Paubha: The Traditional Art of Nepal - Princes School of Traditional Arts

Renuka Gurung

Renuka Gurung (Pradhan) a Paubha painter, from Nepal is a PhD. student at The Princes School of Traditional Arts, London. Paubha is a traditional sacred art of Nepal. The word Paubha is derived from a Sanskrit word “Pattavattaraka” meaning depiction of god and goddesses on a flat surface. Though Paubha painting is regarded as a painting based on Buddhist philosophy, however, it is interesting to find both the elements (Buddhist in Hindu) in Paubha painting. Because of the lack of recorded documents it is difficult to determine the exact date of origin and the history of this sacred art of Nepal but on the basis of historical evidences Paubha is assumed to have been practiced prior to 7th century. The earliest Paubha discovered so far dates back from 13th century. Paubhas were painted for religious practices and the knowledge was kept secret within the circle of the family. Sastras did not allow Paubhas to be unveiled in front of strangers; only priests or the one having initiation were allowed to have a look to perform puja on Paubhas and to meditate.

Paubha is a living heritage of Nepal but it is totally overlooked and the practices are discontinued as a result of which there is decline in Paubha painting practices. The dying art Paubha needs to be given its lost identity and respect back through reviving the painting practices and documenting the knowledge so that the future generations would be benefited. Renuka in her dissertation is trying to document as much information as available about the traditional practices that prevailed in earlier times in the Nepalese tradition from the wisdom she has been receiving from a learned guruju (priest) Badri Ratna Bajracharya, and also has been painting under his supervision. With lots of changes and influences Paubha which is practiced at present is also another important aspect of her dissertation. She is documenting her own experiences gained while learning Paubha painting at the contemporary art studio of Patan from her master Lok Chitrakar. This document is an important attempt in the history of traditional arts of Nepal that will become one of the very important documents for the traditional art students, researchers, scholars of all around the world in the time to come. Apart from documentation Renuka has been creating awareness about Paubha painting in Nepal. She has also been creating awareness about the traditional Paubha painting and its practices of Nepal to the large audiences abroad such as, art students, researchers and scholars of UK, United States, Canada, Russia, Holland, India through talks, exhibitions, demonstrations, workshops and so forth.

Colombia is open to full-scale cooperation with Azerbaijan (UPDATE) - Trend

Colombia is open to full-scale cooperation with Azerbaijan (UPDATE)

15 October 2011, 02:26 (GMT+05:00)

Details about cultural cooperation added after the 14th abstract (the first version was published at 02.05)

Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 15 / Trend E.Ostapenko/

Colombia sees various opportunities in getting closer to Azerbaijan by fostering collaboration in all range of spheres, from trade intensification, energy collaboration, exchange of experience in infrastructure and railway system to developing of academic and cultural ties.

These days Baku is hosting first Colombian delegation at the level of vice-ministers.

"We are here to identify opportunities and to introduce Colombia to Azerbaijan," Colombian Vice-Foreign Miniter Patti Londono Jaramillo told journalists today. "We are very proud and happy being the first, strengthening relations with this beautiful country we have encountered".

Gabriel Duque Mildenberg, Vice-Minister of Trade at the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism mentioned some similarities between Azerbaijan and Colombia that could help the people from both better understand each other.

"We have undergone very difficult time in our histories, we are working and going ahead, we want integrate our economies effectively into the world market. We are oil exporter-countries, and we are trying to diversify not our production capacity, but our trading partners. We both are situated in very strategic locations in different parts of the world," he said.

Distance between the two countries is in lack of contacts, he believes. "So we are trying to build bridges," he said.

Current trade turnover between Colombia and Azerbaijan is approximately $500,000 a year. Duque Mildenberg admits that the figure is small, but with big potential.

Colombia considers Azerbaijan as a good market for more exports. Colombia is leader in producing bananas, it has large production of other tropical fruit, coffee, flowers and many other things that Azerbaijani market might be interested in.

There is a small export of roses from Colombia to Azerbaijan now (around $100,000 a year). However Duque Mildenberg believes that if there is opportunity to export few flowers, there must be space for more of them.

Colombian side also got interested in collaboration in the sphere of infrastructure, including the railway system.

"Azerbaijan has good experience in building not only national, but also international railway systems. So we would like to use your experience for Colombian railway system construction," said Maria Constanza Garcia Botero, Vice-Minister of Infrastructure at Colombian Ministry of Transport.

