Studium Generale Rietveld Academie presents

Studium Generale Rietveld Academie presents

Ghare-Baire A Studium Generale Rietveld Academie study trip to South- India From January 13 to March 2, 2009 a group consisting of art & design students, alumni and professors, artists, curators, intellectuals, all somehow connected to the Gerrit Rietveld Academie are traveling to Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai and other places in South India. Enthusiastic acclaim befell the Studium Generale Rietveld study trips to Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Libya, Armenia and Azerbaijan between 2002 and 2008. Numerous new and productive relations have been established as a result of our endeavour to break with negative and biased representations of the Middle East. For the upcoming four years we are going to shift our focus from the Middle East to the so-called BRIC-countries. Preceding the study-trip we organized an extensive lecture program. Some questions that we've phrased were: How does the spectacular expansion of BRIC-economies and the globalization that comes along with it, affect the lives of ”ordinary” people ? How does post-modernity in neo-liberal style affect traditional and religious structures ? Will hardcore capitalism destroy India’s rich cultural and natural diversity? And what can artists and designers do to prevent this ? How do the expanding art markets in the BRIC-capitals affect local arts and craft practices? How are the issues of poverty, nationalism, intolerance and authoritarian populism addressed by leading artists and intellectuals? And how do we, as artists and designers living in Western Europe, relate to the dazzling developments in seemingly distant yet so incredibly nearby parts of the world?

Introduction to the program Dear fellow travellers, In this booklet you will find the program with additional explanations, suggestions and information. It is a pretty rough and preliminary sketch (things might have a different outlook on location) and updated and more detailed information will be provided during breakfasts and during the bus trips. It is your own responsibility to catch up with the latest information. Here are some basic rules that have to be respected by all fellow travellers: *The ultimate purpose of this trip is an intercultural exchange of insights, knowledge, culture. Therefore we are happy that several Indian colleagues are willing to dedicate part of their precious time to meetings with us. We do count on your presence during these meetings: this is why you inscribed for a study trip with the Studium Generale and not with the Club Med. *If for WHATEVER reason you are NOT sleeping at the accommodation that we’ve booked for, for obvious reasons you ALWAYS have to share your secrets with us. If you are not sleeping in the hotel we will have to inform the police. This of course in regard to your safety. *Private excursions outside of the program that last more then one day should be announced to us personally. This said you should also know that running this kind of trips is only bearable to us because of your independent minds and enterprising personalities. *All negotiations with our travel agents Jacob Sogol and his daughter Shirin and with drivers have to be conducted by us. *Please take care of your fellow travellers – be aware of who is sitting next to you and inform us as soon as possible if you are missing someone. *During the bus trips you should always carry plenty of water with you. *Be prepared to donate money for tipping. Tips were not included in our budget so we will collect some money for tipping every now and then. Please do realize that many incomes in India are low and I hope you do agree with us that being ‘a tourist’ is only bearable if the people who work to facilitate your status can at least make some money out of it. We will personally see to it that the tips will go into more then one pocket in every accommodation. *The selection of galleries in this guide is based upon advices by well informed and trustworthy people. Of course there are much more galleries- but here the quality is sort of guaranteed. *Homework: to share our new knowledge with each other and with our friends at home we propose the production of a Studium Generale-India reader containing the most interesting essays we can find, and of course a list of recommended books and sites for further study. We invite you to send in your findings before the end of March. Namasté, Gabriëlle Jeron

Friday 13 February, Amsterdam/Frankfurt Departure Amsterdam 7:00 am - LH 4689 Arrival Frankfurt 08:10 am Departure Frankfurt 11:35 am - AI 126

brands. It has also been a New Year celebration hub in the city since many years. It has got many shops,restaurants,pubs and other happening places. It is actually situated in the heart of Bangalore.

Sunday 15 February, Bangalore Saturday 14 February, Bangalore Arrival Bangalore 05:00 am - local time Breakfast from 10 am to 11 am No programme, take your time to adjust! Suggestion: walk MG Road & Brigade Road (see explanation) Another GREAT suggestion: try to buy cloth, find yourself a tailor and ask him if he can copy your favorite garment. Hotel Krishna Nibbana (14, 15 & 16 February) No.125, Kundalahalli, Brooke Fields Main Road, Mahadevapura Post, Bangalore - 560 049 Karnataka, India GM: +91 90086 00823, 98800 21350 Tel: +91 80 4264 7777 / 78 Fax: +91 80 4205 0943 Email: [email protected] Introduction Bengaluru (Bangalore) Rebranded Bengaluru in November 2006, the city more commonly known as Bangalore is not an obvious charmer. The crazy traffic, associated pollution and creaking infrastructure of this IT boom town will fast drive you demented. However, even though locals rarely sing Bengaluru’s praises as a tourist destination, it’s not a dead loss. There are a handful of interesting sights, the climate is benevolent, the city’s reputation for green spaces is well deserved, and the youthful energy and imagination (not to mention disposable income) of the ITocracy fuels a progressive dining, drinking and shopping scene – one of the best in India, in fact. MG road Mahatma Gandhi Road (M.G. Road) was called “South Parade” in British times and renamed post independence. M. G. Road is also one of the busiest roads in the city and is lined on one side with retail stores, food outlets and restaurants. It runs from Trinity Circle at one end to Anil Kumble Circle at the other. It has many office buildings, shops and theatres. It is also a home to a large number of buildings and banks. Presently it is being improved and prepared for the long-awaited Metro Rail line that connects the eastern part of Bengaluru with the west. Many Indian cities have an M. G. road, and in general there is no linkage between these various roads (except that in many cases, these happen to be the busiest part of the city). M.G. Road is adjacent the Museum Road and the Brigade Road. It is also pretty close to a shopping area called the Commercial Street. Brigade Road Brigade Road is one of the biggest commercial centers and busiest shopping areas of Bangalore, the state capital of Karnataka, India. It is also a connecting road between the M G Road and Residency Road in the city. It has many shopping centers and retail outlets of International

Breakfast at 8.30 am No programme (see suggestions) Night: Hotel Krishna Nibbana

Suggestions Bangalore Architecture: Bull temple Bugle Hill, Bull Temple Rd, Basavangudi bus: 31, 31E, 35 or 49 Built by Kempegowda in the Dravidian style of the 16th century, the Bull Temple contains a huge granite monolith of Nandi and is one of Bengaluru’s liveliest and most atmospheric. Nearby is the Dodda Ganesha Temple, with an equally enormous Ganesh idol. Vidhana south The Vidhana Soudha, located in Bangalore (Bengaluru), is the seat of the state legislature of Karnataka. It is an imposing building, constructed in a style sometimes described as ‘Neo-Dravidian’, and incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic, Rajasthani Jharokha and Dravidian styles. It was built in the 1950s. Shri Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Chief Minister of Mysore from 1951 to 1956, is credited with the conception of the Vidhana Soudha. He visited Europe, Russia, United States and other places and got the idea of building Vidhana Soudha by incorporating various designs from the buildings he had seen. The foundation was laid by the then Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, on July 13, 1951. It was completed in 1956. Kengal Hanumanthaiah took a lot of interest and effort in building this marvelous granite building. It is also called as Taj Mahal of south India. The Vidhana Soudha has four floors above and one floor below ground level and sprawls across an area of 700 by 350 feet. It is the largest Legislative building in India. Its eastern face has a porch with 12 granite columns, 40 feet tall. Leading to the foyer is a flight of stairs with 45 steps, more than 200 feet wide. The central dome, 60 feet in diameter, is crowned by a likeness of the Indian national emblem. The cost of construction at that time was just 17.5 million rupees. But presently, annual maintenance cost itself is more than 20 million rupees (which include repairs, painting, and other miscellaneous expenses). The building is illuminated on Sundays and public holidays. The Karnataka government has constructed a replica named Vikasa Soudha to the south of the building. Initiated by the then Chief Minister S M Krishna and inaugurated in Februaryruary 2005, it is intended to be an annex housing some of the ministries and legislative offices. Opposite to Vidhana soudha is The High Court of Karnataka. Both buildings are in the Cubbon park. Iskcon temple Hare Krishna Hill, Chord Rd, N of city centre Built by the wealthy International Society of Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon), better known as the Hare Krishnas, the shiny Iskcon Temple is lavishly decorated in a mix of ultracontemporary and traditional styles. The Sri Radha Krishna Mandir blends souvenir selling with a stunning shrine to Krishna and Radha. ************************************** ART IN BANGALORE Sree Balaji art gallery 122/2, Infantry road Bangalore, Karnataka 560001, India 080 22861616 080 22865353 09448032370 - Mobiel Open Mon-Sat 10am-8:30pm E-mail: [email protected] **************************************

Gallery Sumuhka www.sumukha.com 24/10 BTS Depot Road Wilson Garden, Bangalore - 560 027 India Telephone: +91 (80) 2229 2230 / +91 (80) 4120 7215 Fax: +91 (80) 4113 9985 Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Hours: 10.00AM to 6.30PM ************************************** Right Lines Art Gallery www.right-lines.com #270 1st floor 1st Main Defence Colony Indiranagar Bangalore 560 038 India Tel 080-25272827 / 41154142 Fax 080-25272839 Mail: [email protected] Open: Mon- Sat: 10 AM to 7 PM, Sun 10 AM to 1 PM. Closed on public holidays One of the galleries that have a reputation for showing and stocking art of high quality. Recommended! ************************************** India Foundation for the Arts www.indiaifa.org India Foundation for the Arts ‘Apurva’ Ground Floor No 259 4th Cross Raj Mahal Villa II Stage 2nd Block 2341-4681 Open: Daily 9.30 AM - 5.30 PM IFA is an independent, national, professionally managed funding agency dedicated to strengthening the Arts in India.

Monday 16 February, Bangalore Breakfast at 8 am Today we will visit one of the most famous art schools in the world: Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology. Srishti is very active on the international stage, for example as a long- term partner in the recurring, and truly innovative Doors of Perception design – conference (which started in the Netherlands in 1993). It’s founder and director Geetha Narayan promised to organize a tour for us (see explanation). Time to be announced Night: Hotel Krishna Nibbana Srishti school of art design and technology http://srishti.ac.in/ Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology is an experimental & research-oriented art/design school located in Bangalore, India. Srishti was founded in 1996 by the Ujwal Trust. Srishti provides its students a self-initiated, self-directed and self-assessed learning environment, with curricula integrated with a liberal arts foundation. Srishti offers undergraduate and graduate programs. It has specializations in – textile design, product & interface design, visual communication design, Independent and Broadcast Media (Film & Video) and furniture & interior design. It also offers graduate diploma programs in animation and gaming,art & design for education and experimental media arts.

Established: Type: Faculty: Students: Undergraduates: Postgraduates: Location: Campus: Website:

1996 Private 30 208 200 8 Bangalore, Karnataka, India Suburban srishti.ac.in

Geetha Narayanan is Founder and Director of Srishti, School of Art Design and Technology and the Mallya Aditi International School. She has dedicated her life to finding and establishing new models of educational institutions that are creative, synergistic and original in their approach to learning. An administrator, researcher, teacher and facilitator, she has pioneered many courses and projects that examine a wide variety of needs, social and educational. Geetha Narayanan is the author and Principal Investigator of Project Vision, an international research initiative which is looking at the development of appropriate instructional strategies and technology-related tools that foster creative cognitive architectures in young children from urban poor communities.

Tuesday 17 February, Bangalore/Chennai Breakfast at 8 am, check out 9.30 am. 10.00 am visit Kristujayanti College. The principle has kindly invited us. This is the college where Shirin, our travel guide is studying. Transfer to train station afterwards. 14:30 pm departure from Bangalore Cantonment Station (BNC) by train to Chennai Central (MAS) Train No. 2640, train Name: Brindavan Express All seats are in C3 (A/C Chair Car Coach) Arrival in Chennai: 20.20 pm Aspni Inn Hotel (17, 18, 19 February) 77 Jawaharlal Nehru Road 100 Feet Road Vadapalani Chennai - 600026 Introducing Chennai (Madras) Chennai has neither the cosmopolitan, prosperous air of Mumbai (Bombay), the optimistic buzz of Bengaluru (Bangalore) or the historical drama of Delhi. It’s muggy, polluted, hot as hell and difficult to get around. Traditional tourist attractions are few. Even the movie stars are, as one Chennaiker put it, ‘not that hot’. But the locals are a little friendlier than average here, the streets a little wider and, in spite of its booming IT, business-outsourcing and auto industries, the pace much slower than in most Indian cities half its size. Chennai is so modest you wouldn’t even know it’s an economic powerhouse, much less a queen of showbiz: India’s fourth-largest city is also its most humble. Chennai (formerly Madras) prefers to quietly hold onto tradition, thank you very much. Even its tendency to spread out – the city sprawls over 70 sq km with no real centre – seems like an attachment to the small coastal

villages from which it descends. And it remains deeply conservative – the lungi (a type of sarong) is very much in fashion, alcohol is frowned upon and religious devotion is going strong. With only a handful of tourist sights, Chennai doesn’t demand too much of your time. But poke around the markets of George Town or Theagaraya Nagar, take a stroll along Marina Beach at sunset, and get a little taste of village life in the city. So far: the Lonely Planet – the other side to that is that there is a thriving cultural scene. There are for example fantastic bookshops. Landmark is a chain of famious bookshops all over India but was founded here in Chennai. Landmark is at Nungambakkam High Road and at Spencer’s Plaza (a great new modern ‘mall’ but with a Bazaar like atmsphere) http://www.landmarkonthenet.com/index.aspx Some very old, famous Chennai bookshops: ‘Higginbotham’s’ op Mount Road and Oxford Book Store

