Seminar on Indian Art and Puranas

[Guest guest]

Seminar on Indian Art and Puranas

October 26th and 27th (Saturday and Sunday), 2002.

Place: Arsha Vidya Center of learning, Saylorsburg, Near New York, USA

Organizer: Dr.R.Nagaswamy, Former Director of Archaeology, Tamilnadu

 

 

A two-day seminar on "Indian Art and the Puranas" is being organized

on 26th

and 27th October 2002, at the Arsha Vidya Center of learning,

Saylorsburg,

near New York, USA, established by His Holiness Swami Dayananda

Saraswati.

The Center is already running courses for American University

students who

obtain credits for attending the classes. The Center at Saylorsburg is

situated in a picturesque surrounding, about one and half hour's

drive from

New York, and is run as a retreat for intellectual pursuits. It has

excellent provision for holding such seminars including lecture halls

and

Boarding and Lodging facilities.

 

The theme of the Seminar is aimed at focusing on the study classical

puranas

and their contribution to Indian Art from different angles. The

puranas,

especially the 18 great puranas (mahapuranas), provide the main basis

for

the narrative element in Indian art, that played a more dynamic role

in

Early Indian art, though in medieval period the conventional

portrayal fixed

the form of Icons more from the ritual angle than aesthetic

perfection. The

story content as portrayed in the puranas make the depiction lively,

tangible and fascinating so much so the roots of these legends are

easily

forgotten. It is seen in most cases the legends in the puranas are so

humane

and vivid that they overwhelm the readers, even overshadowing the

metaphysical concepts that they sought to illustrate. The puranic

legends

are rooted in the enchanting Vedic ideas presented in ennobling poems.

However their metaphysical origin gets shrouded when the legend

appeals to

popular imagination and is almost forgotten in course of centuries.

The

Puranas are also broadly divided into Saivite and Vaishnavite

schools, but

often this division has no meaning, as there is absolute synthesis in

approach, so much so scholars attribute this tendency to late

attempts.

Though Indian art is studied based on Agamas, silpa texts and

puranas, there

is a need to have greater look into the puranas for revising some of

the

opinions, the Art historians hold and perhaps revise totally some.

 

Scholars, especially from the American Universities and Museums,

specializing in Indian Art are invited to participate and contribute

papers,

on any one of the topic connected with Indian Art and puranas. Each

delegate

will have 30 minutes to present his paper including slide show or

Power

point presentation. Preference will be given to new or fascinating

reinterpretations on the subject. The delegates will have to bear

their own

travel expenses. There will be a nominal delegates fee that will

include

registration, boarding and lodging from 25th to 27th of Oct. and also

conference materials. The intending participants are requested to

write to

Dr. R. Nagaswamy, Former Director of Archaeology, Tamilnadu who is the

organizer of the seminar. He may be contacted in the following

address, for

further details:

Dr. R. Nagaswamy

11, 22nd Cross Street, Besantnagar

Chennai - 600090

India, ph. (91-44) 4916005,

email: nagasamy@x...

 

Students and others interested may also attend on payment of nominal

fees.

Dr Nagaswamy will be in the United States from August. For details

about

Arsha Vidya center visit http://www. arshavidya.org

Email address: avp@e...

Arsha Vidya Gurukulam,

PO.Box 1059, Saylorsburg, PA 18353-1059

Tele (570)992 2339 Fax (570) 992 7150/9617