A Tribute to Lata Mangeshkar

The tributes will continue to pour in and much will be written. But this is my own little eulogy for the great Lata Mangeshkar whose melodies are ingrained in my library of memories. Her vast repertoire of songs—some of the greatest hits ever— arrived in our home first on the radio my mother tuned in […]

Pahari Paintings

The hallmark of Kishangarh paintings, a part of the Pahari genre, is the individualistic facial type and large panoramic landscapes. The sensitive, refined features of the characters are drawn with pointed noses and chins, deeply curved eyes, and serpentine locks of hair. This is an example of an unusual Kishangarh painting with two pashmi hounds […]

The Cultural Encounter of Europe in India

The cultural encounter of Europe in India has been of some fascination to many students of the subject. European engravings brought to India in the sixteenth century by the Jesuits to help communicate Christian doctrines to Mughals are well documented. Prints of non-religious subjects also found their way into Mughal possession, a subject that has […]

Where Treasures Hide

One of the great charms of Londön is the Portobello Market, a weekly assembly of antique dealers from across the country who drive down delights of all shapes and sizes, often bric a brac and at times treasures. You will find specialists—even scholars of their trade—of glassware to silver, furniture, crockery, dolls, statues, porcelain, and […]