Civil servant-turned-writer Raghav Chandra will talk about how the tiger’s fight for survival inspired his just-launched novel Scent of a Game. Exciting works of fiction, non-fiction and those of academic interest will be showcased through readings, panel discussions and informal conversations. The aim is to tap into the rich intellectual wealth of Delhi and the IGNCA, and bridge the divide between the reader and writer in the wonderful setting on the IGNCA Library.

On 21st June 2014, the Raja Deen Dayal exhibition was inaugurated at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) NGMA by noted historian Dr Ramachandra Guha. Mr. Sudhakar Rao, Dr Himani Pande, Mr KG Kumar, Director NGMA and Mr. Vikram Sampath participated. The Exhibition is on for a month till 20th July 2014 and opens on all days except Mondays.

• Photo

Inauguration on 21st June 2014, 6:00 PM, by Dr. Ramachandra Guha, Historian.

being cut out of a single piece of rock from top to bottom and open to the sky. The presentation explores many contours of the temple, including the geo-location, the cultural/religious significance of the temple which is part of Ellora. Going deep into the history and mystery of the temple she has reached more questions than answers- Maharshi Valmiki and Vyasa sitting at the entrance, angels all over flying with garlands, the vaulted barrel structures, the kalashas, lion-like animals called sharduls at the top , guarding the temple and fighting with elephants. Is there any parallel of these barrel type to the arc of the covenant and of the Kalashas to the Holy Grail?’ The technology of rock cutting looks amazing as an in depth study has confirmed that there are no chisel marks at certain parts of the temple. The whole Kailash temple awaits multi-disciplinary research. Venue: IGNCA Lecture Room,11 Mansingh Road, New Delhi 110 001 Time: 4.00 p.m.

Duration: 49 minutes Produced by IGNCA
The icons of Lord Jagannath and his companions in Jagannath Temple of Puri in Orissa are made of Neem wood. Ritualistically, these icons are made after an interval of 12/19 years. This ancient event revolves around Banajaga Yatra, the journey undertaken in search of the sacred log. Temple men known as Dayitas or Daitas, said to be descendents of Visavasu tribe of mythological origin, are authorized for this exercise. Many rituals are followed before the tree is axed. Most important point to be noted is that in this process a new sapling is planted on the spot where the Neem tree was axed – a gesture of balancing the nature.

Director: Shri Prithviraj Mishra

Inauguration on 13th June 2014 at 6.30 PM by His Excellency Governor of Karnataka Dr HR Bhardwaj.

The talk shall throw light on The Indian classical Dance forms that are endowed with immense potential to energize the body and mind due to its many qualities which have been studied in detail by Kanaka Sudhakar for the past 20 years. The effects of dance on the muscular, nervous, circulatory, digestive, nervous systems and the various parameters affecting the mental potentials will be considered in this lecture. Venue: Lecture Room,11 Mansingh Road, Entry from Gate opp. Raksha Bhavan Time: 5.30 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.

In the month of June, the SRC organized an exhibition titled ‘Brhadiswara: the Monument and the Living Tradition’ based on nearly 2 deca des of research and documentation done at IGNCA on this 1000 year old architectural marvel and UNESCO World Heritage site.

The exhibition was inaugurated by His Excellency Dr. H R Bhardwaj, Governor of Karnataka on 13th June 2014 at the Venkatappa Art Gallery. Smt Veena Joshi, Joint Secretary IGNCA, Dr. R Nagaswamy, historian and project coordinator and Mr. Vikram Sampath, Executive Director, IGNCA-SRC participated. The interactive multimedia DVD pack on the Temple was also inaugurated.

IGNCA is organizing a special Children’s workshop to expose students to the Traditional Naga Art of shadow puppet. There will be staged performances, informative Video, live storytelling, puppet making and providing a platform to the students to perform themselves. The children will be introduced to the rich shadow puppetry traditions of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Orissa, China & Indonesia and will also explore the experimental Naga puppetry featuring the Tsungteptsu Naga painting style and Naga folklore.

IGNCA warmly invites parents, students and scholars to come and discover this fascinating form.

• View Report

IGNCA is joining hands with SPIC MACAY for its second International Convention.

Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Honorable President of India; would be inaugurating the Convention on 8th June 2014 at 5.30 p.m.

Some of the artistes featuring in the Convention are Dr. M Balamuralikrishna (Carnatic Vocal), Ustad Amjad Ali Khan (Sarod), Prof. T. N. Krishnan (Carnatic Violin), Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia (Flute), Begum Parveen Sultana (Hindustani Vocal), Vidwan T.V.Sankaranarayanan (Carnatic Vocal) and many more. Several inspiring gurus would be conducting the workshops and intensives. You may watch the action live on webcasts screened on the SPICMACAY website.  http://www.spicmacay.com/

• Schedule
• Program Details
• List of Intensive Workshops

Threads of Change: Textile Cultures of North East India

The IGNCA has commissioned the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad to study and document the textile traditions of the North Eastern states under the project titled, Documenting the Textile Traditions of the North Eastern States of India: A Composite Design Study of Fibres, Fabrics, Looms & Tools, Uses and Cultural Indicators. Spread over a period of four years, it is a comprehensive study of textile traditions in the North East. During the course of the project, teams comprising textile designers, historians, sociologists, photographers and videographers spent two months on field and conducted a holistic study of their traditional textiles; which included documenting fibres, fabrics, looms, tools, weaving techniques and dyeing methods, and also narratives, myth, migration stories, and unique socio-cultural practices of the indigenous communities. Documentation of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland was conducted in the first phase of the project while the states of Mizoram, Tripura, Manipur, and Sikkim are being documented in the second phase will be on display.This is part of the on-going collaborative project between IGNCA and NID.

In the Craft demonstrations area, weavers from all the four states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland will demonstrate their skills with the use of loin loom and other handlooms.

Exhibition Hall, Ground Floor, 11, Mansingh Road, New Delhi – 110 001

Time: 10.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.

Date: 7 – 8 January 2014 The symposium, which is a part of the ongoing documentation project, is not an end in itself but rather a milestone on a journey that seeks transformation in the North East through its craft heritage and craft opportunities. It showcases the documentation done in the first phase of the project. The NID documentation will open avenues for acts of reciprocity. This outcome of transforming implicit indigenous knowledge into explicit material will serve as a rich resource for the future generations, various stakeholders in the region, as well as the policy makers.

Time: 10.00 a.m. – 5.00 p.m.
Venue:Lecture Hall, 11 Mansingh Road, IGNCA.
(Participation in the Symposium by invitation only)

Event: – A Food festival is also being organized where the traditional cuisines from the North East region will be available.
Time: 10.30 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.
Lawns, 11 Mansingh Road, IGNCA

• Threads of Change
• The symposium

By Mayur Babulal Thakare, Circle Officer Former Competent Authority Office (For Archaeological Survey of India, Mumbai Circle)

• Poster (JPG)
• Abstract for the talk (PDF)

Abstract for the talk  |  Poster

Video Clip  |  Invitation  |