. Independence for him was a necessity primarily because it was essential for preserving the very worthwhile features of Indian civilization. The centralized state, which was to him a dehumanizing machine destroying all sense of personal responsibility, he considered unsuitable for India’s essentially rural civilization. Though he accepted it as necessary after 1930, the self-governing village communities were to be the base of India’s future polity. And to become a nation, Indians would need to go through a process of self-purification, atma-suddhi, to escape from hybridization. India needed serious introspection to reinterpret the central principles of her civilization, and learn from others, as she had done in the past, in terms of her own self-perception, not those of western assumptions.

The similarity between Gandhi’s programme and Tagore’s ideas on the reconstruction of Indian society 1920s onwards is indeed striking.²⁰He too, as noted above, regarded the centralized state as an institution alien to India. The colonial state had caused the worst degeneration because Indians now looked for its approbation rather than that of their own society in undertaking any act of service.

Petitions and complaints to the government, whining when the authorities failed to respond, had become the prime instruments for the solution of the country’s problems. Tagore welcomed the spirit of swadeshi, not because it would harass the English or stimulate Indian industry, but because it might teach us to give up our comforts and make a modest act of self-denial the basis of national unity. And ‘the exit from the dark cave of self-interest’ for the wider good of the people would give Indians the courage and self-respect they lacked so badly.

The privileged and the educated, if they desired national regeneration, would have to start with a sense of unity with the masses and construct bonds of love with the impoverished villagers through selfless service. Tagore criticized the excesses of the boycott movement during the anti-partition agitation because it hurt the interests of the poor for whom the elite had done nothing expecting unconditional support when it suited the latter. Indians must learn to live by their own strength, atma-shakti, and the way to do it was constructive effort in rural

India

in education, health, handicrafts without any dependence on government. His emphasis was not on agitation but building self-confidence and ties of unity between the elite and the masses. He repeatedly uses an expression for which there is no exact equivalent in English, kalyan, moral and material well-being. It is an expression with resonances which encompass the body and the spirit, the individual and wider humanity. Tagore’s conception of kalyan uniting the entire society bear close resemblance too Gandhi’s idea of sarvodaya. The former’s efforts were not limited to prescriptions. He did set up an organization to implement his programmes and his Sriniketan was something more than a craft school. Its purpose was rural reconstruction through training in productive crafts suitable for rural society. And while Santiniketan embodied the ideal of universal man, with its emphasis on simple living, joyous education and unity with nature, its affinities with Gandhian ideals were not insignificant.

Tagore‘s political agenda included the concept of a leader whose authority one would accept despite his inevitable human failures. There is no doubt that he recognized Gandhi as that leader. His initial response to the Non-cooperation movement was very different from his subsequent feelings of revulsion:

It is in the fitness of things that Mahatma Gandhi frail in body and devoid of military resources, should call up the immense power of the meek; that has been lying waiting in the heart of the destitute and insulted humanity of

India

. The destiny of

India

. . . is to raise the history of man from the muddy level of physical conflict to the higher moral altitude.

He saw the movement, not as one for national liberation, but as one for the emancipation of man from national egoism.²¹.These were not very different from what Gandhi stood for.

NOTES

1. Tagore to Gandhi, March 1921, Gandhi, Collected Works, XX (Navajivan Trust, Ahmedabad, 1966), 539, 540-42

2. Collected Works, vol. X.

3. Bhikhu Parikh, Gandhi’s Political Philosophy (Notre Dame, Indiana, 1989), 15-26.4. Rabindranath Tagore, Atmashakti (Strength of One’s Own), Rabindra-rachnabali, vol. 3 (2nd edition, 3rd reprint, Viswa-bharati, Calcutta, 1975), 555.

5. ‘University Bill’, Rabindra-rachanabali, vol. 3, 595-6.

6. Ibid., 596.

7. ‘Nababarsha’ (New Year) in Bharatvarsha, Rabindra-rachanabali, vol. 4, 372-3.

8. Tagore to Gandhi, March, 1921, see note 1.9. ‘Prachya o Pratichya’ (The East and the West), in Samaj, R.abindra-rachanabali, vol. 12, 236-60.

10. Parikh, op. cit., 60.

11. Hind Swaraj and Parikh, op. cit., ch. 2.

12. Nababarsha’ (New Year) in Bharatvarsha, Rabindra-rachanabali, vol. 4, 372-3.

13. Panchabhut (The Five Elements), in Rabindra-rachanabali, vol. 2, 571.

14. Ibid., 571, 572.

15. Panchabhut, 570; Samaj, 240.

16. Bharatvarsha, 368-9.

17. Atmashakti, 529ff.

18. Tagore’s poem, Bharat-tirtha.

19. Parikh, op. cit., 52-62, 111-17; Gandhi, Constructive Programme Its Meaning and Place (Navajivan Press, Ahmedabad, 1945).

20. The following discussion is based mainly on Atmashakti, Panchabhul, Bharatvarshacited above as also Raja Praja in Rabindra-rachanabali, vol. 10.

21. Tagore to Gandhi, March 1921, Collected Works, vol. xx, 539.

Oriental Scenery – Yesterday and Today

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:22:00 -0800

Oriental Scenery – Yesterday and Today was organized at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts during 2011; in collaboration with the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata and the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre. The exhibition presented 73 aquatints made at the end of 18^th century juxtaposed with the photographs of the same sites from the same vantage view, taken 200 years later, at the end of the 20^th Century. The former were done by Thomas and William Daniell and the latter by renowned photographer Antonio Martinelli.

The Daniells, uncle and nephew, spent nine years traversing India, drawing and recording views and sites meticulously. On their return to London in 1794 they set about to produce one of the finest, most ambitious, and most influential series of aquatints: Oriental Scenery. The Daniells used camera obscura which ensured an unrivalled accuracy in addition to their classical style of composition. The success of the Daniells aquatints could be judged by comparing them with the surviving paper originals. They reveal only the minutest variations in tone and texture, virtually none in composition, form or detail. Such aquatints could only had been produced by accurately tracing the water colours onto the waxed plates, an operation so slow and arduous that two or even three weeks must had been spent on a single plate. The number of prints that the Daniell produced from each plate is unknown, though it may have been as many as 250, judging from the records of known orders. While Daniells were evidently inspired by those in Hodge’s Select Views, the aquatints that they produced far exceeded their predecessor’s forty-eights prints. The aquatints production took up to thirteen years of theirs, in what was surely the most challenging printing project undertaken in England at the time.

The Oriental Scenery collection made a completely new contribution to British knowledge of Indian cultural and natural heritage and also influenced European Decorative arts. In addition to the views made by early Europeans travelers, Daniells first time, made on the spot views of Garhwal Mountains, and Madras. The Daniells tapped a vein of nostalgia among colonial administrators, curiosity among European travelers, and pride among the British for victorious military campaigns there.

