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| Past Events Events SACHI, The Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India and the Palo Alto Art Center present Heaven on Earth: The Universe of Kerala’s Guruvayur Temple
For over a thousand years Hindu pilgrims have swarmed into the sacred precincts of Kerala's Guruvayur Temple to seek the blessings of Lord Krishna, known locally as Guruvayurappan. According to myth the sacred idol, believed to have been worshipped by Lord Vishnu, was installed soon after the death of Krishna. It is now the sacred core of one of India’s most important temples, a temple renowned for the unbroken sanctity of rituals performed by hereditary priests, the Namboodiri Brahmins. Their links with the temple’s divine origins ensure that its unique customs are unceasingly adhered to. About the speaker: SACHI extends appreciation to Poornima & Arun Kumar, Betty Alberts, and Louise Russell for sponsoring this special event. For directions call 650.329.2366 SACHI, The Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India
Gowda has masterfully portrayed two families . . . linked by a powerful,
painful tie that complicates their lives. . . . A thought-provoking
examination of the challenges of being a woman in America and
in India–and in the psychological spaces in between." About the Author: Visit campus map at http://campus-map.stanford.edu Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India and the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco invite you to a special SACHI annual event: Department of Religious Studies at Stanford University and SACHI, Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India present: Borrowed Fire: The Shadow Puppets of Kerala Thursday, January 21, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
On the southwestern coast of India an extraordinary performing art has evolved over many centuries. It is known as Tolpava Koothu - "the Play of Leather Shadows". Performed in special outdoor theatres facing temples of the goddess Bhadrakali, it enacts the story of the Ramayana, a sacred Hindu epic. Borrowed Fire documentary, set in South India, exquisitely captures this tradition on film. The struggle of the last surviving scholar and master-puppeteer to practice and preserve an ancient performing art provides a rare and poignant glimpse of a flame on the verge of extinction. Q & A with filmmakers Anurag Wadehra & Salil Singh follows the film screening. For more information about this documentary and the filmmakers, visit www.kathanjali.com. For inquiries call 650.918.6335 or email info@sachi.org For directions call 408.971.0323. Free Sunday street parking SACHI, Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India
Phulkari (flower embroidery) is a craft unique to the Punjab that has been popular since the 15th century. Pieces of cotton or silk fabric are embroidered with elaborate baghs (gardens), formed by intricate geometric patterns in bright contrasting colors. To this day these beautifully designed phulkaris are worn during marriages and festivals, and are passed down from mothers to daughters as part of marriage dowries. This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition, Reincarnation: The Crazy Collage Aesthetic of India and Japan, November 17, 2009-February 7, 2010 at the San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, www.sjquiltmuseum.org. Shivi Singh, MA, Art History, Punjab University, Chandigarh, India, is a recognized scholar for her writing and research on Rajasthani art and craft work. She lives in the Bay Area and lectures on the art and culture of India. She is an active member of SACHI. For directions call 408-971-0323. Free Sunday street parking
More than a thousand years ago Southeast Asian kingdoms adapted aspects of Indian classical culture, from the great religious traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism to mythology, astronomy, and royal ceremonial. In nineteenth-century Siam and Burma, the focus of the Asian Art Museum's current exhibition, many of these traditions continued to thrive, though often in forms that would not be immediately recognizable from the Indian point of view. The epic of Rama was one of the most important subjects in dance-drama, the puppet theater, painting, and sculpture and the Pali and Sanskrit languages continued to be studied by monks and scholars. The talk will explore some of these Indic connections, as they can be seen in the artworks in the museum's exhibition. Enjoy a free 12 noon public tour of the exhibition SACHI and the Asian Art Museum extend special thanks to Willis Deming and Lata Krishnan & Ajay Shah for generously sponsoring this event This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibition, Emerald Cities: Arts of Siam and Burma, 1775-1950, SACHI and the Society for Asian Art invite you to a special viewing
