Ila Gupta

Himalayan population at earthquake risk

Purpose – Seeks to examine risk assessment of human settlements due to seismo‐tectonic setting of a populated area in the Himalayas, so that mitigation measures may be taken before the next earthquake takes its toll.Design/methodology/approach – Keeping in view the seismic vulnerability of the Himalayan ranges, an earthquake scenario is considered for the Narendranagar block of Tehri Garhwal District which lies in Seismic Zone IV of the seismic zoning map of India (BIS, 1893‐2002). Damage of MSK Intensity VIII and peak accelerations of 0.25 g are expected here at any time. The hypothetical epicenter is placed near Tapowan at 30°08′10″N and 78° 20′30″E on the crest of the meandering River Ganga, where three large thrusts, viz. Garhwal, Tons Nayar and Krol, congregate. Iso‐acceleration contours plotted for the entire Narendranagar block for earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 and 7.5 are elongated along the main boundary fault.Findings – Almost 59 percent population of the Narendranagar block was found to be vulne...

Tracing the Impact of Krishnalila Narratives on Bengal Temple Architecture: A Study of Terracotta Temples of Baranagar

The Krishnalila narratives have an indelible impact on the architectural imaginations and designs of artisans of Bengal from seventeenth to nineteenth century. The article attempts to identify such portrayals on the front facades of the Baranagar temples of eighteenth century in Murshidabad, West Bengal. It explores the specific reasons for their inclusion and the changing nature of narratives and iconography under the varying impact of Krishna cult. It relies on literary sources, on site interviews with the priest, temple caretaker and local people and visual data collected during field visits. While romance was the primary theme of the seventeenth century temples, the eighteenth century Baranagar temples saw a diversification of themes to include heroic exploits of Krishna; portrayal of other deities attracted the devotees of Vaishnava, Shaiva and Shakta sects. Such depictions while revealing the secular nature of the chief patron also acted as a tool for legitimization of her authority.

Assessment of Mughal Mural Decoration on Contemporary Architecture of Agra and Jaipur

Wall decoration and architecture have strong relations with each other. This relationship has been seen during the evaluation of wall decorations in the Mughal period and contemporary period. The Mughal period covers the fifteenth century up to the seventeenth century, and the contemporary period belongs to the twentieth century. There is a gap between the two periods. In present time, the concept, theme, and style have been affected by Western culture. The artist, without innovative ideas of Westernization or modernization in art, is being neglected by the society. At present, among the other changes, the impulses have dispelled from natural representation. The impact of abstraction may be seen in art forms, which has been broken by the tendency of making the natural things and converting them into abstract. This is the main theme for decorating a building in the present scenario. Except from all innovations, Indian art has its roots into its cultural and religious diameter. The present paper is an analytical study to explore the trend and trendies of present-time mural decoration in Jaipur architecture. This paper will also focus on the impact of Mughal art on contemporary wall decorations and also make clear if contemporary wall decorations have any impact from Mughal wall decorations or not.

Gender and Space in the Paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and Amrita Sher-Gill

The relation of gender and painting is a much debated issue not only in Indian art but also across the globe. In Indian concern of modern painting, this phenomenon has emerged as a critical expression. An artistic perception of onlooker/spectator and ideology of the artist on gender paradigm could be a contemporary topic of study. The space is selected as a criterion to analyze the gender discourse as feminine and masculine perception. In respect of modern Indian paintings, Raja Ravi Varma has been considered one among the first and foremost artists. He executed his paintings on Indian themes with Western techniques and portrayed numerous women with beautiful faces and sensuous appeal. On the contrary, Amrita Sher-Gill, also considered as one among pioneers of modern Indian art, has portrayed women in a different approach. In this way, both artists belong to modern Indian painters and contributed significantly with respect to art revivalism. Therefore, the depiction of women in both of the artists’ works has been compared to explore gender significance vis-a-vis the painted space. A comparative analysis has been carried out between the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma and Amrita Sher-Gill through their stipulated space. The background space of the artists’ paintings has a gender-inclined approach from masculine and feminine ideology. The significance of spaces has been evaluated on theoretical perception of some eminent art critics. Further, the background of paintings has been replaced through handmade paintings by using Photoshop as a tool. Thus, this paper is an attempt to evaluate the feminine approach in the works of both artists through the study of their negative and positive space in paintings. It concludes that the feminine characters placed in the interiors of places and household surroundings produce emphasis on gender study.

