Latest news with #RajaRaviVarma
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
5 Indian palaces to tour like living museums, where every room serves a history lesson
India is home to some of the world's most stunning palaces—and the best part is, many of them are now open for the public to explore. Most of them are now basically, royal residences that now let you walk through their echoing halls without having a bloodline to the throne. These palaces serve as living storytellers, each one holding centuries of gossip, grandeur, and glitter, waiting for you to check out. If you have an inclination toward history, here are five where history isn't staying locked away. City Palace , Jaipur Jaipur's crown jewel, the City Palace, is part-residence, part-museum. The royal family still lives in one wing, while the rest dazzles with artifacts, costumes, and even weapons that once decided the fate of kingdoms. Don't miss the Peacock Gate, basically the most extravagant doorway you'll ever see. Read more: A beginner's guide to Delhi Airport: From check-in to take-off Mysore Palace, Mysuru Lit with nearly 100,000 bulbs during Dussehra, the Mysore Palace transforms into something that you would need to see to believe it. Inside, you'll find intricate stained glass, carved doors, and the ornate Kalyana Mantapa, where royal weddings once unfolded. As a museum, it lays bare the royal family's extravagant lifestyle, which you can get to see now. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo Lakshmi Vilas Palace, Vadodara Four times the size of Buckingham Palace, this Baroda beauty makes 'grandeur' look modest. Built in the 19th century, it's still the residence of the Gaekwad family, but large parts have been opened up to the public. The palace museum houses Raja Ravi Varma's famous paintings, and other through its Darbar Hall feels less like visiting a museum and more entering a royal concert. Read more: Did you know this one spot in India covers all seven wonders of the world? Ujjayanta Palace, Agartala Ujjayanta Palace is such that it makes sure you don't overlook it. This gleaming white structure with Mughal-inspired gardens now hosts the State Museum. Inside, it's like a cultural buffet, tribal traditions, sculptures, and artifacts from the region's layered past. Also, note 'Ujjayanta' means 'resplendent,' and that's no exaggeration. Chowmahalla Palace, Hyderabad The Nizams didn't do subtle things, and Chowmahalla is proof. This palace complex once hosted grand durbars where pearls and diamonds were casual accessories. Today, its museum showcases vintage cars, clothes, and royal paraphernalia that tell you exactly how opulent life was under the Nizams. The chandeliers here aren't just lighting, they're statements. What makes these palace-museums so fascinating is the mix of velvet-rope grandeur and hands-on storytelling. One minute you're craning your neck under a chandelier, the next you're nose-to-glass with a centuries-old sword. They're not just places to click photos, they're places where history feels so intriguing to say the least.
Hindustan Times
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Listicle: 10 artworks, old and new, to celebrate Friendship Day
Shakuntala and her friends. Who among us hasn't helped a friend compose the perfect Miss You text to bae? Raja Ravi Varma's lithograph depicts a moment in Kalidas's epic, when Shakuntala in her hermitage is writing a love letter to King Dushyant with help from besties Priyamvada and Anasuya. Painted in 1876. Relatable every day. Raja Ravi Varma's lithograph depicts Shakuntala with her besties Priyamvada and Anasuya. In this MV Dhurandhar painting, six Bombay women gather for a bit of chit-chat. Indian women on a 1905 postcard. MV Dhurandhar's paintings of everyday women of more than a century ago are legendary. He sent this postcard to his art teacher E Greenwood, who'd retired and was living in England. Friendship, fashion, freedom seem to come alive in the work as six Bombay women gather for a bit of chit-chat. They're stylish –nine-yard saris, European-style blouses, pearls, flowers in their hair. And seems like someone's got the tea! Jean-Baptiste Pigalle's 1753 statue depicts France's King Louis XV's former mistress-turned-confidante. Madame de Pompadour as Friendship. Friends-to-lovers is a popular trope. But Jean-Baptiste Pigalle's 1753 statue goes for the opposite. It depicts the woman who started out as official mistress to France's King Louis XV (and the Queen's social rival) but ended up as his bestie, confidante, advisor and a court favourite. No fuss, no frills, no costumery. The figure is simply dressed, portraying her not as lover or style icon, but as a platonic friend. In 1927, Japan and the US exchanged more than 12,000 Friendship Dolls. Friendship Dolls from Japan and the US. In 1927, amid deteriorating relations, the nations exchanged more than 12,000 blue-eyed US Friendship Dolls and 58 handcrafted Torei Ningyo. The dolls were meant to encourage children to cultivate cross-country friendships. Adults, as usual, ruined everything. Most American dolls in Japan were destroyed in the Second World War. In the US, only a handful of the Japanese ones survive. All are preserved in museums. Grace Kelly and Maria Callas feature in sculptor Marcos Marin's 2023 work. Grace Kelly and Maria