SACHI members please call Anna Spudich at 650.941.4268 by August 15th or email info@sachi.org Society For Asian Art Upper Level members only, please call the SAA office at 415.581.3701 or email saa@asianart.org About the Collection: Harry Greenberg, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, has been collecting textiles for 30 years. He started with traditional oriental rugs (both village and tribal), but over the years has put together an eclectic group of several separate collections. His collection includes Andean textiles (both pre-Colombian and post-conquest), woven baskets from many cultures, African textiles, central Asian carpets and textiles, Indian Chintz and other Indian textiles. His primary objective throughout his collecting has been to identify objects that are both beautiful and uncommon. SACHI, The Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India
Water, central to the Indian cosmos and society, is reflected in Indian art and architecture as well as gardens. Zahid Sardar author of New Garden Design and other design books, and a journalist in San Francisco for over two decades, traveled recently to historic gardens in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur, as well as to the fascinating 1960s rock garden by Nek Chand in Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh. With slides and images, Zahid Sardar will discuss the cosmic and social ideas that underpin many of these beautiful spaces and how the concepts that shaped Indian paradise gardens have also influenced modern landscapes in the West. Please join us for light refreshments and a book signing with the author on his recent publication, New Garden Design. Zahid Sardar is a San Francisco editor and writer who specializes in interiors, architecture and design. He is the author of New Garden Design and San Francisco Modern. He has also written the text of Textiles Arts of India and his articles about design have appeared in Metropolis, Architecture, Interior Design, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, House & Garden, Western Interiors & Design and Landscape Architecture magazines. He was the architecture and design editor of the San Francisco Examiner magazine and has been design editor at the San Francisco Chronicle for a decade.Rsvp required, Tel. 650.918.6335 or email info@sachi.org The Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India (SACHI) presents
Mrs. Sharma will discuss her book which is a fascinating biography of her grandfather Satyanand Stokes, who went to India in 1904 at the age of 21 to work in a leper home. He eventually settled in the Simla Hills and had a tremendous impact on the lives of the local hill people. He introduced the American Delicious variety of apple to India, which resulted in many social and economic changes. On the national level Stokes actively participated in India's freedom struggle and is remembered today as the only American who went to jail for India's cause. Asha Sharma is the granddaughter of Satyanand Stokes and a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism. She has also been a fellow of the Indian Council of Historical Research in New Delhi and a Research Associate at the University of California at Berkeley.Space is limited and reservations are required. The Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India (SACHI), and The Palo Alto Art Center are pleased to present an illustrated talk Creating an Ethnic Statement by textile design artist Bina Rao
Textile scholar and design artist Bina Rao merges contemporary design trends with traditional weaving and printing techniques using handspun yarn and natural dyes. As advisor to a number of state and central government agencies in India, Ministry of Textiles, and the World Crafts Council, Bina Rao is dedicated to the healthy growth of handlooms and handicrafts in India and Southeast Asia. The survival of craft traditions is at a crossroad. Can natural yarns, colors, and going ethnic help to revitalize the rapidly disappearing craft legacy and its adverse impact on rural artisans? Hear Bina Rao discuss the revival of traditional techniques for creating unique design products, involving training clusters of rural weavers, and linking them to the Hyderabad based design studio, Creative Bee, begun with her husband Kesav Rao, a master dyer and accomplished artist. A sampling of designer fabrics will be available for sale. Bina Rao received her MFA in Painting from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India, and studied Textile Design at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. She has been invited to lead workshops, teaching assignments, and lecture and design development projects in Australia, USA, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh.Join SACHI in an afternoon of conversation and food with Niloufer Ichaporia King, anthropologist and award-winning author of My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking.