The Implementation of Phulkari Embroidery Pattern in Interior Decoration

In architecture, decoration or ornamentation is an art, used to embellish home and interiors which constructs a pleasant and peaceful ambience in the surrounding through aesthetic, colorful, and creative artifacts. Art has a remarkable significance in the production of interior design because every concept has been associated with the features of beauty and ornamentation in interior decoration. The term decoration is particularly associated with art and its fundaments of beauty, harmony, balance, color application, symmetry, and so on. In this way, art plays a magnificent role to decorate the surface with comprehensive attributes. Interior decoration has numerous elements like furniture, decorative items, wall decoration, and many more. Textile is one of these elements. Textile is, the most important tool, extensively used in interior accessories which includes bedsheets, carpets, cushion covers, wall hangings, and covers for furniture, walls, and ceilings. Today, embroidery is not only a technique of cloth embellishment but also a means for artists to express their inner feelings and emotions through the established aesthetic concepts. In contemporary society, embroidered textile is used for interior decoration items, to create a traditional and royal appearance. Phulkari (floral work) is a traditional craft which reveals at Punjabi (Punjab, India) women on the canvas of the cloth in specific geometrical motifs. They use a needle and thread with an unlimited color palette with skillful, artistic, and aesthetic appeal for the commercial purposes. The present paper focuses initially on the use of traditional handicraft Phulkari patterns in modern interior decoration like beddings, cushion covers, sofa covers, etc. The paper will also be an attempt to discuss the future perspective of the application of Phulkari patterns in interior ornaments with the special help of Photoshop software. Some designs of Phulkari embroidery have been taken as a study and placed on some blank interior objects after comparing both objects.

A Study on Geometrical Motifs with Special Reference to Old Havelis of Saharanpur

Art and architecture demonstrate fascinating phenomenon, created in various geometrical forms and obtained in both architecture and craft. These geometrical forms have been traced from the prehistoric cave paintings and refined during the Islamic and the Mughal reigns. Old havelis of Saharanpur, over a period of time, display the glimpse of Islamic architecture with architecture treatment and structural ornamentation. The term havelis is generally used for private and huge mansion where people live together. In this context, the tremendous variety of geometrical motifs has been introduced in old havelis of Saharanpur which can be seen on the structural part of old havelis like doors, brackets, windows, and lattice screens in two-dimensional space with Islamic beliefs and skillful manner of artisans. In fact, variation is the most distinctive characteristic of the geometrical design which provides a high-level experience of aesthetics which balances simplicity and complexity that creates harmonious ambience in human life. These wide varieties of decorations demonstrate the glimpse of Indian art as well as the mysteries of Islamic art. Such geometrical designs generate spiritual and lyrical ambience and mesmerize the viewers through marvelous variety of patterns. This paper attempts to examine the geometrical ornamentation in old havelis of Saharanpur with special reference to the symbolic value of geometry in human life. Additionally, it briefly investigates and identifies the rationale behind the application of design principles in the intricate geometrical patterns. It also elaborates how these patterns enhance the beauty and attraction of old havelis of Saharanpur.

Mughal Seed in Modern Architectural Decoration

Mughals are not required to any introduction. Their glory, living style, beautiful architecture with its unique decoration is known to all. Babur was the founder of Mughal dynasty. They made very attractive architecture in India. The architectural decorations reflect the taste, interest, living- standard style and customs of Mughals. These monuments are world famous for its beautiful wall decoration. The contemporary mural decoration has its roots in Mughal art. Inlay, painting and stucco decoration in Mughal era has a unique place in this content. Not only Indians but many foreigners are also impressed from this art. In present time this art has been used on the facade of modern architecture. Before Mughals, Indian architecture was colourless. This contribution goes to the Mughals who brought new techniques with beautiful colours in India. This paper is an attempt to find cultural and aesthetic values for using different techniques and motifs for wall decoration in contemporary period. The objective of the study is to have a better understanding of the influence of Mughal art culture on career, employment, livelihood and social innovation. Apart from the above objectives, this paper tries to find out the answer of several questions, like why do foreign delegates are attracted towards Mughal art and culture. Why do different hotels and restaurants want to resemble with Mughal art? What is the social function of artistic and cultural creativity? On the whole this paper is based on Mural decoration during Mughal era. By the end of this paper it will be clear that what type of mural decoration was used in Mughal era, its history, style, aesthetic pleasure, importance and impact on contemporary art and architecture. The study concludes that the mural decoration in present time has its root from Mughal (Persia).