Influenced by the Daniells, two hundred years later, Antonio Martinelli (an Italian Photographer and Indophile) travelled across the country and successfully captured the places and sites once visualized and painted by the Daniells. His photographs together with the 73 original aquatints were displayed in the exhibition. Mr. Martinelli had made a significant contribution through his photos survey. His survey has served a sobering reminder of the fragility of our cultural and natural heritage sites.

The artworks in the exhibition were arranged in geographical sequence, roughly corresponding to the itineraries of the Daniells as they travelled through India. This exhibition presented a selection of 73 aquatints and 73 photographs from the Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata collection. The exhibition traced the changes that the passage of time had brought on Indian architectural masterpieces and natural wonders, this exhibition drew attention to universal concepts of architectural heritage and environmental conservation. This unique combination of visual materials provided a timeless graphic account of two hundred years of Indian history. The descriptions and contrast envisaged in this exhibition, provided a notice to all those who care for conservation of cultural property. This exhibition was also under patronage of UNESCO.

To Be or Not to be...Conservation in India

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 06:26:00 -0800

We have inherited rich and vast material culture from past. It includes buildings, structures, paintings, and even wooden doors. The time line also varies in length and breadth. As Art Historian, we feel fortunate to have such a treasure to study our past. Same became a great challenge when it comes to conserve our heritage, as there are various materials from various ages in decaying position stand in front of us. Very first question is " shall we conserve our heritage?"yes we should as it is our responsibility and moral duty to hand over this heritage to the next generation.
looking at the current state of wall paintings at Bagh and Ajanta, or at the Mughal architecture in Delhi, or Miniatures, they all need to be conserved. now the next question is how shall we do it?
Because there are fears that once we start conserving, we may end up changing there inherent characters and spirit. As the conservators belong to this era so do there materials and techniques. So does it mean we shall not conserve them??
If we do not conserve them, then we will sure loose them in due course of time. Now here comes the big question TO BE or NOT TO BE...
There were few options discussed on 14 th Feb 2009, during Shri M.N. Deshpande Memorial Lecture. the lecture was graced by experts of the field, namely Prof.B.B. Lal, Prof. Dhawalikar, Dr. O.P. Agrwal, Dr. S.S.Biswas, Shri O.P. tandon and Shri K.N. Dixit. the lecture was attended by practising art historians, archelogists and conservators. This question opened a debate on the national policy of Heritage Management which as old as our constitution and needs a an updation and detailed guideline for conservation parameters.
There was a consensus that we should conserve or heritage. But how much interference, and what techniques was the next question.As discussed, here are the options:

Shall we use excavated site to recreate our past for the coming generation? ( This options is valid for multiple sites belonging to a specific material culture like Harrapan Culture)
Shall we create these material cultures through new age technology and create virtual tours for the same? (This option can be valid for all kinds of monuments)
Shall we conserve portions which are at most important for the survival of the monument/ artifact?(This option can be valid for all kinds of monuments)
Shall we demarcate areas conserved and document any such conservation done on monument/ artifacts?(This option can be valid for all kinds of monuments)

Fall of Equinox- An Astronomical Phenomenon

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:30:00 -0700

The Universe,Space sky, stars and moon remained quite a mystery for human kind. But quite amazingly, centuries ago our ancestors studied them thoroughly, so we have those calendars based upon movements of these stars.Here is brief introduction what these equinox meant?

An equinox in astronomy is the moment when the Sun can be observed to be directly above the equator. The event occurs twice a year, around March 20 and September 23. More technically, the equinox happens when the Sun is at one of two opposite points on the celestial sphere where the celestial equator and ecliptic intersect. In a wider sense, the equinoxes are the two days each year when the center of the Sun spends an equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on Earth. The word equinox derives from the Latin words aequus and nox.

In practice, at the equinox, the day is longer than the night. Commonly the day
is defined as the period that sunlight reaches the ground in the absence of local obstacles. This is firstly because the Sun is not a single point of light, but appears as a disc. So when the center of the Sun is still below the horizon, the upper edge is already visible and sheds light. Furthermore, the atmosphere refracts light downwards, so even when the upper limb of the Sun is still below the horizon, its rays already reach around the horizon to the ground. These effects together make the day about 14 minutes longer than the night . The real equality of day and night happens a few days towards the winter side of the equinox.

Video Source- National Geographic.com

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:35:00 -0700

Vedic Mathematics

Voltaire, the famous French writer and philosopher) stated that "Pythagoras went to the Ganges to learn geometry." Abraham Seidenberg, author of the authoritative "History of Mathematics," credits the Sulba Sutras as inspiring all mathematics of the ancient world from Babylonia to Egypt to Greece.

As Voltaire & Seidenberg have stated, many highly significant mathematical concepts have come from the Vedic culture, such as:

The theorem bearing the name of the Greek mathematician Pythagorus is found in the Shatapatha Brahmana as well as the Sulba Sutra, the Indian mathematical treatise, written centuries before Pythagorus was born.

The Decimal system, based on powers of ten, where the remainder is carried over to the next column, first mentioned in the Taittiriya Samhita of the Black Yajurveda.

The Introduction of zero as both a numerical value and a place marker.

The Concept of infinity.

The Binary number system, essential for computers, was used in Vedic verse meters.

A hashing technique, similar to that used by modern search algorithms, such as Googles, was used in South Indian musicology. From the name of a raga one can determine the notes of the raga from this Kathapayadi system. (See Figure at left.)

For further reading we refer you to this excellent article on Vedic Mathematics.

Vedas- Religious/Rational III :Religious Hymns-=Mathematical Formulas*

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 02:03:00 -0700

One of the foremost exponents of Vedic math, the late Bharati Krishna Tirtha Maharaja, author of Vedic Mathematics, has offered a glimpse into the sophistication of Vedic math. Drawing from the Atharva-veda, Tirtha Maharaja points to many sutras (codes) or aphorisms which appear to apply to every branch of mathematics: arithmetic, algebra, geometry (plane and solid), trigonometry (plane and spherical), conics (geometrical and analytical), astronomy, calculus (differential and integral), etc.
Utilizing the techniques derived from these sutras, calculations can be done with incredible ease and simplicity in one's head in a fraction of the time required by modern means. Calculations normally requiring as many as a hundred steps can be done by the Vedic method in one single simple step. For instance the conversion of the fraction 1/29 to its equivalent recurring decimal notation normally involves 28 steps. Utilizing the Vedic method it can be calculated in one simple step.
In order to illustrate how secular and spiritual life were intertwined in Vedic India, Tirtha Maharaja has demonstrated that mathematical formulas and laws were often taught within the context of spiritual expression (mantra). Thus while learning spiritual lessons, one could also learn mathematical rules.
Tirtha Maharaja has pointed out that Vedic mathematicians prefer to use the devanagari letters of Sanskrit to represent the various numbers in their numerical notations rather than the numbers themselves, especially where large numbers are concerned. This made it much easier for the students of this math in their recording of the arguments and the appropriate conclusions.
Tirtha Maharaja states, "In order to help the pupil to memorize the material studied and assimilated, they made it a general rule of practice to write even the most technical and abstruse textbooks in sutras or in verse (which is so much easier-even for the children-to memorize). And this is why we find not only theological, philosophical, medical, astronomical, and other such treatises, but even huge dictionaries in Sanskrit verse! So from this standpoint, they used verse, sutras and codes for lightening the burden and facilitating the work (by versifying scientific and even mathematical material in a readily assimilable form)!" [8] The code used is as follows:

