ETERNAL BANARAS

The Dasasvamedha Ghat – so named as it believed that it was here that god Brahma performed the powerful horse sacrifice – is a popular, sacred pilgrimage site in Banaras. Crowds gather here every day to bathe in the Ganga. The lack of pilgrims in the print is more Thomas Daniell’s aesthetic choice than reality, even in 1789. It has been suggested that the boat shown on the left is the one in which the Daniells were travelling.

Constantly bustling with activity, Manikarnika Ghat is considered to be an auspicious place to cremate the dead. Here, funeral pyres burn through the day and night, earning it its epithet as ‘the burning ghat’. People from across the country journey to the Ganga to immerse the ashes of their loved ones in the river. In this painting, the artist melds various people visiting the ghats into a colourful blur as they rush to complete various rites, while the buildings loom large over them in what appears to be a picturesque landscape.

A very strong draughtsman, Lalit Mohan Sen found the ghats on the banks of Ganga in Banaras a source of constant inspiration. The artist has chosen to minimise the human pandemonium usually observed along the ghats. The overwhelming tones of orange, yellow and mustard on the buildings reflect the warm rays of the sun; this is in sharp contrast to the dark waters of the river. Two human forms are seen sitting in close proximity, while a third engages in ritualistic ablutions knee-deep in the Ganga.

The Dasasvamedha Ghat – so named as it believed that it was here that god Brahma performed the powerful horse sacrifice – is a popular, sacred pilgrimage site in Banaras. Crowds gather here every day to bathe in the Ganga. The lack of pilgrims in the print is more Thomas Daniell’s aesthetic choice than reality, even in 1789. It has been suggested that the boat shown on the left is the one in which the Daniells were travelling.

Constantly bustling with activity, Manikarnika Ghat is considered to be an auspicious place to cremate the dead. Here, funeral pyres burn through the day and night, earning it its epithet as ‘the burning ghat’. People from across the country journey to the Ganga to immerse the ashes of their loved ones in the river. In this painting, the artist melds various people visiting the ghats into a colourful blur as they rush to complete various rites, while the buildings loom large over them in what appears to be a picturesque landscape.

A very strong draughtsman, Lalit Mohan Sen found the ghats on the banks of Ganga in Banaras a source of constant inspiration. The artist has chosen to minimise the human pandemonium usually observed along the ghats. The overwhelming tones of orange, yellow and mustard on the buildings reflect the warm rays of the sun; this is in sharp contrast to the dark waters of the river. Two human forms are seen sitting in close proximity, while a third engages in ritualistic ablutions knee-deep in the Ganga.

The Dasasvamedha Ghat – so named as it believed that it was here that god Brahma performed the powerful horse sacrifice – is a popular, sacred pilgrimage site in Banaras. Crowds gather here every day to bathe in the Ganga. The lack of pilgrims in the print is more Thomas Daniell’s aesthetic choice than reality, even in 1789. It has been suggested that the boat shown on the left is the one in which the Daniells were travelling.

Constantly bustling with activity, Manikarnika Ghat is considered to be an auspicious place to cremate the dead. Here, funeral pyres burn through the day and night, earning it its epithet as ‘the burning ghat’. People from across the country journey to the Ganga to immerse the ashes of their loved ones in the river. In this painting, the artist melds various people visiting the ghats into a colourful blur as they rush to complete various rites, while the buildings loom large over them in what appears to be a picturesque landscape.

A very strong draughtsman, Lalit Mohan Sen found the ghats on the banks of Ganga in Banaras a source of constant inspiration. The artist has chosen to minimise the human pandemonium usually observed along the ghats. The overwhelming tones of orange, yellow and mustard on the buildings reflect the warm rays of the sun; this is in sharp contrast to the dark waters of the river. Two human forms are seen sitting in close proximity, while a third engages in ritualistic ablutions knee-deep in the Ganga.

One of India's most celebrated twentieth century artists, M. F. Husain created a series of serigraph prints in the 1970s inspired by the forms and rhythms he witnessed on the ghats of Banaras. His introduction to Banaras had been through friend and artist, Ram Kumar in 1960, which prompted a return to the city that held endless fascination for him.

