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Events and talks, 2024
Carnatic Music finds itself at a crossroads. While the recent controversy has seen the art occupy the limelight, albeit briefly, there are bigger and greater threats to its very existence. A dwindling audience base, an association with just one miniscule community, static remuneration levels, compositions more than a century old and impresari who follow a 150 year-old format. How can such an art survive? And yet in the past too this was an art that had faced such challenges and saw itself through. Will Carnatic music learn from from the past and reinvent itself? This talk will look at some of these aspects. About the speaker: An entrepreneur by profession and a historian by passion, Sriram V has over the years emerged as a chronicler of Chennai city, its people and institutions, writing several books on these subjects. He is a columnist for The Hindu and the editor of Madras Musings, the fortnightly dedicated to the history, heritage and culture of the city. A Secretary of the Music Academy, Madras and the Convenor of its Annual Conference, Sriram is known for his talks on history and the heritage walks/tours that he leads regularly in the city and in other parts of India. His latest book Chennai, A Biography is a compilation of the city’s past from prehistory to the present times.
The Tamil country has had extensive maritime contacts with West Asia and South-east Asia for more than two millennia. The ancient Tamil Sangam poems have many references to this maritime trade. With Arabia turning to Islam in the seventh century CE, the Arab traders brought Islam to Tamil country soon thereafter. Since the Muslim traders enriched the Tamil country with the wealth they brought, the Tamil rulers of yore granted them privileges to build mosques, as old inscriptions and copper plates attest. As there was no fixed architectural tradition in Islam, Muslims adopted the local architectural style wherever Islam spread, be it China or Mali in Africa. In Tamil Nadu, they adopted the locally prevalent Dravidian architectural style with Islamic sensibilities. As the Tamil Muslim community came into being, over more than a millennium, hundreds of mosques and dargahs have been built across Tamil Nadu in the Dravidian Islamic architectural tradition. They were built even as late as the 1950s. The mosque architecture does not stand in isolation and has to be seen in the context of the cultural moorings of the Tamil Muslim community. This lecture also looks at a few Tamil Muslim majority or inhabited towns with mosques built in Dravidian Islamic architectural tradition at various periods and the stories behind the mosques/dargahs. About the speaker: Kombai S. Anwar began his career as a freelance journalist. He writes on history and culture. He contributed to the "Madras Gazeteer Project", which attempted to document the history of “Madras that is Chennai” from 1600 to 2000. Anwar’s documentary films focus on historical themes. The Archaeological Survey of India commissioned him to make a series of short films on the Big Temple at Thanjavur, an architectural wonder of the Chola dynasty. The films were made in commemoration of the 1000th-year celebrations of the famous World Heritage Monument. His documentary film, ‘Yaadhum’, explored his Tamil Muslim identity and history. It has won many honours, including the Bronze Remi award in the Ethnic / Culture category at the 48th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival, USA, in 2015. Philadelphia Museum of Arts (PMA) had commissioned Anwar to make a film for the Hinduism section at their Museum. Linden Museum, Stuttgart, Germany, commissioned him to make a series of short Films for the recently concluded exhibition “Agam Puram” on Tamil Diaspora, held in 2023. To sensitise the public about our rich heritage, Anwar conducts heritage walks on unexplored areas of our history. He has co-curated the Chikmagalur Muslim Heritage House at Dakshinachitra and has made three short films, on the rich history and culture of Calicut, the Mapilla Muslim community and their ship-building traditions for the newly opened Calicut Heritage House at Dakshinachitra
Arundhathi Subramaniam will talk about the idea of the sacred feminine and read from her latest books Women Who Wear Only Themselves and Wild Women. Women Who Wear Only Themselves is a book of essays which gives us a glimpse into the lives of four self-contained, unapologetic little-known female spiritual travellers such as Annapoorani Amma and Balarishi. The essays are bound together by the author’s enquiry into the “sacred journeys” of her four fellow travellers In the Preface, Arundhathi writes, “These women made no effort to impress. They were gracious enough to share their life journeys, without trying to flaunt their attainments, win recruits, or garner publicity. I am a seasoned listener, and instantly alert to subtle attempts to broker deals.” Wild Women is an anthology of sacred poetry that weaves together the haunting spiritual voices of, by and for women across the Indian subcontinent. It traverses the poetry of ancient Buddhist nuns, Bhakti and Sufi mystics, tantrikas and Vedantins. About the speaker: Arundhathi Subramaniam is the award-winning author of thirteen books of poetry and prose, including the recent poetry volume, Love Without a Story, a book of essays on contemporary women on sacred journeys, Women Who Wear Only Themselves and an anthology of poetry Wild Women which explores the voice of female mystics. Her other works includes the acclaimed sacred poetry anthology, Eating God and the bestselling biography of a mystic, Sadhguru: More Than a Life. A well-known prose writer on Indian spirituality, she has been a long-standing arts critic, anthologist, performing arts curator and poetry editor. She is the recipient of various awards and fellowships, including the Sahitya Akademi Award, the inaugural Khushwant Singh Prize, the Raza Award for Poetry, the Zee Women’s Award for Literature, the International Piero Bigongiari Prize in Italy, the Mystic Kalinga award, the Charles Wallace, Visiting Arts and Homi Bhabha Fellowships, among others. She has written extensively on culture and spirituality, and has worked over the years as poetry editor, cultural curator and critic.