In the relaxed setting of a private house on a Sunday afternoon, fellow Bombay-ite and SACHI friend, Kamini Ramani, chats with Niloufer about the historical and cultural background of Parsi cuisine and the stories behind her engaging book. Before we eat, drink and resume conversation, Niloufer will introduce the dishes to be served and talk about their role in both Bombay’s gleefully ecumenical food scene and the Parsi kitchen. Kamini Ramani is a once-and-forever Bombayite who has sampled Parsi treats at the homes of her legendary professors at Elphinstone College. She is delighted to help SACHI provide Bay Area food enthusiasts a peek into a unique woman and a unique cuisine. FILMS Kabir Festival at Stanford Four new documentary films by Shabnam Virmani will be screened. The films highlight folk and classical musicians who sing and reflect on the poetry of Kabir; the films also tell stories, revealing issues that arise around Kabir’s presence in a variety of social, religious, and political contexts in India and Pakistan. The culmination of the festival will be the arrival of the filmmaker and of renowned Kabir folksinger Prahlad Singh Tipanya with his musical group on May 8, when we will screen the fourth film, followed by Q&A with the director, a dinner, and a live concert. CO-SPONSOR: Society for Art and Cultural Heritage of India (SACHI) SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: Descriptions of the films can be found at www.kabirproject.org. For further info, contact Prof. Linda Hess, lionda@stanford.edu Thurs., Feb. 12, 7 p.m., film in Bldg 300, room 300 Had-Anhad—“Bound-Unbound”: Journeys with Ram and Kabir (105 min.) Mon., Feb 23, 7 p.m., film in Bldg 200, room 205 Koi sunta hai: “Someone is Listening”—Journeys with Kumar and Kabir (96 min.) Mon., Apr 20, 7 p.m., film in Bldg 200, room 203 Chalo Hamara des: “Come to my country”—Journeys with Kabir and friends (97 min.) Friday, May 8 4-6 p.m., location TBA Kabira khada bazaar mein: “In the market stands Kabir”—Journeys with Sacred and Secular Kabir (94 min.), followed by Q&A with the director and singer Prahlad Tipanya, who is featured in the film 6:30-7:30 Outdoor dinner (reservations required, modest charge to cover costs) 7:30-9:30, Concert in Annenberg Auditorium, Cummings Art Building Prahlad Singh Tipanya, renowned folksinger of Malwa, Madhya Pradesh, with fellow musicians Ambaram Tipanya, Ajay Tipanya, Vijay Tipanya, and Devnarayan Saroliya Program at UC Berkeley Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009, 5 pm - Film Screening - 10 Stephens Hall Had-Anhad—"Bound-Unbound": Journeys with Ram and Kabir (105 min.) Discussant: Vasudha Paramasivan (UC Berkeley) Thursday, Feb 26, 2009, 5 pm - Film Screening - 10 Stephens Hall Koi Sunta Hai: "Someone is Listening"—Journeys with Kumar and Kabir (96 min.) Discussant: Linda Hess (Stanford University) Thursday, Mar 19, 2009, 5 pm - Film Screening - 10 Stephens Hall Kabira Khada Bazaar Mein: "In the market stands Kabir"—Journeys with Sacred and Secular Kabir (94 min.) Discussant: Vasudha Dalmia (UC Berkeley) Thursday, Apr 30, 2009, 5 pm - Film Screening - 10 Stephens Hall Chalo Hamara Des: "Come to my country"—Journeys with Kabir and friends (97 min.) Discussant: Shabnam Virmani (Director) Friday, May 1, 2009, 6 pm - Music Concert - Stephens Hall Terrace Prahlad Singh Tipanya and Party PRAHLAD SINGH TIPANYA lives in Lunyakhedi village in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, near the cities of Dewas and Ujjain. A rural schoolteacher, he began singing in the late 1970s after being attracted by the sound of the folk tambura. His rare talent, passion, and insight have caused him to be increasingly recognized as a remarkable exponent of Kabir’s music and meanings. Among many other honors, he received the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2008. (Sangeet Natak, India’s national academy of music, dance, and drama, gives eight annual awards to musicians, only one of which is reserved for a non-classical performer.) Tipanyaji is one of the main artists featured in Shabnam Virmani’s films. A grant for the musicians’ international travel has been generously provided