LIGHTS WILL GUIDE YOU HOME!

Artistic, alluring and intricate — lanterns exuding the legacy of the Republic of Korea brighten up quaint spaces. Some photo exhibits showcasing the lives of Buddhist practitioners also add to the aura of the lotus lantern festival of Yeondeunghoe, which is recreated at the ongoing exhibition titled An Encounter with Korean Traditional Buddhist Culture in India, the Land of Buddha.

Five-feet-tall lanterns showcasing various temples and places are among the exhibits. Hyun Jae Youl, a participating artist, explains: “The fineart traditional lanterns are made of traditional Korean paper, Hanji. One first chooses the design and makes the basic frame using bamboo. Using the Hanji, it is pasted together with the finishing touch of painting them... The idea behind putting up the display of the lanterns is to make the spectator know about the cultural heritage of Korean Buddhism, other than just the religious [aspect].”

In Korean Buddhist commercialism, temple stays are a large part of the economy. This is the inspiration behind the photos clicked by photographer Ha Ji Kwon. “The photo walk includes five crucial elements — Korean Buddhist culture, its practitioners, UNESCO-listed heritage pilgrims of the country, temple food and the stone statue of Lord Buddha. My favourite among these took me seven years to click, as these are the 80 million wooden block pages at Haeinsa Temple, which are inscribed with the teachings of Buddha,” says Kwon.

“South Korea has always had an extraordinary culture. But, if we see the root of the blossoming Buddhism here, its seed is in India,” shares Ven Jinwoo, curator of the show and president of Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. He adds, “Artists have prepared these exhibits so that viewers can vividly sense Korean Buddhism’s 1,700-year history that is steeped in compassion and peace.”

The intricate works are also exciting fans of K-culture, who are thronging the venue to get a glimpse of the showcase. Nikita Shekhawat, a second-year media student at a Delhi-based college, says: “I love K-pop, but this side of Korean culture has left me spellbound. The lanterns are beautiful... The designs, the craftsmanship, the idea behind them — it’s all just wow!”

CATCH IT LIVE

What: An Encounter With Korean Traditional Buddhist Culture

Where: National Gallery of Modern Art, near India Gate On till: April 30

Timing: 8am to 6pm Nearest Metro Station: Khan Market on the Violet Line

The intricately made lantern of the stone pagoda of Geumsan-sa temple Lantern in the shape of stone pagoda of Baekjangam Hermitage, Silsang-sa temple

Lanterns embodying Korean culture have found their way to a show in the Capital

Lanterns illustrating the three Buddhist elements, namely wooden fish, Dharma drum (top left) and Dharma bell (top)

Photographer Ha Ji Kwon captures the morning Buddhist ceremony at Songgwangsa temple

Lantern representing the stone pagoda of Jeongnim-sa temple