Wednesday 18 February, Chennai

Breakfast at 8 am a) A combined visit to DAKSHINACHITRA (Arts & Crafts centre & to CHOLAMANDAL Artists’ Village (see explanation) b) To be confirmed The Theosophical Foundation (see explanation) and afterwards a citywalk with Dr. Prema Kasturi, former head Department of History, Women’s Christian College and co-author of the book ‘South Indian Heritage’ which is a terrific ready-reckoner. Take Notice: 5.30 Meeting with Ranvir Shah, director of Prakriti Foundation (see explanation) “I am happy to talk about the foundation and also the social work activities through citizens run trust that I am involved with as I feel culture is not just art and its generic world but also the way in which we coopt those who have less oppurtunities than us.” at Cafe Amethyst: Padmavathi Road, Gopalapuram, Chennai-600086 Phone: 044-28351917, 044-28353581 From here we will walk to: The Music Academy New No. 168 (Old No. 306), T.T.K. Road, Chennai - 600 014 Phone : +91-44-2811 2231 / +91-44-2811 5162 7.30 pm tonight we will attend Chronotopia, a multi-media dance production based on a Tamil epic by Attakalari Centre for Movement Arts (see explanation). Night: Aspni Inn Hotel Cholamandal Artists’ Village is situated on the East Coast Road, some eight kilometres further south of the Chennai city. The place represents an important arts centre in the state of Tamil Nadu. Cholamandal Artists’ Village is built over eight hectares of land in the Injambakkam region

which exists as an extension of the Chennai city. The place stands on the coastal plains of Chennai and lies close to the sea, Bay of Bengal. Cholamandal Artists’ Village is a great tourist destination in the vicinity of the popular metropolitan city. History Prior to 1965 the region was one sparsely populated or abandoned region lying south of the famous city. The much epitomized village came into being following the initiative taken by a group of artists and the inception of a self sustaining arts centre in the year 1965. In the same year a group of regional artists bought the land here and started the institution. The place was named after the regional patrons that is Cholas, who had made great contributions in the past. Cholamandal Artists’ Village houses cottages of a score of reputed artists who devote their lives to arts. Overview The place features a calm and serene environment, ideal for the artists at work. There are small cottages which serve as the residential places for the artists of the community. Two art galleries at Cholamandal Artists’ Village exhibit the works of the resident artists. The galleries feature great collection of paintings and sculptures that are on sale. Each resident artist has his own gallery and a studio, wherein his personal contributions are housed. There is an open air theatre meant for performances by the artists. The Guest House, donated by the German Government, provides for the accommodation at Cholamandal. The place is fast becoming a great destination of cultural exchange. Accessibility Cholamandalam Artists’ Village is located at a distance of about 18 kms from Chennai city center. The place can be accessed by taking a bus to the Injambakkam township. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the place in a bus. A more convenient means would be by hiring a taxi from the city. Contacts To avail further information contact The Secretary Cholamandal Artists’ Village Injambakkam Chennai 600 041 Tel. No. 91-44-4926092 Cholamandal Artists’ Village East Coast Road, Injambakkam ************************************* In Chennai, DAKSHINACHITRA: or the ‘Madras Craft Foundation’ is not only an open air museum which is wonderful, but also has an arts managament course which is thriving and has dynamic students. http://www.dakshinachitra.net/ DakshinaChitra East Coast Road, Muttukadu, Chinglepet District – 600 118. Phone: 044 27472603 / 044 27472783 Madras Craft Foundation 044 24462435 / 044 24918943 45 minutes from the city to DakshinaChitra Visiting Hours: 10 am to 6 pm Entrance Tariff: Adults: Rs.200/- (appx US$ 4.75) Students:Rs.75/-(appx US$ 1.75) *************************************

Meeting with Ranvir Shah: Founded by theater and arts enthusiast Ranvir Shah and coordinated by art critic and educationist V.R.Devika, Prakriti Foundation is interested in hearing the many voices of interest that make up the diverse culture of India. The foundation wishes to share information and wisdom that many of the giant scholors of India and abroad have to give us. It is interested in tarka (arguments) about many different subjects and also is show casing brilliance in music, dance, art, photography, painting and theatre, art history not just as performances but as points of view to witness and discuss. Prakriti Foundation organizes three annual festivals: Tree of Life festival in January, Hamara Shakespeare Theatre Festival in February, Gharana Hindustani Music Festival in March, The New Festival and the story telling festival in December besides the One Billion Eyes Indian Documentary Film Festival in August. Every month there will be at least one talk on an interesting subject by an expert. We also have seminars on various subjects. A peep into our website will give more information on the events organized. http://www.prakritifoundation.com/ Ranvir Shah will also talk about the Citizens’ Run Trust (http://www. citizensrun.org/) The idea of the Citizens’ Run was born with the hope of getting both young and old, the expensively shod and the barefoot runner to put their energy and money into a meaningful contribution to society at large.The Citizens’ Run Trust has been organizing a cross city run every year since 1996 in which people from different milieux in Chennai participate. The clearly expressed aim of the Run is to gain awareness and support for small voluntary non-government organizations actively engaged in quality work for the welfare of the socially, economically and physically disadvantaged. The natural instinct for sport is used in the Run to promote a citizen’s awareness of social issues and enable everyone to participate in the RUN FOR A CAUSE. ************************************* About Chronotopia: Attakalari Centre for Movement Arts presents “Chronotopia”, a multi-media dance production choreographed by Jayachandran Palazhy and the dancers at Attakkalari. Supported by India Foundation for the Arts, the show will have a world premiere at the Attakkalari India Biennial 2009, the international festival of dance and digital art. Chronotopia oscillates between memory and experience, and explores human predicament in a time of rapid changes. Inspired by the Tamil epic, “Chilapathikkaram”, the piece takes the audience through an episodical journey traversing layers of temporal and physical locations that often defy conventional notions of space and chronology. Anchoring on a central female character represented by three dancers, the piece journeys through rural, urban, historical, contemporary and even mythical contexts. Highly translucent traces of projected images by Chris Ziegler, complemented by an abstracted light installation by Chris Salter and Marije Baalman, create an interactive context for the evocative performance, highlighted by Thomas Dotzler’s restrained and refined light design. Intricate choreography by Jayachandran Palazhy (along with the dancers) is set to an original, vibrant and melodic score by French composer Mathias Duplessy, (created in collaboration with Carnatic musicians from Bangalore).

Suggestions Chennai (Take notice: on Feb 19 we will be out of town) Recommended by several apecialists: Apparo galleries www.apparaoart.com

##7, Wallace Gardens, 3rd Street Greams Road Chennai-600006 Phone: 044-28332226

Thursday 19 February, Chennai Breakfast at 7 am Pick up by bus at 7.30 SHARP Day trip to Kanchipuram/Mamallapuram Hopefully we manage to see most of these: (K) Ekambareshvara temple (K) Sankaramandam (monastery) (K) Kamakshi Amman Temple (one of 3 holiest temples of India) (M) Shore Temple (M) Cave Temples (M) Arjana’s Penance and Krishna Mandapa (bas-reliefs) (see explanation) Night: Aspni Inn Hotel Introducing Kanchipuram Famous throughout India for its silk saris, the temple town of Kanchipuram (Kanchi) is also a treasure-trove of Hindu temples and art from the Pallava, Chola and Pandyan dynasties. Many travellers make a day trip here from Chennai or Mamallapuram, which isn’t a bad idea as its attraction for pilgrims and tourists has led to a culture of harassment at some temples and silk shops. Introducing Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) Mamallapuram is Tamil Nadu’s only true travellers’ enclave, a mix of sun, seafood and sand with a dash of seediness thrown in. But it’s much more than that. Famous for its ancient rock carvings, especially the Shore Temple, it was once the second capital and seaport of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram. The village is listed as a World Heritage site and remains a renowned centre for stone carving; you’ll see and hear the constant tapping of hammer and chisel as artisans chip away at exquisite sculptures. Less than two hours by bus from Chennai, with a reasonably good beach, an excellent combination of cheap accommodation, fish restaurants, handicraft shops, spectacular stone carvings dotted around the town and Tamil Nadu’s most highly regarded dance festival, it’s easy to see why travellers make a beeline here from Chennai and hang around for a while. The local community was affected by the 2004 tsunami but worked hard to get back to sort-of normal as quickly as possible; check out the ‘before and after’ photos in some of the beachfront restaurants. Ekambareshvara temple Ekambareswarar Temple is one of the famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, located in Kanchipuram in the state of Tamilnadu, India. It is one of the five major Shiva temples or Pancha Bootha Sthalams (each representing a natural element) representing the element - Earth. The other four temples in this category are Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeswara (water), Chidambaram Natarajar (ether), Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswara (fire) and Kalahasti Nathar (wind). It is also one of the 108 Divya desam for Vaishnavites. All of the four revered Saivite Saints have sung the glory of this temple. Sankaramandam (monastry) Kanchipuram is the seat of a line of holy men bearing the title

acharya, whose line dates back perhaps as far as 1300 BC to the saint Adi Sankaracharya. The 68th acharya, the highly revered Sri Chandrasekharendra Sarasvati Swami, died in January 1994 at the age of 101. Buried in the sitting position, as is the custom for great Hindu sages, his mortal remains are enshrined in a samadhi at the Sankaramandam, a math (monastery for Hindu renouncers) down the road from the Ekambreshvara Temple. The present incumbent, the 69th acharya, has his quarters on the opposite side of a marble meditation hall to the shrine, and gives darshan to the public during the morning and early evening, when the math’s two huge elephants are given offerings. Lined with old photographs from the life of the former swami, with young brahmin students chanting Sanskrit verses in the background, it’s a typically Tamil blend of simple sanctity and garish modern glitz Kamakshi Amman Temple Kamakshi Amman Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to goddess Kamakshi, one of the forms of the goddess Tripura Sundari. It is located in the historic city Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India and is popularly associated with Adi Sankaracharya, one of the greatest Hindu saints. Along with Madurai Meenakshi, Thiruvanaikaval Akilandeswari, Vishalakshi Varanasi, Kamakshi is an important part of worship of Parvati. The main deity is seated in a majestic Padmasana posture, an yogic posture signifying peace and prosperity, instead of the traditional standing pose in most other temples of Parvati. The goddess holds a sugarcane bow and lotus and parrot in the lower two of her arms (Many of the Hindu god forms generally have four arms) and has the two divine instruments Pasa and Angusa in her upper two arms. There are no traditional Parvati or Shakthi shrines in the city of Kanchipuram, apart from this temple, which is unusual in a traditional city that has hundreds of traditional temples. There are various legends attributed to it. One of them according to Kamkshivilasa is that the Goddess had to absorb all the other shakthi forms to give boon to Manmatha (the Hindu god of fertility and love). Another legend attributes it to the Raja Rajeswari pose of the deity that signifies an absolute control over the land under its control, leaving no other forms of Shakthi. Legend has it that Kamakshi offered worship to a Shivalingam made out of sand, under a mango tree and gained Shiva’s hand in marriage. Shore Temples Standing alone and majestic, facing the Bay of Bengal (but enclosed by a steel fence), the small but romantic Shore Temple, weathered by the wind and sea, represents the final phase of Pallava art. Originally constructed around the middle of the 7th century, it was later rebuilt by Narasimha Varman II (also known as Rajasimha). The temple’s two main spires contain shrines for Shiva. Facing east and west the original linga (phallic images of Shiva) captured the sunrise and sunset. A third and earlier shrine is dedicated to the reclining Vishnu. A remarkable amount of temple carving remains, especially inside the shrines. The temple is now protected from further erosion by a huge rock wall. Like many of Mamallapuram’s sights, it’s spectacularly floodlit at night. Cave Temples The Trimurti Cave Temple honours the Hindu trinity - Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - with a separate section dedicated to each deity. Arjana’s Panance This relief carving on the face of a huge rock depicts animals, deities and other semidivine creatures as well as fables from the Hindu Panchatantra books. The panel (30m x 12m) is divided by a huge perpendicular fissure that’s skilfully encompassed into the sculpture; originally, water, representing the Ganges, flowed down it. It’s one of the most convincing and unpretentious rock carvings in India, with the main relief showing Shiva standing with a wizened Arjuna, balanced on one leg in a state of penance. A guide can be useful to help

explain the reliefs. Krishna mandapa Many mandapams, featuring fine internal sculptures, are scattered over the main hill. Among them is Krishna Mandapam, one of the earliest rockcut temples and predating the penance relief. Its carvings of a pastoral scene show Krishna lifting up the mythical Govardhana mountain to protect his kinsfolk from the wrath of Indra.

Friday 20 February, Chennai/Thanjavur Breakfast will serve at 07.00 am. Checkout. Departure at 09.00 am towards Tanjavur by bus. Brihandishwara Temple & Royal Palace compound with museum of Chola bronzes. With lecture by fellow traveler prof. dr. Petran Kockelkoren ‘How to believe in the Gods of India? The stories of Shiva, Parvati, Ganesha and others.’ Oriental Towers Hotel 2889, Srinivasam Pillai Road, Tanjavur-613 001 Tel: +91-4362-230724/231467/231950 Fax: +91- 4362- 230770 Email: [email protected] Introducing Thanjavur (Tanjore) Dominated by the superb World Heritage–listed Brihadishwara Temple, and a sprawling Maratha Palace complex, Thanjavur is an easy-going town and a worthy detour off the Chennai–Madurai route. The town is famous also for its distinctive art style, a combination of raised and painted surfaces. Krishna is the most popular deity depicted, and in the Thanjavur school his skin is white, rather than the traditional blue-black. Thanjavur is set on a fertile delta and the accompanying harvests make the town a great place to be during Pongal (harvest) celebrations in January. Thanjavur was the ancient capital of the Chola kings, whose origins go back to the beginning of the Christian era. The Cholas’ era of empire building was between AD 850 and 1270; at the height of their power, they controlled most of the Indian peninsula. The stylised bronze work for which they were famous is still produced in town. Brihandishwara Temple The Brihadishwara Temple, also known as Rajarajeswaram, at Thanjavur is a brilliant example of the major heights achieved by Cholas in temple architecture. It is a tribute and a reflection of the power of its patron RajaRaja Chola I. It remains as one of the greatest glories of Indian architecture. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Great Living Chola Temples”. This temple is one of India’s most prized architectural sites. The temple stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The ‘Vimana’ or the temple tower is 216 ft (66 m) high (about 70 meters) and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Kalash or ‘Shikhara’ (bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is itself very

large and heavy (81.25 tons). There is bull), carved out of a single rock, at feet long and 13 feet high. The entire hard granite stones - hardly available is located.

a big statue of Nandi (sacred the entrance measuring about 16 temple structure is made out of in Thanjavur area where the temple

Royal Palace compound with museum of Chola bronzes Thanjavur Royal Palace and Art Gallery The former palace is a massive neglected compound with towers and courtyards. The Art Gallery houses an impressive collection of bronze and stone statues.

Saturday 21 February, Thanjavur/Tiruschirappalli or Trichy Breakfast at 7 am Departure to Trichy by bus at 9 am Ranganathaswarmy Temple Rock Fort (bus #1 from railway st.) see explanation

of Lord Vishnu. The temple chariot festival is famous during the 21 day Vaikunta Ekadasi when the Vaishnavite text, Tiruvaimozhi is recited before Lord Vishnu.