Perumal Murugan’s novel Estuary (Kazhimugam) is his first novel in an urban setting, The novel parodies everything from e-commerce to the fitness industry, art appreciation to political manipulation, cram schools to social networks. Through a meditative exploration of a father’s emotional landscape, Murugan tells of a world wrecked by unchecked consumerism and an obsession with growth, where technology overrides common sense and degrees don’t guarantee education. While Murugan will speak about the novel and his understanding of the space of education in India, his translator Nandini Krishnan will talk about the process of translating it. About the speakers: Perumal Murugan is a Tamil writer, scholar and literary chronicler. He has written twelve novels, six collections of short stories, six anthologies of poetry and many of the non-fiction books. In 2023, he won the JCB prize for his novel Fire Bird. His novel Pyre was long-listed for the International Booker Prize, 2023. Nandini Krishnan is the author of Hitched: The Modern Woman and Arranged Marriage and Invisible Men: Inside India's Transmasculine Networks. She is also the award-winning translator of Estuary and Four Strokes of Luck by Perumal Murugan, and Ponniyin Selvan by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Events and talks, 2023
Tamil Nadu is on the East coast of Peninsular India. This state has been a great cradle of Indian culture and many ancient traditions of dance, music, architecture and life-style continue and flourish here till today. Temples were made out of hard and lasting granite in Tamil Nadu. There is an amazing continuity seen in the styles of temple building here, from Pallava times in the 7th century, through the rule of the Cholas and the Nayakas upto the Maratha period in the 19th century. This makes this region unique in the country. The art historian and filmmaker Benoy K Behl is known for his extensive documentation of monuments and art in all parts of India, including the most remote ones. His deep relationship with the temples of Tamil Nadu began in 1991, when he documented and brought before the world the glorious previously-unphotographed 10th century Chola paintings of the Brhadiswara temple at Thanjavur. His photography made an international impact and changed forever the understanding of the history of Indian painting. This began Prof. Behl’s relationship with the temples of Tamil Nadu, which he explored and photographed with great sensitivity. About the speaker: Benoy K Behl is a film-maker, art-historian and photographer who is known for his tireless and prolific output of work over the past 47 years. He has taken over 53,000 photographs of Asian monuments and art heritage and made 146 documentaries which are regularly screened at major cultural institutions worldwide. His photographic exhibitions have been warmly received in 74 countries around the world. These have been inaugurated by ministers of the governments of various countries, ambassadors, archbishops, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and others dignitaries. He holds the Limca Book Record for being the most traveled photographer and art historian. His films, including 26 documentaries on ‘The Paintings of India’, 26 documentaries on ‘The Sculpture of India’ and 26 documentaries on ‘Spectacular India’ have been nationally telecast on prime time in India, as well as repeat telecasts. These have also been screened at scores of universities and museums in several countries around the world. The National TV channel DD Bharti has been showing a film of his every day since 2001. In January, 2008, National Geographic magazine carried an 18-page story about ancient Indian art revealed through Behl’s photography to the world. Behl has been invited to lecture by many of the important universities and museums worldwide. He has delivered hundreds of lectures for 246 institutions in 36 countries. He has published several books on Indian art. On 21 October 2020, an acclaimed photograph of an Ajanta painting taken by Behl was archived in the ‘Arctic World Archive’, to be preserved in the memory of mankind. In September 2021, his digitally restored photograph of the earliest surviving Hindu painting, at Badami Caves, was also preserved in the Arctic World Archive. Behl is an Adjunct Professor National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru.
