Depicting the beauty of Rama through art

TO EXPLORE the beauty of the blue bodied god Rama, an exhibition has been organized by the National Museum. ‘Rama Abhirama: The beauty of Rama in Indian art and tradition’ was inaugurated on December 18 by Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture, Government of India.

This exhibition majorly focuses on Rama – who is a manifestation of compassion – through the lens of emotion and sentiments. It also brings forth the visual representations of episodes from the Ramayana. The exhibition looks at

Ramayana as a living tradition and highlights it’s ritualistic aspects.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Sharma said, “Lord Ram has always been an inspiration, teaching the values of life to everyone. It’s amazing to see how beautifully some artists have presented his life through their artworks. I am told that there are certain exhibits which have never been witnessed by anyone in the country. They were only kept locked in the museums and archives. We need to bring them out so as to make our new generations aware of it.”

Elaborating further on the necessity of museums in a country, he said, “Museums hold great importance as they bridge the gap between our rich history and the millennials. Today, young generations are hardly aware of their history. National Museum, which was established on December 18, 1960, has been successful in achieving everything it was expected of. I congratulate the entire team for organizing such amazing events and exhibitions.”

Bringing to life the story of Rama, the exhibition showcases the seven Kandas of Ramayana i.e. the Bala, Ayodhya, Aranya, Kishkindha, Sundara, Yuddha and Uttar, highlighting the beauty of each of them. The exhibition narrates the story and splendour of Ramayana, while exploring his morals, in the folk and vernacular style. The artefacts in the exhibition consist of bronze and terracotta sculptures, wood carvings and miniature paintings belonging to different schools, gold coins, worship icons that reflect the artistic brilliance imbibed with devotion and a lot more. The inauguration was followed by the book launch ceremony of five books namely ‘Archaeology of Ancient Madhyadesa’, ‘Archaeological Myths in Early Evolutionary History of Indian Civilization’, ‘Archaeology History and Numismatics of South India’, ‘Sri Dandayudhapani Swamy Temple Complex at Palani and Origin and Development at Muruka Worship in South India’ and ‘Ramayana, Poetic expression on Temple Hanging.’ The exhibition is open until January 31 at National Museum, New Delhi.