Sunday 22 February, Tiruschirappalli/Madurai Breakfast at 7 am Checkout. Departure towards Madurai by bus at 09.00 am. Hotel Supreme (22, 23 February) 110, West Perumal Maistry Street, Madurai-625 001, Tamil Nadu, India. Tel: +91-452-2343151 (3 lines), 3012222 Fax: +91-452-2342637 E-mail: [email protected] Introducing Madurai

Femina Hotel 109, Williams Road, Cantonment, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu 62001 Tel: +91-431-2414501 Fax: +91-431-2410615 Introducing Trichy (Tiruchirappalli) Tiruchirappalli, universally known as Trichy, is a sprawling but extremely enjoyable city with two extraordinary temples – one perched high above the town on a rocky mount – and many travellers find Trichy more enjoyable than the clamour of the more renowned Madurai. It’s a well-serviced regional transport centre, always busy with locals especially during auspicious marriage seasons when gorgeously clothed families abound in every hotel. Trichy’s long history dates back to before the Christian era when it was a Chola citadel. During the 1st millennium AD, both the Pallavas and Pandyas took power many times before the Cholas regained control in the 10th century. When the Chola empire finally decayed, Trichy came into the realm of the Vijayanagar emperors of Hampi until their defeat in 1565 by the forces of the Deccan sultans. The town and its most famous landmark, the Rock Fort Temple, were built by the Nayaks of Madurai. Rock Fort The spectacular Rock Fort Temple, the landmark of the city, is on the shores of the Kaveri. It is perched on a massive rocky outcrop at an altitude of 83 m above sea level. The Thayumanaswamy Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is situated halfway to the top. It has a 100-pillar hall and a vimana covered with gold. On the southern face of the rock are several beautifully carved rock-cut cave temples of the Pallava period. Rockfort or Ucchi Pillayar koil, is a combination of two famous 7th century Hindu temples, one dedicated to Lord Ganesh and the other dedicated to Lord Shiva, located a top of a small rock in Trichy, India. Geologically the 83m high rock is said to be one of the oldest in the world, dating over 3 billion years ago, and mythologically this rock is the place where Lord Ganesh ran from King Vibishana, after establishing the Ranganathaswamy deity in Srirangam. Ranganathaswarmy Temple The Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, India is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Ranganatha, a reclining form of Lord Vishnu. It is the first and foremost among the 108 Divya Desams, the holy abodes

Famous for the awe-inspiring Sri Meenakshi Temple complex, Madurai is an animated city packed with pilgrims, beggars, business-people, bullock carts and underemployed rickshaw drivers. It’s one of South India’s oldest cities and has been a centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. A textile centre from way back, the city was also the setting for Mahatma Gandhi’s decision, in 1921, to wear nothing but khadi (homespun cloth), and tailors’ shops are everywhere in town. Madurai’s landmark temple in the heart of the old town is a riotously baroque example of Dravidian architecture with gopurams covered from top to bottom in a breathtaking profusion of multicoloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The temple seethes with activity from dawn to dusk, its many shrines attracting pilgrims and tourists from all over the world; 10, 000 visitors may come here on any one day. Madurai is on virtually every traveller’s Tamil Nadu itinerary – it has excellent transport links and some good midrange accommodation – but be prepared for oppressive touts.

Suggestions Madurai Markets!!! Textile on West Veli, Avani Moola and Chitrai str.

Monday 23 February, Madurai Breakfast at 8 am Meenakshi-Sundareshwarar temple (see explanation) Night: Hotel Supreme Meenakshi-Sundareshwarar temple With its colourful, intricately carved temple towers, the Sri Meenakshi Temple is a spectacular pastiche of Dravidian architecture. It was designed in 1560 by Vishwanatha Nayak and built during the reign of Tirumalai Nayak, but its history goes back 2000 years to the time when Madurai was a Pandyan capital. The temple complex occupies an area of six hectares.

Its 12 highly decorative gopurams range in height from 45m to 50m (the tallest is the southern tower) and are adorned with carvings of celestial and animal figures. The Puthu Mandapam in the east forms a long and impressive entrance hall that leads to the eastern gopuram. Within the walls of the temple, long corridors lead towards gold-topped sanctums of the deities. It is the custom here to honour the goddess first. Most pilgrims therefore enter the temple at the southeastern corner, through the Ashta Shakti Mandapam, and proceed directly to the Meenakshi shrine. Also within the temple complex, housed in the 1000-Pillared Hall, is the Temple Art Museum. It contains painted friezes and stone and brass images, as well as one of the best exhibits on Hindu deities. Allow plenty of time to see this temple. Early mornings or late evenings are the best times to avoid crowds, and there’s often classical dance somewhere in the complex at the weekends. ‘Temple guides’ charge negotiable fees, rarely below Rs 200, so prepare to negotiate and be aware that they are often a front for emporiums and tailor shops.

Tuesday 24 February, Madurai/Kochin Breakfast at 7 am Checkout and departure towards Kochi at 09.00 am by charter bus. Cochin Tower Hotel (24, 25 February) Lissie Junction, Kochi-682 018, Kerala, India Ph : +91 484 2401910 Fax : +91 484 2401922 Email : [email protected] Introducing Kochi (Cochin) If you listen closely, you can hear the collective sigh breathed by travellers upon setting foot in laid-back Fort Cochin. Kochi has been luring wanderers and traders for over 600 years and remains a living homage to its varied colonial past: giant fishing nets influenced by Chinese merchants, a 16th-century synagogue, ancient mosques, Portuguese houses built half a millennia ago and the crumbling residuum of the British Raj. The result is an unlikely blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and an English country village grafted on to the tropical Malabar Coast. It’s a delightful place to spend some time, soak in the history, peruse art galleries and nap in some of the finest heritage accommodation in India. Mainland Ernakulam is the hectic transport hub and cosmopolitan heart of Kerala, where neon lights and upmarket chainstores rule the roost. The historical towns of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry, however, are wonderfully serene – thick with the smell of the past and with more goats than rickshaws patrolling the streets.

Suggestions Kochi Take ferries! Old town in Mattancherry Fort Cochin (with Portugese, Dutch, Chinese and Arabic influences) Meghadoot Icecream Parlore (on main land) (strongly recommended by curator Himanshu Verma) **************************************

Gallery’s: Draavidia is located very close to Customs Jetty and Calvathy canal in Fort Kochi. Email: [email protected]. Bazaar Road. Kashi Art Gallery, Bazaar Rd., Mattancherry www.kashiartgallery.com Bazaar Road, Mattancherry, Kochi, Ernakulam, Cochin, Kerala - 682002 N/A Burger Street, Near Delta Study School, Fort Cochin, Kochi, Ernakulam, Cochin, Kerala - 682001 Mr. Prasanth (Cafe Manager) (cafe kashi art)

Wednesday 25 February, Kochin Breakfast at 8 am Today we will attend a Kathakali 5:00 pm: make-up of the artists, Performance: from 6 pm till 7:30 Location: River Road, near Vypin Night: Cochin Tower Hotel

Dance Performance (see explanation) NOT TO MISS pm Boat Jetty, Fort Cochin +914842215827

Kerala Kathakali Centre The Kerala Kathakali Centre was founded in 1990 in Kochi, the oldest city in Kerala and known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. The Kerala Kathakali Center’s aim is to popularize and encourage the classical arts of Kerala, discover new talents, and improve the standards of training and performances by rigorous discipline and dedication. Various traditional arts and rituals are also encouraged and performed at our Centre. Elements of the art of Kathakali are found in the ancient ritual plays of Hindu temples and various dance forms that are believed to have been gradually developed in Kerala from as early as the 2nd Century until the end of the 16th Century. Many of its characteristics are very much older than its literature, as they are a continuation of older traditions, but these did not crystallize until the 17th Century when the Rajah of Kottarakkara, a small principality in central Travancore, wrote plays based on the Hindu epic “Ramayana” in sanskritized Malayam, which could be understood by ordinary people. Before this, the stories were enacted in pure Sanskrit, which was known only to the learned few. From then on, Kathakali emerged as an individual style of dance-drama into a “people’s theatre” from the traditional dances of the past. The plays were performed by the Rajah’s own company of actors, not only in temples and courts, but from village to village and house to house. The new art form (called Ramanattan) soon became very popular all over the Malayalam-speaking area. The feudal chieftains of Malabar (as the area was then called) began to vie with one another in their efforts to produce the best Kathakali troupes and this competition contributed to the rapid development of the art in a very short period.

Thursday 26 February, Kochin/Mumbai Breakfast at 8 am, check out at 12. Lecture by fellow traveler Hendrik van de Roemer on “Sits”. Sits is een handbeschilderde stof. Place and time to be announced PLEASE TAKE NOTICE: Departure to airport from Hotel at 17 pm. Flight to Mumbai

20.20 Kochi - IC 162 22.10 arrival Mumbai & transfer to New Bengal Hotel in Mumbai (26, 27, 28 February, 1 March) B-Shalimar Estate, Sitaram Building, Dr. D. N. Road Fort, Mumbai, Mumbai 400001, India Phones: 0091-22-2340 1951-56 (6 Lines) Fax: 0091-22-2341 0073 Email: [email protected] www.hotelnewbengal.com

Friday 27 February, Mumbai Breakfast at 8.30 am In Mumbai there will be some people we are going to meet and some other people who like to guide us a bit through the city. SCHEDULE FOR THIS WILL BE PROVIDED AT BREAKFAST. See also suggestions for a long list of galleries. Night: New Bengal Hotel Introducing Mumbai (Bombay) Measure out: one part Hollywood; six parts traffic; a bunch of rich powermoguls; stir in half a dozen colonial relics (use big ones); pour in six heaped cups of poverty; add a smattering of swish bars and restaurants (don’t skimp on quality here for best results); equal parts of mayhem and order; as many ancient bazaars as you have lying around; a handful of Hinduism; a dash of Islam; fold in your mixture with equal parts India; throw it all in a blender on high (adding generous helpings of pollution to taste) and presto: Mumbai. An inebriating mix of all the above and more, this mass of humanity is a frantic melange of India’s extremes. It is the country’s financial powerhouse and its vogue centre of fashion, film and after-dark frolics. Glistening skyscrapers and malls mushroom amid slums and grinding poverty, and Mumbai slowly marches towards a brave new (air-conditioned) world. But not everyone made the guest list: more than half of the population lives in slums, and religious-based social unrest tugs at the skirt of Mumbai’s financial excess. Only once the initial shell shock of Mumbai’s chaos subsides, can one start to appreciate the city’s allure: a wealth of Art Deco and grand colonial relics; cacophonic temples; warrens of bazaars; and the odd spiritual bastion of tranquillity. In Mumbai you can dine at some of the finest restaurants in the country, and work off the appetite gyrating at ultrachic bars alongside Bollywood starlets and wannabes. With a pinch of gumption, a dash of adventure, an open wallet and a running start, there’s no excuse not to dive into the Mumbai madness head-first. Travel Alert: In late November Mumbai was targeted in a series of violent attacks that left hundreds dead and injured. While the city recovers, travellers should continue to monitor the situation. Check Safe Travel for travel warning updates, check out the Thorn Tree travel forum for some up-to-date advice from travellers, or the BBC for the latest news.

Suggestions: Mumbai “In Bombay, they should contact the Bombay Local History Society, based at Heras Institute in St. Xavier’s College. Asiatic Society Library would also be a good place to check out.. it dates back more than 150 years.” (says Sudha Rajagopalan’s sister) ************************************** Architecture & Urbanity PUKAR Partners for Urban Knowledge and Research 272, Muncipal Tenements, Shivaji Nagar, BMC Colony, Kher Wadi Road, Bandra - East Mumbai - 400 051 (Closest land Mark : Shivaji Nagar Police Chowki) Office Telephone Numbers: +91 22 6574 8152, 6505 3302, 6505 3599, 6452 3641, 2647 4870. Mission PUKAR is an innovative and experimental initiative that aims to contribute to a global debate about urbanization and globalization. Goals The goal of PUKAR is to create a world class incubator for knowledge, debate and innovation about cities and globalization. It takes Mumbai as its conceptual base and laboratory for cross-disciplinary research projects which can create new urban knowledge, thus enhancing circulation of ideas and concepts between the local and the global. PUKAR aims to democratize research and broaden access to knowledge among disenfranchised or weakly institutionalized groups and to create a space from which their non traditional and non expert knowledge can contribute to local, national and global debates about their own futures. It promotes research as a right for everyone inside and outside of the formal educational system and uses research as a tool for pedagogy, advocacy, transformation and intervention. PUKAR is designed to complement, on the social and cultural side, the current growth in technology driven knowledge initiative in India. PUKAR regards knowledge, action and research as interactive and recursive processes. Knowledge involves documentation and intervention. Action, in this perspective, involves exploration and innovation. Research, not simply a prerogative of the academic world, is a disciplined means of acquiring new knowledge. PUKAR seeks to reinvent the terms of the relationship between knowledge, action and research. PUKAR, an independent knowledge production centre and a research collective serves as a convener for debates and conferences, an executor for targeted research work and a disseminator through debate oriented white papers, discourses, and internet based reports. It works though the following means to achieve these goals: - Cross Knowledge Encourage entrepreneurs, scholars, policy makers, activists, cultural and social analysts, urban planners, researchers and technical experts to brainstorm outside the constraints of a single institution, constituency or a project to identify new ways to think about urban challenges. - Partnerships The centre draws on partners from the world of urban activism, academic sector, policy makers from public and private sector, in all its activities (initiation, execution, dissemination and evaluation). - Learning Lab The centre is set so that it can serve as a resource centre as well as learning lab for other organizations, institutions, both public and private, with similar aims. PUKAR is a unique experiment aiming to create a movement of Urban Knowledge Production through maximum participation of the citizens in their own cities across the globe. ************************************** URBAN DESIGN RESEARCH INSTITUTE, Mumbai, India The URBAN DESIGN RESEARCH INSTITUTE is a forum that supports interaction among architects, urban designers and professionals from such related fields as urban economics, sociology, planning, conservation and history. As a public charitable trust established in 1984, UDRI aims to enrich the understanding of the urban environment and works towards its improvement. UDRI’s objectives have been: - to generate awareness, on various issues concerning the city such as urban transportation, housing, infrastructure, governance, environmental issues, urban conservation among multiple stakeholders citizens, researchers, the media, policy makers and implementation agencies. - to give content to public discussion on major issues concerning the urban fabric of Mumbai and to expose urban design and planning to other mediums. - to raise the standard of architectural dialogue, enhance the role of

designers and planners. - to constantly develop effective tools for advocacy and in organising urban communities. - to develop proposals and make recommendations for these issues at hand and take up these initiatives with the State government and other agencies to ensure fruition of these concerns. Address: 43, Dr V. B. Gandhi Marg Kala Ghoda, Fort Mumbai 400 023 India Telephone: + 91 22 65735773 Email: Public Events and Publications: [email protected] Research & Resource Centre and Publications: [email protected] Website: www.udri.org ************************************** Art in Mumbai Most galeries are in COLABA Emily Pethick (former director Casco, now director of the Showroom in London) writes us: I think Camp are really good people to spend time with as they have a very different perspective to the commercial galleries (I would reduce the amount of time with the commercial galleries, i.e. just pass by, rather than scheduling too much time talking to them, they are interesting to see in terms of getting a perspective, but pretty conservative). Camp!! www.camputer.org www.camp.khojworkshop.org About CAMP: CAMP is a platform to organise, and then to do, things that are critical, egalitarian and inspirational, within the city. It seeks to promote such artistic and media practices that build interfaces between themselves and urban activities at various scales. This project is being undertaken with a broad shared experience (among CAMP members, its advisors and peers) of the “digital moment” of the past decade. CAMP promises bold interpretations of current socio-economic and technology contexts, and their various micro-political implications. CAMP will begin its relationship with various Mumbai publics through ‘weekends’, fortnightly events that look intensively at specific histories, futures, and areas of multidisciplinary collaboration. For example there are planned weekends around the history of broadcast as an artistic medium, on the art market, on building technological “confidence”, on censorship, on local-area networks, on various kinds of maps, rooftop “real-estate” surveys and so on, mostly with an orientation towards practitioners and projects. While CAMP is beginning with such small-scale activities, it also seeds two long term projects: a) New Documentary: On the future of the documentary image, in times of video’s material abundance.To produce, receive and redistribute video by adopting a range of existing technigues and technologies. This is related to chitrakarkhana’s ongoing work, and will address a range of artistic, ethical and pragmatic questions around video. b) Design Studies: on what “making things for others” means now, when youand i- can both seemingly contribute. The project will engage with questions around “participation” in design, and of how knowledge moves across different forms, through institutional and pedagogic interventions into the broad field of activity presently known as Design. And finally, on its name: CAMP has various possible “backronyms”, a large number in fact. This came from our inability to claim a singular identity within a field of ideas, to say that this and not that, is what will actually happen with CAMP.

