Shakuntala: As Authored by Kalidas and Painted by Raja Ravi Varma

Mythology has always been an appealing area which has been engrossing readers and listeners since ages. Mythology plays distinctive roles and employs its sacred narratives, art and rituals to keep the values and morals of the society intact. This system of writing texts on mythology was common to the entire subcontinent and produced its own literature written in Sanskrit. One such magnum opus is Abhijnanashakuntalam authored by the great Sanskrit maestro, Kalidas. It is also important to note that mythology in the form of texts was accessible to a very limited class of people which included the elites, literates, scholars etc, and consequently a large section of the society remained unaware of these episodes and virtues. It is where, Raja Ravi Varma, ‘Father of Modern Indian Art’ is credited to bring these episodes in the form of both painting and printing to the commoners. This not only attracted a huge number of people towards mythology, Hindu culture and tradition but also urged to preserve values. The present paper is an attempt to study the contributions of the two maestros, Kalidas- as the author of Abhijnanashakuntalam and Raja Ravi Varma-as the painter of the Shakuntala Series, comparative studies of how both the maestros perceived the character of Shakuntala, portrayal of ‘beauty’, and how the play, painting and printing was appreciated, responses gathered and inspirations shared. Keywords: Kalidas, Raja Ravi Varma, Shakuntala, Mythology and Painting, Oleographs

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Sharī‘a Scripts

American Journal of Islam and Society ◽

10.35632/ajis.v36i4.661 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 108-109

Author(s):

Andre Gingrich

Keyword(s):

Middle East ◽

South Asian ◽

Comparative Studies ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

Legal Anthropology ◽

Columbia University ◽

Textual Scholarship ◽

Present Volume ◽

Magnum Opus ◽

To Come

While the Yemen seems to be stumbling from one disaster into the next, it is good to see how some of the best experts in Yemeni studies continue their work in ways that will be useful in the country’s future. The present volume is not only bound to become recognized soon as the magnum opus by Brinkley Messick, professor of anthropology and Middle Eastern, South Asian and African studies at Columbia University and one of the world’s leading experts in Yemeni studies today. More importantly still, Sharī‘a Scripts features all the qualities required for a true academic milestone in Yemen-related scholarship for decades to come, with potential ramifications for the historical and legal anthropology of the Middle East at large. This volume is based on half a lifetime of analytical and comparative studies that began during the author’s first fieldwork period in the central and southern highlands of northern Yemen during the 1970s. Messick meticulously examines the structures of jurisprudence (the “library” in his terms) with the methodologies and techniques of textual scholarship, while relating it to the “archive” of records concerning everyday interactions in legal life as embedded within the practical interplay of fields between orality and scriptural statements. To download full review, click on PDF.

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Sharī‘a Scripts: A Historical Anthropology

American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences ◽

10.35632/ajiss.v36i4.661 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (4) ◽

pp. 108-109

Author(s):

Andre Gingrich

Keyword(s):

Middle East ◽

South Asian ◽

Comparative Studies ◽

Middle Eastern ◽

Legal Anthropology ◽

Columbia University ◽

Historical Anthropology ◽

Present Volume ◽

Magnum Opus ◽

To Come

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PENGARUH KESENIAN PĀLA TERHADAP GAYA SENI ARCA CANDI MENDUT

Forum Arkeologi ◽

10.24832/fa.v34i2.724 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 127

Author(s):

Atina Winaya

Keyword(s):

Data Analysis ◽

Data Collection ◽

Comparative Studies ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Data Interpretation ◽

Qualitative Approach ◽

Classic Period ◽

Indian Culture ◽

Early Classic Period ◽

Indian Art

Indian culture presents a massive influence in the Early Classic Period in Java. One of the traces found in arts. However, which part of Indian art influenced is rarely mentioned. Some scholars said it was Gupta Art’s influence enormously in the Early Classic Period. Is it just Gupta Art? or another else? This paper aims to add knowledge about another Indian art, namely Pāla Art, which also presents in the Early Classic Period. The style of Pāla Art affects the depiction of Candi Mendut’s sculptures. The data collection using observation techniques and description as well. The data analysis using a qualitative approach by descriptive analysis methods. And finally, the data interpretation using the results of comparative studies. The conclusion reveals the similarities between both data. However, Candi Mendut’s sculptures did not entirely absorb the foreign influences, but they show authentic attributes known as a character of classical Javanese Art. Kebudayaan India memberikan pengaruh yang besar terhadap periode Klasik Tua di Jawa. Jejak kebudayaan India, salah satunya nampak pada bentuk-bentuk kesenian. Meskipun demikian, selama ini jarang disebutkan secara terperinci kesenian India mana saja yang memengaruhi kesenian Jawa klasik. Beberapa ahli berpendapat bahwa kesenian Gupta yang memberikan pengaruh besar terhadap bentuk kesenian Jawa pada periode Klasik Tua. Namun, benarkah hanya kesenian Gupta semata? Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menambahkan pengetahuan mengenai gaya seni India lainnya, yakni kesenian Pāla, yang juga ditemui pada periode Klasik Tua. Pengaruh kesenian itu terlihat pada penggambaran arca-arca candi Mendut. Telaah dihasilkan melalui tahapan kerja yang bertingkat-tingkat, dimulai dari pengumpulan data dengan cara mengamati dan mendeskripsikan data; pengolahan data melalui pendekatan kualitatif dengan menggunakan metode analisis deskriptif; serta penafsiran data berdasarkan hasil studi komparasi. Simpulannya memperlihatkan persamaan gaya seni yang membuktikan bahwa kesenian Pāla memberikan pengaruhnya terhadap gaya seni arca Candi Mendut. Meskipun demikian, pengaruh kesenian Pāla tidak serta merta diserap secara utuh, melainkan terdapat ciri khas yang ditemui pada arca Candi Mendut yang menjadikannya sebagai karakter kesenian Jawa klasik.

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