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BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:20@bhavan.net
DTSTART:20251115T120000Z
DTEND:20251115T170000Z
DTSTAMP:20251031T103925Z
URL:https://www.bhavan.net/events/chitrasutra-and-ajanta-the-theory-and-pr
 actice-of-indian-painting/
SUMMARY:Chitrasūtra and Ajanta: The Theory and Practice of Indian Painting
DESCRIPTION:Sat 15 Nov | 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm | Free Entry (Registration Req
 uired)\n\nStep into the workshop of the unknown painter — where philosop
 hy meets practice\, and every line becomes memory.\nWhat makes a painting 
 auspicious? Why do Ajanta’s murals\, painted over 1\,500 years ago\, sti
 ll breathe with life?\nThis illustrated lecture invites you into the world
  of the Chitrasūtra — the earliest known treatise on painting\, preserv
 ed in the Viṣṇudharmottara Purāṇa. More than a manual\, it is a phi
 losophy of art: painting as interconnectedness\, interdependence\, and vis
 ion in harmony with nature. Its chapters describe the six guṇas of paint
 ing (form\, proportion\, expression\, grace\, likeness\, harmony of colour
 )\, the secrets of shading (vartana)\, auspicious postures\, and the maste
 ry of the painter (citravit)\, who can capture the difference between a sl
 eeping man and a dead man\, or waves and smoke moving with the wind.\n\nAt
  Ajanta\, these prescriptions are not theory — they come alive. The mura
 ls embody sadṛśya (resemblance)\, anukṛti (faithful imitation)\, and 
 satya (truth)\, while auspicious eyes and gestures transform pigment into 
 presence. In every outline and wash of colour\, the invisible sthāpati 
 — the master painter — worked with tapas and discipline to create mura
 ls that still speak across centuries.\n\nAlongside the lecture\, participa
 nts will also take part in a short sketching and colouring activity using 
 outlines adapted from Ajanta. Each attendee will receive an illustrated Aj
 anta Colouring Manual\, to continue this practice and reflection at home.\
 n\nWhy you’ll remember this event:\nA rare chance to explore the Chitras
 ūtra through both text and living murals.\nInsights into the invisible ma
 ster painter and his yogic discipline.\nHands-on sketching and a takeaway 
 Ajanta manual to carry the tradition forward.\nThis is not only a lecture.
  It is an experience — a chance to step into the workshop of the unknown
  painter and let his silence speak through colour once again.\n\nAbout the
  Speaker:\nDr Sindhu Saraswathy is an artist and researcher focused on Ind
 ia’s artistic traditions. Author of two study companions -Ajanta unfolde
 d -flora\,figures and sacred narratives\,and The Unknown Painter - Mural p
 ractices of Post Ajanta Bharat— their work bridges śāstric texts and p
 ractical art education. Through writing\, teaching\, and workshops\, they 
 restore the voice of the sthāpati\, the master painter who worked anonymo
 usly yet shaped eternity on stone walls.They also run Re-search Hindu\, an
  educational initiative to revive and reinterpret India’s textual and ar
 tistic heritage for students worldwide.\n\n\n\n&nbsp\;
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 0/07758a05eb766a7db028531e7d9d53ee.jpg
CATEGORIES:Festival
LOCATION:Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan\, 4A Castletown Road\, London\, London\, W1
 4 9HE\, United Kingdom
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=4A Castletown Road\, London
 \, London\, W14 9HE\, United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS=100;X-TITLE=Bharatiya 
 Vidya Bhavan:geo:0,0
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