Author: Michel Postel
Zarine Cooper/
Publisher: Franco-Indian Research
Year: 1999
Language: English
Pages: 208
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8190018450
Description
Traveling anywhere within the Indian subcontinent is like a voyage of discovery. Journeys in the district of Bastar offers a lifetime of scientific inquiry. This book illustrates the treasures for art historians and ethnographers.
This volume documents different aspects of the cultural heritage of the district of Bastar. While the varied lifestyles of the Maria and Muria Gonds, and other groups, have been the focus of considerable anthropological research, relatively little is known of the numerous temples that represent the establishment of the Nagvansi dynasty in the 10th century and subsequently that of the Kakatiya.
The ruins of Bhongapal and Garh Gobrahin are estimated to be older and bear testimony to the transitory efflorescence of the Buddhist and Vaisnavite faiths. Their influence on the socio-religious structure of the indigenous population is reflected in the village shrines, highlighting an on-going process of mutual enrichment. In illustrating the most important places of worship, an attempt has been made to explore the intersection of traditions. The subtle interplay of cultural interaction through time renders it difficult to distinguish the 'folk' from the classical, indicating the need to review our concepts of Indian art.
The myriad deities fashioned by the Ghadwa brass casters have poorly defined attributes which belie the fluid nature of the local belief system and the freedom of artistic expression. Although hollow casting is an ancient technique, the chemical analyses of selected brasses reveal the use of scrap metal, thus corroborating earlier findings. The quality of craftsmanship has inevitably declined in the face of commercialization and the growing demand for mass-produced items.
The element of continuity and change is also manifest in the raising of memorials to the dead whereby ancestors assume divine status, reinforcing in the process, the ties that bind clan members to their land. The ethnographic and archaeological perspectives of current practices have been examined.
Contents
PREFACE
Introduction.
The temples of Bastar
Shrines
Figurines and ornaments in brass
The memorial tradition
Concluding remarks
Appendix I
The Ghotul: village dormitory
Appendix II
The myth of creation
Appendix III
Some important memorials in Bastar
Glossary.
Bibliography
Index
Maps
Ethnic distribution of Bastar District
Location of temples mentioned in the text
Locations of shrines mentioned in the text