Saturday, July 9, 2011

When museums 'house' Gods....


Received this mail from a regular reader Mr Bala on an exhibition in New York featuring the images and paintings on Lord Vishnu. I am posting it below as I thought that the links (on the museum and the review of the museum) speak loudly about what kind of degradation of Hinduism could happen  when Gods are 'paraded' in museums and in places where the people have no idea of Hindu Gods and Hinduism. This mail is timely as we hear people talking about exhibiting the articles found in the cellars of Padmanabha Swamy temple in a museum.

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From Mr Bala


One of the suggestions given by a few people regarding the treasures found
at the Anantha Padmanabha Swami temple is to hold an exhibition with the
treasures unearthed.


Whether any exhibition is going to be held near the temple in the near
future or not no one knows, but there is an ongoing exhibition currently in
New York at the Brooklyn Museam from June 24 to October 2, 2011.


The focus is on Vishnu with about 170 sculptures, paintings and ritual
objects that were made in India between the fourth and twentieth centuries.


Here is the link for the museum's website :

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/vishnu/index.php


Here is the link for the review of the exhibition in New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/arts/design/vishnu-hinduisms-savior-at-brooklyn-museum-review.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1#<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/08/arts/design/vishnu-hinduisms-savior-at-brooklyn-museum-review.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1