by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Award-winning filmmaker SHABNAM VIRMANI has spent the last six years producing four feature-length documentaries on living Kabir culture, focusing on music and musicians, all embedded in various social, political and religious contexts. Along with these films she has produced ten remarkable audio CDs and a set of beautiful books to accompany CDs and DVDs. This work has been generously supported by Ford Foundation and by Srishti College of Art, Design, and Technology in Bengaluru, where Shabnam is artist-in-residence. Two of these films were recently broadcast on NDTV-Delhi. Had-Anhad: “Bound Unbound” was one of two films selected to share first prize at the recent One Billion Eyes Film Festival in Chennai. For descriptions of the films and other creations, please visit www.kabirproject.org. Stanford faculty member LINDA HESS has been translating and writing on Kabir for many years and has worked closely with Prahlad Tipanya and Shabnam Virmani since 2002. She is author, with Shukdeo Singh, of The Bijak of Kabir (Oxford University Press, 2002). Her book Singing Emptiness: Kumar Gandharva Performs the Poetry of Kabir is forthcoming from Seagull Books (http://www.seagullindia.com/books/forthenactment.asp), and a book on Kabir oral traditions in rural Madhya Pradesh is in progress. Prof. Hess will introduce these events. LECTURE Palaces of British India:  The Durbar Hall in the Viceroy's House, completed 1929, by Sir Edwin Lutyens, New Delhi Sunday, March 29, 4:00-6:00 pm Special thanks to Rekha & Bipin Shah, Arvind Iyer, Helen & Raj Desai, and Michio Yamaguchi. • Download program announcement (.pdf) LECTURE & TOUR The Dragon's Gift: The Sacred Arts of Bhutan Sunday, March 15 Free with museum admission • Download program announcement (.pdf) SYMPOSIA/PANEL DISCUSSIONS Humanities West presents Herbst Theatre, San Francisco India's artists, in pace with their country's rapid modernization, have adopted many contemporary techniques. Yet past traditions remain strong. Familiar themes and modern modes of expression interplay with fruitful creative tension. Abstract and surrealist artists incorporate images of legendary gods and heroes in their work, and musicians create exciting new sounds in collaboration with Western jazz and classical performers. Literature and cinema with rural village scenes compete with others featuring urban landscapes, Indian-American cultural fusion, and the seductive joys of Bollywood. The result: unique new delights for the eye, the ear, and the spirit. In Partnership with the Center for South Asia Studies, University of California Berkeley and the Music Department, University of California Santa Cruz.
• Learn more about pre-program and program events SYMPOSIA/PANEL DISCUSSIONS Chevron Auditorium, International House, University of California, Berkeley http://www.asianart.org/lectures.htm#lectures This conference will focus on Afghanistan's cultural heritage in its past and present contexts and bring together scholars from various disciplines to address, among others, the following issues: the recovered objects from the National Museum; recent research and preservation/renovation projects; challenges of cultural heritage protection; the complexities of "targeted" heritage; cultural heritage and nationalism; and cultural heritage and globalization. The conference has been organized in conjunction with the Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures exhibition which is on display at the Asian Art Museum October 24, 2008 through January 25, 2009. Sponsors: Society for Art and Cultural Heritage of India (SACHI) Early Wall Paintings at Bundi Sunday, October 19, 2008, 2:30 pm Samsung Hall, Asian Art Museum Free with museum admission Distinguished guest lecturer Dr. Milo C. Beach is former director of the Freer and Sackler Galleries, Smithsonian Institution. He is a renowned scholar of South Asian painting and author of numerous books and articles, including most recently The Silk Road and Beyond: Travel, Trade, and Transformation (Art Institute of Chicago, 2007) and Rajasthani Painters: Bagta and Chokha, Master Artists at Devgarh (University of Washington Press, 2005).