The Jehangir Art Gallery is Mumbai’s most famous art gallery and a tourist attraction. It was founded by Sir Cowasji Jehangir at the urging of K. K. Hebbar and Homi Bhabha. It was built in 1952. Managed by the Bombay Art Society, the entire cost of this mansion was donated by Cowasji Jehangir. This gallery is situated at Kala Ghoda, behind the Prince of Wales Museum and has four exhibition halls. A mammoth institution in itself, its history is linked with the renaissance of Indian art. The complex also has the popular cafe of Samovar, which is reminiscent of the 70’s socialist culture. It also houses natesans,the country’s oldest licensed antique dealers. Entry is free. ************************************** Bodhi Art 28, K. Dubash Marg, I. T. T. S. House, Kalaghoda, Mumbai 400 001 P +91 22 66100124 F +91 22 66100127 E [email protected] www.bohdiart.in Timings: Monday 2.00 pm – 7.00 pm Tuesday to Saturday 11.00 am – 7.00 pm Current Exhibition: Relative Visa Curated by Bose Krishnamachari (illustrious artist/curator) 28th January – 27th February, 2009 at Bodhi Art, Mumbai (closes 27th!) Bodhi Art endeavours to platform the work of the finest Indian contemporary artists. We do so not only through exhibitions in the gallery space, but also by supporting residencies, public art projects, and the organisation of outreach programs. Our galleries have become synonymous with representing Indian contemporary art to the global market; be it private collectors or public institutions. Bodhi Art encourages a broad-based practices ranging from painting and sculpture, to photography and installations, including supporting public art projects. We make a consistent and concerted effort to provide every amenity to the artists giving free rein to their creativity to translate through whatever their chosen medium in an uninhibited manner and also allowing artists to truly expand and explore beyond their normal practices. It is with this in mind that we are also committed to forging alliances and collaborations with other cultural institutions. In establishing galleries throughout the world, Bodhi Art has taken Indian contemporary art to audiences hitherto unfamiliar with it. We appreciate the art of exhibiting, from exhibition display, to an insistence on knowledge production and the dissemination of information to the art-viewing audiences through world-class catalogues, publications, interactive sessions with the artists and gallery talks. As a gallery we attempt, not only to simplify and make transparent the procedure of acquiring art but also, but also, as a dedicated intermediary between the art world and the art market, to increase awareness about contemporary art in India. Bodhi Art opened its first gallery in Singapore in 2004 and also has galleries in New Delhi, New York and Mumbai. All our exhibitions can be viewed online. Watch our website for constant updates on events and new additions to our collection. ************************************** Bodhi Space, Plot no 14, Elphinston Estate, Malet Bunder Road, Near Orange Gate, Wadibunder, Mumbai 400 009 P +91 22 65255978 E [email protected] Timings: Monday to Saturday (11am-6pm) ************************************** Project 88 www.project88.in

For more see: www.camputer.org ************************************** Gallery’s: Jehangir Art Gallery 161-B Mahatma Gandhi Road Mumbai, Maharashtra 400 023 India Tel. +91 22 22048212

BMP Building, Gound Floor N.A. Sawant Marg Near Colaba Fire Station Colaba, Mumbai - 400 005 T +91 22 2281 0066 F +91 22 2281 0099 E [email protected] / [email protected]

Monday 2.00 pm to 7.00 pm Tuesday to Saturday 11.00 am to 7.00 pm Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays Directions: Bus route from Churchgate station: 70, 123, 133, 137 (Sassoon Dock Bus Stop) Bus route from VT: 1, 3, 9, 11, 21, 103, 124, 125 (Sasson Dock Bus Stop) ************************************** Chatterjee & Lal Gallery 01/18 Kamal mansion Floor 1 Arthur Bunder Road Colaba, Mumbai +91.22.6521.5105 [email protected] www.chatterjeeandlal.com Opening Hours: Mon - Sat, 11am - 7pm Chatterjee & Lal announces the opening of their new gallery to promote contemporary and emerging art from India and around the world. Located in downtown Colaba, the space has been conceived to show cutting edge work in a range of media, including video, installation and other 3-D art forms. The gallery is state of the art and is packed with the latest lighting and hanging technologies. Moving away from the more traditional white cube space the Chatterjee & Lal gallery has incorporated the original architecture into its design process which includes 150 year old brickwork and iron pillars. Chatterjee & Lal comprises husband and wife team Mortimer Chatterjee & Tara Lal. Having met whilst working for auction houses, they have been promoting a younger generation of artists since 2003 and in that time have hosted many exhibitions throughout the city as well as organising the visual arts section of the Kala Ghoda festival in 2005 and 2006. They have come to be known as leaders in recognising and promoting new and undiscovered talent. ************************************** The Guild

and abroad. To develop an education and documentation centre in order to acquire, maintain and preserve documents relating to works of modern art, to develop a specialized library of books, periodicals, photographs and other audio visual materials, to organize lectures, seminars and conferences, and to encourage higher studies and research in the field of art history, art criticism, art appreciation, museology and the inter-relations on visual and performing arts. The collection of the National Gallery of Modern Art essentially comprises paintings, sculptures, graphics and photographs mainly by Indian and, to some extent, international modern artists. In order to emphasize the historical development of modern Indian art, the collection centers around the works of art of different schools and groups, such as various schools during the 19th Century, miniatures, the style of Raja Ravi Varma and academic realists, the Bengal School and International modern art. The collection is well represented by the works of artists such as Thomas Daniell. Abanindranath Tagore, Rabindranath Tagore, Gaganendranath Tagore, Nandalal Bose, Jamini Roy and Amrita Sher-Gil along with other important contemporary artists of the country. www.ngmaindia.gov.in National Gallery of Modern Art - Mumbai MG Road, Kala Ghoda, Fort 400 001 Mumbai India Location: Opposite the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai Founded In: 1996 Timings: Tuesday to Sunday (11.00 am to 5.00 pm) ************************************** Chemould Prescot www.gallerychemould.com

www.theguildindia.com [email protected] / [email protected] Phone: + 91 22 2288 0116 / 0195

Chemould Prescott Road Queens Mansion | 3rd Floor G. Talwatkar Marg Fort | Mumbai 400 001

02/32, Kamal Mansion, 2nd floor, Arthur Bunder Road, Colaba, Mumbai 400 005 India.

t: +91- 22- 22000211 / 2 f: +91- 22- 22000213 e: [email protected] | [email protected]

Monday - Saturday 10.00 am - 6.30 pm

Timings : 11am - 7pm (Mon - Sat)

************************************** The Sakshi Gallery www.sakshigallery.com

************************************** Art India Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd., C/o JSW Steel Limited, 2nd Floor, Victoria House, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013 / www.artindiamag.com/quarter03_07/index.html Art India Magazine

sakshi gallery synergy art foundation ltd. ground floor, tanna house, 11-a, nathalal parekh marg, colaba, mumbai-400001 tel: +91 (0)22 6610 3424 fax:+91 (0)22 6610 6867 Hours: Monday to Saturday 10 am to 7 pm ************************************** Gallerie Mirchandani en Steineruecke 2 Sunny House 16/18 Mereweather Road Behind Taj Mahal Hotel Colaba Mumbai 400 001 Telephone - +91 22 2202 3030/ 3434/ 3636 [email protected] Mondays - Fridays, 10 am - 6:30 pm Saturdays - 11 am - 4 pm ************************************** National Gallery of Modern Art The principal aims and objectives of the National Gallery of Modern Art art To acquire and preserve works of modern art from 1850s onward, to organize, maintain and develop galleries for permanent display, to organize special exhibitions not only in its own premises but in other parts of the country

ART India is India’s premier art magazine: over the last eleven years, it has been responsible for the promotion of a critical discourse around diverse art forms, activities and disciplines. As an important forum for discussing, interrogating and appreciating art practices, ART India has been responsible for giving a platform to artists and critics to engage in a mutually replenishing intellectual dialogue with each other. This has led to the fostering of a vibrant atmosphere of sustained debate around crucial issues linked to the theory and practice of painting, sculpture, installation art, new media art, photography and architecture. We have taken care to be multi-disciplinary in our approach as well as to dwell on diverse visual cultural issues of importance and urgency. ART India has been launched successfully in Dubai, New York, London, Lahore, and Karachi, among other international venues. ART India has a huge international following and has been chosen by Beaux Arts magazine, Paris, as one of the leading art magazines in the world. We hope to continue our endeavour of giving you the best writing on art at an affordable price. Your suggestions, appreciation and critiques will always be useful. Do write or call for more information. Art India Gallery: Housed at the ART India office at Victoria Mills in Mumbai, the recent inauguration of the Art India gallery is an important event for Mumbai’s arts scene as it allows young emerging artists the space to explore ideas that are not always possible within the confines of a traditional art gallery space, where commercial demands often inhibit experimentation.

Art India Archive: The Art India archive is alive and completely refurbished with information on ART India. It includes other books and materials on topics that are close and somewhat related to ART India, including literature, theatre and other genres of art. Access to the archive is free and open to all. ************************************** The Loft www.theloft.in THE LOFT at Lower Parel C/o New Mahalaxmi Silk MIlls Mathuradas Mills Compound Tulsi Pipe Road Lower Parel Mumbai 400013 Anupa Mehta Tasneem Bhavnagarwala +91 (022)-30400166 [email protected] [email protected] THE LOFT follows a residency model. Artists are invited to retreat from their own spaces and work in an oasis in the heart of Mumbai city. Works created through engagements here will be sold directly from the studio to a discerning clientele. Art awareness sessions, encounters with artists, loft theatre, workshops and other events will be part of the program.

Saturday 28 February, Mumbai Breakfast at 8.30 am In Mumbai there will be some people we are going to meet– and some other people who like to guide us a bit through the city. SCHEDULE FOR THIS WILL BE PROVIDED AT BREAKFAST See also suggestions for a long list of galleries Night: New Bengal Hotel Suggestions Mumbai: some restaurants Samrat Prem Ct, J Tata Rd, Churchgate Samrat is a busy traditional Indian vegetarian restaurant, one of three premises at the same location run by the same company: Relish (open lunch and dinner)is its funkier cousin, with dishes ranging from Lebanese platters to Mexican; 210°C is an outdoor cafe and bakery (open 12:00 to 23:00). ************************************** Swati 248 Karai Estate, Tardeo Rd, Tardeo This bustling old-timer has been revamped as a modern cafeteria for discerning grown-ups (all stainless steel and smooth wood). Try the delicious bhelpuri, panki chatni (savoury pancake steamed in a banana leaf) and homemade ice cream in delectable flavour combinations like rose-coconutpineapple. Don’t leave Mumbai without snacking here. ************************************** Kamath Woodside inn Wodehouse Road, Opposite Regal Cinema, Colaba, Mumbai Phone: 22875752, 22025525 Food Type: Chinese, European, North Indian, South Indian Timings: 11:30 AM to Midnight ************************************** Trishna 4 Sai Baba Marg, Kala Ghoda (train: Churchgate) Phone 2261 4991 If you feel like splashing out, this local legend just keeps getting better with age and has a strong reputation for seafood cooked in a myriad of ways. The prawns and lobsters will be brought to your table for inspection

before you order. Try the Hyderabadi pomfret and koliwala (fisherman’s style) prawns. ************************************** Mahesh 8B Cawasji Patel St, Fort Phone 2287 0938 www.maheshlunchhome.com train: Victoria Terminus/CST A modern version of a hole-in-the-wall come good, this is the place to try Mangalorean seafood at budget prices. It’s renowned for its ladyfish, pomfret, lobster and crabs, and its rawas tikka (marinated white salmon) and tandoori pomfret are outstanding.