TIFR is known as a premier institute for research and education in India, but is also home to a priceless collection of very high quality art, which makes it unique among scientific institutions anywhere in the world. This talk will first introduce Homi J. Bhabha, the founder of TIFR and describe how TIFR was set up. This will be followed by a lightning introduction to Indian art, especially touching upon the Bombay Progressives, followed by the story of the initiation and growth of the art collection in TIFR. Finally, some of the works of the TIFR Collection will be described and illustrated with images. About the speaker: Oindrila Raychaudhuri, a graduate from the University of Calcutta, is associated with two leading Archives of Mumbai the Archives of the TIFR as a Consultant Archivist and the Archives of the CSMVS (formerly Prince of Wales Museum of Western India) as a Consultant Research Facilitator. She is also looking after the TIFR Art Collection and regularly organises Art Walks in TIFR where the art lovers of Mumbai can get a glimpse of the priceless collection.
The textbook definition of heritage states that it is something that has been inherited by one generation from another. The term 'inheritance' covers a wide spectrum - it can include private possessions to shared, public heritage. Individual perceptions of heritage vary from one person to another but with respect to shared heritage in India, public perception is limited and takes The textbook definition of heritage states that it is something that has been inherited by one generation from another. The term 'inheritance' covers a wide spectrum - it can include private possessions to shared, public heritage. Individual perceptions of heritage vary from one person to another but with respect to shared heritage in India, public perception is limited and takes The workshop aims at deconstructing the term heritage and relating it to the participants in order to achieve an understanding of the larger spectrum of heritage. It will also focus, in detail, on the rich history and heritage that Chennai possesses and delve a little into the stories, histories, and varied heritage that have influenced the fabric of the city. The workshop will end with a discussion on what we as individuals and stakeholders can possibly work towards, in the realms of awareness and preservation. About the speaker: Ashmitha Athreya is a formally trained architect with a postgraduate degree in Heritage Studies from INTACH, New Delhi. During her post-graduate course at INTACH, New Delhi, she worked closely with the different heritage divisions at INTACH. She has interned under Dr Benny Kuriakose and was part of the team that worked on the conceptualisation and design for the adaptive reuse of a 300-year-old building in Prague, Czech Republic. She currently heads the operations and is a trustee of Madras Inherited, where her work varies from developing and leading bi-lingual heritage walks to conceptualising and designing the area of heritage education apart from actively handling and supervising other areas of work. Born and raised in Chennai, she strongly believes that the cultural and historical heritage of a city plays a vital role in guiding society towards holistic development. She is inspired by all things old - books, music, movies, buildings, people and Madras.
The name Salim Ali has long been synonymous with birds and with the conservation of Indian birdlife. Well known as "India’s Birdman" or the "Greatest Indian Ornithologist" Salim Ali was responsible for establishing ornithology as an academic subject in India, a science that was virtually unknown in the country at that time. He brought into focus not only bird study but the importance of interdisciplinary studies of the natural ecosystems that are wildlife habitats, encompassing botany, entomology, economics, bio-geography as well as behavioral sciences and ethology. Salim Ali came from a privileged background, yet he preferred not to join his family’s lucrative businesses and chose a tough outdoor life. He took on major ornithological surveys all over the country, spending months camping in rough field conditions. The detailed records he kept of his observations during these expeditions were the basis for his 10 Volume Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan, which is still a valued reference. This talk traces the life and work of a Padma Vibhushan awardee and Rajya Sabha member, Salim Ali, who could engage with people from all walks of life. An influential figure who persuaded those in power to take action for wildlife conservation. Salim Ali was an institution builder, a teacher who expected the highest standards by setting an example with his own meticulous work, yet looking at nature with almost child-like wonderment. While his focus was largely on birds, it is clear that he was interested in all forms of wildlife, particularly concerned about the deterioration of their habitats. His views on wildlife conservation reflect issues that are contemporary and relevant even today. About the speaker: Tara Gandhi is a former student of Dr. Salim Ali, having done her MSc in Field Ornithology with a fellowship from The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Since then she has worked for biodiversity conservation programs with several national and international organisations — the Commonwealth Secretariat in London, World Wildlife Fund, M.S.Swaminathan Research Foundation, and the National Biodiversity Authority in Chennai. She has conducted extensive status studies of protected areas all over India, including in the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands, as well as surveys of urban fauna. Currently, Tara is Vice-Chair of the Wildlife Trust of India, an Executive Committee member of the Madras Naturalists’ Society, a member of the Conservation Committee of her alma mater BNHS and serves on the Institutional Ethics Committee of IIT Madras. The author of books, scientific and popular articles on birds, wildlife and ecology, Tara is the editor of collections of Dr. Salim Ali's papers, articles and radio talks. Needless to say, she takes every opportunity to go out birdwatching.
