A certificate course in ‘ Indian Art Appreciation’  was the first collaborative venture between The K.R.Cama Oriental Institute and the L.S.Raheja College of Arts and Commerce, Mumbai.

 Indian art is animated by India’s religious, literary, cultural and mythological traditons. Various foreign and indigenous styles mingled in India to form an art culture of kaleidoscopic beauty. The purpose of the course is that participants learn not only to admire the work of the Indian artists but also understand and appreciate the rich symbolism and colourful diversity of Indian art.

 The course was conducted from  8^th December 2010 to 10^th December 2010. There were six sessions in all, four of which were held in the auditorium of L.S.  Raheja College. The final two sessions were held in the Seminar hall of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangralaya (The Prince of Wales Museum).

The resource persons made their presentations on the following topics:

Dr. Suraj Pandit----Cave Temples in Mumbai.

Mrs. Agnes de Sa---- Indian Christian Art.

Dr. Manjiri Thakoor----Stylised and Simple forms in Indian Art.

Ms. Shristi Iyer----The Twin Journey of Sculpture and Dance.

Dr. Vandana Prappana----Interpreting Art: A Case Study of Krishna and Miniature Paintings Galleries

Dr. S. Mukherjee----Art and Architecture of Mirpurkhas Buddha Stupa.

There were 65 participants, students  from Sophia College,Jai Hind College, Patkar College, V.G.Vaze College, R.D. National College, Abhinav College,Ramnarian Ruia College and L.S.Raheja College. They were highly appreciative of the effort of  the resource persons in making their power point presentations a visual delight.They asked questions enthusiastically and  enjoyed putting up skits on the Krishna themes. The visit to the museum allowed them to explore the world of sculpture and painting at close quarters.

A  workshop on Orientalism and Aesthetics in 19th Century India

 By Kaiwan Mehta, Art and Architecture Theorist, was held on Saturday 24, Sunday 25, Saturday 31 July and Sunday 1 August, 2010

 The K R Cama Oriental Institute organised a workshop on Orientalism and Aesthetics in 19th Century India  By Kaiwan Mehta, Art and Architecture Theorist on:

 Saturday 24, Sunday 25, Saturday 31 July and Sunday 1 August, 2010

(Saturdays – 2:00 to 5:30 pm and Sundays – 10:30 am to 12:30 pm)

 " The colonial encounter coupled with a rising international trade economy and industrialization, resulted in the travel of many intellectual and philosophical ideas and agendas across continents and geographies – cultural as well as physical. These strongly influenced the nature and shape of the 19th century. The emergence and nature of Indian nationalism was another very important movement that crucially influenced intellectual and cultural practices in the Indian subcontinent at that time. At the same time there is large scale political as well as intellectual debates around Colonialism and Nationalism, History and heritage, religion and reform, literature and the arts.

 "Aesthetic practices in the 19th century were a result of these multiple encounters and forces that crossed paths in structured and administered ways, but at times also in more spontaneous and reactionary ways. This workshop will discuss certain ideas and practices that were crucial to the aesthetic practices and the debates around it, in the areas of arts, design and architecture."

 The topics that were discussed during the workshop included…

Orientalism, the Great Exhibition in London, 1851, and the Arts and Crafts movement

Setting up of the Department of Science and Art in South Kensington, and the following establishment of Museums and Art Schools in India

Discussing the works of E. B. Havell, A. K. Coomaraswamy, Raja Ravi Varma and some others

Discussing the architecture of cities like Lucknow, Hyderabad, Bhuj and Shekhawati,

 Each of the six sessions were based on a lecture-discussion format, and reading material will be provided at the time of registration.

A 20-Week (Saturday Afternoons) course on World Religions. Aug 14 to Dec 11 '10.

START A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY INTO THE RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE OF HUMANKIND…….

ZOROASTRIANISM, JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY, ISLAM, HINDUISM, JAINISM, BUDDHISM, SIKHISM, BAHAISM……

 THIS COURSE ON WORLD RELIGIONS ATTEMPTS TO ANSWER SOME BASIC QUESTIONS…..

·     WHAT ARE THE BASIC TENETS OF THESE RELIGIONS?

·     HOW HAVE DIFERENT RELIGIONS DEVELOPED HISTORICALLY?

·     WHAT IS THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUS IDENTITY IN A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY?

·     WHAT IS THE PLACE OF RELIGION IN A GLOBALISED WORLD?

·     WHAT IS THE VIEW OF RELIGION ON GENDER, HUMAN RIGHTS, ECOLOGY?

·     HOW DOES ONE IDENTIFY ESSENTIAL VERSUS THE CULTURAL FACTORS OF RELIGION?

·     IS RELIGION A SOURCE OF TOLERANCE AND PEACE OR DIVISIVENESS AND VIOLENCE?

 THIS DISCOVERY IS FACILITATED BY SCHOLARS WELL VERSED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE RELIGIONS AND INCLUDES VISITS TO PLACES OF RELIGIOUS INTEREST AND GROUP OR INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS.

·      (HINDUISM) PROF. S.A.UPADHYAYA, DIRECTOR BHAVAN’S MUNGALAL GOENKA INSTITUTE OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH, BHARATIYA VIDYA BHAVAN.

·     ( ZOROASTRIANISM) ERVAD DR. RAMIYAR PARVEZ KARANJIA, PRINCIPAL OF THE DADAR ATHORNAN INSTITUTE AND SIR J.J.Z. AND MULAAN FEROZE INSTITUTES FOR INDO-IRANIAN STUDIES.

·     (CHRISTIANITY) FR. LANCY PRABHU .S.J., DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF INTER-RELIGIOUS STUDIES, ST.XAVIER’S COLLEGE.

·     (ISLAM) DR.RASHIDA MOHAMMED BHAVNAGARWALLA HEAD, DEPARTMENT OF ARABIC AND ISLAMIC STUDIES BURHANI COLLEGE OF COMMERCE AND ARTS.

·     (JAINISM) DR. AMITA VALMIKI, READER AND HEAD, DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY JHUNJHUNWALA COLLEGE.

·     ( BUDDHISM) DR. KALAPAKAM SANKARNARAYAN, PROFESSOR AND DIRECTOR, K.J. SOMAIYA CENTRE FOR BUDDHIST STUDIES.

·     ( SIKHISM) PROF.DAVINDERPAL KAUR BHASIN, HEAD DEPARTMENT OF PHILOSOPHY G.N.KHALSA COLLEGE.

·     ( BAHA’ISM) ZIA MODY, SENIOR PARTNER, AZB AND PARTNERS, ADVOCATES AND SOLICITORS.

·     (JUDAISM) MR. SAMSON RETIRED ASST.COMMISSIONER OF POLICE DETECTION OF CRIME BRANCH CID, CHIEF SECURITY CONSULTANT THOMAS COOK.

COURSE CONVENER:  PROF. S.A.UPADHYAY

COURSE COORDINATOR: PROF. SHEHERNAZ R. NALWALLA, DEPT OF PHILOSOPHY, WILSON COLLEGE.