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    Love Songs of krishna by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹4,500.00.Current price is: ₹4,050.00.
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    Varsha by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹1,495.00.Current price is: ₹1,346.00.

    Colours are not just for adornment, but a medium that reflects our state of mind, artistic acumen, culture, ethics, philosophy, social values, tradition and the sacredness of life. A non-verbal language, they conjure up our emotions, feelings and moo ds, and take a rasika far beyond the realms of words. In them we see the lush and luxuriant natural world around us, the world of birds and blossoms, earth and sky, gems and stones, creating in us a certain feeling and a gush of powerful ethos.
    The artist in Varsha, through colours, transcends many a cue of the aesthetic aspects of human life into a connoisseur’s mind. Whether on fabric or canvas, mud wall or floor, sculptures or pots, colours for us is a language, a raga and a tala. And Celebration of Colours is just that.
    Involved with her family, Varsha loves art and craft, whether it is painting, embroidery, working with terracotta and ceramic, jewels and the creation of ornaments, crochet and knitting, stitching and designing clothes, or cooking. Absorbed in the world of colour, she likes to share her moment of beauty with everyone around her and spread joy everywhere.

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    Stree Ek Kavya (Woman as Poem) by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹1,095.00.Current price is: ₹986.00.

    Surasundaris on the walls of Rani-ki-Vav remind us that sensuality is the doorway to spirituality, that growth and fertility are as important as piety and devotion, that even before we undertake dhyana of the deity in the sanctum or in different parts of the vav we must saturate our mind with the beautiful so that we can attain the state of serenity and purnatva.
    Sensually evocative, beautiful from tresses to the toes, with eyes downcast, surasundaris are an expression of unsurpassed grace. They are a reminder that a woman is the most adorned expression of prakriti, that to indulge in it is to affirm our senses and enrich our mind, but the aesthetic journey does not stop there. The contemplative viewer will see the surasundari as a poem and a song, where every limb and every gesture are the lyrics, the texture of the stone is the rhythm, where metaphor is the key that will unlock the many meanings and suggestions.
    The stepwell in Patan is perhaps the most admired structure of its kind and is a testament to the imagination and skill of the sthapati and as we walk through its many-tiered pavilion we almost hear the hushed voices of the queen and her retinue that stayed there away from menacing eyes and sweltering heat. Come, tread softly, as you are entering a hallowed space of beauty.

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    Rasikapriya by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹5,800.00.Current price is: ₹5,220.00.

    Rasikapriya is a lakshan granth, a foundational text, of ritikavya or mannered poetry, and Keshavdas is the father of ritikal. It was the early seventeenth century, and in the court of Raja Indrajit of Orchha in Bundelkhand, Keshavdas, the court-poet, would recite short romantic verses and the gathered connoisseurs of poets, musicians and dancers would respond, and the atelier would resonate with the many textures and hues of shringara. This was the beginning of Rasikapriya, a text that is still central in the celebration of love. Keshavdas was a poet’s poet and he created a monumental text that remains the gold standard of ritikavya even today. And if that was not enough Rasikapriya inspired artists to create paintings illustrating its many dohas and savaiyas even in the lifetime of the poet.
    Artists in the ateliers of Malwa, Mewar, Bikaner, Bundi and Kangra, among others, were touched by the evocative poetry of Rasikapriya and created paintings that were visual poetry. The names of Sahibdin of Mewar, Ruknuddin of Bikaner and Purkhu of Kangra stand out as artists that brought Rasikapriya to life through their mellifluous kalams.
    Rasikapriya remains one of the most profusely illustrated texts in India and finds a place in collections of museums and individuals alike all over the world. This book brings together, for the first time, the translation of the entire text in English along with more than 400 paintings collected from a variety of sources. In its pages are whispers of Krishna and Radha and the hushed voices of the sakhis as they celebrate romantic moments of longing and belonging in the regal splendour of pranaya mandaps of havelis or verdant and idyllic groves. And as readers of this book recreate the music and the splendour of this text they cannot remain untouched by the sensuality and spirituality of shringara rasa and affirm that in celebrating the loves of Krishna one is never far from bhakti.
    The book is a visual delight, a connoisseur’s companion and a reference manual for scholars.