Is what makes a poem a poem also what makes a song a song? How does appreciating poetry and curiosity about the workings of poetic imagination help a songwriter hone her craft? And how might a window into song writing inflect a poets approach to the writing process? As someone who has loved both literature and music since she was a child, Akhila Ramnarayan identifies affinities and fruitful dissonances between these two worlds from her own lived and felt experience. The talk will trace the creative trajectory of a single song, an experiment in ekphrasis (turning visual into verbal, image into word) from her forthcoming EP with musical collaborator Doug Carraway. About the speaker: Dr Akhila Ramnarayan is a scholar, theatre actor, and indie musician. A professor of literature at Sai University, she currently also serves as Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences. She completed her PhD in postcolonial studies from the Ohio State University in 2006, soon after which she began working in theatre and music as a performing artist in addition to her academic pursuits. In her work as both researcher and practitioner, she is fascinated by the interplay of genres and forms across cultures and time periods.
Believing in yourself as a writer can be hard, and sustaining a regular writing practice can be even harder. As writers, what should we focus on to stay energised and focused on our art and craft? In this session we focus on seven key factors needed to help us stay happily committed to our practice, despite the ebb and flow of a writing life.
About the speaker: Anne Tannam is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) who helps writers to design and sustain flourishing writing practices. For more on Anne's coaching, visit www.creativecoaching.ie. Anne has published three poetry collections, the latest ‘Twenty-six Letters of a New Alphabet' was published with Salmon Poetry in July 2021. For more on Anne's poetry, visit www.annetannampoetry.ie.
The workshop will be an introduction to wildlife/nature photography and will cover among other topics the relationship between human and wildlife, the importance of wildlife/bird life in our neighbourhood, a discussion on habitats, bird identification, field knowledge and birding hotspots in Chennai. Rathika will talk about gear required to watch and photograph, about cameras and lenses and camera settings for nature/wildlife photography. Much of this will be conveyed using her story telling images, and she will share the stories behind those images and the technique used to capture those images. About the speaker: Rathika is arguably one of India's foremost wildlife photographers. She is passionate about birds and specializes in bird photography. In documenting birds through her photographs, she has developed a style of technical excellence combined with a captivating story. She has travelled to most of the National parks in India, and national parks in Africa to document indigenous species and wildlife. Her work has been appreciated and featured in several national and international publications as well as exhibitions. She is a member of Nikons Professional Services(NPS). She is a founding member of RR Foundation for Wildlife Conservation(RRFWC). She regularly conducts wildlife photography workshops, holds wildlife conservation and photography talks all over India. She has served on the jury panel of many national and international photography awards and contests, including the National Awards for photography instituted by the Government of India. Year 2017 and 2018. Rathika was cited to be the best known woman photographer across the world on the internet. Rathika has been mentioned in the 10th Standard Science text book of Tamil Nadu Government state syllabus. For her wildlife photography is not only for her a passion, but a powerful medium to connect and conserve nature. Loves to shoot Indian forest, as she believes India has one of the best Fauna & Flora. Events and talks, 2022
In Association with Center for Creative Writing and Translation, Sai University. When Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma began studying Tamil more than twenty years ago, he had no idea it would lead to studying the work of the great Tamil poets Avvaiyar and Tiruvalluvar, let alone translating their poetry. But both of these beloved poets have become, through their poems, two of his most important teachers. In this interactive talk and dialogue, Pruiksma explores how he has tried to translate Avvaiyar and Tiruvalluvar in such a way that their work can shine as poetry in English, drawing on the depths of both languages to reveal the interweaving of lyric and philosophical intelligence that these two seminal poets have offered and continue to offer the world. About the speaker: Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma is an author, translator, teacher, and performer. His translation of the classical Tamil masterpiece on ethics, power, and love, *The Kural: Tiruvalluvar’s Tirukkural*, was recently published by Beacon Press. Other books include *The Safety of Edges* (poems), *Give, Eat, and Live: Poems of Avvaiyar* (translated from the Tamil) and *Body and Earth* (with the artist C.F. John). He speaks and performs widely, teaches for the Cozy Grammar series of online video courses, and has received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, 4Culture, Artist Trust, and the U. S. Fulbright Program.
