Perpetually confused: 2009

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Kashmir’s contribution to the visual imagery at Alchi

Introduction:
The monastic complex at Alchi in Central Ladakh largely datable to 10th - 11th century A.D. lies in the scenic mountain valley of Indus. It is considered as the most important of all the monastic complexes masterminded by Rinchen-bzang-po (958-1055 A.D.) primarily because it has been left intact. This complex comprises a group of six buildings and its importance lies in the fact that it has the best preserved mural paintings in the area especially in two of its monuments viz. Du-khang (The assembly hall) and Sum-tsek (three tiered temple)

According to the inscriptions at Alchi , the Du-khang was built by Kalden Sherap and Sum-tsek by Tshultrim O, both followers of Rinchen-bzang-po , undoubtedly the most dominating religious personality in Ladakh of that time. Moreover the iconographic program followed at Du-khang reflects teaching of this great religious teacher and the complete layout almost parallel the one seen at Sumda which can be directly attributed to him.

While on the one hand the mural paintings on the monuments here are considered as hallmark of Buddhist painting in the area on the other they have multitude of stories to tell about the contemporary painting scenario in Kashmir valley. Unfortunately as Huntington[i] ,Snellgrove[ii] and P. Pal[iii] unanimously observe there is hardly left any trace of Kashmiri painting of that time which can be directly compared to the ones at Alchi. Nevertheless there are enough historical, stylistic and epigraphical evidences which strengthen the contention and here onwards my hypothesis that Kashmir valley played a very important role in the the stylistic and iconographical development of the murals at Alchi and other temples/monasteries which fall on the route between Srinagar to Guge.

[i] Susan L. Huntington., ‘The Art of Ancient India’, NewYork ,1999 pp.385
[ii] David L. Snellgrove and Thaddeus Syrups, ‘The Cultural heritage of Ladakh’ Volt I- Central Ladakh, New Delhi, 1977 pp 8
[iii] Pratapaditya Pal., ‘Marvels of Buddhist Art’ Alchi- Ladakh, Paris, 1988 pp 19-20

The complete paper published in
Cultural Heritage of Kashmiri Pandits
Edited by S.S. Toshkhani and K. Warikoo, Pentagon Press, 2009, xxviii, 364 p, 26 black and white figs, ISBN : 81-8274-398-4

Contents: Preface.
1. Kashmiri Pandits and India’s cultural traditions/S.S. Toshkhani.
2. Kashmiri Pandits through history: from the early times to 1947/Tej N. Dhar.
3. Abhinvagupta and the Shaivite tradition of the Sarada Desa/Rajnish Mishra.
4. Social structure and cultural identity of Kashmiri Pandits/S.S. Toshkhani.
5. Religious rituals and ritual arts of Kashmiri Hindus/S.S. Toshkhani.
6. Kashmir’s Contribution to Sanskrit poetry and poetics/Ved Kumari Ghai.
7. Some Kashmiri Pandit historiographers/Mushtaq A. Kaw.
8. Shrines and pilgrimage places/K. Warikoo.
9. Amarnath—the Abode of the God of Immortality/K. Warikoo.
10. In search of roots/A.R. Nazki.
11. Shankaracharya and some Kashmiri Pandit traditions/Rashnik Kher.
12. Beginnings of Bhakti in Kashmir/S.S. Toshkhani.
13. Lal Ded and her spiritual journey/S.S. Toshkhani.
14. Political content in the Vaakhs of Lal Ded/R.L. Bhat.
15. The mystic and the romantic: Two Kashmiri women poets—Rupa Bhavani and Arnimal/Neerja Mattoo.
16. Paramanand: devotional raptures of Krishna Lila/S.S. Toshkhani.
17. Prakash Ramayana and other works on Ramayana Theme in Kashmiri/S.S. Toshkhani.
18. Krishnajoo Razdan—melodic expression of devotional ecstasy/S.S. Toshkhani.
19. Swami Lakshman Joo: the sage of Ishaber/Jankinath Kaul ‘Kamal’.
20. Kashmiri Pandits—originators of Pahari-Kangra School of Art/P.N. Kachru.
21. Kashmir’s contribution to the visual imagery at Alchi/Geetika Kaw Kher.
22. Deodar in a storm: Nadim and the Pantheon/Braj B. Kachru.
23. Kashmiri Pandits in journalism/M.L. Kak.
24. Kashmiri Pandits in retrospect and prospect/K. Warikoo.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Madhav mandir at Khaju near Guwahati