Banaras, the spiritual heart of India's Hindus, is known for its close to 2,000 temples, the most revered and exalted of which is Kashi Vishwanath. Devotees from all over the globe visit the city to perform rites and rituals. A ubiquitous sight in Banaras is worshippers bathing in the Ganga while praying. For this print too, Husain has chosen to illustrate bathers in the river, going about this ceremony under the rising sun.

A regular sight in Banaras is that of boats on the Ganga, transporting worshippers, mourners and pyres to and fro, and people huddled around the ghats under their chhattris (umbrellas), performing ablutions or preparing for the sacred departure of the deceased in the holy river. With his trademark line, Husain's serigraph depicts the various activities taking place on the ghat, conveying both the religious fervour and spiritual calmness.

One of India's most celebrated twentieth century artists, M. F. Husain created a series of serigraph prints in the 1970s inspired by the forms and rhythms he witnessed on the ghats of Banaras. His introduction to Banaras had been through friend and artist, Ram Kumar in 1960, which prompted a return to the city that held endless fascination for him.

Banaras, the spiritual heart of India's Hindus, is known for its close to 2,000 temples, the most revered and exalted of which is Kashi Vishwanath. Devotees from all over the globe visit the city to perform rites and rituals. A ubiquitous sight in Banaras is worshippers bathing in the Ganga while praying. For this print too, Husain has chosen to illustrate bathers in the river, going about this ceremony under the rising sun.

A regular sight in Banaras is that of boats on the Ganga, transporting worshippers, mourners and pyres to and fro, and people huddled around the ghats under their chhattris (umbrellas), performing ablutions or preparing for the sacred departure of the deceased in the holy river. With his trademark line, Husain's serigraph depicts the various activities taking place on the ghat, conveying both the religious fervour and spiritual calmness.

One of India's most celebrated twentieth century artists, M. F. Husain created a series of serigraph prints in the 1970s inspired by the forms and rhythms he witnessed on the ghats of Banaras. His introduction to Banaras had been through friend and artist, Ram Kumar in 1960, which prompted a return to the city that held endless fascination for him.

Banaras, the spiritual heart of India's Hindus, is known for its close to 2,000 temples, the most revered and exalted of which is Kashi Vishwanath. Devotees from all over the globe visit the city to perform rites and rituals. A ubiquitous sight in Banaras is worshippers bathing in the Ganga while praying. For this print too, Husain has chosen to illustrate bathers in the river, going about this ceremony under the rising sun.

A regular sight in Banaras is that of boats on the Ganga, transporting worshippers, mourners and pyres to and fro, and people huddled around the ghats under their chhattris (umbrellas), performing ablutions or preparing for the sacred departure of the deceased in the holy river. With his trademark line, Husain's serigraph depicts the various activities taking place on the ghat, conveying both the religious fervour and spiritual calmness.

Born in Ahmedabad and trained at the Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, Manu Parekh was drawn throughout his life to 'the city of light' and the panorama of human life that unfolded on its banks. 'I look at Banaras,' he had once said, 'with a theatrical eye and approach it like set designing.' He not only staged a return to the ghats through his numerous paintings but also experimented in diverse media to bring to life the spirituality and energy that invigorated and inspired him.

Banaras revels in contradiction. It is full of life, but its business is death. In Holy Flowers in The Sky, the artist chooses to use flowers to  depict this. As a life force, they accompany people from birth to marriage to death. You can use flowers for worship, but decaying flowers litter the ghats. The expressive sky suggests the holy properties of the water that edge the city of faith, suggesting a timeless layering of the sacred and the intellectual.

Manu Parekh draws inspiration from Indian mythology, Hindu texts and folk imagery. As observed in his sculptures, he uses found objects to create a starkly dramatic movement such as this. The sculpture so assembled through found objects forms the four-armed goddess Kali. The placement of the three swords and the bowl with multiple eyes, colour-soaked with enamel, heighten the drama and fierceness at the same time.

Born in Ahmedabad and trained at the Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, Manu Parekh was drawn throughout his life to 'the city of light' and the panorama of human life that unfolded on its banks. 'I look at Banaras,' he had once said, 'with a theatrical eye and approach it like set designing.' He not only staged a return to the ghats through his numerous paintings but also experimented in diverse media to bring to life the spirituality and energy that invigorated and inspired him.