India has a long evolution of sculpture be it in stone, metal, wood, ivory or any other material. The stone carvings found on the walls and pillars of temples are not there merely for a decorative purpose, though they do lend a lot of splendour to the structures they are in. They have been placed or carved in situ, in particular places in temples as per the traditions of the Agama Sastras. They have also been made according to the details in ancient Silpa texts prescribed for sculpting such images. People ingrained in these scriptures will well understand their form and meaning and therefore their appreciation will be automatic. However, the casual visitor to a temple studded with carvings, or to museums where artefacts have been housed may possibly not know how to understand or appreciate a particular sculpture. The beauty of the carving will be all too palpable, but to go beyond that may be somewhat of a challenge. This is where the need to be trained to appreciate, arises. It is mandatory to know many, or at least some of the more important episodes, mentioned in Indias ancient literature or else the background story to a particular sculpture will be totally lost. This lecture, accompanied with many visuals, is designed to help the participant appreciate the nuances of the art of ancient and medieval India. About the speaker: Chithra Madhavan has a Ph.D. in Ancient History and Archaeology from the University of Mysore. Chithra has authored nine books - History and Culture of Tamil Nadu (in two volumes), Vishnu Temples of South India (in five volumes) and Sanskrit Education and Literature in Ancient and Medieval Tamil Nadu An Epigraphical Study and Temples of Kanchipuram. She has written the text for a coffee-table book Snapshots Of A Bygone Era- A Century of Images which contains about a 100 photographs of monuments of India. She has also co-edited a book South India Heritage which contains 500 articles on various aspects of South Indias heritage and culture and has edited a book on sculpture for Kalakshetra Foundation which contains twenty articles on iconography by well-known authors on this subject. She is also the editor of three books on the Ranganatha Swami temple, Srirangam, the Varadaraja Perumal temple, Kanchipuram and the temples in Srivilliputtur. Events and talks, 2021 During the pandemic, the CMI Arts Initiative conducted a series of online talks and readings by writers. Details of the talks are given below. Speakers
Talk details
Past programmes
A safe and welcoming space for participants to learn how to harness their creativity and explore how to best manage and enhance their creative writing practices. The workshop will combine a variety of activities, from creative writing exercises, to the art of critique, to identifying goals and designing personalized creative practice maps. Over the two workshops participants will have the opportunity to
Anne TannamAnne Tannam is an Irish poet living in Dublin. Her first book of poetry, Take This Life was published in 2011 and her second collection Tides Shifting Across My Sitting Room Floor is forthcoming with Salmon Poetry in Spring 2017. Anne has performed her work at spoken word festivals across Ireland. She co-founded the Dublin Writers' Forum; a weekly, per-led support group for Dublin based writers, and is a qualified creative coach. Anne is involved in the collaborative poetry project All the Worlds Between co-facilitated by K Srilata, which involves poets based mainly in India and Ireland and some in between, playing with issues of identity. An anthology of the work will be published by Yoda Press in 2018.
Sue Butler will offer a "close-up and personal experience of poetry", She plans to meet participants in small groups and work with them on close readings and analysis of their own poems. During the first session, she will suggest exercises that participants can try before meeting the next weekend. Sue ButlerSue Butler is Poetry Editor for Writers' Forum Magazine and Writer in Residence at the internationally renowned Beth Chatto Gardens. Sue has published a number of poetry collections and has run creative writing workshops for the University of Cambridge, Opera North, UK councils and various literary festivals. She works as a commercial copywriter and has written for TV programmes, educational multimedia and the Malaysian Civil Service as well as pharmaceutical and weight-loss companies. Sue's hobbies include gardening and yoga. She currently lives on the East Coast of England, surrounded by salt-marsh.