Vacant Eyes

Vacant eyes
staring hard at nothingness
Contemplate
on the growing void

Branded a naysayer
Othered at once
Tries to look forward
but for the blackhole blinding her vision

Scared
she shuts her eyes
Lest the gravity
sucks her sight too

In her closed eyes
dreams dwell
Her sole respite
where her gaze
for a change
can pierce the dense blackhole
And lead her to light

Monday, May 18, 2009

On the way to Bhairava temple in Gumkhal near Lansdowne

Monday, April 6, 2009

Hollowness of White Man’s Burden ...A book review

With the arrival of Vasco da Gama at the port of Kozikhode way back in 1498 began the process of colonization of India, which unfortunately has been celebrated as the ‘discovery of India’ in our history books. It is this ‘discovery of India’ that has been problematized by George Thundiparambil in his novel ‘Maya.’

To read the edited version log on to

http://www.vijayvaani.com/FrmPublicDisplayArticle.aspx?id=486

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Musings

Existence
Unsolved mystery
This unbreakable code
Mocking
All our senses

Yet

Yearning
This hopeless yearning
Yearning to know
Neither feels insulted
Nor dies a silent death

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Ponderings

I long for the sea
sheer mystery of it
The silent waves………carrying a story
Clashing
Breaking
Receding back……..to carry another one

Stories of incomplete lives
Broken hearts
And love unconsummated

Not only that
In some secret corner
From time immemorial
Carry tales of slaughter
Deceit
Lust
And caprice too

Their deadly silence
Holding so much violence
Dumbfounded by the utter noise of hatred
Possessing power to benumb the senses
Ironically
Bestow a strange sense of peace

Perhaps
Human optimism
In its extreme
Waiting to find in debris
Beginning of a new life.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

महाम्हौपाध्याय डॉक्टर गोपीनाथ कविराज और काश्मीर्य शैव दर्शन

My first write-up in hindi

Monday, March 2, 2009

Sunday on the island of Elephanta: by Octavio Paz

I had been introduced to Paz way back in year 2000 but somehow never got to delve too much into his writings...probably because they have not been written in english...I remember finding him extremely profound and simple. The directness of his approach instantly appealed to me...
and when last night me and my husband got to read his poems i couldn't help but marvel at his style...
Moreover Elepanta holds a very special place in my heart...its the first arthistorical site that i visited with my department...i recall being completely floored by the over life size sculptures of siva in various lilamurtis...

Here is Sunday on the island of Elephanta by Paz trans by Eliot Weinberger.....hope every one enjoys it as much as i did

IMPRECATION:
At the feet of the sublime sculptures,
disfigured by the Muslims and the Portuguese,
the crowds have left a picnic of garbage
for the crows and dogs
I condemn them to be reborn a hundred times
on a dungheap,
and as for the others,
for eons they must carve living flesh
in the hell for the mutilators of statues

INVOCATION:
Shiva and Parvati:
we worship you
not as gods
but as images
of the divinity of man
You are what man makes and is not,
what man will be
when he has served the sentence of hard labor
Shiva:
your four arms are four rivers,
four jets of water.
Your whole being is a fountain
where the lovely Parvati bathes,
where she rocks like a graceful boat.
The sea beats beneath the sun:
it is the great lips of Shiva laughing;
the sea is ablaze:
it is the steps of parvati on the waters
Shiva and Parvati:
the woman who is my wife
and I
ask you for nothing, nothing
that comes from the other world:
only
the light on the sea,
the barefoot light on the sleeping land and sea.