This lecture celebrates the life of Margaret Haldeman. More fondly known as Peg, she was greatly inspired by the arts and landscape of India. In her last years, a romance with the stepwells of India drew her even closer! Her deep love for India led her and her husband, George, to travel there each year, often leading group excursions to unique destinations. Among their memorable trips was an exclusive visit led by guest lecturer Milo Beach to see the Badal Mahal paintings in Bundi fort in Rajasthan, and the murals at Sirohi, the subject of this special talk honoring Peg's enthusiasm for India and her generous support and appreciation of its arts. SACHI and the Asian Art Museum extend special thanks to Bruce & Betty Alberts, Raj & Helen Desai, Gursharan & Elvira Sidhu, Ketan & Sheila Kothari, and Manish Kothari & Carmen Saura for their generous support. Gracious thanks to all SACHI friends for their warm contributions. SACHI, the Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India, RUPAYAN: Saturday, October 11, 2008, 6:30 pm Campbell Recital Hall Free Admission, Limited Seating. The Langas and Manganiars are Muslim musicians who have traditionally performed for both Hindu and Muslim patrons. Many of their songs are in praise of Hindu deities and celebrate Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Holi. They also sing the poetry of South Asia's great Sufi poets. The performance will be accompanied by narratives, and includes translations of selected song texts and a lively Q & A with the artists. Special thanks to individual sponsors Jasmin & Gagan Arneja and Shivi Singh & Prithvi Legha for their generous contributions. Directions: From Hwy. 101 take University Ave. exit to downtown Palo Alto. University Ave. becomes Palm Drive as you enter the Stanford campus. Turn left on Campus Drive. Turn right on Mayfield Ave. and right into Tressider parking lot. Campbell Recital Hall in the Braun Music Center is located across from Tressider Union.
SACHI, The Society for Art & Cultural Heritage of India and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts present DIVIDED WE FALL: Americans in the Aftermath A powerful feature-length documentary film in the aftermath of 9/11  Driven to action by the murder of a turbaned man in her community, a college student drives across America in the aftermath of 9/11 to discover stories that did not make the evening news. From the still-shocked streets of Ground Zero to the desert towns of the American West, Valarie Kaur's inspiring journey uncovers remarkable stories of hate, violence, fear, and unspeakable loss–until she finds the heart of America halfway around the world, in the words of Balbir Sodhi’s widow. Five years in the making, Divided We Fall deftly explores race, religion, and identity in times of national crisis. (110 minutes) Filmmaker Valarie Kaur & Director Sharat Raju will be present for Q&A
Divine Visions Worldly Lovers Mills College Art Museum Divine Visions Worldly Lovers Curated by Robert J. Del Bontà
Krishna Alone in the Forest (detail) A full-color illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition.
SACHI and the Center for South Asia Studies, UC Berkeley proudly present: William Dalrymple discussing his latest book When: Wednesday, April 2 at 6.00 pm Talk followed by book signing Co-sponsored by South & Southeast Asian Studies, Center for Middle East Studies and Center for British Studies
Mills College, The Asian Art Museum and the Society for Art and Cultural Heritage of India present:
CSAS Public Film & Documentary Series Center for South Asia Studies, A documentary by Kum-Kum Bhavnani Tuesday, February 19, 3.30 p.m. _______________________________________________________ An Illustrated Talk Dr. Gautama Vajracharya is a Sanskrit scholar with a keen interest in South Asian art. He teaches Indian civilization and art history at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His most recent publication is the Watson Collection of Indian Miniatures at the Elvejehm Museum of Art. He is also the author of Film/Theater Music/Dance Dance as a Living Language and The Essence of Indian Dance Classical Arts The Wonder that was Khajuraho The Five Auspicious Events in the Life of a Jina: A Lecture on the Jain Arts and Culture of India Desire & Devotion: Art from India, Nepal, and Tibet in the John and Berthe Ford Collection Auspicious Atmosphere: Indian Temple Facade & Ajanta Ceiling Paintings The Treasury of the World: A Glimpse of Mughal Jeweled Splendor Architecture Archaeology Photography Contemporary Art Museum Exhibitions Mithila Painting: The Evolution of an Art Form Textile Exhibitions Traditions in Transition: Rabari Textiles in the Cyber Age Celebrated Authors and Book Readings Husband of a Fanatic |