Colombia is a big producer of coal which is transported mainly by train, she said. 2200 km of railways is planned to build in the country during the next four years. "The expertise of Azerbaijani specialists in this field could be very useful," she told journalists.

The Colombia railway network has a total length of 3,304 km. There are 150 km of 1,435 mm standard gauge connecting Cerrejón coal mines to maritime port of Puerto Bolivar at Bahia de Portete, and 3,154 km of 914 mm narrow gauge of which 2,611 km are in use.

Garcia Botero said that the two countries are planning to sign an agreement on cooperation and investment facilities in infrastructural sphere till the end of 2011. Beside the railway system, Colombia expects to apply Azerbaijani expertise in construction of ports, airports and roads.

Azerbaijan and Colombia will exchange high-ranking official delegations soon. Thus Colombian Ministers of Energy and Agriculture are expected to visit Baku very soon. The official visit of the Foreign Minister of Colombia is prepared next year. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister is also invited to Bogota.

Local history museum of Balkan province opens for visitors | Turkmenistan.ru

11.10.11 18:43

Local history museum of Balkan province opens for visitors A new museum of local history was inaugurated in the administrative center of Balkan province of Turkmenistan. The museum describes the history and archeology, ethnography, art, nature and attractions of the western region of the country. Topped with a sharp spire, the new three-storey building of the museum is decorated with white marble and color granite as well as colorful windows and columns. There are also fountains and a square in the territory of the museum. The museum’s funds keep some tens of thousands of artifacts – monuments of history, art and culture of the Turkmen people. All rooms have been equipped with special air conditioning and ventilation systems in order to protect artifacts from sunlight, excessive moisture and other harmful influences. The history and archaeology room of the museum displays a rich collection of artifacts, ancient works of art and medieval pottery, tools of agriculture. The dioramas depict places inhabited by primitive people found in the territory of Balkan province – the caves of Dam-Dam Cheshme and Jebel. Among the unique items is a stone with clearly imprinted camel track aged two and a half million years. The opening ceremony of the new building was attended by President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. He expressed confidence that the museum will contribute to the spiritual rebirth of the nation, the development of museums, study, preservation and popularization of the rich cultural heritage of the Turkmen people.

Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction king news, Pakistan News, World news, business, sport and multimedia

Pakistan’s role in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and providing humanitarian assistance is neither highlighted by media nor by the governments of both Pakistan and Afghanistan. In the light of growing Indian influence in Afghanistan it is important to mention some of the major assistance projects which Pakistan had completed.

A state of the art Allama Iqbal Faculty at Kabul University is completed. As a separate project, the government of Pakistan is furnishing the Iqbal Faculty building.

The building of Sir Syed Science Faculty Block is near completion in Nangarhar University, Jalalabad. Further the structure of Liaqat Ali Khan Engineering Faculty in Balkh University, Mazar-e-Sharif is almost complete with the assistance of Pakistan. Rehman Baba High School in Kabul is complete, where 1200 students are currently enrolled and as another project on the same campus, hostel for 1000 students is under construction. Pakistan has donated buses for the students of Kabul University.

Gallery Louvre’s vibrant entry in Islamabad

Gallery Louvre’s vibrant entry in Islamabad

islamabad—With the solo exhibition of Pakistan’s renowned artist Ahmad Zoay, Gallery Louvre has stepped in Islamabad’s art and culture scene. “Gallery Louvre is a new comer to the capital but has been part of art scene for over a decade” told Salim Lalani, one of the curators at the gallery. The first Louvre entity was launched in 1999, in the heart of Karachi city, and since then, it is regarded as one of the recognized names in the art galleries of Pakistan.

The gallery, located in the posh area of the capital city, has carefully selected the recent works of Ahmad Zoay for its first exhibit, as the bright multi-coloured canvases not only refreshes the soul but also leaves one with a very pleasant feeling for a long time. The art show that opened on Friday evening would continue for a month.

Talking to Pakistan Observer, Alina Saeed, the curator, told that “the exhibition is Zoay’s largest-ever featuring a bold and dazzling collection of paintings that offer glimpses of the labour of love of a master painter” whose work has matured over a period of 37 years.

Artist’s twenty fourth solo show comprises of 46 vibrant paintings that are culturally relevant and concepts that are contemporary in their approach. His strokes pulsate against the canvas to invoke a fable of female that been long lost in occidental illusions.