Callas. One is a film icon who married Prince Rainier of Monaco. The other is a renowned opera diva. Both knew what it cost to devote one's life to art. Both knew what it felt like to have their every move tracked by the public. They were friends for years. Sculptor Marcos Marin's 2023 work, at Greece's Megaro Musikis Concert Hall, is subtitled Eternal Friendship and celebrates the women's closeness and ambitions. Mickey, Donald and Goofy have been friends for more than 90 years. Art of Disney: Friendship. Of course, we'd include Mickey, Donald and Goofy – the three have been friends for more than 90 years. The gang was featured in a 2004 friendship-themed stamp series issued by the US postal service. Other Disney buddies on the stamp sheet: Bambi and Thumper, Mufasa and Simba, and Jiminy Cricket and Pinocchio. Disney memorabilia fetches millions at auction. This stamp costs just 37 cents. Swedish artist Sebastian Straube painted a young boy and girl feeding their goat in 1842. The Three Friends. Swedish artist Sebastian Straube painted a young boy and girl feeding their goat in 1842. But in 2025, when we have furbabies and vacation with our dogs and cats, the title seems fitting. The humans might be siblings. But in Straube's oil-on-canvas they're all just friends, caught in a playful moment – a nod to the millions of throwaway moments that define most friendships. This USSR propaganda poster from 1962 celebrated global allies. Friendship Peace poster. What use is your crew if you can't gang up against the world? While most propaganda posters within Communist USSR championed athletics, farming, science and the might of the state, the ones circulated abroad (like this one from 1962) celebrated global allies. This one marks the comradeship between USSR and China and lets socialist India join in too. The diplomatic friendship held on for decades. Australian artist Stella Bowen painted her own friends having a leisurely lunchtime gabfest. Provençal Conversation. Australian artist Stella Bowen painted this oil-on-canvas in 1936. It features her own friends having a leisurely lunchtime gabfest at Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. But really, it could be a gang of four anywhere, leaning back, unbothered, their guard down in a safe space of their own making. A sign, perhaps, for friends today to meet IRL more often, get lunch outdoors, linger and put their phones down. This 1857 triptych woodblock by Japanese artist Utagawa Kunisada turns a naughty moment into art. Ashikaga Mitsuuji Peeping at Courtesans. Best friends go all in. They'll help you bury the body, they'll join in when you're up to no good. This 1857 triptych woodblock by Japanese artist Utagawa Kunisada turns a naughty moment into art. One man keeps watch as his friend eavesdrops on the chatter of courtesans. It's two friendships in play – the private world of women, the men colluding to peek in. Almost 170 years on, nothing's changed. From HT Brunch, August 02, 2025 Follow us on
Observer
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Observer
Muscat to host grand tribute to Raja Ravi Varma
Muscat is set to witness a spectacular audio-visual production titled 'Kadha Parayum Chithrangal' - The Pictures That Speak (A Unique Story of Colours and Canvases) — a creative homage to world-renowned Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma. The programme will be staged on three specially arranged platforms on August 22 and 23. The Malayalam version will premiere on August 22, followed by the Hindi rendition, 'Bolthi Tasveerem', with multilingual subtitles, on August 23. Rehearsals are in full swing for this unique theatrical celebration. The programme brings to life the story and works of Raja Ravi Varma, who was born in the Kilimanoor Palace near Thiruvananthapuram in the 19th century. Famed for blending Western techniques with Indian themes, Ravi Varma revolutionised Indian art with his lifelike oil paintings of mythological and royal figures. In this innovative format, characters from his iconic paintings take the stage, drawing viewers into the emotional and cultural depth of his artworks. The production offers a rich narrative journey through the painter's tumultuous life, using light, sound and dramatic visuals to convey the timeless beauty and struggles behind his masterpieces. The programme is produced by Bhavalaya, conceptualised by Dr J Retnakumar, and presented by Global Events. Directed by acclaimed stage artiste, director and choreographer Sunil Kumar Krishnan Nair, the show incorporates 71 carefully curated scenes. These include well-known works like Galaxy of Musicians, Hamsa Damayanti and Shakuntala, with musical interludes composed by Ronnie Raphael and background scores by Rama Varma Thampuran, a descendant of the Kilimanoor royal lineage. As part of the tribute, a painting competition inspired by Ravi Varma's works will be held in early August for both citizens and residents of Oman. Over 120 performers and 100 backstage crew members from Muscat will bring this epic to life, joined by Indian film star Moksha. Speaking to the Observer, director Sunil Kumar Krishnan Nair shared, 'Through this audio-visual journey, we aim to introduce Raja Ravi Varma's genius to a new generation, ensuring that his legacy lives on not just as paintings, but as living, breathing stories.'
