“India is my country and all Indians are my brothers and sisters.
I love my country and I am proud of its rich and varied heritage.
I shall always strive to be worthy of it….”
We have been reciting this pledge for more than 10 years of our schooling. We have pledged our devotion to our country and to its rich and varied heritages. But what exactly are we striving to be worthy of? What is heritage? And further, what is cultural or intangible heritage?
India has always been a riot of colours. There will be very few countries as colourful as India. Each region, state, village, and street is animated with colours as if a collage from an art book! There are cities named after colours like Jaipur – The Pink City and Jodhpur – the Blue City of India, etc. Colours and their significance in our day to day life is much a part of our Indian consciousness. Their symbolism stands out and controls every aspect of life in India. These vibrant colours are a common thread that ties together the diversity of our country. This diversity was also evident in India’s art of painting, with each region developing a culturally unique style of paintings!
Continue reading Celebrating the Colourful World of Indian Paintings
The written word has an impact far greater than that what is heard. It has a farther reach, can be authenticated easily and preserved in a better way than just in memory. Communication and transfer of knowledge, in Ancient India, was more popular through oral means. We have a reference in Chanakya Niti, where Chanakya says “Knowledge reduced down to the book, like loaned money, will be of no use in time of need.” However, as time progressed most of the things began to be written down in various texts and treatises, Chanakya Niti included. This art form has served multiple purposes since its inception including the duplication of religious texts and as a form of basic communication.
As rich were the oral traditions of India so was the art of writing and calligraphy. Starting from the earliest undeciphered traces of inscriptions found in the Indus Valley Civilisation to the beautifully crafted calligraphies on the monuments, our history of the art of writing and calligraphy spans a variety of languages, scripts, writing materials and styles. While the art has easily morphed and adjusted itself in the modern digital world, the ancient style of calligraphically writing and documenting forms an alluring part of our heritage.
Continue reading Celebrating the Art of Writing and Calligraphy
World Heritage Week, as declared by UNESCO, is celebrated around the world from 19th to 25th of November every year. In a way, we all celebrate our cultural heritage every day, simply by living our lives in a way that represents who we are and where we came from. But one day (18th of April: World Heritage Day) and one week (19th to 25Th November) is set aside each year to celebrate the history and heritage of the entire world. Continue reading Celebrating World Heritage Week #1