SGGP English Edition- Vietnam – Korea culture days shine in Mekong Delta

SGGP English Edition- Vietnam – Korea culture days shine in Mekong Delta

Vietnam – Korea culture days shine in Mekong Delta

Vietnam – Korea Culture Days 2011 opened in My Tho City of Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang on October 14 with participation of Oh Jae Hack, Korean Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City. Attending the opening also were representatives from Culture Institute of the Republic of Korea e, the Korean non-government organizations, businesses and volunteers. The event was jointly held by the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang and the Consulate General of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City. Speaking at the opening, Tran Kim Mai, Vice Chairwoman of the Tien Giang provincial People’s Committee said the event is an occasion for the local people to gain a better understanding of the special characters of Korea’s culture, economy and society. It helps to introduce the locality’s images to the Korean country and people, contributing to promoting trade ties, friendship and mutual development cooperation between Korea and Vietnam, Mai stressed. In the framework of the event, a range of activities including a photo exhibition, goods fair, workshop to promote investment of Korea in Tien Giang province, art performance programs and sporting events will also be organized.

China angry with naming of dissident artist as most influential - Tibetan Review

China angry with naming of dissident artist as most influential - Tibetan Review

China angry with naming of dissident artist as most influential

(TibetanReview.net, Oct15, 2011) China has on Oct 13 cried “political bias” to London-based ArtReview magazine’s naming of Chinese dissident artist Mr Ai Weiwei as the art world’s most influential figure. Ai topped the magazine’s annual Power 100 list but China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin has told a regular press briefing in Beijing that China had a lot of famous artists strong enough to qualify for selection.

Liu has maintained that Ai’s selection was made “purely from a position of political bias” and it therefore “violates the magazine’s objective”.

Ai, 54, has been a strident critic of everything from Beijing’s handling of the Olympics to government officials’ refusal to account for children killed in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. He was released in June after being in detention for 81 days for alleged tax evasion on condition that he would not talk to the media.

In explaining the selection of Ai – who ranked 13th on last year’s list – the magazine has made it clear that politics was indeed a factor: “Ai’s power and influence derive from the fact that his work and his words have become catalysts for international political debates that affect every nation on the planet.”

The magazine has noted that Ai’s detention only increased the world’s appetite for his art. An exhibition of his work in the Lisson Gallery, the magazine notes, “became a site of pilgrimage and protest regarding his detention,” it said. Other exhibitions of his work this year in the UK, US, Germany and Switzerland were said to have also attracted large crowds.

A blogs.wsj.com Oct 14 posting noted that while it was true that China boasted a significant number of wealthy and influential artists, thanks in part to Beijing’s own efforts, none could match Mr Ai for global clout. "His activism has been a reminder of how art can reach out to a bigger audience and connect with the real world," thestandard.com.hk Oct 14 quoted ArtReview editor Mark Rappolt as saying.

This has been the magazine’s 10th annual list of “the dancers who’ve spent the past 12 months gyrating around contemporary art’s greasy pole of power”. Ai is only the second artist to top the list, which also includes collectors, curators and critics.

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Last updated on Oct 15, 2011 10:22:17

The Hindu : States / Tamil Nadu : Porunthal excavations prove existence of Indian scripts in 5th century BC: expert

The Hindu : States / Tamil Nadu : Porunthal excavations prove existence of Indian scripts in 5th century BC: expert

New results from the analysis of paddy grains found in the Porunthal graveyard archaeological site prove that writing systems in India were in existence in the 5th Century BC, predating the arrival of Asoka, according to history professor at the Pondicherry University and director of the excavation project at Porunthal K. Rajan.

Rice paddy samples that were contained in an engraved pot found inside one of the graves were found to be from 450 BC when analysed using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) by the Beta Analytic Lab, USA, he said, addressing a private gathering organised by the Manarkeni journal.

Earlier, paddy sample from another grave was dated at 490 BC, but many scholars were unwilling to accept evidence obtained from only one sample. The analysis of the second sample proved that Tamil-Brahmi writing existed in the 5th century BC and was not invented in the 3rd century BC as was previously believed by scholars, he said. This was also the first time anyone had discovered Tamil-Brahmi script along with rice in any archaeological site. Scholars were still debating on the exact letters that were written and its meaning, he said.

Another significant discovery from the gravesite is that the paddy samples obtained in the graves in Porunthal were cultivated paddy of the Orissa Satvaika variety, he said.