We tend to think of museums as secular repositories of history, evidence, knowledge, objects, narratives and much more. Looking closely, we find museums are not innocent spaces; they are political and have always been. Let’s explore the Albert Hall Museum (set up in the late 19th century) in Jaipur, Rajasthan, as an example of politics […] The post Albert Hall Jaipur: a site for 19th century colonial and cultural diplomacy appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

This Colonial-era alphabet book, introduces young English-readers to domestic workers and other ‘stereotypes’ India came to be known for, (example: the land of Elephants) through rhymed couplets.  Published in Bombay c.1900, by Arthur Charles Bowden. #ReadersExploreHeritage :   Shared by Hemant Sarin from the Cotsen Children’s Library Collection. [Princeton University Collections] / No Known Copyright.  […] The post An Alphabet book from Colonial India appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

This comic is based on an original article by Shilpi Das first published by The Heritage Lab.   Share your reaction! The post Indusudha Ghosh : an artist with a revolutionary spirit appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

‘Original Sketches in the Punjaub. By a Lady’ features views of prominent locations in Amritsar and Lahore. It was compiled from drawings by a woman (c.1852) whose identity remains unknown till date. All we know about her is, that she was ‘the wife of an Officer in the Queen’s Service now with his regiment in […] The post 19th century drawings of Lahore and Amritsar by an anonymous British woman artist appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

This comic is based on an original article by Shilpi Das for Marg Magazine. Edited by Ekta Chadha. Share your reaction! The post Hashirashi Devi : a short biographical comic appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

Is it that time of the year already? Love is in the air as yet another wedding season is upon us. Today’s photo album is for those of us who have failed to secure an invite for this year’s festivities! Weddings have been a popular theme in Indian art. They not only feature as joyous […] The post In art: Indian Weddings and Betrothals! appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

This story was submitted as part of our Wiki Asia Month campaign (November 2023) and is licensed CC BY SA. It has been edited for readability. The Community Museum Ladakh is paradigmatic of the newly defined goal of 21st century museums : a museum exhibiting the tangible and intangible, with a mission to be inclusive and […] The post A Community Museum in the Gya-Sasoma village of Ladakh appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

In the Sufi tradition, Thursdays are traditionally reserved for important religious events and are marked by spiritual gatherings, qawwali sessions, reflection and contemplation. In July 2020, we started a conversation on Twitter about Sufi culture. And #SufiThursdays was thus born. Poverty and humility as a principal achievements of a Sufi dervish were his mainstay. These […] The post The best of ‘Sufi Thursdays’ : stories, art and more. appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

On the occasion of Sankranti (a harvest festival), we share this oil painting by Ramkinkar Baij – the Master Sculptor of India. Looking at the painting, one can guess that this was Baij’s ode to the Harvester in the light of a Famine. The competition for the Monument to the Unknown Political Prisoner (1952) was […] The post An ode to the ‘Harvester’ by Ramkinkar Baij appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more

In two separate paintings depicting a play of games by B.Vithal we see a glimpse into two worlds. The first painting of boys playing cards is a scene of contemporary street life. Is it a game of bluff? Are they gambling? Does this game need more luck or more wit? But ‘smart’ people play chess; […] The post Playing Games : B. Vithal appeared first on The Heritage Lab ..read more