A photography exhibition puts the spotlight on the oldest Buddhist site in Jammu & Kashmir
Artefacts yielded from an excavation of Ambaran between 1999 and 2000, an archaeological site in Jammu's Akhnoor, form the subject of an ongoing photography exhibition at Delhi's National Museum.
Titled 'Ambaran: The Historic Buddhist Citadel of J&K' the show by journalist and photographer Vijay Kranti features images of terracotta heads, pottery, coral jewellery and silver coins.
Situated on the bank of Chenab, the site is located at the entry point of Akhnoor, about 30 km north of Jammu. Kranti notes that the Buddhist site, most probably a monastery, remained active for about 900 years between the 2nd century BC and 7th century AD, a period belonging to the Pre-Kushan, Kushan and Post-Kushan Gupta periods.
One of the photographs show a circular stone and brick base which helped archaeologists conclude the existence of a spoked wheel stupa. 'It was the most distinguishing proof,' the exhibition notes, adding, 'This circular base of eight-metre diameter, presents eight spokes, distributed in typical geographic Buddhist style, is supported on the outside by a 1.20 metre thick wall of baked bricks.'
A version of the exhibition was showcased in 2011, first in Delhi and then in Jammu, after Kranti was invited by the late Congress politician from the state, Madan Lal Sharma, to photograph the findings in order to put Akhnoor on the map. 'As a photographer, I have always been interested in the Buddhist way of life, as a result of which I had extensively photographed Tibet and its people. When I was invited to photograph Ambaran, I was more than happy to take it up,' says Kranti adding, 'When I reached there, I realised that the artefacts lay scattered across different locations in Jammu.'
While some were displayed in the small one-room Site Museum at Ambaran, some were at the Dogra Art Museum in Raja Mandi and others at the local ASI office in Gandhinagar. 'In the end, I had a good collection of artefacts to be photographed,' says Kranti.
While the pottery items – basins, bowls, spouts, lids, lamps, storage jars – point towards a noteworthy terracotta workmanship, figure moulds show the skills of the artisans in carving statues and reproducing them in large number. If gold caskets evidence the burying of precious things along with bodies, iron nails establish the knowledge of metallurgy during this period.
Besides photographs, the exhibition also features images of scenic locations from present-day Akhnoor, including the Gurdwara Shri Tapo Asthan, Jia Pota Ghat and the Akhnoor Fort. 'I believe Jammu has been left out of the tourist circle. I wanted to show people that there are equally beautiful, if not better, places there as well,' says Kranti.
The exhibition closes on May 31.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Wire
11 hours ago
- The Wire
‘Gruff Genius': Tiger Conservationist Valmik Thapar Dies At 73
Menu हिंदी తెలుగు اردو Home Politics Economy World Security Law Science Society Culture Editor's Pick Opinion Support independent journalism. Donate Now Top Stories 'Gruff Genius': Tiger Conservationist Valmik Thapar Dies At 73 Aathira Perinchery 14 minutes ago Thapar authored more than 30 books, including Tigers: The Secret Life (1989), The Last Tiger (2006) and Living With Tigers (2016). Tiger conservationist Valmik Thapar. Photo: Real journalism holds power accountable Since 2015, The Wire has done just that. But we can continue only with your support. Contribute now Bengaluru: Valmik Thapar (73), one of India's fiercest tiger conservationists, and filmmaker and author of more than 30 books, died at New Delhi at his residence on the night of May 30, following an illness. He is survived by his wife and son. Senior Congress leader and former union environment Minister Jairam Ramesh who also was the chair of the parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, called it a 'great loss'. 'During my tenure as Chairman of the Standing Committee also he was a constant source of many valuable suggestions and advice. We had arguments but it was always an education to listen to him, full of passion and concern. He was truly an unforgettable one of a kind,' Ramesh added. Stepping into tiger conservation In the mid-1970s, Thapar's fascination for the tiger grew under the tutelage of Fateh Singh Rathore, former park director of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and National Park. Thapar spent a lot of his time at the Park, tracking, observing and studying the tigers he so loved. He also worked closely with Tiger Watch, a non-profit organisation that Rathore set up for tiger conservation in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. In 1987, Thapar founded the Ranthambore Foundation, to work closely with local communities around the Park. The Foundation launched several welfare programmes such as installing biogas plants in villages so that people would not have to go into forests for firewood, which could bring them into close proximity with tigers. Thapar authored more than 30 books, including Tigers: The Secret Life (1989), The Last Tiger (2006) and Living With Tigers (2016). Thapar was also a prolific filmmaker and wildlife presenter, and is perhaps most well-known for narrating the BBC series Land of The Tiger in 1997, in his trademark booming baritone. Thapar spent nearly five decades advocating for the tiger, and was part of more than 150 state and union government committees. Among them is the Tiger Task Force – constituted by the UPA government that was then in power, following the emptying of Sariska Tiger Reserve of all its tigers – of which he was appointed a member in 2005. 