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    Radhayan by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹1,195.00.Current price is: ₹1,076.00.

    Of all the mythic characters in the Hindu pantheon none is more enigmatic and evocative than Radha. Appearing for the first time in Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, where she is the ultimate beloved, she traverses political dynasties, royal ateliers and social barriers to emerge as a consort of Krishna. Brought alive by poets, developing a colourful presence in the hands of painters, dancing through prosceniums and acquiring a lyrical life through songs, both classical and popular, Radha is present in homes and havelis, celebrated by the the samajika and the rasika, has a presence in temples and roadside shrines as a symbol of pure and eternal love. And yet there are so many questions about her life; poets differ in their portrayals of her, historians argue, dancers claim her through their interpretations and for the common person she is now a shringara rasa nayika and now a goddess. But Radha stands steadfastly alone refusing to be bound down by poets or potters, dancers or singers. Harsha V. Dehejia weaves an enchanting story of Radha with a multicoloured thread, where myth blends into history and fiction challenges reality and Radha emerges in all her poetic glory in this spellbinding story.
    Vijay Sharma and his team of artists bring Radha colourfully alive with miniature paintings, for it is there rather than sculpture that Radha resides. She is essentially kavyamaya, her origins are in the minds of poets, it is there that she grows, dallies and evolves. And while her voice is heard in songs and her footsteps resonate with dancers, it is in miniature paintings, through line and colour, that Radha comes alive as a multidimensional, many-nuanced paragon of love.
    This is Radhayan.

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    Pahari Paintings of an Ancient Romance by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹3,200.00.Current price is: ₹2,880.00.

    Among ancient love stories of India, that of Usha-Aniruddha has a pride of place. Being a part of various Puranas such as the Harivamsha, Bhagavata and Vishnu Puranas it acquires a sacrality and legitimacy. We are privy to the interaction of all the three gods, namely Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. The highlight of the story is the romantic involvement of Krishsa’s grandson Aniruddha and Banasura’s daughter Usha. Between scenes of a pitched battle between Banasura and Krishna, where a mighty demon and his army battle with Krishna, Balarama and Pradyumna and interspersed with long conversations with Garuda, the narrative takes us to tender scenes of romance as well as a bird’s-eye view of Shonitpur and Dvaraka. The Puranic narrative is brought alive by the graceful Pahari kalam of Ranjha, son of Nainsukh, who renders the story with finesse and precision and creates lyrical romantic scenes and gory battles with equal ease. The book brings together for the first time the entire series from the Bhuri Singh Museum of Chamba in Himachal Pradesh but also features folios from other museums and private collections as well as a critical look at the painter and the patron of this series. The book is a visual treat.

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    Painted Words by: Harsha V. Dehejia, Vijay Sharma, Original price was: ₹1,400.00.Current price is: ₹1,260.00.

    No celebration of ritikavya can be complete until we have enjoyed the sonorous poetry of Matiram and the sensuous images of Purkhu.
    With well sculpted words and lyrical rhythms Matiram takes us into the rarefied world of the nayak and the nayika, their amorous exchanges, the sensuality of loving glances, the charged moments of romantic feelings, the heart throb of belonging, the poignancy of longing and above all the fulfilment of desire.
    Line by line and doha after doha, Matiram leads us into the emotionally charged world of shringararasa and for those of us who are chastened by harishringara we go from one level to another till we hear the flute of Krishna.
    And when we find that these sonorous words of Matiram have been brought alive by none other than Purkhu and his school of painting under the patronage of Sansar Chand of Kangra our joy is doubled and Matiram’s words become visual poetry.
    In the hands of Purkhu words become lines, emotions take on a colour and desire becomes palpable through the magic of his kalam.