Sunday 1 March, Mumbai Breakfast at 8.30 am City walks: Juhu Beach, Bandra (see explanation) Late afternoon: Farewell Jacob & Shirin / SOGOL TEHERAN TRAVELS Diner for the whole group, time and address to be announced Night: New Bengal Hotel A Sunday in Mumbai Juhu Beach Juhu Beach is the most famous beach in Mumbai city. It is situated on the shores of Arabian Sea in Juhu suburb. There are three main entrances to the beach. One is from the Vile Parle side, another is from the Santacruz side and the third one is from the Andheri side. Many tourists make it a point to visit the beach when they come to Mumbai, as it is a relatively uncrowded free space in the city, although it does get crowded in the evenings and weekends. It is famous for its Mumbai street food, notably bhelpuri, pani puri, chaats, and of course pav bhaji. Due to the nature of the food stands hygiene standards are often low. On the southern end of Juhu beach there are many luxury hotels and apartments. At the north end of Juhu Beach there is a place called Gandhi Gram. When Mahatma Gandhi used to practice in the Bombay high court in the late 1800s and early 1900s, he used to live there. He mentions in his autobiography that he used to walk to Bandra station from far-flung Juhu to catch an empty train to south Mumbai. Even today, a lot of people do the same, but now the mode of transport is either a BEST bus or an auto rickshaw. ************************************* Prithvi Theater (in Juhu area) Prithvi Theatre is an intimate theatre auditorium, built in 1978, and dedicated to being a catalyst for theatre. Set in the heart of Mumbai’s suburbs, the theatre with its open-air café is a warm, inviting space, a relaxed hangout and a vital breathing space in the bustling city of Mumbai. (10am to 7pm; closed 1 to 2pm) Prithvi Theatre 20 Janki Kutir Juhu Church Road Mumbai 400 049 Box Office: +91 (22) 26149546 Fax: +91 (22) 26175775 Email: [email protected] www.prithvitheatre.org

************************************* Bandra Bandra (Marathi: ???????) is a suburb of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), popularly nick-named “Queen Of The Suburbs”. It is home to a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. With a large cosmopolitan population in Mumbai, predominantly Catholic Bandra is famous for its Churches and Parsi fire-temple; the Tata Agiary on Hill Road and Mount Mary’s Basilica stands out in particular. Bandra also boasts one of Mumbai’s most popular shopping destinations, and millions of people troop onto Linking Road every year. Over the years, Bandra has also gained the title of the “Restaurant Suburb of Mumbai”. More restaurants open and close in Bandra every few months than any other location in Mumbai. Marijke de Vos (Dutch specialist on Indian filmmaking and editor of the book: ‘Behind the scenes of Hindi cinema, a visual journey through the heart of Bollywood’): “Wandelen op het strand achter Prithvi theatre bij Juhu beach als de schemering valt en het avond is: van alles te beleven! Een film zien: Luck by chance of Om shanti Om in Hindi (zonder ondertitels, dat is wel weer jammer- beiden over de Hindi cinema). Architectural walk old villa’s (christenen uit Goa) in Bandra en garnalenvissers bij Joggerspark. Willington Colony in Santa Cruz, ook oude huizen van christenen uit Goa. Oase in drukke stad.” ************************************** Marine drive Address Netaji Subhashchandra Bose Rd, Chowpatty Built on land reclaimed from Subhashchandra Bose Rd) arcs Nariman Point past Chowpatty to the foot of Malabar Hill. is one Mumbai’s most popular

Back Bay in 1920, Marine Drive (Netaji along the shore of the Arabian Sea from Beach (where it’s called Chowpatty Seaface) Lined with flaking Art Deco apartments, this promenades and sunset-watching spots.

It’s twinkling night-time lights earned it the nickname ‘the Queen’s Necklace’. Chowpatty Beach remains a favourite evening spot for courting couples, families, political rallies and anyone out to enjoy what passes for fresh air. Eating an evening time bhelpuri (crisp fried thin rounds of dough mixed with puffed rice, lentils, lemon juice, onions, herbs and chutney) at the throng of stalls found here is an essential part of the Mumbai experience. Forget about visiting during the day for a dip: the water is toxic. ************************************** Chor Bazaar Literally translated, the name Chor Bazaar means The ‘Thieves’ Market. Originating as a place where stolen goods were bought and sold, the market now has more of an antique/flea market feel to it. Rummaging through jostling crowds and chaotic streets, you may find antiques at throwaway prices. However, the shopkeepers are pretty street smart and can take the unsuspecting tourist for a ride. The bazaar also has different streets, each with its own specialty(antiques, clothes, woolens etc). On Friday afternoons the regular antique memorabilia and furniture shops shut and the lanes are thrown open for the Juma bazaar. This Juma bazaar attracts vendors from as far as Virar and gives them a chance to put up their stuff for sale.

Chor Bazaar is an area in South Mumbai famous for its second-hand goods. The name Chor means “thief” in Hindi. This area can be considered one of the tourist attractions of Mumbai (Bombay). It is a basically an “organized” flea market, where one has to rumage through junk and hopefully find treasures. The reason it is known as “thief’s market”, is because it is assumed that goods sold there are stolen. Chor Bazaar if off the beaten path, but everyone knows about it. In addition, the name Chor Bazaar was adopted by an Indie Indian Fused tshirt label based out of Brooklyn, NY with roots in, India. link title The idea of Chor Bazaar, stems from the name, “Chor Bazaar” which means “thief’s market”. Chor Bazaar appropriates or “steals” from everyday Indian life to produce graphics that will have you reminiscing about India. ************************************** Crawford market (near our hotel) The colourful indoor Crawford Market (or Phule Market) is the last outpost of British Bombay before the tumult of the central bazaars begins. It used to be the city’s wholesale produce market before this was strategically moved to New Bombay. Today it’s where central Mumbai goes shopping for its fruit, vegetables and meat. Bas reliefs by Rudyard Kipling’s father, Lockwood Kipling, adorn the Norman-Gothic exterior, and an ornate fountain he designed stands buried beneath old fruit boxes at the market’s centre. The animal market at the rear sells everything from sausage dogs to cockatoos, most kept in cruelly small cages. The meat market is for the brave only, though it’s one of the few places you can expect to be accosted and asked if you want to buy a bloody goat’s head. Just south of the market is the J J School of Art, where Rudyard Kipling was born in 1865. Crawford Market (officially Mahatma Jyotirao Phule Market) is one of South Mumbai’s most famous markets. It is named after Arthur Crawford, the first Municipal Commissioner of the city. The market is situated opposite the Mumbai Police headquarters, just north of Victoria Terminus railway station and west of the J.J.flyover at a busy intersection. The market houses a wholesale fruit, vegetable and poultry market. One end of the market is a pet store. Most of the sellers inside the market nowadays sell imported items such as foods, cosmetics, household and gift items. It was the main wholesale market for fruits in Mumbai until March 1996, when the wholesale traders were relocated to Navi Mumbai (New Bombay). The building, completed in 1869, was donated to the city by Cowasji Jehangir. After India’s independence, the market was renamed after Maharashtrian social reformer, Mahatma Jyotirao Phule. In 1882, the building was the first in India to be lit up by electricity.

Monday 2 March, Mumbai/Amsterdam

Breakfast will be served in the aircraft. Checkout New Bengal Hotel at 05.00 am and transfer to Mumbai International airport. Departure Bombay to Frankfurt: 07.55 - AI127 Arrival Frankfurt: 12.30 (local time W. Europe) Departure Frankfurt: 16.15 - LH4680 Arrival Amsterdam: 17.25

Extra Info Ghare Baire (The Home and the World) is a 1984 film by Bengali director Satyajit Ray, based upon the novel Ghare Baire (The Home and the World) by Rabindranath Tagore. The story is set in early 20th century India in the estate of the rich Bengali noble Nikhil (Victor Banerjee). He lives happily with his beautiful wife Bimala (Swatilekha Sengupta) until the appearance of his friend and radical revolutionist, Sandip (Soumitra Chatterjee). Sandip, a passionate and active man, is a contradiction to the peace - loving and somewhat passive Nikhil. He easily attracts the innocent and unsuspecting Bimala, creating a love triangle. Although Nikhilesh figures out what is happening, he is a mature person and grants Bimala the freedom to grow and choose what she wants in life (as their marriage was arranged when she was a young girl). Meanwhile Bimala experiences the emotions of love for the first time in a manner which helps her understand that it is indeed her husband Nikhilesh who really loves her. Importantly, Nikhilesh tells Bimala that he would like her to have a life not only inside the home, but outside of it as well; which was a most controversial matter when the novel was written. *************************************************** Rabindranath Tagore werd op 7 mei 1861 tijdens de Britse koloniale overheersing van India geboren in een rijke brahmaansefamilie, die in Calcutta woonde. Hij schiep een soort letterkunde die dichter bij het gesproken Bengaals lag dan men ooit daarvoor had geschreven. Hij schreef voornamelijk in het Bengaals, maar vertaalde zelf veel van zijn werken in het Engels. In zijn werk komt grote kennis van zowel de Westerse als de Indiase cultuur tot uitdrukking. Hij predikte ascese noch yoga, maar een vreugde- en liefdevol opgaan in God in het dagelijks leven. Tagore ontplooide een grote bedrijvigheid als literator, componist, sociaal hervormer, strever naar onafhankelijkheid en pedagoog. In 1901 stichtte hij te Bolpur, 180 km van Calcutta, de Santi-Niketanschool, die later uitgroeide tot universiteit. Door te schrijven over sociale en politieke onderwerpen streefde Tagore in zijn wereldbeschouwingen bewust naar een harmonische verbinding tussen de Westerse en Oosterse filosofieën, religies en culturen. Hij had een belangrijk aandeel in de bevrijding van India. Door les te geven in verschillende landen bezocht hij vaak Europa en Amerika, vooral nadat hij in 1913 de Nobelprijs voor de Literatuur toegekend had gekregen. Tot zijn werk behoren een treurspel met de Engelse titel The King of the Dark Chamber (1910) en verschillende romans, waarvan Gora (1908) door sommigen als belangrijker wordt beschouwd dan Rudyard Kiplings schildering van het Indiase leven in Kim. Tagore blijft echter vooral bekend als een dichter wiens eigen vertaling van zijn Gitanjali (1909; Nederlandse vertaling Wijzangen) grote bewondering oogstte. Hij schreef lyrische poëzie (Nederlandse vertaling De hovenier 1914) - waarin hij het sterkst was - enkele drama’s met wijsgerige strekking (Chitra 1914; Nederlandse vertaling 1918), enige romans en talrijke verhalen. In 1950 werd zijn gedicht Jana-Gana-Mana (Engels: Lord of the heart of the people), het volkslied van India. Met Dakghar (Het postkantoor, 1912) gaf Tagore de aanstoot tot vernieuwing van het Indiase toneel. Van zijn wijsgerig werk is te noemen Sadhana (1913), evenals diverse andere werken van zijn hand, vertaald in het Nederlands door Frederik van Eeden.

*************************************************** Mail van Michiel Baas Michiel Baas is the Coordinator of the International Institute for Asian Studies in Amsterdam. “Beste Gabriëlle, Ik reageer even op basis van de attachment met jullie programma: Wat betreft guest lectures heb ik niet veel suggesties ben ik bang. Jammer dat ik je daar niet verder mee kan helpen op dit moment. Wel misschien nog wat andere tips: - Drink nooit water uit de kraan; - Kijk uit voor lassies (yoghurtdrankje waar vaak geschaafd ijs in zit); - Soms word je ziek van de olie die gebruikt is (die is dan niet op tijd ververst) om het eten in klaar te maken; dit als men zich wel aan alle andere regels gehouden heeft; - Als je ziek wordt, snel naar de dokter, of lokale apotheek want meestal houdt diaree etc. in India niet vanzelf op, je zult gewoon aan de antibiotica moeten; - Ik hoor vaak toeristen zeggen dat ze niets aan zwervers geven, en vooral niet aan kinderen want die zouden daar toch niets aan over houden. Het idee is dat ze in bendes zitten en dat ze het geld moeten inleveren aan een baas. Ik vind dat onzin. Zwervers, kinderen of niet, zijn arm en dit is de enige vorm van inkomsten. Dit soort mensen kan meestal niet op een andere vorm op inkomsten terugvallen. En met een paar roepies kom je al een heel end. Daarnaast is het goed voor je karma. - Ook zie ik vaak toeristen in (zogenaamde) Indiase kleding lopen. Vaak doen ze dit omdat ze zo minder aandacht denken te trekken. Mijn Indiase vrienden moeten alleen altijd vreselijk lachen om de creaties die ze aantrekken. Dus als je serieus genomen wilt worden is het vaak niet zo’n goed idee. Tenzij je natuurlijk precies weet wat je aantrekt. - Kijk uit met vlees: eet dat alleen in tentjes waar iedereen lekker aan de kip zit. Dan is het meestal wel vers. - Schoenen altijd uit als je een tempel of moskee binnengaat. - Laat je niet koeioneren door priesters die je een puja voor honderden of zelfs duizenden roepies aanbieden. Voor een eenvoudige puja met een kokosnoot en wat bloemetjes is tussen de 50-100 roepies meer dan voldoende. - Ik doe meestal alleen donaties in de tempelbakken. Ik geef niet snel binnen in een tempel aan mensen. - Rechterhand alleen gebruiken om een hand te geven. Linkerhand is onrein. Het wordt ook als onbeleefd gezien om iets met je linkerhand aan te geven, zoals geld aan een taxi chauffeur. - Onderhandelen doe je meestal zo: je biedt de helft van het gevraagde bedrag en probeert zo tot een compromis te komen. Maak je geen illusies dat je zult betalen wat de locals betalen, die weten niet alleen beter wat dingen in India kosten maar men redeneert ook vaak dat jij als westerling toch meer geld hebt. En dat is ook zo dus helemaal niet erg als je af en toe 10-20 roepies meer kwijt bent. - Je studenten zullen soms goed gek worden van al het gevraag van Indiërs. Indiërs hebben niet veel met zaken als persoonlijke ruimtes, daar is het land gewoon te druk voor. Daarnaast zijn ze gewoon enorm nieuwsgierig. Meestal zijn de vragen gewoon belangstellend en houden ze niet meer in dan dat. Maar je kunt er goed gek van worden. Je geduld verliezen in India wordt alleen als een doodzonde beschouwd, en hard gaan gillen of schreeuwen nog meer. India is een ideale manier om je geduld nog eens goed te testen. - In de rij staan doet men meestal niet in India, dus dring vooral voor of wijs de voordringer terecht. Dat vindt men best. - Het heen en weer schudden van het hoofd kan allerlei betekenissen hebben. Zelden is het ja of nee, vaak is het eerder: ik heb je gehoord, ik denk er nog over na, ik zou het niet precies weten. Stel