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Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami

Story of three intense confused souls Sumire, K and Miu who are on their own lonely journeys yet feature in each others too in a meaningful manner. The book in Murakami’s typical mysterious style brings out the idea of lonliness, love and desire in a bold manner. Very much like his other works Murakami leaves it open ended and completely unresolved. The allusion to the ‘other’ world is often hinted at but it does not feature prominently so in the end one doesn’t know whether Sumire is calling from this world or she has managed to cross to the other side. Once you pick up the book it is ‘unputdownable’ for sure.

Hard Times by Charles Dickens

Coming from my all time favorite author this book like his other better known ones leave an imprint on the soul with its wonderful deliberations on fact and fantasy. Story revolves around Louisa and Tom, both children of a wealthy autocratic man who have been brought up with severe discipline almost bordering on mania. While Louisa resigns to her fate sealed by her father and marries a man she abhors Tom grows into a corrupted crook who time and again plays with her emotions for his petty needs. In short it is a story about sister’s love, freedom, simplicity and self respect all wonderfully woven into a fictional account.

The First Man by Albert Camus

Being one of the last reflections on life and a nostalgic autobiographical rambling it is no wonder that the text has been left incomplete. Focusing on his childhood and youth Camus gives us a glimpse of his difficult Algerian childhood under his authoritarian grandmother. The philosophical discussions about the loss of a father and what it means to someone who hasn’t had the love of one is aptly brought out in various places. The anxiety of ‘doing well’, ‘being successful’ and their ultimate futility to is dealt with usual deftness seen in his other works.

Letter to D by Andre Gorz

This is an open letter of sorts by Andre Gorz to his dying wife Dorine whom he has immortalized in the world of literature. It is written simply without the usual melodrama expected out of a romantic work.Not only does it recall only the good times but it often reflects on trying years which would test their patience and love for each other. What makes this work a truly heart wrenching read is the fact that almost an year after the publication both Gorz and his terminally ill wife having committed suicide were found dead lying next to each other.

Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

After reading two collections of fascinating and deep short stories by the author I had to read a novel by him which turned out to be a greater literary experience. Murakami weaves magic in his words, a magic which will not let you put the book down once you are seriously into it. In narrating the mysterious stories of Kafka a fifteen year old boy who is running away from an Oedipal curse and Nakata an old man in his sixties who lost his basic abilities to learn at the young age the author has woven a surreal tale in which you have talking cats, fish falling from sky and the KFC guy yet none of it feels out of place.The apt reference to music maestros like Beethoven, Schubert and Haydn doubles the pleasure of reading this enigmatic book.

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Russian literature especially by stalwarts like Tolstoy, Dostoevsky and Chekhov has always fascinated me a lot. This insight into a passionate young woman’s mind is one of the masterpieces by Tolstoy. Interestingly in telling Anna’s tale Tolstoy raises important questions about the feeling of emancipation and brings to life the Russian culture , society and politics subtly while narrating the story of Levin and his ideologies. Though it follows various trajectories and is full of difficult Russian names yet it is so engaging and engrossing that is easy to lose oneself in the narrative.

Our Moon has Blood Clots by Rahul Pandita

From 'Chinar in my Veins' to random writings on Kashmir posted on sanitysucks.blogspot.com to finally 'Our Moon has Blood Clots' dear friend Rahul Pandita has time and again given voice to his feelings about the permanent homelessness which haunts each one of us, Kashmiri Pandits This bold memoir goes beyond the personal feeling of loss and tries to see the problem in a much broader perspective from all possible angles. Seeing Kashmir issue as a major fall out of the changing political situations in Afghanistan and rise of Shia power in Iran his narrative contextualizes the problem in the relevant world affairs without losing one bit of its literary charm.

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

A thrilling narrative about supernatural experiences written in a sarcastic vein to bring out the evils set in the society. Two parallel stories, one taken from the life of Jesus and set in Jerusalem and other a love story set in contemporary Moscow are adeptly intertwined together to give us a picture of Russian regime under Stalin.The Satanic lures and occult practices usually considered as sinful and evil are seen here as the perfect shadows of our world. When Margarita enters into a contract with Satan himself, she is freed of a pretentious life and enjoys the kingdom of dead with her beloved. A novel which surely if nothing makes one think about stereotypical notions of evil, black cats, witches and so on..