The Sanskrit consonants

ka, ta, pa, and ya all denote 1;

kha, tha, pha, and ra all represent 2;

ga, da, ba, and la all stand for 3;

Gha, dha, bha, and va all represent 4;

gna, na, ma, and sa all represent 5;

ca, ta, and sa all stand for 6;

cha, tha, and sa all denote 7;

ja, da, and ha all represent 8;

jha and dha stand for 9;

andka means zero.

Vowels make no difference and it is left to the author to select a particular consonant or vowel at each step. This great latitude allows one to bring about additional meanings of his own choice. For example kapa, tapa, papa, and yapa all mean 11. By a particular choice of consonants and vowels one can compose a poetic hymn with double or triple meanings. Here is an actual sutra of spiritual content, as well as secular mathematical significance.

gopi bhagya madhuvratasrngiso

dadhi sandhigakhala jivita khatavagala hala rasandara

While this verse is a type of petition to Krishna, when learning it one can also learn the value of pi/10 (i.e. the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter divided by 10) to 32 decimal places. It has a self-contained master-key for extending the evaluation to any number of decimalplaces.
The translation is as follows:
O Lord anointed with the yogurt of the milkmaids' worship (Krishna), O savior of the fallen, O master of Shiva, please protect me.

At the same time, by application of the consonant code given above, this verse directly yields the decimal equivalent of pi divided by 10: pi/10 = 0.31415926535897932384626433832792. Thus, while offering mantric praise to Godhead in devotion, by this method one can also add to memory significant secular truths.

This is the real gist of the Vedic world view regarding the culture of knowledge: while culturing transcendental knowledge, one can also come to understand the intricacies of the phenomenal world. By the process of knowing the absolute truth, all relative truths also become known. In modern society today it is often contended that never the twain shall meet: science and religion are at odds. This erroneous conclusion is based on little understanding of either discipline. Science is the smaller circle within the larger circle of religion.

We should never lose sight of our spiritual goals. We should never succumb to the shortsightedness of attempting to exploit the inherent power in the principles of mathematics or any of the natural sciences for ungodly purposes. Our reasoning faculty is but a gracious gift of Godhead intended for divine purposes, and not those of our own design.

Vedic Mathematical Sutras

Consider the following three sutras:
1. "All from 9 and the last from 10," and its corollary: "Whatever the extent of its deficiency, lessen it still further to that very extent; and also set up the square (of that deficiency)."2. "By one more than the previous one," and its corollary: "Proportionately."3. "Vertically and crosswise," and its corollary: "The first by the first and the last by the last."
The first rather cryptic formula is best understood by way of a simple example: let us multiply 6 by 8.
1. First, assign as the base for our calculations the power of 10 nearest to the numbers which are to be multiplied. For this example our base is 10.2. Write the two numbers to be multiplied on a paper one above the other, and to the right of each write the remainder when each number is subtracted from the base 10. The remainders are then connected to the original numbers with minus signs, signifying that they are less than the base 10.
6-48-2
3. The answer to the multiplication is given in two parts. The first digit on the left is in multiples of 10 (i.e. the 4 of the answer 48). Although the answer can be arrived at by four different ways, only one is presented here. Subtract the sum of the two deficiencies (4 + 2 = 6) from the base (10) and obtain 10 - 6 = 4 for the left digit (which in multiples of the base 10 is 40).
6-48-24
4. Now multiply the two remainder numbers 4 and 2 to obtain the product 8. This is the right hand portion of the answer which when added to the left hand portion 4 (multiples of 10) produces 48.
6-48-2----4/8
Another method employs cross subtraction. In the current example the 2 is subtracted from 6 (or 4 from 8) to obtain the first digit of the answer and the digits 2 and 4 are multiplied together to give the second digit of the answer. This process has been noted by historians as responsible for the general acceptance of the X mark as the sign of multiplication. The algebraical explanation for the first process is
(x-a)(x-b)=x(x-a-b) + ab
where x is the base 10, a is the remainder 4 and b is the remainder 2 so that
6 = (x-a) = (10-4)8 = (x-b) = (10-2)
The equivalent process of multiplying 6 by 8 is then
x(x-a-b) + ab or10(10-4-2) + 2x4 = 40 + 8 = 48
These simple examples can be extended without limitation. Consider the following cases where 100 has been chosen as the base:
97 - 3 93 - 7 25 - 7578 - 22 92 - 8 98 - 2______ ______ ______
75/66 85/56 23/150 = 24/50

In the last example we carry the 100 of the 150 to the left and 23 (signifying 23 hundred) becomes 24 (hundred). Herein the sutra's words "all from 9 and the last from 10" are shown. The rule is that all the digits of the given original numbers are subtracted from 9, except for the last (the righthand-most one) which should be deducted from 10.

Consider the case when the multiplicand and the multiplier are just above a power of 10. In this case we must cross-add instead of cross subtract. The algebraic formula for the process is: (x+a)(x+b) = x(x+a+b) + ab. Further, if one number is above and the other below a power of 10, we have a combination of subtraction and addition: viz:
108 + 8 and 13 + 397 - 3 8 - 2_______ ______
105/-24 = 104/(100-24) = 104/76 11/-6 = 10/(10-6) = 10/4
The Sub-Sutra: "Proportionately" Provides for those cases where we wish to use as our base multiples of the normal base of powers of ten. That is, whenever neither the multiplicand nor the multiplier is sufficiently near a convenient power of 10, which could serve as our base we simply use a multiple of a power of ten as our working base, perform our calculations with this working base and then multiply or divide the result proportionately.