je open vragen dan geef je de hoofdschudder niet de kans vaag te doen. - Hoewel India over het algemeen een wat vies land is, wordt persoonlijke hygiëne juist weer heel belangrijk gevonden. Ongewassen kleren, vieze handen, etc. wordt niet op prijs gesteld. Dit valt wel eens moeilijk te rijmen met alle bende op straat maar is nou eenmaal zo. Men vindt buitenlanders vaak een beetje viezig. Als me nog iets te binnen schiet laat ik het wel weten. Geen idee ook of je wat met deze informatie kan. Misschien weten ze dit allemaal al! Mocht je nog vragen hebben hoor ik het wel. Groetjes, Michiel” *************************************************** Mail van Nandini Bedi, documentary/filmmmaker “Gabrielle, I have been through the attachment you sent. It all looks good. Michiel’s advice is also very well given. Some suggestions: Bangalore On the old airport road not very far from MG Road (where Michiel suggests you look at the old and new architecture) is a great big Shiva temple which you get to by walking walking through a shopping mall. This is a very interesting way to see the ‘new India’. So if you can, this would be good. Mumbai I see you have a lot of galleries suggested which is a good thing. But Mumbai is quite an art gallery in itself. So sometimes to opt for a walk around ‘chor bazaar’ (it has been suggested in your paper) over yet another gallery may be quite interesting. The impressions, sounds and interactions will have a great impact I am sure. This is true of almost any place you are visiting. I hope you have a wonderful trip and yes, Michiel is right...patience is important in India if you want to get something out of it! Warm regards, Nandini *************************************************** Homi K. Bhabha (born 1949) is a very important Indian theorist of Post-colonialism. He currently teaches at Harvard University where he is the Anne F. Rothenberg Professor of English and American Literature and Language and Director of the Humanities Center. In Nation and Narration, Bhabha challenges the tendency to treat post-colonial countries as a homogeneous block. This leads, he argues, to the assumption that there is and was a shared identity amongst ex-colonial states. Bhabha argues that all senses of nationhood are narrativized. Bhabha then goes on to identify a relationship of antagonism and ambivalence between colonizers and the colonized. In The Location of Culture, Bhabha advocates a fundamental realignment of the methodology of cultural analysis in the West away from metaphysics and toward the "performative" and "enunciatory present". Such a shift, he claims, provides a basis for the West to maintain less violent relationships with other cultures. In Bhabha's view, the source of the Western compulsion to colonize is due in large part to traditional Western representations of foreign cultures. Bhabha's argument attacks the Western production and implementation of certain binary oppositions. The oppositions targeted by Bhabha include center/ margin, civilized/savage, First/ Third worlds, West/ East, North/South, capital/labour and enlightened/ ignorant. Bhabha proceeds by destabilizing the

binaries insofar as the first term of the binary is allowed to unthinkingly dominate the second. Once the binaries are destabilized, Bhabha argues that cultures can be understood to interact, transgress, and transform each other in a much more complex manner than the traditional binary oppositions can allow. According to Bhabha, hybridity and "linguistic multivocality" have the potential to intervene and dislocate the process of colonization through the reinterpretation of political discourse. *************************************************** Anand Patwardhan has been making political documentaries for nearly three decades pursuing diverse and controversial issues that are at the crux of social and political life in India. Many of his films were at one time or another banned by state television channels in India and became the subject of litigation by Patwardhan who successfully challenged the censorship rulings in court. Patwardhan received a B.A. in English Literature from Bombay University in 1970, won a scholarship to get another B.A. in Sociology from Brandeis University in 1972 and earned a Master’s degree in Communications from McGill University in 1982. Patwardhan has been an activist ever since he was a student - having participated in the antiVietnam War movement; being a volunteer in Caesar Chavez’s United Farm Worker’s Union; working in Kishore Bharati, a rural development and education project in central India; and participating in the Bihar anti-corruption movement in 1974-75 and in the civil liberties and democratic rights movement during and after the 1975-77 Emergency. Since then he has been active in movements for housing rights of the urban poor, for communal harmony and participated in movements against unjust, unsustainable development, miltarism and nuclear nationalism. *************************************************** Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. It is one of two main sub-genres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu traditions; the other sub-genre being Hindustani music, which emerged as a distinct form due to Persian and Islamic influences in North India. During the 19th century, Chennai emerged as the locus for Carnatic music. The six weeklong Music Season held in Chennai every December, has been described as the world's largest cultural event. As is the case in Hindustani music from North India, the main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in ‘g_yaki’ (singing) style. Four important elements - ‘_ruti’ (the relative musical pitch), ‘swara’ (the musical sound of a single note), ‘r_ga’ (the mode or melodic formulæ), and ‘tala’ (the rhythmic cycles) - form the foundation of composition and improvisation in Carnatic music. Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, consisting of a principal performer (usually a vocalist), a melodic accompaniment (usually a violin), a rhythm accompaniment (usually a mridangam), and a tambura which acts as a drone throughout the performance. Other typical instruments used in performances may include the ghatam, kanjira, morsing, veena & flute. Although improvisation plays an important role in Indian classical music, Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions; the most common form being the kriti (or kirtanam). This form was developed between the 14th and 20th centuries,

by prominent composers, such as the Trinity of Carnatic music. Kathakali dansers Kathakali (Malayalam: van ‘katha’ geschiedenis en ‘kali’ spel) is een gedanst drama. Het is een klassieke dansvorm die zijn oorsprong vindt in de deelstaat Kerala in het zuiden van India. De vorm is in 1657 vastgelegd op basis van traditionele vormen zoals ‘Krishnayapattam’ en ‘Kutiyattam’. Kathakali is een opmerkelijk samenspel van drama, dans en ritueel. Er zijn vijf kunstvormen in verenigd: - Literatuur (Sahithyam) - Muziek (Sangeetham) - Schilderkunst (Chithram) - Toneel (Natyam) - Dans (Nritham) De personages dragen uitgebreide, beschilderde maskers en verfijnde kostuums. Het dansspel stelt gebeurtenissen uit de Mahabharata en de Ramayana voor. Het spel is een beproeving van het uithoudingsvermogen van de acteurs, die dan ook dezelfde concentratie en conditietraining ondergaan als gebruikelijk is bij beoefenaren van de kalaripayatt, de traditionele vechtsport van Kerala Ook de gezichtsuitdrukkingen, de houding en de handbewegingen of hasta voermen een belangrijk onderdeel van het spel. *************************************************** The Indian rupee (Rs) is divided into 100 paise (p), but paise coins are increasingly rare. Coins come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 25 and 50 paise, and Rs 1, 2 and 5; notes come in Rs 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 (this last bill can be hard to change outside banks). The Indian rupee is linked to a basket of currencies and its value is generally stable. 1 euro = 62 100 rupee = 1.6 euro *************************************************** About INTACH The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) is a nationwide, non-profit membership organization. INTACH was set up in 1984 to protect and conserve India’s vast natural and cultural heritage. http://www.intach.org/home.htm http://www.intach.org/chapternetwork_south.htm (voor de Zuid-Indiase netwerk) *************************************************** ‘Slapende olifant is ontwaakt’ Het Nieuwe India en de mogelijkheden voor de Nederlandse culturele sector Femke van Woerden-Tausk, medewerker communicatie & PR, Stichting Internationale Culturele Activiteiten/ SICA De Stichting Internationale Culturele Activiteiten/ SICA en Felix Meritis organiseerden op 19 mei 2006 een informatiemiddag voor de culturele sector over ‘Het Nieuwe India’. “India staat op het programma omdat het land een spectaculaire ontwikkeling doormaakt. De economie groeit en in de nabije toekomst zal het een machtige rol in de geopolitieke verhoudingen innemen. De quickscan* van culturele uitwisselingen tussen India en Nederland die SICA onlangs in opdracht van het ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken maakte, toont verbazend veel activiteiten. Ondanks deze ontwikkelingen willen we aan India geen topprioriteit toekennen maar vinger aan de pols houden”, aldus George Lawson in zijn welkomstwoord aan de ruim honderd aanwezigen.

Slapende olifant Tot voor kort zag de wereld India als slapende olifant. Een reusachtig land met meer dan 1.000.000.000 waarvan een groot deel in honger en armoede leefde. India is deze ergste armoede in de zestiger jaren ontstegen, maar niemand schijnt te weten hoe. Anil Ramdas legt het uit: “Uitgerekend Nederland heeft geen idee dat zij medeverantwoordelijk is voor de redding van één miljard mensen. Tijdens de zogenaamde groene revolutie heeft Nederland ontdekt hoe je meer keren per jaar rijst kunt oogsten. De Nederlandse ontwikkelingssamenwerking heeft deze vernieuwing naar India gebracht en het land is hiermee in één klap de grootste rijstexporteur ter wereld geworden.” Ramdas, voormalig correspondent voor NRC Handelsblad in India, is er stellig van overtuigd dat India zelfs China als dominante speler zal overtreffen. Of zoals in de woorden van Amerikaan Thomas Friedman. “China is als een snelweg - glad, efficiënt en rechtdoor – totdat je in een gat in de weg verongelukt. India is als een hobbelige weg die gestaag door het landschap glijdt. Er is geen einde aan deze weg en de gaten in de weg die je gepasseerd bent, worden gerepareerd.” Wat Ramdas betreft is het de vraag of Nederland nog wil meedoen in India en niet andersom. Het land heeft met een pragmatische instelling de honger overwonnen en weinig last van ideologieën. Onze ontwikkelingshulp zijn de Indiërs ontgroeid en dit lijkt heel langzaam tot ons door te dringen. Onze regering krijgt het door. Balkenende plaatste zijn bezoek aan India in het kader van innovatie en eenheid in diversiteit. Ook alle Nederlandse fractievoorzitters waaronder Femke Halsema, Wouter Bos en Boris Dittrich gingen zelf op ontdekkingsreis uit en troffen een ‘ontwaakte olifant’. Niets is zoals het lijkt Na de gesproken column van Anil Ramdas startte een pittige forumdiscussie onder leiding van Tarik Yousif. Gespreksdeelnemers zijn Lex ter Braak (Fonds BKVB), Anil Ramdas en Eric Niehe (Nederlands ambassadeur in India). Femke Halsema (Groen Links) moest helaas verstek laten gaan. Ter Braak bezocht India in 2001 en maakte kennis met de stedenbouw en (landschaps)architectuur aldaar. Zijn conclusie is dat er niet één werkelijk India is maar dat het verschillende werkelijkheden kent waartoe je je moet zien te verhouden. Hierin moet je selectief zijn. Er zijn veel hoger opgeleiden met geld en kennis van IT, tegelijkertijd is er een enorme, arme plattelandsbevolking. Ramdas vult aan: “Het traditionele kastensysteem geldt nog wel, maar er is een emancipatiemachine die volop draait. Het volk ziet uitwegen en krijgt zelf vertrouwen. Mede dankzij de regering die positief discriminerende wetten zoals het aannamebeleid op universiteiten heeft ingevoerd. Universiteiten zijn verplicht een percentage studenten uit lagere kasten (armen) een opleidingsplek te bieden. Van arme gezinnen op het platteland met zes kinderen klimt er tegenwoordig altijd wel één kind hogerop.” Culturele belangstelling Eric Niehe is een warm pleitbezorger voor Nederlandse belangstelling voor India, ook in de culturele sector. Dit zou op basis van gelijkwaardigheid moeten plaatsvinden. Vanuit India is behoefte aan Nederlandse presentatie van de disciplines waarop we toonaangevend zijn zoals vormgeving en bouwkunst. Ook kopieën van oude Hollandse meesters als Van Gogh en Rembrandt zouden er niet misstaan. “Maar wat vooral interessant is voor Nederland, is dat de huidige generatie jonge Indiase kunstenaars meteen al is geconfronteerd met het fenomeen globalisering. Zij hebben stappen overgeslagen die de Nederlandse kunstsector nog moet maken.” Oververhitting Indiase beeldende kunstmarkt Beeldende kunst is booming in India. In de

afgelopen vijf jaar heeft de Indiase beeldende kunst een sterke groei doorgemaakt. Deze groei hangt nauw samen met de sterk groeiende middenklasse. Er is een absolute oververhitting van de Indiase kunstmarkt. Zo komt het voor dat afgestudeerden van de kunstacademie hun werk meteen voor 50.000 euro per doek kunnen verkopen en zelfs een wachtlijst kennen. De Indiase middenklassen is in aantal inmiddels supergroot en bereid geld neer te leggen voor kunst. Met een publiek van één miljoen liefhebbers voor werk van slechts 250 kunstenaars. De groei in interesse voor moderne Indiase beeldende kunst is echter niet alleen in eigen land zichtbaar. Indiase beeldend kunstenaars worden veel gevraagd en veel getoond in vooraanstaande Europese en Amerikaanse galerieën. Ook de prijzen in de internationale kunsthandel voor Indiase kunst stijgen. Bij Christie’s New York werd in 2005 voor het eerst in de geschiedenis de 1 miljoen dollar grens overschreden voor een modern Indiaas kunstwerk. Dit alles heeft tot gevolg dat de kwaliteit van de galerieën en musea in India ook stijgt. Als discipline binnen de beeldende kunsten is videokunst populair in India, waarschijnlijk door de sterke link met de ICT-sector in India. Filmindustrie Een verhaal apart is de filmindustrie. Er zijn initiatieven om Indiase film in Nederland te promoten zoals de IIFA awards (International Indian Film Awards) in Amsterdam in de zomer van 2005. Volgens Niehe heeft de IIFA in India zeer veel positieve publiciteit opgeleverd. Ramdas vindt de awards stompzinnig. Veel te duur voor de Nederlandse Indiërs die veelal in de Haagse Schilderswijk wonen. Andersom betreedt de Nederlandse film voorzichtig de Indiase industrie. Zo trekken de films van Eddy Terstall (o.a. regisseur van Simon) op één avond meer bezoekers daar dan tijdens de hele vertoningperiode op eigen bodem. Verder zijn er ongelooflijk veel getalenteerde Indiase filmmakers. Het ontbreekt hen vaak alleen aan budget. Een Nederlands initiatief zoals het Hubert Balsfonds stimuleert dit talent door financiële bijdragen. Dankzij de ontwikkeling van digitale film is een klein budget van een paar duizend euro al genoeg om een film te kunnen realiseren. Dans Belangstelling vanuit Nederland is er ook voor de dans. In India is de folklore dans doorontwikkeld en beïnvloedt door allerlei stromingen. Dit inspireert op zijn beurt weer gezelschappen als Het Internationaal Danstheater en Korzo (productiehuis voor moderne dans en theater). Genoeg stof tot discussie voor de deelnemers aan de workshops Film, Beeldende kunst en Cultuur en Ontwikkeling. Uit de conclusies vat ambassadeur Niehe zijn boodschappenlijstje als volgt samen: “We moeten openstaan voor andere culturen; we moeten Nederlandse curatoren aan het werk zetten in India; de procedures rond VISA moeten we versimpelen voor mensen die serieus (tijdelijk) aan het werk willen in Nederland.” Ramdas besluit de middag met de wens van een vertienvoudiging van het budget voor kunst en cultuur van de ambassade. *************************************************** Kathakali Kathakali is a harmonious combination of five forms of fine art: 1. Literature (Sahithyam) 2. Music (Sangeetham) 3. Painting (Chithram) 4. Acting (Natyam) 5. Dance (Nritham) Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world. It originated in the area of southwestern India now known as the state of Kerala. Kathakali