My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk

After reading this book by Pamuk I have decided to transfer the title 'the story teller of our times' from Rushdie to Pamuk. As is evident I am smitten by latters ability to weave a narrative alongside with all rich historical and cultural data he furnishes in his books. While reading I felt an urge to see and study miniatures of Herat school and rediscovered the beauty of Behzad's paintings. A novel written from the point of view of various narrators, some non-living ones too, in its crisp and charming manner draws attention to the difference between East and West. Revolving around the lives of 17th CE Turkish master miniaturists, it opens up a world of lies, jealousy, religious dogma, love and lust before the final collapse of Ottoman dynasty.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Snow by Orhan Pamuk

‘Snow’, a brilliant work of fiction which does more than a formal report on Turkish politics and culture to both enlighten as well as fire the curiosity of the reader deals with myriad issues. It’s through Ka, a poet protagonist, virtually an alter-ego of the author himself that the novel is revealed. Like Pamuk, Ka hails from the Turkish middle class and is torn between tradition and westernization. The book talks about Post Ata-Turk Turkey, the ongoing battle between the Islamic and western cultures and most importantly the dilemma of the people caught between these two extremes. The rise of radical Islamic groups and their adherents forms an important subplot in this multifaceted novel. The story of headscarf girls who wore the scarf as an act of revolt against the westernized establishment and who got fired from various educational institutions is dealt with throughout the book, But mainly the book talks about human motives and emotions behind such movements. It talks of the Islamic high school boys who epitomize Kadife the leader of the headscarf girls and look upon her with great awe and respect while harboring secret passion for her. The novel beautifully brings out the difficulty of being a human as well as the dilemma of not believing completely in what one is doing. It is in the end that Kadife’s ulterior motives are divulged which is to win the affections of her sister’s secret lover, a radical Islamist. The cause is just a curtain behind which one gets to hide the real motives usually triggered by human instincts

Eugenie Grandet by Honore de Balzac

Eugenie Grandet by Balzac narrates the tragic story of an innocent, simple and highly sought after daughter of a rich miserly businessman, who finds her life completely shaken with the feelings of love and passion on the arrival of her dandy cousin from Paris..A moving tale of a timid girl who displays terrific boldness and strength of character to counter the oppurtunists flocking her has a power to arouse melancholia in a manner akin to most of the excellent French literature produced in that era.

The Outsider: by Albert Camus

Here in this story Camus deliberates on how most of our actions are performed by us to get accepted in the society. The protagonist, a young man failing to show emotions on his mother’s death and who accidently murders a man but feels no remorse is judged by the people as evil not because of the crime he commited but because his behavior does not fit the code of conduct meant for criminals. He is outcasted at once as he evokes no sympathy and is a compete Outsider to this world which is essentially based on pretence.

The Name of the Rose: by Umberto Eco

Eco known for his command on mediaeval aesthetics and his extremely engaging articles on the said period comes up with a nail biting mystery about an abbey somewhere in Italy. Following the trail of murdered monks a senior monk reveals a world of deceit , dishonesty and jealousy among the sacred community. Story unfolds in layers and narrates the story of seven days in which the mystery is solved at the cost of destruction of the entire abbey. The description of artworks and discussions of philosophy further engage the reader. Surely an interesting read if one is conversant about the mediaeval European history.

The moon and six pence: by W. Somerset Maugham

Zorba the Greek By Nikos Kazantzakis, trans by Carl Wildman

Istanbul, Memories of a city by Orhan Pamuk, trans by Maureen Freely

Though I am not very fond of memoirs and autobiographical works which usually border on narcissism I just loved this work.Apart from being a personal memoir it paints the beautiful and sad city of Istanbul,torn between westernization and tradition in front of your eyes..thanks to the love and understanding of visual arts of the author. Rather than becoming a lamentation or nostalgic rambling it holds on its own by alluding constantly to history,arthistory, literature and current events. In short a beautiful read by an artistic story teller.

