DELHI, INDIA
Today I braved the streets and paid a visit to Delhi's National Museum, which has a fairly large collection of interesting old items, including wood, bronze and stone sculptures, musical instruments, tribal costumes, coins, and assorted archeological finds. The museum itself is a little shabby and run-down--not too surprising, considering the state of most of the city--but the stuff on display is fascinating. My favorite exhibits were the amazing array of armor and weapons from throughout India's history (including a full set of elephant armor), and the world's largest collection of Indian miniature paintings. I actually hadn't heard of this type of artwork before, but it's really cool. The paintings are mostly religious scenes painted on paper or palm leaf, but in unbelievably microscopic detail. Different regions of India had their own painting style, but they all show some really impressive technique. I have no idea how they managed to get the detail so sharp at such a tiny scale, but they did it. Most of the paintings were several hundred years old.
After the museum, I walked several blocks through central Delhi to the Rajpath, a broad street surrounded by a green belt of parkway running East to West through the center of the city. At one end is the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President's House), while at the other is India Gate, a 42-meter-high arch erected as a memorial to the Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Afghan conflict of 1919. It was way too long a distance (and too hellishly hot!) to walk from one end to the other, so I just took a few pictures of the Gate and then sat for awhile on the grass under a nearby tree, which provided a peaceful break from the craziness of the city streets.
Today I braved the streets and paid a visit to Delhi's National Museum, which has a fairly large collection of interesting old items, including wood, bronze and stone sculptures, musical instruments, tribal costumes, coins, and assorted archeological finds. The museum itself is a little shabby and run-down--not too surprising, considering the state of most of the city--but the stuff on display is fascinating. My favorite exhibits were the amazing array of armor and weapons from throughout India's history (including a full set of elephant armor), and the world's largest collection of Indian miniature paintings. I actually hadn't heard of this type of artwork before, but it's really cool. The paintings are mostly religious scenes painted on paper or palm leaf, but in unbelievably microscopic detail. Different regions of India had their own painting style, but they all show some really impressive technique. I have no idea how they managed to get the detail so sharp at such a tiny scale, but they did it. Most of the paintings were several hundred years old.
After the museum, I walked several blocks through central Delhi to the Rajpath, a broad street surrounded by a green belt of parkway running East to West through the center of the city. At one end is the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the President's House), while at the other is India Gate, a 42-meter-high arch erected as a memorial to the Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Afghan conflict of 1919. It was way too long a distance (and too hellishly hot!) to walk from one end to the other, so I just took a few pictures of the Gate and then sat for awhile on the grass under a nearby tree, which provided a peaceful break from the craziness of the city streets.
posted by John Kuge at 8:46 PM
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