is a group presentation, in which dancers take various roles in performances traditionally based on themes from Hindu mythology, especially the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.Kerala Kathakali Centre is one of the famous theatre in south India Conducting Daily Kathakali and other shows. Indian classical music is categorized under two genres. These are Hindustani and Carnatic. Broadly speaking, Carnatic music developed in the south of the country, while Hindustani is indigenous to the north. Carnatic Music It is the classical music of Southern India. The basic form is a monophonic song with improvised variations. There are 72 basic scales on the octave, and a rich variety of melodic motion. Both melodic and rhythmic structures are varied and compelling. This is one of the world’s oldest & richest musical traditions. Hindustani Hindustani music is based on the raga system. A raga is a melodic scale, consisting of notes from the basic seven known as sa, re, ga, ma pa, dha, and ni. Apart from sa and pa which are constant, the other notes may be in major or minor tone, and this gives rise to innumerable combinations. Ten basic scales or thaats are recognized, and other ragas are considered to have evolved from these. A raga must contain a minimum of five notes. Three States of Classical Dance Bharathanatyam is a classical dance form of South India, said to be originated in Thanjavoor of Tamil Nadu. Bharatanatyam It was known as “Daasiyattam” since performed by Devadasies in temples of Tamil Nadu long ago. The name ‘Bharatanatyam’ is derived from three basic concepts of Bhava, Raga and Thaala. The modern Bharatanatyam was systematically regularized by well known ‘Thanjavoor Brothers’, Ponnayya, Chinnayya, Sivanandam and Vativelu Mohiniyattam Mohiniyattam is a dance form said to have originated in Kerala. It is closely related to Bharathanatyam of Tamil Nadu, Mohiniyattamwhich was originally called ‘Dasiyattam’. Originated as the temple dance performed by Devadasis, it portrays feminine love in its myriad forms - carnal, devotional and maternal- with accent more on Lasya and Bhava. In the main items Cholkettu, Padavarnam and Padam, Mudras and facial expressions are more important than the rhythmic steps. Costumes and ornaments of Mohiniyattam have much in common with female characters of Koodiyattam and Kathakali. Kutchipudi Kuchipudi, the indigenous style of dance of Andhra Pradesh took its birth and effloresced in the village of the same name, originally called Kuchelapuri or Kuchelapuram, a hamlet in Krishna district. From its origin, as far back in the dim recesses of time as the 3rd century BC, it has remained a continuous and living dance tradition of this region. The genesis of Kuchipudi art as of most Indian classical dances is associated with religions. For a long time, the art was presented only at temples and that too only for annual festivals of certain temples in Andhra. Kalamezhuthu The art of creating very large pictures Kalamezhuthuon floor, with coloured powders have been in vogue for ages as a ritual art form. It is typically Indian as it is a harmonic blend of Arian, Dravidian and Tribal traditions. As an art form it has found a significant place among our rich spectrum of fine arts. In most other parts of India this art exists as a domestic routine of Hindus, who consider it auspicious to draw certain patterns at the door step and courtyard to welcome a deity

into the house. It is called by names like Rangoli, Kolam etc._Kalamezhuthu is unique form of this art found only in Kerala. Here it is essentially a temple art. The patterns to be drawn and the colours chosen are traditionally stipulated, and the tradition is strictly adhered to. Kalaripayattu Kalarippayattu is the only form of the most ancient traditional systems of physical, culture, selfdefence and martial techniques still in existence. It is believed to have had its origin in Kerala, the tiny state situated South West of India. Koodiyattam Koodiyattam, Sanskrit drama performed in Kerala, India, has been recognised by UNESCO as a Human Heritage Art. Rightly so. It is the oldest existing classical theatre form in the entire world, having originated much before Kathakali and most other theatrical forms. It is considered to be at least 2000 years old. Kulasekhara Varma Cheraman Perumal, an ancient King of Kerala was known as the creator of Koodiyattam in the present form. His book “Aattaprakaram” describes various aspects about how to perform Koodiyattam. Till date this is considered the most authoritative work on the art form. The “grammar” of performance is entirely based on the stipulations of “Natyashasthram” by Bharatha Muni, the most authoritative book on the science of acting. Nangiar Koothu The female aspect of the Koodiyattom tradition, Nangiarkoothu, the sole domain of female artistes known as Nangiars. Koodiyattom is one of the arts which gave equal importance for women artistes from the earliest times. They act female roles on the stage with men; but more importantly they perform ‘Nangiarkoothu’ which is a solo dance. One actress presents on the stage by hand gestures, facial expression and body movements, long winded stories relating to Lord Krishna. The basic text is “Sreekrishna Charitham ngiarammakoothu”, scripted around 1980, by maestro, Guru P.K.N.Nambiar. Pavakoothu Nool Pavakoothu is a stringed puppet play native to Kerala. These plays are generally performed during temple festivals. These puppets remain under the care and custody of a royal family. The puppeteers belong to the Nair community. The puppets are categorized into two sets. One set comprises of puppets depicting any folk tales, while the other is used for presenting scenes from mythologies and epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. *************************************************** INDIA IN A NUTSHELL Herkomst van de naam De naam India is afgeleid van Sindhu, de lokale naam voor de rivier de Indus (van de Sanskrit stam ind: druppel). De Veda's hebben geen naam gegeven aan India. De oude Ariërs noemden het land Aryavarta, hetgeen ook Centraal-Azië bevatte. De afkorting Varta werd verbasterd tot Barta en later tot Bharat. De Perzen noemden het (een deel van het) land Hindoestan, het land aan de Indus. Dit werd door de Grieken gemaakt tot India. De verschillende politieke partijen hebben wel andere voorkeursnamen voor het land zoals Hindoestan *, Hindu Rashtra en Bharat. De naam Bharat zou afstammen van twee oude koningen die Bharata genoemd werden. De naam Hindoestan werd officieel opgegeven na de onafhankelijkheid op 15 augustus 1947. De naam wordt nog wel gebruikt in het dagelijkse spraakgebruik. Een populair patriottisch lied, geschreven door een Pakistaanse moslim, Iqbal, begint met de zin: Sare jahaan se acchaa, Hindustan humaraa (Beter dan de rest van de wereld is ons Hindoestan).

Geschiedenis India was de geboorteplaats van een aantal grote religies, waaronder het hindoeïsme, boeddhisme en het sikhisme; het land heeft veel invloed gehad op de ontwikkelingen in Zuidoost-Azië door middel van het hindoeïsme en het boeddhisme. Al voor het begin van onze jaartelling dreven de Indiërs handel met dit gebied, tot in China aan toe. De Indiërs hebben onder andere invloed gehad in het begin van het Khmer-rijk, Java en ook in Funan en Champa. Ook in hedendaags Thailand zijn er verscheidene preTai koninkrijken zoals Haripunchai, Dvaravati en Lopburi, die door de Indiërs beïnvloed zijn. Vroege geschiedenis De vroegste vondsten van rotsbewerkingen in India dateren tot ongeveer 40.000 jaar geleden in het paleolithicum in Bhimbetaka in centraal India en op andere locaties. De oudste permanente nederzettingen in Zuid-Azië dateren van ongeveer 9000 jaar geleden. Deze lokale cultuur ontwikkelde zich in de Indusbeschaving (ook wel SindhuSarasvati traditie). Deze beschaving bereikte zijn hoogtepunt tussen 2600 v.Chr. en 1900 v.Chr. en was één van de oudste beschavingen. Omstreeks 1500 v.Chr. werd het gebied van de Indusbeschaving onder de voet gelopen door de Ariërs, die hun Indo-Europese taal op het subcontinent introduceerden. Daarmee begon de ontwikkeling van een typische Indiase cultuur, die zowel elementen in zich verenigde van de Ariërs, als van de oerbevolking, die waarschijnlijk Dravidische talen sprak. In deze tijd werd er in het westen vaak gesproken over de grote rijkdommen van India en dit spoorde Alexander de Grote aan om, nadat hij de Perzen verslagen had, te proberen India te veroveren. Tempel van Hampi Van ongeveer het jaar 300 tot het jaar 500 was een groot deel van hedendaags India onderdeel van het Gupta Rijk. India was in die tijd in beschaving het verst gevorderde gebied op aarde. De Indiase cultuur oefende toen sterke invloed uit op geheel Zuidoost-Azië. Invallen van steppenvolkeren uit Centraal-Azië leidden echter ca. 500 tot de instorting van het Gupta-rijk. Hierna werd een groot rijk gevestigd door de Chalukya in midden India van ongeveer de jaren 500 tot 750. De islam werd kort na 700 geïntroduceerd in het noordwestelijk deel van het subcontinent, Sindh. Omstreeks 1200 begon de Islamitische verovering van geheel Noord-India. De verovering ging aanvankelijk gepaard met grote bloedbaden en onderdrukking van het Hindoe-geloof, maar naar verloop van tijd groeide er een zekere modus vivendi tussen Moslims en Hindoe's. Slechts in enkele gebieden ging de meerderheid van de bevolking over tot de Islam. In 1526 vestigde het islamitische Mogoelrijk zich in India. Komst van de Europeanen Golconda fort Portugal was het eerste Europese land dat om Kaap de Goede Hoop zeilde en India bereikte. Zij vestigden daar de kolonie Goa. Vanaf de 17e eeuw begon Engeland de situatie in India te beïnvloeden. In 1676 vestigden ook de Fransen zich aan de oostkust van India bij Pondicherry, ten zuiden van Madras. Van 1858 tot 1947 werd India geregeerd als een onderdeel van het Britse Rijk. Onafhankelijkheid Een voornamelijk geweldloze opstand onder Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi en Jawaharlal Nehru vormden een onderdeel van de weg naar onafhankelijkheid. Hoewel zij in het westen als de grote helden van de onafhankelijkheid worden gezien waren Chandra Shekhar Azad en zijn groep volgens de Indiërs zelf de echte helden. Udham Singh, Chandra Shekhar Azad en Bhagat Singh leidden met hun groep de onafhankelijkheid van

Brits India in 1947. Het Indiase subcontinent werd door de Britten verdeeld in de seculiere staat India en de kleinere moslimstaat Pakistan. India en Pakistan hebben sindsdien nog verscheidene grensconflicten gehad. India greep ook in bij de burgeroorlog tussen West- en Oost-Pakistan in 1971, waarna het laatste gebied zichzelf afscheidde als het land Bangladesh. Tot in 2003 zijn de spanningen tussen beide landen zeer hoog en zijn ze verwikkeld in een wapenwedloop. Bevolkingsdichtheid India is na China het land met het grootste bevolkingsaantal ter wereld. Taal, religie en het kastensysteem vormen een belangrijke basis voor het bepalen van iemands positie in de maatschappij. Zuid-India wordt gedomineerd door de donkerkleurige Dravidiërs. In het noorden stamt de bevolking af van de lichtergekleurde Indo-Ariërs die later, ongeveer 3500 jaar geleden, gearriveerd zijn. Er zijn veel personen uit India die ook in het Westen bekend zijn zoals de politicus Mahatma Gandhi. Omgekeerd zijn er ook veel westerlingen die van invloed zijn geweest op India. Voor een overzicht van beide groepen zie de lijst van beroemde Indiërs. Bij het begin van de 20e eeuw telde India 250 miljoen inwoners; dat aantal is nu verviervoudigd. Volgens de laatste volkstelling telde India 1.028.610.328 (2001) inwoners en volgens nietofficiële schattingen telt het land anno 2007 ongeveer tegen de 1.130.000.000 inwoners. Religie India was de geboorteplaats van een aantal grote religies, waaronder het Hindoeïsme, Boeddhisme en het Sikhisme. Ook de Islam heeft een belangrijke invloed op de Indiase geschiedenis en India hoort, samen met Indonesië en Pakistan tot de top drie van landen met het grootste aantal moslims. India kent geen staatsgodsdienst en is officieel een seculier land. Aantal aanhangers van religies volgens de laatste census van 2001: (Religie / Aantal / % / Top 3 staten e.d.) -Hindoeïsme / 827.578.868 / 80,5% / Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa -Islam / 138.188.240 / 13,4% / Laccadiven, Jammu en Kasjmir, Assam -Christendom / 24.080.016 / 2,3% / Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya -Sikhisme / 19.215.730 / 1,9% / Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana -Boeddhisme / 7.955.207 / 0,8% / Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram -Jaïnisme / 4.225.053 / 0,4% / Maharashtra, Delhi, Rajasthan -Overige religies / 6.639.626 / 0,6% / Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya Onder de overige religies vallen onder andere aanhangers van het Zoroastrisme, het Bahá'í en het Jodendom. Er wordt geschat dat er nog ongeveer vijfduizend joden in India wonen, de meeste in en rond Bombay. Taal In India worden lokaal veel verschillende talen gesproken. De belangrijkste taal is het Hindi dat evenals het oude Sanskriet geschreven wordt in het Devanagari-schrift. Het Hindi is de primaire officiële taal, die door de federale overheid wordt gebruikt. Het Engels wordt door de federale overheid gebruikt om met staten waar het Hindi niet de officiële taal is te communiceren en is populair in het zakenleven, in regeringszaken en in nietHindi sprekende staten. Daarnaast heeft India nog 21 andere officiële talen op zijn grondgebied ingesteld. Los daarvan hebben de staten en