To multiply 48 by 32, for example, we use as our base 50 = 100/2, so we have
Base 50 48 - 232 - 18______
2/ 30/36 or (30/2) / 36 = 15/36
Note that only the left decimals corresponding to the powers of ten digits (here 100) are to be effected by the proportional division of 2. These examples show how much easier it is to subtract a few numbers, (especially for more complex calculations) rather than memorize long mathematical tables and perform cumbersome calculations the long way.

Squaring Numbers

The algebraic equivalent of the sutra for squaring a number is: (a+-b)2 = a2 +- 2ab + b2 . To square 103 we could write it as (100 + 3 )2 = 10,000 + 600 + 9 = 10,609. This calculation can easily be done mentally. Similarly, to divide 38,982 by 73 we can write the numerator as 38x3 + 9x2 +8x + 2, where x is equal to 10, and the denominator is 7x + 3. It doesn't take much to figure out that the numerator can also be written as 35x3 +36x2 + 37x + 12. Therefore,
38,982/73 = (35x3 + 36x2 +37x + 12)/(7x + 3) = 5x2 + 3x +4 = 534
This is just the algebraic equivalent of the actual method used. The algebraic principle involved in the third sutra, "vertically and crosswise," can be expressed, in one of it's applications, as the multiplication of the two numbers represented by (ax + b) and (cx + d), with the answer acx2 + x(ad + bc) + bd. Differential calculus also is utilized in the Vedic sutras for breaking down a quadratic equation on sight into two simple equations of the first degree. Many additional sutras are given which provide simple mental one or two line methods for division, squaring of numbers, determining square and cube roots, compound additions and subtractions, integrations, differentiations, and integration by partial fractions, factorisation of quadratic equations, solution of simultaneous equations, and many more. For demonstrational purposes, we have only presented simple examples.

Bibliography
1. E.J.H. Mackay, Further Excavations at Mohenjo-daro, 1938, p. 222.
2. Saraswati Amma, Geometry in Ancient and Medieval India, Motilal Banarsidas, 1979, p. 18.
3. Dr. V. Raghavan, Presidential Address, Technical Sciences and Fine Arts Section, XXIst AIOC, New Delhi, 1961.
4. Herbert Meschkowski, Ways of Thought of Great Mathematicians, Holden-Day Inc., San Francisco, 1964.
5. Howard Eves, An Introduction to the History of Mathematics, Rinehart and Company Inc., New York, 1953, p. 19.
6. A.L. Basham, The Wonder That Was India, Rupa & Co., Calcutta, 1967.
7. B.B. Dutta, History of Hindu Mathematics, Preface.
8. Jagadguru Swami Shri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji Maharaja, Vedic Mathematics, Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1988.

Note*- Source www.gosai.com

Vedas-Religious/Rational II

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:39:00 -0700

In search to prove, my hypothesis that Vedas are repertoire of rational knowledge I found a significant documentary through net surfing. Here is the link for the Video documentary by B B Visnu-a physicist:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7678538942425297587
Synopsis of the Video
A vast number of statements and materials presented in the ancient Vedic literatures can be shown to agree with modern scientific findings and they also reveal a highly developed scientific content in these literatures. The great cultural wealth of this knowledge is highly relevant in the modern world. Techniques used to show this agreement include: - Marine Archaeology of underwater sites (such as Dvaraka) - Satellite imagery of the Indus-Sarasvata River system - Carbon and Thermoluminiscence Dating of archaeological artifacts - Scientific Verification of Scriptural statements - Linguistic analysis of scripts found on archaeological artifacts - A Study of cultural continuity in all these categories.«

Metaphysics of Plato is Vedas retold in the West*

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:23:00 -0700

"Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides." (Rig Veda)
The metaphysics of Socrates and Plato influenced so much the Westernthought and brought enlightenment to the West that today "West"describes Plato as philosophy and philosophy as Plato. We in Indiaseem to have forgotten that that source of his writings and philosophywas Vedic metaphysics.
Plato left Athens for about one decade and visited Prasava (Persia),Ariana (Iran) and North West part of the then India-land of Aryans. Heseems to have discussed a number of metaphysical concepts with thethen Vedic Rsis and Munnies. On his return to Athens, he propagatedthose thoughts without making any reference to Vedic rsis and munnies.However, the influence of Vedic metaphysics is clearly visible inPlato's writings/books.
Like the Vedic concept of moderation and Iddm nan mmam (enlightenedliberalism) Plato mentions in his Laws (174-f) and also in Utopia thatin an Ideal state the range of economic disparities should be within1:16. If the range of disparity increases marginally, the state isless ideal. However, if it increases considerably, the state is eithera Democracy or an Oligarchy. The rulers in both tend to be tyrannical,corrupt, and hypocritical. In his metaphysics, Plato says that thesoul of virtuous people becomes lighter and goes toward heaven bymoving upward after death and that of the non-virtuous, being heavier,it stays near the earth and is the cause of rebirth. On rebirth,people may be born in one of the nine kinds of families professingdifferent faiths, religions, as well as in the different regions ofthe earth. Plato thus becomes one of the few ancient Westernphilosophers who gave a perfect philosophical theory on secularism anduniversal brotherhood which in the East Vedic rsis and munnies hadalready conveyed through Vedas.
In an ideal state, which he described as Republic,divine guidance is the maximum and in Tyranny it reaches its minimumand world dissolution (Vedic Pralaya) comes when that divine guidanceis totally withdrawn. Like Vedic metaphysics Plato confirms that lifein this vast turbulent ocean of matter- the material world is anillusion of comfort (Vedic Maya) and described the gross world as aphenomenal world. Plato held largely similar views like Vedic Rta(Laws of Nature) in his theory of Forms and Ideas. A few otherglimpses of Vedic metaphysics can also seen in Plato's writingsrelating to divinity in the noble vocations, social classes, educationsystem extending up to 48 years, value system and need based living,absolute nature of right and wrong and many other concepts. Like Vedashe mentioned worst thing about corruption is that it distorts theconcept of knowledge. He must have learnt about the ideal philosopherking Janaka of Bhagavad-Gita assisted by Rishi Yajnvalkya and RsikaGargi and developed the theory of "philosopher kings" for hisRepublic. His concept of economics and global trade has greatresemblance to Vedic economics and global trade.
While Plato propagated the Vedic concept of scientific temper, hisdisciple Aristotle spread the message of Physical Sciences of matterwith unsuspected vitality without referring to Vedas. Later many ofthese thoughts are found in the metaphysics of Saint Aquinas,Augustine, Immanuel Kant and many others including some scientistslike Newton, Einstein etc.