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    Paintings of Bundelkhand by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹2,800.00.Current price is: ₹2,520.00.

    This volume, a visual journey, through its meticulous deliberations on the wall paintings and miniature paintings of Bundelkhand makes us reminisce the footfalls of valiant Bundella kings, ankle bells of elegant court-dancers, evocative poetry of mahakavi Kesvadas and the brilliant artistic skills of mural painters and many other historical events. These find their excellent expressions beyond the palaces of Orchha and Datia, and in many jagirs and thikanas such as Rehali, Madanpur, Chhatarpur, Narsinghgarh, Ajayagarh, Todi Fatehpur, Samthar, Jhansi and Rannod as well. A glimpse of Malwa painting is a value-add.
    The murals, a living art, more democratic and decidedly popular, were the artistic idiom of Bundelkhand. It was art for the raja and the praja, depicting not only Puranic stories, but also the regal affairs and the day-to-day life of ordinary people.
    Despite the fact that time, the vicissitudes of weather and vandalism have taken their toll on the murals, a cultivated aesthete can restore life in them. The book candidly reminds us a truth: The paintings of Bundelkhand are half remembered, half forgotten and many yet to be discovered.
    Thus, this book should inspire art connoisseurs, art historians, art students, and laymen alike, paving the way for further researches and studies on the forgotten legacies of Bundelkhand.

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    Parijata Haran by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹500.00.Current price is: ₹450.00.

    Krishna Steals the Parijata (Parijataharana) is a collection of a few accounts, edited by Harsha V. Dehejia, on Krishna forcibly taking away Parijata from Indra, which finds expression through the paintings of different kalams. Christopher R. Austin relates this event to the citations and narrations in Mahabharata and Harivamsha, wherein the focus is on Krishna’s effort to appease his perturbed wife Satyabhama, by fulfilling her desire to have Parijata from Indra’s abode. Mahendra Kumar Mishra approaches this incident from Sarala Mahabharata angle. Here the narrative and episode are little different though the centre theme and characters remain the same.
    The third narrative is in Hindi by Narmada Prasad Upadyaya. He approaches this story from a different viewpoint that by forcibly taking away the Parijata tree from Indraloka, Krishna broke Indra’s Himalayan pride. The main characters in the episode are same here too: Krishna, Indra and Satyabhama. In the final article, Harsha V. Dehejia provides a visual narrative account of the event. The story looks almost similar to that of Austin with little more narration and a few additional characters. The sequentially given paintings tell the story faster than the literature.
    In a nutshell the book is an exemplar attempt to visually covey a well-known, well-rooted story where Krishna is the central character.

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    Love Songs of Banamali Das by: Harsha V. Dehejia Original price was: ₹595.00.Current price is: ₹536.00.

    The heart of Odishan arts lies in the villages of Odisha. The songs and dances, the wall paintings and patachitras, fabrics and textiles, all are rooted in the rural sensibility of Odisha. When its people sing the love songs of Krishna or paint his leelas and kridas, they recreate Vrindavana in their on village square. Krishna sharingara reflects and echoes in each leaf and flower, and song and dance of Odisha. It is more vibrant in the verses of the eighteenth century Banamali Das, who wrote a moving Krishna poetry. He celebrated the many leelas and kridas of Krishna and in doing so he experiences every hue and shade of Krishna shringara. He reminds one of the works of Jayadeva and Vidyapati, and enters the mind and heart of Radha more than any other poet. Grounded on the theology of Chaitanya, he bountifully uses words such as ujjala rasa, mohajana and ashta sakhi, firmly establishing him as part of the Gaudiya tradition.
    This volume, while discussing the poetic genius of Banamali, portrays the varied forms of pata paintings, associated with the painters of Puri. Though the Rasalila of Krishna and the gopis is their favourite, the topic of dashavatara is very common in pata painting, displaying a special liking for navagunjara painting. It also contains a conversation with Sujata Mohapatra, an accomplished Odissi dancer, who dances to the compositions of Banamali Das.

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