Banaras revels in contradiction. It is full of life, but its business is death. In Holy Flowers in The Sky, the artist chooses to use flowers to  depict this. As a life force, they accompany people from birth to marriage to death. You can use flowers for worship, but decaying flowers litter the ghats. The expressive sky suggests the holy properties of the water that edge the city of faith, suggesting a timeless layering of the sacred and the intellectual.

Manu Parekh draws inspiration from Indian mythology, Hindu texts and folk imagery. As observed in his sculptures, he uses found objects to create a starkly dramatic movement such as this. The sculpture so assembled through found objects forms the four-armed goddess Kali. The placement of the three swords and the bowl with multiple eyes, colour-soaked with enamel, heighten the drama and fierceness at the same time.

Born in Ahmedabad and trained at the Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, Manu Parekh was drawn throughout his life to 'the city of light' and the panorama of human life that unfolded on its banks. 'I look at Banaras,' he had once said, 'with a theatrical eye and approach it like set designing.' He not only staged a return to the ghats through his numerous paintings but also experimented in diverse media to bring to life the spirituality and energy that invigorated and inspired him.

Banaras revels in contradiction. It is full of life, but its business is death. In Holy Flowers in The Sky, the artist chooses to use flowers to  depict this. As a life force, they accompany people from birth to marriage to death. You can use flowers for worship, but decaying flowers litter the ghats. The expressive sky suggests the holy properties of the water that edge the city of faith, suggesting a timeless layering of the sacred and the intellectual.

Manu Parekh draws inspiration from Indian mythology, Hindu texts and folk imagery. As observed in his sculptures, he uses found objects to create a starkly dramatic movement such as this. The sculpture so assembled through found objects forms the four-armed goddess Kali. The placement of the three swords and the bowl with multiple eyes, colour-soaked with enamel, heighten the drama and fierceness at the same time.

Photographs of the erstwhile royal family of Banaras were taken by Raghu Rai in the late 1980s. The focus of this photograph is the last Kashi Naresh, Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh, who lived in Ramnagar Fort. The Maharaja was a learned man who was revered by the people of Banaras as a cultural patron as well an essential part of its religious celebrations.

Various legends from Hindu mythology speak of the formation of Manikarnika Ghat. While one speaks of how a earring fell from Shiva’s ear while he was bathing in a well in Kashi, another speaks of how a earring fell from Nataraja’s ear, Shiva’s powerful and destructive form that he assumes while mourning the loss of Sati. The Manikarnika shrine that is close to the ghat is where one of the earrings of Sati herself fell in the area. Manikarnika Ghat today is famous for its ever-burning pyres.

Artist-photographer Nemai Ghosh visited Varanasi with Goutam Ghose when the prominent filmmaker was shooting a documentary on Ustad Bismillah Khan. Turning his camera on the city, Nemai Ghosh created a series of images of Banaras. This photograph exudes the serenity of the mystical city with boats gathering near the ghats and visitors taking a dip in the river.

Photographs of the erstwhile royal family of Banaras were taken by Raghu Rai in the late 1980s. The focus of this photograph is the last Kashi Naresh, Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh, who lived in Ramnagar Fort. The Maharaja was a learned man who was revered by the people of Banaras as a cultural patron as well an essential part of its religious celebrations.

Various legends from Hindu mythology speak of the formation of Manikarnika Ghat. While one speaks of how a earring fell from Shiva’s ear while he was bathing in a well in Kashi, another speaks of how a earring fell from Nataraja’s ear, Shiva’s powerful and destructive form that he assumes while mourning the loss of Sati. The Manikarnika shrine that is close to the ghat is where one of the earrings of Sati herself fell in the area. Manikarnika Ghat today is famous for its ever-burning pyres.

Artist-photographer Nemai Ghosh visited Varanasi with Goutam Ghose when the prominent filmmaker was shooting a documentary on Ustad Bismillah Khan. Turning his camera on the city, Nemai Ghosh created a series of images of Banaras. This photograph exudes the serenity of the mystical city with boats gathering near the ghats and visitors taking a dip in the river.