Note*-This article is written by Premssbhlok, I have received it as response to my earlier article on Rigveda. This article reinforces the fact that Vedas are pure pragmatic knowledge. Thanks Harkabir, for forwarding me this great piece of information.
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ऋग्वेद Rgveda- Religious or Rational

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 11:29:00 -0700

I have a keen desire to read and try to understand Vedas. I had a fair opportunity to do so as well. I can call myself as a beginner for the studies of Vedas. I am presenting with my understanding of the Rig Veda which is quite debatable.
As per Wikipedia:
“The Rigveda (Sanskrit ऋग्वेद ṛgveda, a compound of ṛc "praise, verse"[1] and veda "knowledge") is an ancient Indian sacred collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns dedicated to the gods (devas). It is counted among the four canonical sacred texts (śruti) of Hinduism known as the Vedas.[2] Some of its verses are still recited as Hindu prayers, at religious functions and other occasions, putting it among the world's oldest religious texts in continued use।"
As per my understanding -Rigveda is one of the oldest pieces of highly researched scientific knowledge. It is not mere a piece of literature or religion studies. It brings us deeply researched and analysed scientific knowledge about universe by Indian sages. Indian ancient scriptures are known as आध्यात्मिक Literature. आध्यात्मिक is translated as spiritual in English.But आध्यात्मिक is compound of अध्यतम +इक,which means researched. Each of these scriptures are result of research not of spiritualism and has no religious connotation.

These hymns were passed from one generation to another through learning tradition. They were supposed to be learnt by heart, not to be written down. Some of the scholars opine that writing was considered lower in the cadre of learning in Indian traditions. In a layman’s language the Vedas were written in poetic/ hymn fashion. But to understand it deeply, they are written in highly developed phonetics.As phonetics was studied as early as 2,500 years ago in ancient India.
[1] Source विकिपीडिया

The Timeless Dancing Girl II

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 00:29:00 -0700

Whole figurine is based on tubular form, her arms and legs are elongated. Her standing posture with emphasis on left leg and one hand on left thigh- is the cause of her name. Her another hand on hip also gives movement and expression to the figure. Her facial expression remained unnoticed. With her chin up, the big pout lady seems either throwing a challenge, or seems unhappy with somebody. She is waiting to be pleased by somebody. The complete expression including her face and body loudly depicts it very strongly.

It is said that this figurine should be kept outside the purview of aesthetic analysis.To me, though it took very long to document Rasa theory,yet we cannot disreagrd expression and emotions of living being- human or animal. Psyche, feelings and expressions are not bound by the theories.Taking these logical concepts in account,we should not ignore such evident feature of the Dancing Girl.

The Cult of Beauty Series

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:08:00 -0700

I have conceptualised a series on Cult of Beauty. The Timesless Dancing Girl is the first one in the series. I will try to cross various timelines and geographical boundaries. Purpose of this series is to understand and define variations and similarities in definition of beauty. I will try to relate the concept of aesthetics in literature, as and when applicable.
The concept is in incubation stage, and will simultaneously develop as organic growth.

The Timeless Dancing Girl

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:56:00 -0700

The Dancing Girl * is a reflection of standards of beauty followed by one of the most developed civilization of its time- Indus Valley Civilization. The lady stands thin as stick, tall, with almost no clothes. Her posture and stance shows her level of confidence. With her chin up, she commands her status, she is not looking for any kind of approval or permission, and rather she is swollen with self pride. She carries her arrogance with grace and subtlety.

This image depicts finer nuances of the society. It brings about the status and privileges enjoyed by the women in Indus Civilization. No need to say, a lady figure adored with such suitably chosen jewellery, standing proudly- makes a clear statement that women were enjoying a powerful and very independent life. Interestingly, there is no attempt to make her beautiful or highlight the feminine features of the figure. To me, it is a portrait of a young lady belonging to a status of importance.

I would like to recall words of three great archaeologists:
Mortimer Wheeler (1973) in a television program talked about this amazing image:

"There is her little Baluchi-style face with pouting lips and insolent look in the eye. She's about fifteen years old I should think, not more, but she stands there with bangles all the way up her arm and nothing else on. A girl perfectly, for the moment, perfectly confident of herself and the world. There's nothing like her, I think, in the world."

John Marshall, one of the excavators at Mohenjo-Daro, described her as a vivid impression of the young ... girl, her hand on her hip in a half-impudent posture, and legs slightly forward as she beats time to the music with her legs and feet...

As author Gregory Possehl says, We may not be certain that she was a dancer, but she was good at what she did and she knew it.

She is a beauty belonging to a class apart.The grace of the image takes a viewer beyond the timeliness and geographical boundaries. She is classic, she is timeless, and she embodies the power of womanhood, so naturally.

*Facts :The Dancing Girl, 2500 BC, 10.8 centimeter high, Bronze-lost wax method, Excavated in 1926, Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan.

A Lesson from Mother Nature

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:51:00 -0700

I love nature, green fresh leaves make me feel fresh. Seeing new buds on the plants make me go flying like colorful butterflies. I am addicted to gardening. I had to take a break in between as I was on small rented accommodation, with lesser water. Now, when I have moved to my new home with a small attached terrace, I decided to have some plants.

Prior to my marriage, I had a big terrace with almost 200 plants of various flowers, and vegetables and just green lushes. I used to talk to them. There was a relationship between me and my plants. I used to talk to them, used to pamper them. I used tell one plant that the other one is blooming better, and has more number of buds with bigger flowers. It used to respond. It will have more buds, and bigger ones.
Now with this small terrace I planted four plants, out of these, one dried completely. I was really upset; it had never happened that, If I grew some plant it dies. I went to that dried plant told same to it.
To my greatest surprise, it started blooming. It became lush green within a week. Now it is full of flowers. Any given day, this plant has more than two flowers to please me. It made me to realize that everything responds, if you have faith. Nature has its simple ways to teach us. Thank you Mother Nature, I believe you and trust you.

SMEs -

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:19:00 -0700

For elearning practice SME is an important pillar to build an effective course. He is one player who can make or break the whole vision. So how do we treat an SME in real life? We give them a special place. We ask them specific stereo type questions. Subconsciously, this fear that s/he maynot run away leads to a very formal behaviour from our end.Trust me, formal behaviour can never be human and warm. Air hostesses/ cabin crew serving at flight are great example of formal and learnt behaviour. All of them greet us with same plastic smile and same facial gestures. Does it make us feel warm or have a relationship, binding, or ownership. NO not at all. Becoz their job ends with the journey.

But in elearning relationship has to be established. It is a long term relationship. Just validating the course material in time, should not be the end objective.While dealing with SMEs, it is crucial to build a warm and human relationship. It is essential to make them comfortable enough that they start talking about his experiences. It should be passed on to them that the end learning from this course is the objective. SME can provide various other practical or on ground realities about the subject. He is also the right person to tell about the areas where students tend to feel uncomfortable in the course. His on ground experience in the field can lead to better learning and assessment strategies.Same shall be conveyed to the SMEs. He should be made part and parcel of discussions where ever possible. We should keep him posted about development of the course. Let him/her feel the pain and joy of the work in process.

