Author: Aarabhi
Photographer: Vasistha
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| Government Museum |
We are
a travel crazy family, with my husband, Vasista as the Kapitan. Any travel news in the media first
catches his eye. So, when The Hindu published an article about the Government Museum in Bangalore, his curiosity was piqued and he asked me if I
would like to go there. Starting any trip very early in the day is our modus
operandi. This time though, it wasn’t an option for us. This museum and the
attached Venkatappa art gallery open at 10 am and close at 5. So, there we were
at the stroke of 10 staring up at the colonial style building with cornices and Corinthian columns. Painted a bright red color, it stood out amongst its ultramodern
neighbors like UB city.
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| The ultramodern UB City in contrast to the colonial Museum |
The entry fee for the museum is a
measly four rupees per head, but the plaque beside the ticket counter reads:
“No tickets will be issued if there is a power failure”. This is because the
tickets are electronic, like BMTC tickets. But, refusing people entry just
because there is no power seems to be a typical apathetic behavior of a
governmental institution.
The museum houses an eclectic
collection of megalithic pottery, jewelry, tools, weapons, and sculpture mostly
found in and around Karnataka. There are also, paintings of different styles
such as Mysore, Persian, Mughalai and Deccan.
A beautiful four spouted pot and
painted clay beads from tombs long lost are noteworthy. Few artifacts of the
Vijayanagar Empire such as ivory dice, and eerily symmetrical faces of
mythological characters are also on display.
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| Vijayanagar Carvings |
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| Sculpture |
The famous Halmidi inscription
circa 450 AD, renowned to be the oldest Kannada inscription is also housed
here.
The first floor of the museum is a
treat as it houses good paintings. Amazingly well preserved wooden idols of
Narasimha, Hanuman and other gods can also be seen here. The most striking
display is a series of Mysore style paintings of Ramayana. These painstakingly
worked panels cover almost half a wall on this floor.
The annex building of the museum
displays rock sculpture of gods and goddesses. The name boards of these idols
are queer. The museum’s archeologists seem to have been in great doubt about
their discoveries. Seeming to guess the identity of the idol they have
excavated, the nameplate reads: “Goddess: 11th century BC: Durga?”
The next ones are even better: “Vaishnavi? Parvathi? Ganesh?” I felt like
asking the gatekeeper: “What’s with these question marks?”
One more example of governmental
apathy is the section displaying sculptures of the Vijayanagar Empire which are
carelessly exposed to the elements. They are displayed in an open courtyard
without even a canopy for rain protection!
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| Sculptures open to the elements! |
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| In front of the Gallery |
The adjoining Venkatappa art
gallery is a feast for the eyes. There aren’t adjectives in this language which
can describe what a person can experience from the art of Venkatappa.
Marble panels depicting
mythological scenes are wonderfully realistic. The figures are embossed in a
raised pattern on the marble and show the delineation and sinuous lines of the
human form in loving detail. The sheer range of fine-art forms in which
Venkatappa was proficient is mind boggling. He played musical instruments like
the Veena, sculpted marble, painted in water colors and oils, designed and
executed the interiors of Mysore Maharaja’s palace, the list is endless.
He was one of the best of his
contemporaries in all the fields he touched. The displays in this gallery are
living proof of his genius and a visit to view and enjoy them in an
unforgettably uplifting experience. His water color depictions of Ooty in its
many avatars: ‘during the monsoons’, ‘in the fall’, ‘moonrise on a hill’ are
wonderful renditions that bring alive the ethereal quality of the Nilgiris.
A huge contrast to this beauty is the first floor of the gallery which houses modern art by many famous artists, including M F Hussain. My husband and I have never been big fans of this art form. The display put up here, at the gallery, just cemented our opinions. Maybe we lack the understanding ability of this particular art, but come on? A splash of 12 different colors on a canvas is called "Art"? My six year old niece can do that! It was a complete emotional letdown. Venkatappa's art enlightens, makes you think and brings you joy. Whereas this art gets a reaction of: "Huh! What's that thing on the wall?"
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| Author with a Nandi |
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