Photographs of the erstwhile royal family of Banaras were taken by Raghu Rai in the late 1980s. The focus of this photograph is the last Kashi Naresh, Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh, who lived in Ramnagar Fort. The Maharaja was a learned man who was revered by the people of Banaras as a cultural patron as well an essential part of its religious celebrations.

Various legends from Hindu mythology speak of the formation of Manikarnika Ghat. While one speaks of how a earring fell from Shiva’s ear while he was bathing in a well in Kashi, another speaks of how a earring fell from Nataraja’s ear, Shiva’s powerful and destructive form that he assumes while mourning the loss of Sati. The Manikarnika shrine that is close to the ghat is where one of the earrings of Sati herself fell in the area. Manikarnika Ghat today is famous for its ever-burning pyres.

Artist-photographer Nemai Ghosh visited Varanasi with Goutam Ghose when the prominent filmmaker was shooting a documentary on Ustad Bismillah Khan. Turning his camera on the city, Nemai Ghosh created a series of images of Banaras. This photograph exudes the serenity of the mystical city with boats gathering near the ghats and visitors taking a dip in the river.

Based on a popular novella of the Feluda series by Satyajit Ray, the action of the film Joi Baba Felunath takes place in Banaras. The visual imagery is replete with shots of the city’s iconic ghats and locales. The mesmerising city and its people thronging the river’s ghats as part of their routine lives, provided the film director as well as his still photographer with vibrant frames.

Nemai Ghosh closely captured the many moods of Ustad Bismillah Khan, the maestro of double-reed shehnai. While accompanying the acclaimed filmmaker Goutam Ghosh on his documentary Sange Meel Se Mulaqa (Meeting A Milestone), the photographer took many enduring portraits of Ustad Bismillah Khan, both in the private space of his home and outside in the city. This portrait reveals the maestro in a joyous moment with the ghats of Banaras forming a poetic backdrop.

Famed classical sitar-player Pandit Ravi Shankar was born to a wealthy Bengali family in Banaras. The sitar player held the city close to his heart as it was here he encountered his spiritual gurus. The musician often spoke of his childhood in the city where the riverfront offered the greatest of entertainment in the form of theatre, music and its many palaces.

Based on a popular novella of the Feluda series by Satyajit Ray, the action of the film Joi Baba Felunath takes place in Banaras. The visual imagery is replete with shots of the city’s iconic ghats and locales. The mesmerising city and its people thronging the river’s ghats as part of their routine lives, provided the film director as well as his still photographer with vibrant frames.

Nemai Ghosh closely captured the many moods of Ustad Bismillah Khan, the maestro of double-reed shehnai. While accompanying the acclaimed filmmaker Goutam Ghosh on his documentary Sange Meel Se Mulaqa (Meeting A Milestone), the photographer took many enduring portraits of Ustad Bismillah Khan, both in the private space of his home and outside in the city. This portrait reveals the maestro in a joyous moment with the ghats of Banaras forming a poetic backdrop.

Famed classical sitar-player Pandit Ravi Shankar was born to a wealthy Bengali family in Banaras. The sitar player held the city close to his heart as it was here he encountered his spiritual gurus. The musician often spoke of his childhood in the city where the riverfront offered the greatest of entertainment in the form of theatre, music and its many palaces.

Based on a popular novella of the Feluda series by Satyajit Ray, the action of the film Joi Baba Felunath takes place in Banaras. The visual imagery is replete with shots of the city’s iconic ghats and locales. The mesmerising city and its people thronging the river’s ghats as part of their routine lives, provided the film director as well as his still photographer with vibrant frames.

Nemai Ghosh closely captured the many moods of Ustad Bismillah Khan, the maestro of double-reed shehnai. While accompanying the acclaimed filmmaker Goutam Ghosh on his documentary Sange Meel Se Mulaqa (Meeting A Milestone), the photographer took many enduring portraits of Ustad Bismillah Khan, both in the private space of his home and outside in the city. This portrait reveals the maestro in a joyous moment with the ghats of Banaras forming a poetic backdrop.

Famed classical sitar-player Pandit Ravi Shankar was born to a wealthy Bengali family in Banaras. The sitar player held the city close to his heart as it was here he encountered his spiritual gurus. The musician often spoke of his childhood in the city where the riverfront offered the greatest of entertainment in the form of theatre, music and its many palaces.