National Gallery of Modern Art, Bengaluru (Ministry of Culture, Government of India) in collaboration with Gandhi Centre for Science and Human Values invites you to a virtual introductory talk on Indian miniatures followed by the film screening Poetry of the Hills on Friday, 19th March 2021 at 4.00 pm, live on live on https://www.facebook.com/ngmaBengaluru by Prof. Benoy K. Behl, Art Historian, Photographer, Filmmaker After Prof. Benoy K Behl’s introductory talk on Indian miniatures, the film ‘Poetry of the Hills’ will be screened, covering masterpieces of Kangra paintings. The film has shooting which was carried out of the finest selected masterpieces of Kangra miniature paintings in museums and private collections across India, Europe, and the USA. It is unprecedented coverage and all museums opened out their reserve collections, as well as displays, for the selection and shooting. From the 11th century onwards in India, there was a great revival of Vaishnavism. With it came the Bhakti cult which was the doctrine of a deep and personal love of the Divine: where the soul of man was seen to be yearning always for the Lord who created him, for the tenderness and ecstasy of being united with Him. The poet-saints of the Bhakti movement wrote beautiful verses about the legendary lives and the love of Krishna and Radha, of Rama and Sita, and of Shiva and Parvati. The love of the divine figures for each other became the ideal of the people. Images of their divine love were used by poets and painters to portray their own love for the Creator. Kangra is a small hill state tucked away in the bosom of the green hills of Himachal Pradesh far from the clamour of the plains. Here in Kangra, we see the development of one of the finest expressions in art. A great confluence took place: the burnished delicacy of the court idiom met the deep spirituality of the land. With the refinement and technical skills in their hands, the spirit of the warm and simple hill painters took wings. They created a large body of paintings which are among the finest made by man. These paintings bring to us the gentlest and most tender thoughts. They enshrine a deep love for all of creation, in a manner that is intensely personal and deeply devoted.   View Details