One of my observation is that there is a belief that SMEs are not paid well enough. So they are not dedicated enough. As far as my experience and understanding about academician goes, they like to share there wide experience on the field. They are in academics becoz they love to teach. They love their subject, they want to see more and more students and professional in the same field. SME s are with most updated information on the subject.Do we leverage on these points?

They are surely a different cadre of people- they are intellectuals of the society. They have devoted their lives to their passion- their subject. But how can we optimum utilize their knowledge?Let see, if the following factors help us:

We need to be good listeners.

Allow them to talk and discuss about the subject and their experiences.

Let them share their passion about their subjects.
Try to bring share ownership of the course with them.

Don't ask stereo type questions. you may write the areas of queries/ concerns, but don't read out questions like an automated machine.

Try to have more human and spontaneous. To have spontaneous interaction, one needs to be thorough with the subject.

Lack of basic knowledge of the subject will lead to a put of from SME. Study the subject before you get into discussions.

Definitely , there must be much more areas of improvement,which remain untouched in this article. I hope to hear those factors and areas from you all...

Do We Know Ourselves

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:02:00 -0700

Everyone can live their lives like they watch the television. The remote control is in their hands and they have the power to change the channel to any show they can possibly imagine. But they don’t. There is opportunity to experience anything they can dream. But they don’t do anything. They are content to simply watch whatever is on, rather than choose what they really want.

We need to acknowledge that everyone has ability to choose their actions and reactions for any given set of circumstances. How we use this ability will ultimately determine all of the outcomes we will experience in our lives. Those who attain the greatest successes in life do so, not because their circumstances have been dramatically different from others, but because their choices have been. It is our personal choices and accountability that have the most significant impact on the kind of lives we will lead.

Many people do not realize that even so called little moments can have great impact, and it may be easy to justify not giving our attention to them because the consequences may not be immediately apparent. However, an ancient proverb shares this great truth in a different way, “The greatest walls are build with the smallest bricks.”Our lives are the same, and we must begin with the little things. It is like building a puzzle. In order for the little pieces to be productive and have value we need to understand what the big picture looks like. Our big picture is essentially defining what we want our life to look like, who we want to be and the legacy we want to leave behind.

Many people do not invest time to answer these important questions. However, if you can do this one step at a time, you will find that all your questions will instantly become clear, and you will be on your path to success. But what is success? The definition of success is different for every individual, and only you can define your view of success. Understand that success is a journey and not a destination. It can never be spot of permanent completion. Success is akin to continual growth. Success is a matter of finding appropriate balance while you are in motion rather than finding a comfortable resting place to stagnate.

Lasting success is found in the balance of four independent elements or our feelings about our:
• Wealth
• Health
• Relationships
• Self achievement, Desires and Satisfaction

Take a moment now and stop what are you doing …invest this time in you. Take a careful look at these four areas in your life and analyze how satisfied you feel about them.

Art and Patronage

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:06:00 -0700

Art under patronage being cause of criticism by the Art Historians. There are valid reasons for the same.Art under any king or ruler displays the kings personal flavour and preferences. It also indicates inclination towards his (religious) faith. Like we have classical art under Gupta Kings with great Buddhist and Hindu Art and architecture. Similarly, in Pahari miniature there is preference for Vaishnav influence. So we experience in Mughal miniatures a tendencies of depicting more of Court life and portraits of royals. These are varied examples of different periods in history, to highlight this fact. But this patronge of art is equally relevant today.
Each artist before he gets into this profession has this question in his sub conscious- who will acknowledge my talent? While teaching this new breed of artist, I have faced it very often. Earning or commercial aspect of art also contributes to it. Most of the time these individuals are pressurised to not to pursue art as full time occupation for the same reason. At the same time, we are fortunate to have Corporates emerging as a support to the art and artists. Art auctioneers like Osians are coming with various viable options for the art. These corporates have well thought out strategies and plans to promote art and artists. But it is essential, that such corporates should not come under the influence of established artists. I would rather suggest these corporates to promote younger generation. Not only it will help the new brigade to bring the freshness of its individual talent, it is also a better investment for the corporates. As works of these artists are easily available with lesser investment. This also make sense as, by promoting already established artists these promoters are closing the path of new thought and experimentation in art field.
The most viable and constructive step to promote art should be by recognising the fresh talent, thought and experimentation at the learning stage. Each art college organises annual art exhibition to showcase talent of its students. It could be a great opportunity for the promoters to recognise and acknowledge new trends and trendsetters. It can prove to be both need and fulfillment of both the new generation artist and the promoters.

The Philosophy of Krishna

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:09:00 -0700

While delivering one of Art Appreciation lectures at National Museum Institute, I encountered interesting opinion of concept of Lord Krishna. The lecture was concentrated on the Buddhist Art and Philosophy during 1- 3rd cent AD. The discussion about Sunga Art and Kushna Art was in progress. It is one of the high time in sculptural art in northern India,along with the main stream Buddhist art we also come across the concept of Hindu Deities flourishing. The forms of Shiva, Duraga,Ganesha, Krishana, Balram were started appearing in red sand stone at Mathura. It is a parallel development of both Buddhist and Hindu art. There is also progress in the Jain art at the same time at Mathura Art Centre. There are several references to Shiva, Rudra in the Vedas, so does Mother Goddess concept survived from time immemorial. But the concept of Krishna- a Supreme being living mundane life of a mortal comes abruptly on the surface.He belongs to the community of milkman,he is a naughty child and teenager yet miraculous one. He fights evils and odds and helps one and all.
As that day, the audience was from Indian origin only, I gave a brief description of Krishna and wanted to continue with various art forms of the period.Before, I could really get on to another art from, one of the listener wanted to go back to the Krishna and his rel ted tales and wanted to have a discussion.I welcomed his desire, and the forum was open for the same. The listener was a follower of Buddhist philosophy and concept. ( I would prefer to call Buddhism a philosophy and concept, because as Art historian I am aware, it was never professed as a religion). this Buddhist listener posed a question to the forum " Why sudden emergence of a miraculous man on the earth, who lives a mundane life within the milkman community?"
There were several answers on the floor, but none of them was convincing enough"
In brief, in Hindu philosophy/ concept, all deities lived in haven like vaikunth, Mt kailash; away and above the mortal world. (We have Lord Rama, who was part of mortal world, but was a king, well it is a different concept altogether.I shall discuss this in another post.) How come this Lord Krishna is a common man before he starts with his expedition of killing evils.
This listener explained in simple words- Because the faith of Buddhism was flourishing and was encompassing people from all strata, beyond any discrimination, it was a question of survival for the Hindu faith. Hindu faith which was secured and preserved by the Brahmins, Kshtritas and vaishya class of the society. People not belonging to the above mentioned three classes were embracing Buddism at large. It had two clear consequence on the society- one the Hindu faith was fainting away, and second these Buddhist followers then no longer belong to the lower strata of the society. so the society becomes devoid of a class of people who were doing menial tasks for them. An established social and professional class system was threaten for its existence. To avoid such situation, the concept of Lord Krishna came in. He was lord with whom one and all could relate. He was also part of mortal society as was Buddha.It seems like a sociological theory of Philosophy of Krishna.
As far, art history is concerned, I have come across form of Krishna in 3 rd cent BC. Krishna the lover, has been carved beautifully in ivories part of collection from Kabul Museum. Currently, this collection in a Paris Museum. The forms are astonishingly beautiful, they are subtle, agile, and highly romantic.