Mesoamerica Resiste is a graphic produced by the Beehive Design Collective that was 9 years in the making! This double-sided, folding poster illustrates stories of resistance, resilience, and solidarity from Mexico to Colombia. A map drawn in old colonial style depicts the modern invasion of megaprojects planned for the region and opens to reveal the view from below, where communities are organizing locally and across borders to defend land and traditions, protect cultural and ecological diversity, and build alternative economies. See the poster in a full-screen flyover, with a narrative tour. Tyler NormanTyler Norman is a member of the Beehive Design Collective. The Beehive Design Collective is a wildly motivated, all-volunteer, activist arts collective dedicated to “cross-pollinating the grassroots” by creating collaborative, anti-copyright images for use as educational and organizing tools. The Collective works as word-to-image translators of complex global stories, shared with them through conversations with affected communities.
The Islamic heritage of Tamil Nadu can be broadly classified into two distinct categories: The Tamil and the Urdu. The first was born out of the more than 2000 year old trade contacts Tamizhagam had with West Asia, while the latter came through the conquest, almost 1000 years after Islam first appeared in the Tamil country. Tamizhagam was right at the heart of the more than 2000 year old spice trade that connected Asia, Africa and Europe. The trade not only brought goods, but also resulted in exchange of ideas. It was through this trade that Islam came to Tamizhagam in the 7th Century, even as it was blossoming across the sandy deserts of Arabia, and led to the evolution of the Tamil and the Malayali Mapilla Muslim communities. With the patronage of the local rulers like the Cheras, Cholas and the Pandyas, mosques were built in the architectural traditions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The morning session will also look at the literary contributions, Sufism and other syncretic traditions. This will be accompanied by a screening of the film Yaadhum (Everything). The afternoon session will look at the other Islamic heritage that came about with the advent of the short lived Madurai Sultanate in the 14th Century, the Deccani Sultans of the 17th Century, the 'Nawabs of Arcot', Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan in the 18th Century. This will be followed by a field trip to Kovalam to see a Tamil Muslim mosque and also experience the Dargha. S. AnwarS. Anwar started his career as a freelance Journalist, working with Aside, a Chennai based fortnightly. As an independent researcher Anwar has been focusing on South Indian history, in particular the much misunderstood Muslim history. He is also a contributor to the "Madras Gazetteer Project", which documents the history of Madras that is Chennai from 1600 to 2000 CE. In an effort to highlight our rich history and diversity, Anwar conducts heritage walks and tours on topics as varied as "In the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier", "Buddha Kanchi and Jaina Kanchi(puram)" and "Walajah Trail — Tracing the history of the Nawabs of Arcot". As a documentary film maker Anwar focuses on historical subjects. He was commissioned by the Archaeological Survey of India to make a series of short films on the Big Temple at Thanjavur, made in commemoration of the 1000th year celebrations of the famous World Heritage Monument. His latest documentary film Yaadhum explores his Tamil Muslim identity and history. Yaadhum was featured in the prestigious "Hindu Lit for Life Festival, 2014" held at Chennai.
The sprawling temple-complexes of South India have been admired the world over for their magnificent architecture and sculptural wealth. However, few know that these huge temples are the result of hundreds of years of architectural development. The earliest temples were structures built of brick or wood, perhaps supported by metal. This was followed by the 'cave-temple' tradition–shrines painstakingly carved by scooping out hard rock. Alongside came the monolithic shrines hewn out of single boulders or a hillside. Subsequently, the structural stone temples came into place. Initially fairly small shrines, they gradually became larger and more ornate with carvings on the walls and pillars. The tall gopurams, which are the most eye-catching feature of South Indian temples, especially in Tamil Nadu, were once very short and insignificant structures. Over time, these became taller and bigger, resulting in the finest ones we now see in temples in Srirangam, Madurai, Srivilliputtur. Mandapas (pillared pavilions), which were once small structures, evolved into huge spaces, consisting sometimes of a 100 monolithic and sometimes a 1000 monolithic pillars. These lectures will deal with the evolution of temple architecture in South India and will elaborate on the sculptural beauty they are embellished with–in stone, metal, stucco and wood. Chithra MadhavanChithra Madhavan has an M.A. and M.Phil. from the Department of Indian History, University of Madras and a Ph.D. from the Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Mysore. She is the recipient of two post-doctoral fellowships from the Department of Culture, Government of India and from the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi. She is the author of six books–History and Culture of Tamil Nadu (two volumes), Vishnu Temples of South India (three volumes) and Sanskrit Education and Literature in Ancient and Medieval Tamil Nadu. She has written the text for a coffee-table book Snapshots Of A Bygone Era–A Century of Images. Chithra has co-edited a book South India Heritage–An Introduction containing approximately 500 articles on various aspects of the heritage and culture of South India. She has also compiled a book Kalakshetra Reflections–Sculpture. Chithra is a guest lecturer at Kalakshetra Foundation, Chennai, and at the Arts Management programme of DakshinaChitra, Chennai.