New Indian Express
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Breaking Stereotypes
Printmaking in India has a long history. In the late 15th century, Portuguese in Goa started printmaking in the country. It was, however, Raja Ravi Varma and Nandalal Bose who popularised the Singh, director of the Art Incept Gallery, believes that the artistic value of printmaking has not been properly explored by art enthusiasts. Instead, even in today's world, people still consider the medium less original than painting or making sculptures. A new exhibition 'Original Shadows', curated by her gallery, challenges the convention by showcasing the artworks of 14 printmakers. 'Printmaking is often misunderstood — seen as either too academic or too traditional. But that's precisely why we felt compelled to present a show that repositions it in the contemporary context. It is a medium that lends itself beautifully to experimentation with surfaces, techniques, and repetition, and yet allows for deep conceptual exploration. That is why 'Original Shadows' is born. It challenges the common misconceptions around printmaking — that it's mechanical, repetitive, or somehow less 'original' than painting or sculpture,' she says. Artistic freedom For Singh, printmaking offers multiple perspectives. It democratises art and allows the artists to talk about their material reality. Hence, it draws a connection with the present-day crises that artists face. 'At this moment, where so many emerging artists are returning to materiality and process, we're seeing a resurgence in print-based practices. Many of the artists in this show use the medium to speak about memory, displacement, ecological change, and personal stories — themes that are very much of our time.' While talking about the artists, Singh believes that in this exhibition, they have focussed on process, patience, and precision, and have pushed all the boundaries that they could have pushed–not only in terms of technique but also conceptually. The director praises the works of Isha Sharma, a young printmaker, whose works are winning hearts. ''Her work is deeply rooted in memory and personal history. Sharma works with family photographs — not simply to replicate them, but to interrogate and reimagine them. These photographs are her starting points, but her true subject is the emotional terrain they represent: loss, absence, intimacy, and the fragile nature of memory." Adding further, Singh notes, 'In the work presented here, she uses printmaking not only as a technical process but as a poetic language. Her prints are quiet yet haunting, layered with subtle marks and tones that evoke the aesthetics of aged photographs. There's a blend of vintage visual language and contemporary sensibility. The body language, the tilt of a head, or the curve of a shoulder — these become carriers of unspoken emotion, drawing the viewer into a space of reflection.' 'Original Shadows' is on view at the Art Incept Gallery in Gurugram from 11 am to 6.30 pm till August 30
India Gazette
13-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Australian's Foreign Minister Penny Wong announces 34 recipients of Maitri Grants
Canberra [Australia], July 13 (ANI): Australia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Penny Wong has announced 34 recipients of this year's Maitri Grants, Fellowships and Scholarships. The Maitri (meaning friendship) Grants, administered by the Centre for Australia-India Relations, aim to support greater exchange and collaboration with India across technology, business, education and culture, according to the statement. The statement said, 'Each project will cultivate deeper connections between our two countries, including: The Lowy Institute's first-ever India Chair, which will lift the quality of research and conversations around India's role as a major power in the Indo-Pacific region. Best-practice playbooks by Asialink Business to support collaboration, capability training and the sharing of successful partnership models in cleantech and agtech.' 'A world-class exhibition featuring rare artworks by renowned Indian painter Raja Ravi Varma at Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art. An incubator of untold narratives from Australia's South Asian diasporas that will showcase Australian-Indian experience to global screen audiences, led by Bodhi Studios,' it added. The 2024-2025 Maitri Grants include 13 Maitri scholarships supporting innovative research across fields like quantum computing technologies and clean energy solutions, and three Maitri fellowships dedicated to exploring opportunities between Australia. The statement said, 'Australia and India's relationship is closer and more important than ever. We are deepening cooperation across priority sectors that are vital to both nations' futures, including in defence, trade, education, and technology.' The recipients of the 2025 Maitri Grants will support connections and research across a wide range of sectors, including innovation, enterprise, education and culture. Administered by the Centre for Australia-India Relations, the Maitri grants encourageinnovative projects and partnerships that reflect the dynamism of the bilateral relationship, fostering long-term connections, according to the Australian High Commission in India press release. Welcoming the announcement, Australia's High Commissioner to India, Philip Green OAM, said, 'Australia's relationship with India is stronger, deeper and more consequential than ever - and its future holds even greater promise. At the heart of this relationship are the people-to-people connections that bind our two nations. The Maitri Grants program builds on these ties, helping unlock the full potential of our bilateral relationship.' 'I congratulate this year's recipients and look forward to seeing how their work helps foster deeper links between Australia and India,' he added. (ANI)
