32nd Indian Art History Congress – A Fine Presentation on India's Art Culture and Thoughts

Arkaprava Das

Organized at Indian Institute of Heritage, Noida (Uttar Pradesh), from 8^th to 10^th February. 32^nd Indian Art History Congress delivered a brief yet remarkable exploration on India's rich artistic culture and the varied forms of its creative elements. Eminent scholars, authors and art patrons, such as, Prof. (Dr.) Susmita Pande, Dr. T Satya Murthy, Dr, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Pt. Uday Kumar Mallick, Prof. (Dr.) Sachchidanand Joshi and many other distinctive art researchers addressed in this three-days long seminar. On the central theme of Representation of Indian Epics in Art and Culture, the deep-rooted findings crossed the boundary of known and every recognized convention.

Participating scholars, like, Astha Sharma, Dr. Shivashankar, Dr. Arti Iyer, Riddhi Girish Joshi, Dr. Jasbindar Kaur and many others said about unheard local or tribal multi-ethnic influences and reflections of art in regional creative compositions, like handicrafts, music and dance forms. Even while talking about the historic roots of art, researchers, such as, Dr. Kumud Kanitkar pointed out minute variations and diversions of representation that are outcomes of regional culture but still play significance in terms of public sentiments or beliefs.

Finders like, Dr. Renu Shahi, Dr. Deepti Rekha Kauli, Dr. Alok Shrotriya and others talked about several variations of rural art forms, inter-regional art forms that developed out of different interpretation of India's most popular two epics – Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The session, although lasted for only three days gave so many interesting and complex findings that will take days or even more to explore and realize their actual insights. To the end, we must acknowledge India as a trove of cultural tradition, unique, unexplored in many areas and hence is an ever-expanding subject. Above all, the legacy of art can be said as the direct product of deepest human sentiments and expressions represented in its prettiest form as possible by the creator, known or unknown.