This is a course for those who enjoy movies and would like to deepen their appreciation of this medium. The objective is to discuss various aspects of film making, with specific reference to Hollywood cinema, so as to get a better understanding of some of the different genres of filmmaking. Each day will have two sessions. In the morning session, a film in a particular genre will be screened. The afternoon session will consist of a discussion on the film, led by Parvathi Nayar. During this discussion, aspects of filmmaking such as the nature and history of the specific genre, the director, screenplay, editing, sound etc. will be highlighted. This will be followed by a few short clips from other films in the same or closely related genres. The participants will then write a short review of the film, eiher individually or in groups, that will be read out and discussed. The genres to be covered are Science Fiction, Literary Print to Screen and Horror. Parvathi NayarParvathi Nayar is a Chennai-based artist, journalist and writer. Parvathi's writing includes commentaries and reviews on film, which have appeared in publications in India and abroad, including newspapers such as The Hindu and The Business Times Singapore. In the course of her career she has interviewed filmmakers such as Peter Weir and Baz Luhrmann. She has also presented a TV show on alternate cinema in Singapore. Aspects of cinema also influence her art, which is a hybrid of draughtsmanship and painting, video and sculpture. She has worked with imagery from films in such series as Forensic Cinema, and also uses moving images to create video art works. She encourages viewers to see in new, and challenging, ways the world they thought they knew. Parvathi did her Masters in Fine Art from Central St Martins College of Art and Design, London, on a Chevening scholarship from the British government.
An interaction with Bharatanatyam through an exploration of its integral aspects — rhythm, emotions, and expressions. The three-Saturday lecture-series will allow those unfamiliar with this dance form, a peek into how a dancer translates a thought/idea/story/influence around him/her on to stage using these elements and in turn, establishes a communication with her audience, at a very deep, intense and personal level. Through this process of de-mystification, Bharatanatyam will also become very interesting and more importantly, accessible, to one and all. Priyadarsini GovindPriyadarsini Govind is one of the foremost Bharatanatyam dancers among the current generation. Trained by two stalwarts, Kalaimamani S.K. Rajarathnam Pillai and Padma Bhushan Smt. Kalanidhi Naryanan, Priyadarsini has imbibed this art form from the best. With her natural aptitude for abhinaya coupled with her passion and dedication to her art, Priyadarsini has become a flag bearer for Smt. Kalanidhi's padam repertoire. Priyadarsini's nritta or pure dance is intense and vigorous. A dancer known for her adherence to tradition, Priyadarsini manages to seamlessly blend new choreography with the traditional, thereby gently redefining the boundaries of Bharatanatyam repertoire. Priyadarsini gave her maiden performance ('arangetram') in 1974. In her career, spanning two decades, Priyadarsini has performed in prestigious venues all over India and the globe. She has performed in several countries including France, Spain, USA, Japan, Israel, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Norway.
Valmiki's Ramayana is, arguably, the oldest, extant version we have the story of Rama: a righteous prince, unfairly exiled into the forest for 14 years, his lovely wife, Sita, abducted by a powerful and charismatic rakshsasa, his alliance with the magical monkeys, his defeat of Ravana and eventually, his suspicions about Sita and her chastity. Simultaneously an exquisite poem, an epic and a cultural metaphor for India, the story of Rama pervades our imaginations and our artistic expressions. But Valmiki's text remains shrouded, veiled by its classical language, superseded by its local language variants, out of reach for political and social reasons. This course offers an opportunity to consider this magnificent text, the only one where Rama's divinity is ambiguous, if not doubtful. With the possibility of Rama as a flawed human being, rather than being a closed canon, the text opens itself to readings and interpretations for the 21st century individual. Does the text teach us something about ourselves? Is the idea of Rama as the maryada puroshottama relevant at all to us? Can we read the text as an aching story of longing, of love unfulfilled, of destiny destroying the soul of a person? A close reading of Valmiki's Ramayana in translation will allow us to address these and other existential questions about ourselves as well as about a literary character, political hero and religious paradigm. Arshia SattarArshia Sattar has a PhD in South Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago, where her teachers were AK Ramanujan and Wendy Doniger. Arshia has worked with Valmiki's text for over 25 years and now teaches classical Indian literatures and narratives in various academic institutions across the country.
