The Uniqueness of Hand-Painted Dupattas 1: What is a Hand-Painted Dupatta? A hand painted dupatta is more than just a piece of fabric; it’s a canvas of art. Traditionally worn by women in South Asia, these dupattas are adorned with unique designs created by skilled artisans. U...

In the pages of the pious Hindu text- Bhagavata Purana, we find the episode of Kartavirya’s battle with Parashurama, how the sixth avatar of Vishnu slew the king, and how this led to the murder of his father, sage Jamadagni at the hands of the sons of Kartavirya. As vengeance...

A simple, time-tested image of the seated Shakyamuni. The epithet Shakyamuni refers to the rulership (‘muni’) of the Buddha’s family over the Shakya clan. It is a traditional thangka painting made with age-old painting techniques (acrylics, gouache) set off by subtle metallic...

Thota Vaikuntam is an Indian painter. His paintings capture simple lifestyle of villagers like the paddy fields, toddy pots on shoulders of men, the household chores, temple rituals etc. His drawings range from stark charcoal on paper, transparent washes and pencil drawings. F...

Sayed Haider Raza was an Indian painter who lived and worked in France from 1950 until his death, while maintaining strong ties with India. He was born in Kakkaiya, Central Provinces, British India, which is now present-day Madhya Pradesh. He was a renowned Indian artist. Find...

Born in 1960, Seema Kohli has created her own niche in the world of contemporary art since past 35 years. Her creative repertoire is eclectic, encompassing a wide range of mediums ranging from painting, murals, experiential installation performances, films to installations, sc...

Ramesh Gojrala was born in 1979, in Kalahasti, also known as the birthplace of Srikalahasti Kalamkari style. Ramesh Gorjala received his BFA and MFA from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad. Ramesh grew up in a family of weavers, where is was completely surroun...

Maqbool Fida Husain was an Indian artist known for executing bold, vibrantly coloured narrative paintings in a modified Cubist style. He was one of the most celebrated and internationally recognised Indian artists of the 20th century. He was one of the founding members of Bomb...

Manu Parekh is an Indian painter, known for his several paintings on the city of Varanasi. Reported to be influenced by Rabindranath Tagore and Ram Kinker Baij, Parekh is a recipient of the 1982 Lalit Kala Akademi Award. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest c...

Well known for his vibrant mythological collages, Subramanian was born and brought up in Thandavankulam, Tamil Nadu. He graduated top of his class from the Government College of Arts and Crafts, Kumbakonam in 1974. His father was a theatre artist, hence art found a way in Subr...

A compactly carved figure of Devi Lakshmi Statue. Poised within a makeshift temple on a double-layered lotus-bloom plinth. From the iconography to the style of the surrounding temple structure, this composition borrows heavily from Hoysala aesthetics. It is the name given to t...

The irresistibly beautiful Lakshmi is seated on a blooming pink lotus. She is clad in a scarlet-colored saree, densely embroidered with gold. With streams of emeralds and rubies about Her, every curve - neck and hip and wrists - the wife of Vishnu is the most sumptuously dress...

Varahi, a supremely powerful Tantric goddess is one of the Sapt-Matrikas, seven mother goddesses who accompany goddess Durga to the battlefield as per Shakta tradition. The sow-faced goddess is considered a mighty incarnation of the divine mother and the counterpart of Vishnu’...

An art form that unites Indians across the subcontinent is Rangoli Oil Painting. Beautiful geometric, natural, and stylistic patterns are drawn in the courtyard of households, signifying the celebration of a festival or auspicious occasion. Two young girls are seen immersed in...

The vitarka mudra is of great importance in Buddhist iconography. The enlightened one sits in a stable padmasana and raises the right hand in the stance of dispensing vidya (awareness). This is called vitarka in Sanskrit; while ‘mudra’ refers to the stance of the hands in part...

Devi Gayatri is a deity of complex origins. Mother of the Vedas (the Vedamata), She is the personification of the all-important Gayatri mantra. However, according to the Skanda Purana, She is the wife of Brahma and a roopa of Sarasvati. And according to Shaivite texts, Mahagay...

Upon a throne of bejeweled gold, upholstered in blue and purple velvet, sits the gorgeous Devi Lakshmi Watercolor Painting. Her legs are in lalitasana, the signature stance in Indian iconography; and lotuses in Her posterior hands, symbols of wealth and plenty in Her anterior...

Kubera, the God of wealth according to Buddhism is also known as Vaishravana. He is considered as a guardian king of the north direction and of Mount Sumeru that is believed to be the center of the universe. In this Lord Kubera thangka painting, the God of wealth is seated in...

Gautam Buddha, the first to attain Buddhahood, is the founder of Buddhism, primarily followed only by the people of Tibet, but now it is popularly revered all over the world. This Buddha brass statue is a representation of his state where he teaches his followers the ways to a...

Maryada Purushottam Rama has been the 18th incarnation of Lord Vishnu. When Rama returned to Ayodhya with Sita, Lakshaman, and his foremost Sevak-bhakt Hanuman after killing Ravana & affecting his 14yr-Vanwas, his Rajyabhishek was solemnized and crowned as the Maharaja of...

Medicine Buddha is an extraordinary and precious healing meditation practice found in Tibetan Buddhism. the Buddhists recite the mantra of Medicine Buddha to overcome mental, physical, and spiritual problems. Not only the mantra, but the people also recite the name of the Medi...

Butter is used to symbolize the solid, steady mind that is fixed on God, For instance, before starting any major enterprise, a Hindu will perform a ceremony dedicated to Lord Ganesha- the Elephant Hindu God. As a kind of metaphysical actor, butter stars in numerous religious r...

With his legendary flute in hand, the Supreme Lord Krishna Statue stands cast in bronze, his graceful pose with his legs crossed acting as a hallmark to the elaborate carvings of the Hoysala architecture. In the form of Venugopal Krishna Brass Statue becomes the protector of c...

Divinity reaches the next level with Kailash Raj's new painting wonder. He again works his magic with amazing calligraphy that captures the Islamic tradition in a nutshell. Having a vast history and mainly developing from the carvings of the Quran and ancient traditions, calli...

A glorious description of Lord Venkateshvara, a form of Bhagwan Vishnu. Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practices and an increase in irreligiosity, the Supreme Lord descends to reestablish Dharma and deliver the impious people. In Kali Yuga, Lord Vishnu a...