"Lord Budha in a rare smiling 'mudra'" by K.J.S.Chatrath

This is a statue of Lord Buddha in the National Museum Kolkata that I visited in February 2016.

This sandstone statue depicts him in the 'mudra' of offering protection.  It dates back to Kushana, ca. 1^st century C.E., Ahihchatra, Uttar Pradesh. 

I found this unusual as I had not till then seen any statue of Lord Buddha smiling so very clearly.  

Incidentally 'Buddha Smiling' was the code name given to India's peaceful nuclear test in 1974. 

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'An intriguing carving in Indian Museum, Kolkata' by K.J.S.Chatrath

I visited the impressive Indian Museum in Kolkata, India a few weeks back. The museum is full of amazing exhibits. I found the carving above to be breathtaking. However I was a little puzzled at reading the description put up by the Museum authorities. Please take a look:

 I respectfully seek the advice of experts if this write-up put up by the Indian Museum, Kolkata,, describing Gauri as the mother of Lord Shiva, is correct.

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'Qutab Minar, New Delhi, India' by K.J.S.Chatrath

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'A sadhu (Hindu holy man) sitting on the banks of the river Ganges, at Varanasi, India, 2016' - by K.J.S.Chatrath

A sadhu (Hindu holy man) sitting on the banks of the river Ganges, at Varanasi, India, 2016.

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‘Old murals in the Jhanda Sahib gurudwara in Dehradun, India’ by K.J.S.Chatrath

One of the old murals at Gurudwara Jhanda Sahib 

It is said that Ram Rai Ji had stayed here in doon valley by setting up a camp at this place. In Hindi camping is known as ‘dera’. It is believed that with passage of time ‘Dera’ became ‘Dehra’. Doon means valley. So, Dehradun is the valley where Guru Ram Rai had camped in the 1676. This Gurudwara, or Darbar Sahib, is visited  both by the Sikhs and the Hindus. There is a big annual festival here on the fifth day after the festival of ‘Holi’.
The main murals are on the gate and the inside entrance. The murals may be roughly divided into following categories: Hindu mythological, Sikh mythological and Miscellaneous...   ...   ...Please click at the link below to access the full article and photos...http://www.fiftyplustravels.com/?p=7927

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'Some masks from eastern/north-eastern india' by K.J.S.Chatrath

On a recent visit to Kolkata I went and spent some time at the museum.  The Indian Museum is the largest and oldest museum in India and has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings. It was founded by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in Kolkata, India, in 1814. 

Address: 27, Jawaharlal Nehru Rd, Kolkata, West Bengal 700016; Hours: 10AM–5PM; website: 

http://indianmuseumkolkata.org/

I bought some picture postcards from the shop of the museum. Here is a set of 6, showing masks of Eastern and north-eastern India. 

Mask of Chamunda Kali, Gambhira dance, Malda, West Bengal. 

Mask of Ganesh, Bali Yatra, Gadaba, Koraput, Odisha.

Mask of Garur, Bhaona mask, Sibsagar, Assam.

 

  Mask of Hiranyakishapu, Satriya dance, Sibsagar, Assam.

Mask of Ravana, Chou dance, Purulia, West Bengal.

Mask of Krishna, Chou  dance, Purulia, West Bengal.

Those interested in getting deeper into the subject may like to visit:

http://www.dollsofindia.com/library/mask/,

http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/masks/, & 

http://www.ibiblio.org/gautam/heri0016.htm

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'Statue of Lord Vishnu, circa 9th century A.D.'.............K.J.S.Chatrath

 

 This statue of Lord Vishnu, circa 9th century A.D. was discovered in Agroha in Haryana in India. It is on display in the Government Museum, Chandigarh.

In this sculpture Lord Vishnu is seen standing on a pedestal with the carving of lotus mark. There is rectangular back slab, the edges of which are also carved with floral patterns. A beautifully carved prabhamandala (aureole ) is there at the back of the head.

The figure is depicted with four hands, the main pair now lost below the elbows. The left hand holding the  chakra (discus) and the right hand holding the mace (gada). The two attendant figures on the left and the right are   chakrapurusha and gadanari. The gadanari holds a mace and a mirror. The vanamala (the long garlend) and the crown of Vishnu, are some of the distinctive features.

(Text source: Government Museum, Chandigarh) 

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