This course will introduce participants to aspects central to Karnatik music: Raga, different types of compositional forms and essential elements of improvisational music. Practiced predominantly in the Southern regions of India, Karnatik music as presented today has a history of about 500 hundred years. The essential elements of the music are Raga (abstract melodic identity), Tala (A structured cyclical rhythmic form) and Sahitya (Lyrics). In the interaction of the three exists the aesthetics of Karnatik music. Karnatik music strikes a fine balance between compositional music (Kalpita Sangita) and improvisation music (Manodharma Sangita). These do not exist independently; in fact each of their existence is dependent on the other. Karnatik music has over ten different compositional forms and five major improvisational methods used in its presentation. The lyrics used in Karnatik music compositions are written mainly in the languages Samskrtam, Telugu, Tamizh or Kannada. One has to be both a lyricist and a musician to be composer. The improvisational aspects of Karnatik music make the music robust and ever evolving. Every musician adds a new dimension to the Ragas and Talas thereby keeping the music alive. A quality musician must know numerous compositions and at the same time be a creative musician who can expand the horizons of the art form. This form is primarily a vocal music tradition where even instrumentalists try to sound as close to the human voice in their musical expression as possible. T.M. KrishnaVidvan T.M. Krishna is at the forefront of classical vocalists in India today and is known in the musical world as a classicist. Having trained under Bhagavatulu Seetarama Sarma, Chengalpet Ranganathan and Semmengudi Srinivasiyer, his tremendous stage presence, his awe inspiring voice, his great scholarship and his ability to transcend cultural borders make him a great representative of Karnatik classical music. A multi-faceted personality, he contributes to Karnatik music in numerous ways other than performing. He has started and is involved in many organisations whose work spans the whole spectrum of Karnatik music, including research, archiving and documentation, taking Karnatik music to various parts of society and to smaller towns and villages, conducting festivals focused at the youth, and supporting artists from rural South India. He has lectured in IIM Bangalore, IIT Madras, CII, Harvard University and other prestigious institutions. He has coauthored "Voices within", a book dedicated to some of the greats of Karnatik music, and contributes regularly to various journals and newspapers.
In the Indian context, the pursuit of aesthetics was always integral to daily lived life, to our civilizational enterprise over a couple of millennia. Sensuality was something that was experienced daily. Contemporary modernity brought rupture to this universe of holistic concerns. The colonial interregnum brought its own distortions to traditional systems of thought and expression. Keeping this background in mind, this course on Art Appreciation will focus on the past 150 years of engagement with diverse arts in India. It will concern itself with the range of Visual and Performing arts as well as with the ideas that have shaped India and the world during this period. Along with shaping the frame for art appreciation, the course will engage with aspects of the reception of arts. It will deal with a range of themes such as audience formation, sabha culture, connoisseurship, scholarship, media interventions etc. The attempt will be to look closely at some of the formative moments of constructions of identity, self-immersion, institution building, empirical transformations and critical engagements. Sadanand MenonSadanand Menon is a nationally reputed "arts editor", popular teacher of "cultural journalism", widely published columnist and photographer, arts curator and prolific speaker at seminars on politics, ecology and the arts. A former Arts Editor with India's leading financial daily The Economic Times, he is currently Adjunct Faculty, Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, as well as at IIT Madras, Chennai. He is on the Executive Board, Lalit Kala Akademi, Delhi; on the Apex Advisory Panel, National Museum, Delhi; and is Managing Trustee of the arts foundation, SPACES, Chennai. The exhibitions he has curated include a major fifty-years retrospective of Dashrath Patel for the National Gallery of Modern Art, in New Delhi and Mumbai. His photographs have been included in anthologies of the best photographic work from India and he was Editorial Advisor, 'Better Photography', Mumbai. A long-time collaborator with the late dancer/choreographer Chandralekha, he is deeply involved with issues connected with the creation of a contemporary Indian dance and has travelled extensively in India and abroad as the "lights designer" of Chandralekha's performances. |