A Doll's house and Oher Plays by Henrik Ibsen trans by Peter Watts

These three plays talk about Ibsen’s(heralded as the father of modern drama) literary brilliance ,modern sensibilities and his ability to twist and turn the plots in the most ingenious manner. ‘A Doll's House’ the most famous of his works is about Nora, a sensitive woman caught in a role of a dumb and frivolous housewife to please her overbearing husband. ‘The Lady from the sea’ is about a woman who craves for freedom of choice to make her decisions. ‘The League of Youth’ talks about the absurdity of having high political ambitions sans enough cunning to identify the truth

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky trans by Constance Garnett

The picture of Dorain Gray by Oscar Wilde

Rereading ‘Picture of Dorian Gray’ after a long period reminds me of fascination I felt on reading it for the first time..your character is reflected on your face and your face is the mirror reflecting your deeds…your sins are explicitly seen as they leave indelible marks on your face…but Dorian's face inspite of commiting heinous crimes remains pure and handsome and he keeps fooling people by his innocent looks and it is his picture painted in the prime of his youth which bears the brunt of his evil deeds and almost represents a monster..

The unbearable lightness of being by Milan Kundera

The Unbearable Lightness of Being’ though published some years back continues to be read and pondered upon for its philosophical speculations on post World war II anxieties in Eastern Europe. The book though a work of fiction underlines the absurdities of life and gives us a clear cut glimpse in the life of the author himself. What is extremely fascinating about Kundera is his belief that a person can write only about himself, hence making all his books his different autobiographies
to read a short review log on to http://www.artconcerns.net/2007May/html/bookReview_milanKundera.htm

Dom Casmurro by J M Machado de Assis trans by John Gledson

I have never read anything as charming as this book. Written in such lighthearted vein yet so well articulated and presented. Though it’s a translation I read but the essential charm has been very well maintained and no where the actual idea or the thought is compromised.A simple work set in a town in Brazil with hardly any big words or big events. The author manages to floor the reader by simple and mundane events treated in a beautiful manner. The average chapter consists of just one page and the narrative style is so communicative that you almost feel the presence of the author..right there ..whispering the story in your ears…the sudden turn of events in the last part of the book though comes as a surprise adds to the entire charm…a must and refreshing read for those who are fed up of reading repeated stuff on identity crisis, religious politics and caste wars

The Enchantress of Florence

Recently read this wonderful book by The Story Teller of our time..Salman Rushdie. The book is about a part ficticious daring woman of the Moghul family who dares to defy her so called destiny for a totally unknown world. The parallel drawn between the Moghul court and the Florentine one is simply marverlous and speaks of the terrific understanding of history and intrigues of these courts. I for one enjoyed reading about Medicis and 'il machias'

His sense of humor is simply fabulous..here is one of my favorite sentences,

"We are the Emperor of India, Bhakti Ram Jain
but we can't write our own damn name"

Polo Khoresh: A collection of persian short stories by Hoshang Moradi Kermani

When i saw this book for the first time i thought its a cookery book as both the title and coverpage picture suggest. Hence didn't bother to give it a second look. I was surprised when the stall owner looking at the books i had selected picked this book and asked me to definitely buy it.
And he wasn't wrong. Stories narrated here are simple but yet so profound..many a times open ended too..leaving lot of scope for interpretation. The subtle sense of humour and sensitive handling of the emotions is refreshingly fresh. Though i love all the stories 'thokhm-e-morgh' tends to remain my favorite...will surely look for more stuff by the author

One Hundred Years of Solitude........last line

"....Before reaching the final line, however, he had already understood that he would never leave that room, for it was foreseen that the city of mirrors (or mirages) would be wiped out by the wind and exiled from the memory of men at the precise moment when Aureliano Babilonia would finish deciphering the parchmemts, and that everything written on them was unrepeatable since time immemorial and forever more, because races condemned to one hundred years of solitude did not have a second oppurtunity on earth." IF THE TRANSLATION HAS SUCH AN IMPACT WONDER HOW IT WOULD FEEL TO READ THE ORIGINAL