The debate related to dating of Bagvata Geeta also relate to the same question. What I saw in those ivories do interpret the Bagavata Geeta as well.So the genesis of concept of Krishana is prior to this debate of Budhism and Hinduism.

The BUZZ Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 04:33:00 -0800

A news line in TOI (dated 16th Feb ’08) left me wondering the similarities between in elearning and a newspaper. The news line titled “Creating the Buzz Factor” talks about the newspaper being recognized as one of India’s buzziest brands with the Buzzy 10 awards. The brand also underscores the yawning gap between all other media brands – across delivery platforms, be it print, television or internet.

What is BUZZ?
Buzz is when a product touches the heart and minds of the customer. Buzz is the customer’s way of saying: I am delighted with you; therefore I keep talking about you.

What is the X factor which has lead this brand to be the buzziest, when all
Newspapers sell the same headlines and the news?

Is it difficult to find define …

It’s the difference between the content (here news lines) management and designing- the way the news items appear with catchy headlines, the language which is easy to connect and comprehend, and the most important how these news items are spread across as per the relevance and rationale. In other words, we are talking about content designing.

Now, let’s see how TOI has achieved it?
As stated by Seth Godin: "Ideas are not a sideshow that make our factory a little more valuable. Our factory is a sideshow that makes our ideas a little more valuable. In the world of ideas, we can often be distracted by side shows: competitive rivalry, market one up-man-ship, readership claims.Those who believe in side shows compete for the side shows. They miss the big thing and the next big thing. In due course, they either perform on the sidelines or perish. Remember: there can be no buzz if you don’t drive the market. There can be no buzz without the ideas. There can be no buzz without delight."

I believe same applies for effective Instructional Design. Though an ID does not have full control or has mastered the base content, yet to groom it in a manner that it becomes learner’s delight – depends upon the ID’s core capabilities. It is just a difference of a Valuable Idea- out of box thinking which can make the BUZZ thing buzzing.

Museum- Building Bridge in Multi Cultural Fabric Society

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 22:16:00 -0700

Museums are repositories of our past, tradition, heritage and material culture. They are institutions with great responsibility to collect, preserve and exhibit our tangible and non tangible heritage and culture. In today’s world, where cultural boundaries are becoming blur at one hand, and are creating conflict on the other hand, countries like India with multicultural societies are surviving at risk. India is country with diverse cultures, our diversity is unmatched. India has been a melting pot of diverse cultures from time immemorial. It has enriched its culture by the means of assimilation and acceptance from all over the world. Apart from, the traditionally acknowledged cultures, we may include new born cultures; what we may call culture of technology, culture of Metro cities, culture of small towns etc. One may see the development of cultures as colors of rainbow, when at peace, but at time of conflicts this beautiful rainbow can turn into a multi headed unmanageable hydra. In such circumstances, museums as integral part of society can play an important role by eradicating past and present inequalities in cultural representation of diverse people. Now, museums are increasingly becoming forums for the promotion of community relations and peace. They are addressing the problems created due to inadequate cross cultural understanding, historical fears and ethnic tensions, through negotiated activities driven by community relations strategies.
Museums are one platform where one can learn about different cultures throughout the world by viewing intriguing exhibits, which display artifacts and art. Museums showcase the history and diversity of multicultural communities, and foster greater understanding, appreciation, tolerance and pride of our heritage.
One of the missions of the museum is bridging the gap through exhibits and programs, by providing visitors the opportunity to foster an understanding and appreciation of diverse ethnic and cultural heritages, and encourage social tolerance and cooperation within a growing multicultural society.
The following key issues are central to the way museums are playing a pivotal role in bridging gaps in multicultural societies and addressing the wide range of issues with cross cultural dimensions.
Increasing recognition that Cultural diversity is a historical and social reality at the local, regional, national and global levels and museums reflect the cultural diversity. The cultural diversity is a rich inheritance of humanity that will endure as the central pillar for peace, harmony and cultural sustainability of the world.
Creating of fundamental need to acknowledge that all cultures and their manifestations are equally valid in a culturally democratic world. Within this context museums are exploring ways of relating to community cultures and economic development, the sense of place, identity and self-esteem of different people.
Exploring of inclusive methodology to address different contextual frameworks of cultural diversity including a multiplicity of interactions and cultural borders. These borders include race, ethnicity, colour, gender, class, age, physical ability, regions, location, language, faith, creed, economic status, sexual preference and so on.
Creating awareness about the cultural needs of minorities, indigenous populations and 'societies in transition' who have experienced disempowerment through displacement, dispossession and the ravages of war. The particular concerns of minorities whose cultural self-esteem and hence well-being is at risk through a process of overt or covert marginalization in mainstream societies should be addressed.
Museums are developing programmes to address cross cultural generational concerns through being relevant to children, young people and senior citizens in multicultural societies. Museums may develop projects and policies on what is called 'successful aging'. Similarly the challenge is to make museums themselves relevant to new generations of children and young people. Museums are trying to connect to play a seminal role where the confidence and cultural self-esteem of youth are coupled with the creation of cultural industry employment opportunities in innovative ways.
Museums are increasingly using networking and cultural exchanges as critical tools for effective cultural communication and sharing of different approaches to appreciate diverse cultures. Still, there is wide scope and need to share and exchange ideas and models on the different approaches to achieving a balance between culture, diversity, heritage and development concerns.
In short, I would like to emphasis upon guiding principles for museums, to evolve strategies for building bridges in multicultural societies-
Recognition and affirmation of cultural diversity at the local, regional and international levels and the reflection of this diversity in all policies and programs of museums across the world.
Promotion of heritage representation with active input from all cultures through appropriate processes of consultation, negotiation and participation.
Cooperation and coordination to share projects and enhance cultural exchanges so as to maximize on resources and expertise at the regional and global levels.
Promoting the sense of place and identity of diverse peoples through the appreciation of their diverse inheritances and the fostering of a shared vision inspired by the spirit of reconciliation.
Fostering of creativity and the development of challenging approaches to stimulate inclusive heritage consciousness in multicultural societies.
Directed and sustained endeavors to increase the operational capacity of museums to respond to transformation and changes in multicultural societies with vigor and insight.
Maximisation on the ways that will encourage the diversification of resources to address competing demands of cultural equity concerns and cultural economics.

