16 May - 14 September 2008
Pearson Gallery, The British Library, London NW1 2DB
Admission free
How to get there Opening hours
Discover the epic story of the Ramayana, and follow Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his beloved wife Sita with the help of an army of monkeys.
Over 100 gorgeous 17th-century Indian manuscript paintings are on display in this major exhibition.
The brightly-coloured scenes are packed with incident: battle scenes with 10-headed Ravana, the monkey kingdom of Kishkindha, white elephants and exotic flora, and finally the moment when Rama and Sita are reunited.
The Ramayana manuscripts are brought to life in this stunning exhibition designed by Tara Arts Theatre Company.
Information for journalists
Supported by the British Library Patrons and Friends of the British Library, with the new Turning the Pages production of the Ramayana supported by Sir Gulam and Lady Mohini Noon
Source: http://www.ddinews.gov.in/International/International+-+South+Asia/asa.htm
KATHMANDU, NEPAL, May 14, 2008: A 1600-year old temple in Nepal, considered the country’s oldest monumental site is facing a grave threat to its existence as the valley surrounding it witnesses continuous soil erosion and landslide. The Changu Narayan temple, which is located in Kathmandu valley, some 12 km east of Kathmandu, is on the agenda of a team of researchers from Kiel University who are conducting research into the deteriorating environmental condition of the area. “The surrounding area of the hill where Temple Changu Narayan is situated will collapse if the landslide and soil erosion are allowed to continue,” warned German archaeologist and Professor at the Kiel University of Germany Hans R Bork.
“The monumental area spreading in 36 hectares of land is facing soil erosion, landslide, deforestation and other man made environmental problems,” said Pradhan. Planting of more trees, construction of scientific pavements and a curb on animal gazing, besides creating awareness about the importance of the monument were the immediate steps needed to save the World Heritage site, he suggested.
He said the pottery, bricks and charcoal recovered from the site was being studied and some samples will be taken to Germany for laboratory tests to determine the exact date and history of the monumental site.
Source: http://indiaview.wordpress.com/
NEW DELHI, INDIA, May 8, 2008: Om Namah Jesus could well reverberate inside hundreds of Catholic churches in India very soon, if the changing physical face of these places of worship is anything to go by. The Vatican-blessed process of enculturation being implemented by the 168 Catholic dioceses in India has already seen Jesus acquiring the form of a Hindu sage, St John the Baptist with a kamandalu, grottos in the shape of conch shells, and a church in Bangalore that can easily be mistaken for a temple.
Enculturation, broadly speaking, is the indigenization of the Church through the process of assimilating local culture and symbols in construction, layout, interior design, furniture and religious fixtures. So far, around 45 churches across the country have been wholly or partially inculturated.
“Initially, there was a lot of opposition to this from conservative elements in the Church. For them, any dilution of the European element in church construction, or in the murals depicting scenes from the Bible where all the people look European, or in statues or church articles, was totally unacceptable. That has slowly changed with the growing realization that the Church has to incarnate the Gospel in the culture in which it is being preached,” a senior priest from the Archdiocese of Calcutta told Outlook on condition of anonymity.
By Amrit Dhillon in Cochin, Kerala
04/05/2008
Adorned with gold, and carrying a Hindu deity on his broad back, Babu the elephant plays a central role in religious ceremonies across the Indian state of Kerala.
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Out of chains: After 36 years’ work, Babu the elephant
will be pampered in retirement |
Now aged 45, he is approaching retirement after a hard working life - and, like many of the 650 working elephants in the state, there have always been fears for his future.
Elephants cost £340 a month to maintain, a great expense when the average monthly wage is only £50, and many owners cannot afford to look after their beasts when they finally stop working.
But help is at hand. India’s first retirement home for elderly elephants opens next month inside a tranquil forest at Kottur, outside the state capital Trivandrum, where the colossal beasts can spend their twilight years in dignity.
Paid for by the state government, the home will buy old elephants for a nominal sum from owners who cannot or will not look after them properly.
“We want them to enjoy their last years after being such good workers without worrying where their next meal will come from,” said V.S. Verghese, Kerala’s chief wildlife warden who is in charge of the scheme.
“They’ll get special treats like big slabs of rice, a course sugar called jaggery, and honey. And vets will be on hand.”
The home will consist of 1,000 acres of woodland where each of the elephants can roam freely, as well as having its own personal pen. There, they will be fed, watered, bathed and massaged with large pumice stones and coconut husks by dedicated mahouts (elephant grooms) to keep their blood circulation healthy.
The mahouts will also mix special Ayurvedic tonics from local herbs, which can be consumed as pills or rubbed into their skin as a balm. Elephants, including Babu, suffer greatly from allergies.
Mr Verghese describes the home as “like a wildlife sanctuary”, with plenty of trees, reeds and bamboo where the elephants can forage. The surrounding countryside is mostly rubber plantations and eucalyptus forests.
“A temple elephant I saw a few months ago died a painful death,” said Ganesh Kumar, chairman of the Cochin elephant owners’ association.
“He was horribly bloated and covered in a rash. He died without any care. If this home works out, we can prevent such miserable deaths.”
The first 30 beasts will move into the sanctuary in May, but officials say there is plenty of room for expansion when more arrive. The home will also be open - for a small fee from owners - to elephants who are still working but are in need of a month’s holiday to rejuvenate themselves.
“I’ve seen old elephants who are very sick and need medical care but their owners don’t call the vet because it’s so expensive,” said Babu’s mahout Vinod Kumar.
“Elephants can drink up to 60 bottles of glucose! The home will be a good option for them.”
Described by Mr Vinod as a patient, hard-working and good-natured animal, Babu now amuses a crowd of awestruck schoolchildren by relieving himself prodigiously.
It has been a long day, standing in a truck to travel 50 miles to the temple in Cochin. Elephants are an integral part of Keralan culture.
The southwestern state, best known for its verdant scenery and tranquil backwaters, has 650 captive elephants - the highest number of any Indian state. No religious procession is complete without one (or several) to provide some glamour and solemnity.
In recent years, their popularity has surged and the picturesque port of Cochin is dotted with posters announcing the arrival of particularly famous elephants as though they were rock stars.
The most charismatic beasts even have fan clubs and are judged in beauty contests.
“Now even churches and mosques have taken to parading elephants around. People are mad about elephants,” said Jose Louise, senior programme officer with the Wildlife Trust of India, which first proposed setting up the home.
A handful work in logging but as cranes have taken over, the vast majority of elephants are used in temples. Their work is gruelling.
During ceremonies, they often stand in the scorching heat for hours on end and walk long distances from one temple to another. They are also great symbols of social prestige. They require 880lb (63st) of fodder a month, as well as medical aid and three mahouts each.
Vivek Menon, the trust’s executive director, quotes a famous Kerala saying that alludes to this ruinous expense: ‘if you have an enemy, give him an elephant’. Wildlife advisers say the animals should work only eight hours a day and avoid the searing midday sun. Some respect these guidelines, others do not.
“Some owners are callous. They let their elephants die painful deaths, unwilling to spend money on them once they are too old or weak or ill to work. I know cases of elephants being fed urea by their owners,” said Mr Menon.
When the old age home opens, at least it will provide a safety valve for those who are fed up and grumpy with being overworked.
“We want to save them from the cruelties not just of old age but the cruelties of their owners who show old elephants no gratitude for a lifetime’s labour,” said Mr Verghese.