'His gruff genius is what it took for India and the world to acknowledge the tiger's magnificence' Thapar was a staunch critic of the way Project Tiger was run, and the bureaucratic hurdles that came in the way of tiger conservation. He didn't mince words, and often wrote to officials – including chief ministers and prime ministers – pointing out concerns and recommending solutions. He was also an advocate of protectionism, and believed that protected areas had to be inviolate of people; that people had to be removed from these areas to really foster tiger conservation. And yet, Thapar was clear that tigers that were dangerous had to be eliminated or taken away from parks. For instance, he was extremely vocal about how dangerous T-24 – a male tiger in Ranthambore that had killed people including forest guards and partially eaten its kills – was. In 2017, the Sanctuary Nature Foundation conferred on him their Lifetime Service Award – one among many he has received over the years. 'Author of 32 books, including four on Africa, presenter of 16 international documentary films, and an excellent orator, Valmik Thapar's gruff genius is what it took for India and the world to sit up and acknowledge the tiger's magnificence, its predicament, and the urgency for conservation. And for this, we honour him,' Sanctuary's note reads. Make a contribution to Independent Journalism Related News Two Forests Is RBI's New Plan for Bad Loans Just Another Quick Fix? India's Net Foreign Direct Investment Plummets by 96.5% to Reach Record Low Full Text: India is Getting Re-Hyphenated With Pakistan Because Under Modi We're Democratically Regressing India Needs a Clear National Security Strategy—Now More Than Ever China's Latest White Paper is on National Security in the New Era Rise in Share of Profit in GVA Has Not Translated into Increase in Wages: Report Lone NC MP in All-Party Delegations to Not Join His Group, Cites Urs at Native Village After the NEP Verdict, Education Is No Longer the Union Govt's Weapon About Us Contact Us Support Us © Copyright. All Rights Reserved.
Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
A photography exhibition puts the spotlight on the oldest Buddhist site in Jammu & Kashmir
Artefacts yielded from an excavation of Ambaran between 1999 and 2000, an archaeological site in Jammu's Akhnoor, form the subject of an ongoing photography exhibition at Delhi's National Museum. Titled 'Ambaran: The Historic Buddhist Citadel of J&K' the show by journalist and photographer Vijay Kranti features images of terracotta heads, pottery, coral jewellery and silver coins. Situated on the bank of Chenab, the site is located at the entry point of Akhnoor, about 30 km north of Jammu. Kranti notes that the Buddhist site, most probably a monastery, remained active for about 900 years between the 2nd century BC and 7th century AD, a period belonging to the Pre-Kushan, Kushan and Post-Kushan Gupta periods. One of the photographs show a circular stone and brick base which helped archaeologists conclude the existence of a spoked wheel stupa. 'It was the most distinguishing proof,' the exhibition notes, adding, 'This circular base of eight-metre diameter, presents eight spokes, distributed in typical geographic Buddhist style, is supported on the outside by a 1.20 metre thick wall of baked bricks.' A version of the exhibition was showcased in 2011, first in Delhi and then in Jammu, after Kranti was invited by the late Congress politician from the state, Madan Lal Sharma, to photograph the findings in order to put Akhnoor on the map. 'As a photographer, I have always been interested in the Buddhist way of life, as a result of which I had extensively photographed Tibet and its people. When I was invited to photograph Ambaran, I was more than happy to take it up,' says Kranti adding, 'When I reached there, I realised that the artefacts lay scattered across different locations in Jammu.' While some were displayed in the small one-room Site Museum at Ambaran, some were at the Dogra Art Museum in Raja Mandi and others at the local ASI office in Gandhinagar. 'In the end, I had a good collection of artefacts to be photographed,' says Kranti. While the pottery items – basins, bowls, spouts, lids, lamps, storage jars – point towards a noteworthy terracotta workmanship, figure moulds show the skills of the artisans in carving statues and reproducing them in large number. If gold caskets evidence the burying of precious things along with bodies, iron nails establish the knowledge of metallurgy during this period. Besides photographs, the exhibition also features images of scenic locations from present-day Akhnoor, including the Gurdwara Shri Tapo Asthan, Jia Pota Ghat and the Akhnoor Fort. 'I believe Jammu has been left out of the tourist circle. I wanted to show people that there are equally beautiful, if not better, places there as well,' says Kranti. The exhibition closes on May 31.
