History of Indian Art

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7 Comments

Comment by Prabin Kumar Nath on August 19, 2009 at 5:17am

HI...I am Prabin from Guwahati (India)........welcme my creative visual world.....................thanks.

Comment by Shanthi C on May 4, 2009 at 4:24pm

My latest interest is in the Indus Valley script and art. I read this article about the symbols that are found on the seals to be a language and not just symbols. The statisticians have worked on the frequency of the symbols and their placements to arrive at this. I simply love the shapes of the symbols and would love to know what they mean, and enjoy the mystery of not knowing what they mean too!
Check out the details:
http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/24/stories/2009042455732000.htm

Comment by Rochishnu Sanyal on December 21, 2008 at 8:07pm

a big thanx 2 u shanthi...... :)

Comment by Shanthi C on December 12, 2008 at 5:29pm

Sure you can! Welcome. Do write about your interest in the history of Indian art.

Comment by Venkatesh K on December 12, 2008 at 11:58am

Hi every one
i have joined recently i am intrested in History of Art and Achitecture can i join the group

Comment by Shanthi C on September 20, 2008 at 6:20pm

Read the article on Chennaionline.com. It is good to know that the changes are being made. It broke my heart when some of the ancient paintings in the temple were white washed a few years ago.

Work begins in Meenakshi temple
Madurai, Sep 20 : As part of restoring the centuries old pillars of the ancient Godess Meenakshi temple here to their original glory, officials have started works to remove the multiple coats of limestone, paint and other artificial substances that have accumulated on the structures.
The multi-layer coats of lime and distemper and paints that had accumulated on the pillars would be removed with the help of experts by using non-toxic substances, Joint
Commissioner and temple Executive Officer K Rajanayagam said.
"We are also restoring the paintings on the walls with the help of experts by removing dust and smoke clouding over them. Besides, the walls near the Lotus Tank will be
redrawn with Nayak period paintings, using the same technique used 400 years back, though it is an expensive process", he said.
Earlier 'sand blasting technique' was used to clean the walls and pillars. But it was found the technique damaged the inscriptions and splendour of the carvings. Moreover,
UNESCO was also against sand blasting technique being used, he said.
It was not known why limestone coating was done to the temple pillars and walls. 'Maybe the practice that was adopted in houses was continued in the temple also in those days," he said.
While removing the limestone coating was not a problem, removing paint proved to be a tough task, Rajanayagam said.
Though all the pillars had not been whitewashed or painted, according to a rough estimate more than 1,500 pillars in the temple complex will have to be re-painted. Initially
350 pillars had been taken up for cleaning at a cost of Rs five lakh. Proposals had been sent for cleaning other pillars.
After cleaning, the pillars would be given a polyurethane coating, which would make them washable. "It is a type of lamination. Even if the devotees wipe oil on the pillars they can be washed", Rajanayagam said. As per a rough estimate, Rs nine crore would be needed for the renovation of the temple.
The major work is renovating the gold plating of the 'vimanams' (towers) atop the sanctum sanctorum. The cost of the renovation work, barring the cost of gold (30 kg), is being borne by Chairman, Board of Trustees Karumuthu T Kannan.
The cleaning work was being done by certified students, who are experts in dealing with ancient structures. V R Gunasekaran, trained by the National Research Laboratory for conservation of cultural proper, is leading the team which is cleaning the pillars.
The chemicals are non-corrosive. "We apply them (liquified ammonia, non-ionic detergent and other stone-freindly materials) on the first day. Then on the second day cleaning is done with plain water and the flakes of paintings will come out," Rajanayagam said.
The preservation coating would protect the pillars for decades. The new method of cleaning would give the pillars a stunning look. The officials said the paintings and white washing had not weakened the pillars. But water pressure is applied for cleaning after determining the strength.
The administration had also taken up restoration of the paintings in the temple museum, the work of which was almost over, he said.
The Pudumandapam, a court hall with magnificent sculptures in each pillar, would also be taken up for renovation. The entire mandapam, described as an architectural marvel, needed to be cleaned to attract domestic and foreign tourists, an official said.(Agencies)
Published: Saturday, September 20, 2008

Comment by Shanthi C on September 12, 2008 at 11:06pm

When I was Google searching Tamil related articles, I came across this wonderful site. It has pictures of many temples in Tamil Nadu and a couple of videos on the history of India.
http://www.ponniyinselvan.in/audios-videos-photos-maps-f28/