TYEB MEHTA-The Arch Modernist

noreply@blogger.com (Museums) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:28:00 -0700

TYEB MEHTA-The Arch Modernist

“If you have an orange red and you put a particular blue, effect will be greater” said Kindnsky. Same treatise struck him from his student days. Tyeb Mehta’s gamut of art is essentially the very essence of this statement. He could create his language even with playing against harmony of colors while confronting this problem intuitively.

Tyeb Mehta was born in 1925 in rural Gujarat, in western India, and was brought up in the Crawford Market neighborhood of Mumbai, in Dawoodi Bohras. Tyeb Mehta spent an initial period working as a film editor in a cinema laboratory. His interest in painting however took him to the Sir J.J. School of Art from where he received his diploma in 1952.There, he met the seminal circle of Indian modernists, the Progressive Artists Group.

One finds, his prime concern is to explore the colour, surfaces, and harmonies; the images seem almost incidental. Though figures are no less decisive; they are transformation of essence with existence of what and how he feels, sees and reacts for any subject, situation and symbol. To look at his painting, one may ignore the figures and then can see the figures in relation with each other.
He draws with a red chalk and paints matt colors to create opacity. Matt colors give desired density and saturation. He prefers to paint in the first instance and painting another layer of color is extremely unwanted, probably never attempted.

The falling human figure, the buffalo-demon of Hindu lore, the rickshaw-puller is constant theme in his work. They all convey controlled violence. The trauma of the Partition was the initial inspiration. "That made me choose my image," he says. In the process, he developed a style and pictorial language, which remains. "I don't work on events but prefer to create an image which becomes a metaphor," he says.

His Kali is potbellied and squat. Her arms are flailing and her mouth is a terrifyingly gorgeous gash of red. The art critic Yashodhara Dalmia credits Mr. Mehta with making the mythic modern. She calls him an "arch modernist." About his image Kali, Mehta explains “I have lived with the Kali image for more then 3 years. It is a primordial image”. In Santiniketan he had felt the presence of Kali everywhere. Images of Santiniketan keep emerging from his memories and he is ready to bring them to the Canvas. He stayed in Santiniketan, in 1984-85 and returned to Mumbai with significant changes in his work.

He painted the Triptych in 1985, and he did the Kali 1988. For all these three years he waited to paint Kali. Kali’s devouring powerful mouth come forcefully in this painting. He is succeeded in bringing the essence of destruction fear and fierce together.

His, the Triptych is based on ‘Charak’ festival – a spring season festival of Santhals in Santiniketan. In the first panel there is a celebratory feeling of the group; which though organically linked together, is individuated. The flying figure on the top is moving with great speed, in opposition to the still cohesion of the group below. So they are in opposition and yet they seem to be linked together. The middle panel contains a feeling of well being and balance with man placed within the universe. There is the woman with the Lamb and an androgynous figure, which reminds one of many tribal societies where the ancestral figure is a fusion of the male and female. But this very compassionate feeling comes from the man located within the universe; later gets disrupted in the last panel. It seems to represent the dark and opposite side of the universe. The people around the rope look desolate, while the flying figure on top has turned into a withered green. The woman with multiple images looks very sad. So the “Triptych” is virtual play of life against death. Dull yellow green color conveyed this emotion very honestly.

“The essential inspiration was the presence of stout short women in white at the festival[1]”. This is one of his rare paintings where a large group of people are together. He is not against narrative but more concerned with the form, other elements of painting and the way they are used. Mere conveying a narrative is absolutely uncalled of.

Another frequent motif: The Rickshaw puller, used by Mehta, with different angles, from mid centre to close up. It transforms with each new angle and remotes it self from immediate connotation of the image.

The trussed bull became his favorite figure. Not a bull in repose, but a tied-up, writhing, mutilated bull. "I was looking for an image which would not narrate, but suggest something which was deep within me, the violence that I witnessed during partition,[2]" Mr. Mehta said. "Have you seen a bull running? This tremendous energy being butchered for nothing." He shot a three minutes film called “Koodal” at the Bandra slaughter house. Those three minutes are the most poignant sequence of the film depicting the very act of slaughtering bull –a forceful animal. The powerful with tied legs thrown down, it is an assault on life itself. His film “Koodal” won the Film fare Critic's Award in 1970.
His work, language and approach to art is universal. Human emotions like anguish and frustration are reflected in his initial works - images broken with diagonals. Diagonals are used as pictorial elements his paintings, he uses it as a means to with falling figures. These two together creates a feeling of frozen horror which is increased by the dislocation of the body. At the same time, because the color spaces have been dividing, there is a feeling of distance.
A close friend of the Progressive Artists Group with considerable stylistic affiliation he left for London where he lived and worked between 1959 and 1964. He visited the U. S. on a Rockefeller Fellowship in 1968.Mr. Mehta's own list of his influences includes the ancient sculptures of Elephanta off the coast of Mumbai, European Renaissance painters, Francis Bacon, Paul Klee and Barnett Newman. Certainly, painters of his generation studied them all.
Apart from several solo exhibitions Mehta has participated in international shows like Ten Contemporary Indian Painters at Trenton in the U.S. in 1965; Deuxieme Biennial Internationale de Menton, 1974; Festival Intemationale de la Peinture, Cagnes- -Sur-Mer, France 1974; Modem Indian Paintings at Hirschhom Museum, Washington 1982, and Seven Indian Painters at Gallerie Le Monde de U art, Paris 1994. He was awarded the Kalidas Samman by the Madhya Pradesh Government in 1988. Mehta's preoccupation with formalist means of expression have led to matt surfaces, broken with diagonals and imagery which while expressing a deep anguish is specifically painterly. "He has reused the modernist method in a wholly inventive and original manner, where the conflicts in his environment, the political and social events in his environment, are expressed with a great subtlety of means. It's always personal and public at the same time." Yashodhara Dalmia

[1] “Tyeb Mehta Beyond: Beyound Narrative painting” An Interview with Yashodhara Dalmia,Art Heritage 1989-90

[2] “Tyeb Mehta Beyond: Beyound Narrative painting” An Interview with Yashodhara Dalmia,Art Heritage 1989-90