territoria zelf ook officiële talen ingesteld. Tot slot zijn er nog 392 (2005) andere levende talen. Staten en unieterritoria, met hoofdsteden India is onderverdeeld in: - 28 deelstaten, waarvan tien met een bevolkingsaantal van meer dan vijftig miljoen inwoners. - 6 unieterritoria - 1 nationaal hoofdstedelijk territorium (Delhi) Alle staten en unieterritoria zijn weer onderverdeeld in districten. Negen staten kennen tussen het staatsniveau en het districtsniveau nog een extra laag; divisies genaamd. Daarnaast bestaan er in India nog drie kleine autonome gebieden, die door de federale overheid zijn aangewezen en die een bepaalde mate van autonomie binnen de staat hebben waar ze zich bevinden. Hoe de districten weer verder zijn onderverdeeld, verschilt per staat. De districten worden onderverdeeld in tehsils, talukas of mandals. In vijf staten worden de districten gegroepeerd in subdivisies. India heeft geen territoriale claim gelegd in Antarctica maar heeft er wel een permanent onderzoeksstation, Dakshin Gangotri. Geografie India ligt op het Indiase schiereiland en bestaat ruwweg uit drie delen. Het noorden van India is zeer bergachtig met een gedeelte van de Himalaya bergketen (hoogste punt Kanchenjunga 8598 meter) en uitlopers daarvan zoals de Pamir en Karakoram. Hierna de vlakte met grote rivieren zoals de Ganges en de Brahmaputra die beginnen in de Himalaya en de noordelijke vlakten zeer vruchtbaar maken. In het westelijk gelegen gedeelte ligt hier de Thar woestijn. Het zuiden van India is een groot plateau genaamd het Dekan. Dit plateau ligt tussen de Golf van Bengalen in het oosten en de Arabische Zee in het westen. Het plateau wordt van de kust gescheiden door 2 bergketens: de Oost-Ghats en de West-Ghats. India is ook het thuis voor verscheidene grote rivieren zoals de Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yamuna, Godavari en de Krishna. Slechts een klein gedeelte van de loop van de rivier die het land zijn naam geeft, de Indus, ligt op Indiaas grondgebied. Steden Bombay (Mumbai) (Maharashtra) is de grootste stad van India. Andere steden met een agglomeratie van meer dan vijf miljoen inwoners zijn: Calcutta (Kolkata) (West-Bengalen) Delhi (Delhi) Madras (Chennai) (Tamil Nadu) Bangalore (Bengaluru) (Karnataka) Haiderabad (Hyderabad) (Andhra Pradesh) Economie Meer dan 60% van de bevolking werkt in de agrarische sector. India heeft ook veel potentie voor mijnbouw. Ook de industrie breidt zich gestaag uit, hierbij geholpen door de lage lonen. De dienstensector is ook een sterke groeisector dankzij het hoge opleidingniveau in India. Vooral de IT-sector is bloeiende. De Indiase economie is sinds het begin van de jaren '90 van de 20e eeuw geliberaliseerd. De Indiase economie is 9.2% gegroeid in 2006 en is de tweede snelste groeiende economie na China. Armoede Percentage van de bevolking dat in armoede leeft, per staat (1999-2000) India wordt gerekend tot de ontwikkelingslanden met een laag gemiddeld inkomen. De Indiase overheid zelf schatte dat over de jaren 2004 en 2005 gemiddeld 27,5% onder de armoedegrens leefde, wat neer kwam op ruim driehonderd miljoen mensen. Het verschil tussen de armoede in de landelijke gebieden (28,3%) en de armoede in de stedelijke gebieden (25,7%) is relatief gezien niet zo groot, ook al is het

absolute aantal mensen dat in armoede leeft in de landelijke gebieden ruim tweeënhalve keer hoger. Ook is het zo dat het leven in de stedelijke gebieden duurder is, waardoor de armoedegrens daar anderhalf keer hoger is gelegd dan die in de landelijke gebieden. Er bestaan grote verschillen in welvaart per staat. De staten rond de Ganges en die ter zuiden daarvan gelden als de armste gebieden van India. De vijf armste staten waren in 2004 en 2005 Orissa (46,4% onder de armoedegrens), Bihar (41,4%), Chhattisgarh (40,9%), Jharkhand (40,3%) en Uttarakhand (39,6%). Het noordwesten, de noordoostelijke staten en het zuiden kennen de minste armoede. Zeven staten en drie territoria hebben minder dan vijftien procent van de bevolking onder de armoedegrens leven.

Cultuur De Indiase cultuur is een mengeling van verscheidene golven van immigraties die voornamelijk het noorden van het land beïnvloed hebben.

Landbouw Percentage van het aandeel van de landbouw in het Bruto Binnenlands Product per staat Meer dan 60% van de bevolking werkt in de landbouw. De belangrijkste gewassen zijn graansoorten als rijst en gierst (millet en sorghum). Ook bonen en pinda's zijn belangrijk. India heeft meer koeien dan enig ander land ter wereld. Maar vanwege het Hindoegeloof mogen deze niet gegeten worden en kunnen ze alleen maar gebruikt worden voor hun melk.

Dans Er bestaan veel traditionele dansvormen in India, onder andere de Bharata Natyam, Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak en Kathakali. De meeste dansen vertellen een verhaal. Bhangra komt uit Punjab.

Mijnbouw India heeft grote grondstoffenvoorraden, waaronder olie, gas, steenkool en ijzererts. Industrie Geholpen door de lage lonen en de hoge opleiding van de bevolking slaagt India er steeds meer in om westerse bedrijven aan te trekken en zich er te vestigen. India produceert geavanceerde producten als raketten, auto's en vliegtuigen. Maar ook textiel, staal en machines zijn belangrijk. In het begin van de 21e eeuw remt de groei van de industrie af, hierdoor komen er minder banen voor de niet opgeleide massa. Sindsdien kent de industrie echter weer een groei. Dienstensector Geholpen door de lage lonen en hoge opleiding heeft de dienstensector een grote vlucht genomen. Veel westerse bedrijven besteden hele delen van het werk zoals administratie, programmeren en callcenters, uit naar India. India is een van de belangrijkste software-exporteurs van de wereld, de waarde van de software-export lag in 2003 op 10 miljard Amerikaanse dollar. Transport India heeft een groot en uitgebreid vervoersnet. Het land bezit een van de grootste spoorweg- en wegennetten ter wereld, die miljoenen mensen per jaar vervoeren. Ondanks dat, blijven er echter grote delen van het vervoersnet onderontwikkeld. Spoorwegen De trein is het meest gebruikte transportmiddel voor de lange afstand en wordt verzorgd door de Indian Railways. De spoorwegen vormen een belangrijk onderdeel van de Indiase cultuur. Wegennet India heeft een netwerk van nationale snelwegen, die alle belangrijke steden en staatshoofdsteden met elkaar verbindt. In 2005 had India totaal 65.569 km aan snelweg, waarvan 4.885 km geclassificeerd wordt als expresweg. De meeste snelwegen hebben twee rijstroken, terwijl in de meer ontwikkelde gebieden ze vier rijstroken hebben. Nabij grote steden kunnen de snelwegen ook acht rijstroken hebben. De snelwegen zijn de economische ruggengraat van India. De snelwegen zorgen voor veel ontwikkeling en vele steden langs de belangrijkste snelwegen hebben een economische impuls gekregen. De vraag naar auto's is een van de hoogste ter wereld.

Muziek De twee belangrijkste klassieke muziektradities zijn de Carnatische muziek uit Zuid-India en de Hindoestaanse muziek uit Noord-India. De Hindoestaanse muziek heeft veel mosliminvloeden ondergaan. Beide muzieksystemen zijn gebaseerd op Vedische principes. Een aantal muziekinstrumenten uit India, zoals de sitar en de tabla, zijn wereldwijd bekend. Niet-traditionele muziek, waaronder vooral de muziek uit de Bollywoodfilms is echter het populairst.

Festivals India kent vele festivals. De meeste hiervan komen uit het hindoeïsme, zoals het Holi-Phagwa, Diwali, Vijayadasami, Sankranthi en Pongal. Literatuur De literatuur in India wordt zowel geschreven als oraal overgebracht. De Hindoeliteratuur vormt een groot gedeelte van de Indiase cultuur. Behalve de Veda's, Upanishads, Bhagavad gita en de Srimad Bhagavatam, die een heilige vorm van kennis vertegenwoordigen, zijn belangrijke werken onder andere de epossen: Ramayana en de Mahabharatha. De Vaastu Shastra behandelt de architectuur en stadsplanning. De Artha Shastra is belangrijk in de politieke studies. Ook het boeddhistische Pali Canon is samengesteld in India. Filmindustrie Ondanks dat een groot deel van de bevolking arm is, beschikt het land door het beroemde Bollywood over de grootste filmindustrie ter wereld. Cinema is mateloos populair in het subcontinent, volgens velen omdat het een vlucht van de realiteit geeft. Bollywood - de naam is afgeleid van het Amerikaanse Hollywood, waarbij de B staat voor Bombay, nu Mumbai, het kloppende hart van de Indiase filmwereld - geniet al decennia enorme bekendheid buiten India. In veel landen, van Marokko tot Thailand en van Indonesië tot Rusland, is Bollywood zelfs populairder dan Hollywood. De laatste jaren begint de interesse voor Bollywood ook in de VS toe te nemen, wat al resulteerde in enkele grote, op Bollywood geijkte, films zoals 'Bend it like Beckham', en 'Bride & Prejudice'. Steeds meer Indiase acteurs maken uitstapjes naar Hollywoodfilms, zoals Aishwarya Rai, Gulshan Grover, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri en Jackie Shroff.

Sport De populairste sport in India is cricket en het is de daarmee de onofficiële nationale sport. Het is zo populair dat het gezien wordt als één van India's snelst groeiende industrieën, het nationale team is een van de beste teams ter wereld. Een andere populaire sport waarin India veel successen heeft behaald, is hockey. Ook populair zijn: tennis, badminton en schaken. Van schaken wordt aangenomen dat het in India ontstaan is (Chaturanga). Traditionele sporten uit India zijn Kabaddi, Gillidanda, polo en badminton, dat bedacht werd in een Britse club in Poona in de 16e eeuw.

vechten. Communistische militanten zijn vooral actief in het midden van het land. Spanningen tussen hindoes en moslims blijven aanwezig. Het kastenstelsel, discriminatie van Dalits, overbevolking, armoede en milieuproblemen vormen andere bronnen van problemen.

Politiek India is een democratische republiek. Het bestaat uit een persoonlijke unie van staten met een overwegend federale structuur. De officiële naam is The Republic of India.

Overige wetenswaardigheden Het verkeer rijdt links. Het Engels is gebaseerd op het Oxford Engels. De officiële datumnotatie: dd/mm/jjjj. De postcode bestaat uit 6 cijfers. India gebruikt het metrische systeem. Spanning 220V; Frequentie 50 Hz. Het financiële jaar start op 1 april. Het woord "India" wordt ook gebruikt in het internationale spellingsalfabet voor de letter "I". Het cijfer nul is in India ontdekt.

Staatshoofd Aan het hoofd staat een president, Pratibha Patil. De taken van deze president zijn grotendeels ceremonieel. De president en de vicepresident worden ieder 5 jaar gekozen door een speciaal kiescollege. De termijnen lopen niet gelijk en de vicepresident volgt niet automatisch de president op bij diens overlijden. De regering De uitvoerende macht ligt bij de raad van ministers (het kabinet), die geleid worden door een ministerpresident, Manmohan Singh. De president benoemt de minister-president die wordt voorgedragen door de regerende politieke partij of coalitie. De president benoemt dan ministers op advies van de minister-president. Parlement Het parlement van India kent 2 Kamers, het Hogerhuis genaamd Rajya Sabha (Nederlands: De raad van de staten) en het Lagerhuis genaamd Lok Sabha (Nederlands: Het huis van de mensen). De regering legt verantwoording af aan de Lok Sabha. Verkiezingen India kent algemeen stemrecht sinds 1950 (Indiase Grondwet). De kiesleeftijd is 18 jaar.

Kleding India is subcontinent met veel verschillende culturen en religies. De 1.129.866.154 (2007) inwoners wonen verspreid over diverse klimaatzones. Ook is India een land van scherpe tegenstellingen. Zo is er het verschil tussen arm en rijk en tussen ouderwets en modern. Dit alles heeft een grote invloed op de zeer verschillende kleding die er in India gedragen wordt. India kent vele traditionele kostuums zoals de Sari, Salwar Kameez, Dhoti, de Kurta en de Ghagra Choli.

Partijen Indiaas Nationaal Congres (INC): sinds haar oprichting in 1947 tot 1989, domineerde deze partij de Indiase politiek. Zij situeert zich links van het politieke spectrum. In 2004 kwam de partij terug meer op de voorgrond met Manmohan Singh als eerste minister. Bharatiya Janata Partij(BJP): centrum-rechtse partij, steeds belangrijker in de Indiase politiek sinds de jaren '90. Janata Dal is een belangrijke centrumpartij. Communistische Partij van India (Marxistisch) (CPI-M) kreeg in 2004 5,7% van de stemmen en 43 zetels. kleinere partijen zijn de Akali Dal, All-India Anna DMK (AIADMK), Asom Gana Parishad, Bahujan Samaj Partij (BSP), Bharatiya Janata Partij (BJP), Communistische Partij van India (CPI), Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Indian National Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Samajwadi Partij, Samata Partij, Shiv Sena, en Telugu Desam. Na de onafhankelijkheid waren heel wat regeringen uitsluitend door de INC bevolkt. Sinds 1989 is men meestal gedwongen om een coalitie te sluiten tussen enkele partijen.

Indiase keuken In de Indiase keuken wordt veel gebruikt gemaakt van rijst, granen en specerijen en verse kruiden die tot garam masala's (aromatische mengels) gemalen worden. Curry's, tikka's en kofta's die met rijst of met vers brood gegeten worden, zijn bekende Indiase gerechten.

Interne politieke problemen In India waren en zijn er verschillende separatistische bewegingen actief. In de staat Punjab streden extremistische sikhs voor een onafhankelijke staat. Het noordoosten van India wordt al sinds de onafhankelijkheid geteisterd door groeperingen die tegen de staat of tegen elkaar

Externe politieke problemen Met Pakistan en China zijn er problemen over de staten Jammu en Kasjmir. Tussen India en Pakistan vinden regelmatig gevechten plaats aan de bestandslijn. Militanten die actief zijn in Kasjmir krijgen steun vanuit Pakistan.

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South India

Colophon Ghare-Baire A Studium Generale Rietveld Academie study trip to India February/March 2009 *Jeron Halewijn & Gabriëlle Schleijpen are responsible for the concept of the trip as well as for all contacts with individual India ‘experts’ as well as with institutes. *Travel agencies Hemminkways in the Netherlands and Sogol Teheran Travels in Iran have collaborated on all things in regard to transport and accommodation. *Sarah Charalambides is the designer of this book as well as of the Studium Generale website on which you can find information on two lecture programs about India that we presented in 2008. *The book was edited by Gabriëlle Schleijpen with the assistance of Jeron Halewijn, Sarah Gerats, Monique Hemmink and Jacob Sogol. *We want to express our gratitude to the following people for their generous support and/or advice : Michiel Baas, Clementine Deliss, Nora Dohrmann, Jenny Eneqvist, Saskia Goldschmidt, Bert van Hijfte, Andre Klein, Emily Pethick, Haco de Ridder (Mondriaanstichting), Liesbet Ruben (Tropenmuseum), Anjalika Sagar, Himanshu Verma, Marijke de Vos, Christine Wagner and Grant Watson (MuHKA). We especially thank Nandini Bedi, Monali Meher and Sudha Rajagopalan for their personal engagement and ongoing concern for our connectedness with a ‘real’ India. Gerrit Rietveld Academie Fred Roeskestraat 96 1076 ED Amsterdam www.rietveldacademie.nl www.studiumgenerale.rietveldacademie.nl

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