During the last few years, the contemporary art scene in the country has blossomed into a high profile attention getter, auctioned at never before prices by international auctioneers. The works of all India’s best artists are pre sold almost always, but can sometimes be seen at art galleries in New Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Calcutta, Vadodara and Trivandrum. Art exhibitions are held in these cities from time to time, and feature solo and group shows. Museums all over the country exhibit objects that range from finds at archaeological sites, miniature paintings, royal memorabilia to India’s finest traditional crafts. Of course, this varies from one museum to another.
In Gujarat, the city of Ahmedabad has a sprinkling of museums, all the private collections of an individual or a family. The Shereyas Museum of Folk Art, the Calico Museum of Textiles, the Kite Museum and the Utensils Museum, each display another facet of the rich heritage of craft traditions of Gujarat. Vadodara’s museum is housed in an old palace building and includes extremely rare bronze figurines. In the north, Jammu’s two museums display a valuable collection of miniature paintings collectively known as ’Pahari’ or hill schools.
The Orissa State Museum
A visit to the museum provides an instant overview of Orissa as it was and still is. It has a rich collection of sculptures, coins, copper plates, stone inscriptions, lithic and bronze age tools, rare manuscripts written on palm leaves, traditional and folk musical instruments.
Hyderabad’s most famous museum is the Salar Jung Museum, again a personal collection which features priceless treasures and whimsical objects side by side. Trivandrum has a museum whose building is probably the most photographed edifice in the city. Objects displayed inside are exquisitely carved bronze temple figures. Cochin has a number of museums housed in buildings that were built by the Dutch as palaces, and by local rulers. A small museum on the outskirts of the city is the Museum of Natural History, the vision of its founder. Sound and light shows bring to life all the figures exhibited that range from classical dancers to Portuguese traders. Calcutta too has a museum that was the personal collection of one family, at Mallick’s Palace. It is impossible to give a brief account of a subject that requires a full volume to itself. Every city or town in the country will have a museum featuring classical, tribal or folk art. Information regarding timings and special exhibitions will be available at the hotel counter.
Visual and performing arts – a brief introduction. Comprehensive arts – painting, crafts, music, dance, performance. India from very early days, starting with the Indus period has boasted of a well developed heritage in all forms of arts, including architecture, literature, sculptures, painting, music, dance forms, and theatre.
Smithsonian Lesson Plan—Puja is the act of showing reverence to a god or to aspects of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals.
Milthali Folk Art Paniting :- Unit plan for secondary students. Includes image library and resources – very thorough plan. By by Kay Corcoran, 6th grade teacher at Del Mar Middle School in Tiburon, California.
