MASH Podcast: Indian Art History - Episode Fifteen: Leading to Hamzanama

The third podcast will explore the mythological aspect of temple architecture in India. 

A temple is a corpus of extensive Hindu mythology, depicting myths from puranas in mandapas as a representation of secular life, images of gods and goddesses in garbha griha (sanctum sanctorum), and other decorative motifs. 

We will further focus on the iconography of Gods, Goddesses, semi-gods, etc., and how their formal attributes have modified over time, while citing examples of specific temples. 

Since the podcast is about mythic narratives, we also intend to delve into the comparative angle with world myths.

Image credits: Asit Jain, Wikimedia Commons 

Written by Urvi C; Hosted by: Hanima Nawaz; modified by Davangi Pathak.

The second episode focuses on the making of the temple, elaborating the plan of the temple, which is the Vastupurusamandala, as mentioned in the ancient textual sources. 

We will further elaborate on the evolution of the temple architecture - From a temple with just a garbha griha and mandapa to the inclusion of antarla (vestibule) to several mandapas, eventually forming temple towns. 

Image Credits: Kalleshvara Temple, 10th century AD, Rashtrakuta period, Bagli, Karnataka, Photo by Dinesh Kannambadi, Wikimedia Commons

Written by Urvi C, Modified by Davangi Pathak, and Final Revisions by Asmita Singh. 

The Episode begins with contextualizing the essence of being in the temple– how one feels or behaves in the temple and how the temple has been significant in India. We also dwell upon the Buddhist architecture that led to the foundation of a dedicated place for devotion followed by the philosophy of the “sacred”. Further, we focus on the prominent religions of India, viz Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, which became the ground for the construction of several sacred sites. We also explore the concept of Tirtha, a sacred site, as explained by Stella Kramrisch. We discuss the symbolic meaning of each temple structure starting from the bottom which is the jagati to the kalasa, the top, attributing that transpires a devotee while experiencing higher consciousness. Image Credits: Harvinder Chandigarh; Written by Urvi C; Hosted by: Hanima Nawaz; Modified by Davangi Pathak, and Final Revisions by Asmita Singh. 

Shivani Aggarwal's works come from a process of continuously breaking herself to understand not just the world around her but the world within her. Her process is an emotional premonition of her own situation or condition. Over the past few years she has been involved with creating, enlarging , bending and twisting common everyday objects that she finds in her regular environment. Her art practice has evolved into a three-dimensional installation in wood, terracotta, fibreglass and thread. Her use of red thread in her previous body of works has been a significant emotion of expression. They are symbolic of functionality, whether personal, political or societal, which are being constantly challenged.

We have arrived at the end of the podcast series, Indian Art History. In this episode, our host Ayushi takes us to the complex comprehensions of contemporary Indian art. She takes a route via art practices of several contemporary artists through the value of threats, love and care while looking at the contemporary urge to make art. Image Credits: Art Limited/Sudhir Patwardhan; Written and hosted by: Ayushi Chaurasia

The Episode introduces you to the practice of different artists post independence. Through their varied narrative and abstract practices they shaped the modern art landscape in India. They exchanged ideas and techniques with the rest of the world and carved a niche for the South Asian artists. . Image Credits: Met Museum; Written and hosted by: Ayushi Chaurasia

Maksud Ali Mondal (1993, based in Santiniketan) was born in Bankura, West Bengal, India. His practice includes facilitating an experiential understanding of organisms in a durational, built microcosm, using sculpture, painting, drawing, installation and photography. His work deals with microbial contamination as a conversational expression, based on observation of growth, transformations and decomposition of organic matter by bacteria, fungi, creatures, fermentation, oxidation, rotting and with the organic, manmade found objects and everyday discarded materials. In this one of a kind podcast, learn in detail about the artist's fascination with the "real".

As India edged towards independence from the British, Indian artists also set free their aspirations, beliefs and conformities by experimenting and searching for visual idioms that made their work more of the subcontinent. Tune in as we discuss the art of prominent artists. Image Credits: National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA); Written and hosted by: Ayushi Chaurasia

A quick tour to 19th century Kolkata. We are particularly visiting the Kalighat temple where the Kalighat paintings are being sold as souvenirs to pilgrims. This resulted in an art style that spoke not just about religion and mythology but also urged its readers to think beyond through social satire. Image Credits: Christie's; Written and hosted by: Ayushi Chaurasia