India Today
2 days ago
- India Today
(1982) From the India Today archives
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated March 15, 1982)The last years of his life had been spent in bitterness and pain and even humiliation. He was a king without a kingdom, betrayed by his own people, his tiny Himalayan monarchy snatched rudely away by a mighty neighbour, his power and prestige reduced to nothingness. And then, the final denouement: deserted by his American wife, he lay stricken with cancer in an alien Palden Thondup Namgyal, 59, the former Chogyal of Sikkim, finally passed into legend and history, there remained the ultimate irony: his voice box had been removed three months earlier so there were no last words, no epitaph he could give himself, no final benediction to his irony, however, was not over. In death, if not in life, the Chogyal finally was king again and his tortured soul had found peace. For 20 days, his body, embalmed in New York where he died, lay in state in the royal monastery in Gangtok while thousands of mourners filed past, some sobbing uncontrollably, to pay their final farewell to the departed leader. At each corner of the tent-shaped coffin (the Chogyal, according to traditional custom, was placed seated in the classic Buddha pose) four members of the Sikkim Police maintained a 24-hour vigil, heads bowed and rifles PAGEANTRY: Only a king could have commanded, and deserved, such stylised pageantry. Instead of the sombre trappings of a funeral, the coffin room was a riot of colours. Two rows of wizened lamas in their red robes sat facing each other, eyes closed and lips moving silently in prayer. Huge prayer flags and tankhas with intricate designs hung solemnly from the hundred butter lamps flickered constantly in the centre of the room, bathing the scene in an eerie glow. There was also a symbolic show of defiance in the form of the red and white Sikkim national flag draped over the coffin and hiding the Chogyal's mortal remains from public to the coffin, neatly laid out with spotless tableware, was an incongruous sight - a full meal, freshly cooked, which was served up thrice a day. At breakfast, for instance, there were two fried eggs, bacon, orange juice, a thermos jug of coffee and fruit. According to Buddhist tradition, the soul of the dead does not leave the body immediately, but at a moment termed auspicious by the lamas for a period up to 49 days after economic reasons, since the family of the dead person has to feed the mourners, the actual cremation takes place within a week. In the Chogyal's case, the lamas had picked the 21st day after his death for the the day his body had been flown in to Gangtok on January 31, a row of intricately designed tents had been erected on the grassy knoll separating the palace from the royal monastery. Under the tents, hundreds of female volunteers slaved day and night to provide meals for the hundreds who arrived daily from all parts of the rugged, mountainous state for the door, in the tiny Victorian building known as the Palace, the members of the Chogyal's family huddled in private grief, led by the bespectacled and self-assured scion of the Namgyal family, Wangchuk Namgyal, 29."His last days were peaceful and spent in meditation. I think he knew he was going to die and though he couldn't speak he made this quite obvious," says Palden Namgyal the Chogyal's curly-haired son by his second wife, Hope Cooke, who studies in New York and was by his father's bedside when the end present was Bhuvanesh Kumari, member of the erstwhile royal family of Patiala and a family friend as well as the former Chogyal's legal adviser. "He was a great man, a renowned scholar and this spontaneous show of grief is a measure of the affection the people had for him," she the day of the cremation, the royal family gathered around the coffin at 4.30 a.m. in the pre-dawn darkness to make the traditional offerings of scarves to the Chogyal's coffin. They were joined by the royal family of Bhutan, led by the queen mother, which is related by marriage to the Chogyal's 4.45, with dawn edging over the mountains, the coffin was brought out of the monastery and taken to a specially-erected tent and placed on a gaily-decorated palanquin. Till 9 a.m., the coffin remained there while assorted VIPs including N.R. Lasker, minister of state for home, and Homi Talyarkhan, governor of Sikkim, and commoners filed past silently to pay final overcome by emotion, knelt and touched the ground with their foreheads in the traditional obeisance to a king. At 9.05, the former Chogyal set out on his final journey to the royal cremation ground on top of a hill overlooking the the procession were a group of lamas carrying prayer flags and playing instruments. Behind them marched a brass band playing funeral marches. Behind them was a police contingent with rifles pointing backwards followed by a group of old women with prayer wheels chanting incantations. Then came the main body of the procession, led by the Head Lama. Behind him, the two princesses, Yangchen and Hope Lizum, the latter, the 14-year-old daughter of the Chogyal's second wife Hope Cooke, carrying food and drink wrapped in white CLIMB: The coffin itself was initially carried by the male members of the royal family led by Prince Wangchuk and his step-brother, Palden, and Simon Abraham, the English husband of procession circled the royal monastery thrice before another set of pall-bearers took over the started the long seven-kilometre climb to the royal cremation ground. Every 200 yards, the pall-bearers would be replaced by people from various localities along the route. In fact, for the last four kilometres of the route, the procession crawled up a narrow, steep path that was, in some places, little more than a goat took the procession over three hours to finally arrive at the cremation ground where the coffin was placed on top of a specially-constructed bell-shaped funeral pyre. The cremation ground itself was a mass of humanity, with the more agile having clambered up trees to obtain a better an hour of rituals, the royal family paid their last respects by throwing scarves onto the pyre after bowing thrice with folded hands, their foreheads touching the ground. Finally, to the moving sound of the Last Post echoing through the hills, the pyre was lit and a huge pillar of smoke rose slowly in the hushed silence, casting its shadow over the entire was, in the end, a symbol of many things. The end of a shadowy era and the tenuous beginnings of another. An intangible tribute to the memory of a lost kingdom and a disillusioned king. But to the thousands of watching mourners, for that one fiery moment, Sikkim was theirs again and not the 22nd state of the Indian to India Today Magazine
