NCSAS News and Events Archive
Since 2003, the activities of the National Centre for South Asian Studies have been merged into the Monash Asia Institute. Materials on this page are highlights of some of the work of the Centre preceding the merger.
Workshop on Different Cultural Expressions of Indian Art and Culture,Friday 15 March 2002
The purpose of the workshop is to encourage Australian scholars to discuss their research and exchange ideas. The workshop will take the form of a roundtable discussion with most participants being asked to provide brief descriptions of their current research. The question is whether we can identify any common themes in our work with a view to publishing a monograph on these topics.
Presentations
- My current work in India: After Vijayanagara by George Michell
- New Paintings of Saurastra by Peter Maddock
- Women's tattoos in Saurastra (an illustrated talk of 30 mins) by Effy George -
- Religious symbols associated with the medieval reed instrument madvarî: iconographic and textual links inside and outside India by Reis Flora
- Chants and Chanting by Peter Friedlander
- The Astrolger-King, the Temple of Doom and the Last Great Horse Sacrifice: the historical mutations of the Kalki temple of Johari Bazaar, Jaipur by Max Harcourt
- Lajjàgaurã or the Unclothed Mother by Jayant Bapat
- Topic to be confirmed by Angelo Andrea di Castro
Other participants and discussants included Rashmi Desai, John Dupuche, Ian Copland and Kate Brittlebank
Abstracts
Reis Flora - Religious symbols associated with the medieval reed instrument madvarî: iconographic and textual links inside and outside India
Data for reedpipes in Indian antiquity exists in iconographic and textual sources. The most extensive early data for a reedpipe is the descriptive account of a wind instrument named madvarî, which appears in the Sanskrit treatise Abhinavabharatasârasangraha, a compilation by Chikkabhûpâla (c. 1650 AD), where it is attributed to Matanga (c. 700 AD). Originally this passage may have been part of Matanga's well known treatise Brhaddesi. One sloka clearly notes the length of the instrument and another the existence of seven fingerholes. Other identifying characteristics, however, such as the overall shape of the madvarî and the vibrating mechanism needed to produce sound, are problematic. Several Hindu deities are associated with different parts of the instrument. This information may encapsulate broader symbolic meanings and suggest certain morphological details. This paper will discuss these issues in an attempt to bring further clarification to our understanding of the early Indian madvarî. An instance of iconographic data from Egypt dating from the twelfth century AD, which illustrates the shape of the hand positions noted in the Sanskrit text for playing the madvarî, also will be discussed.
Jayant Bapat - Lajjàgaurã or the Unclothed Mother
For the last 4-5 months, I have been translating a remarkable book from Marathi into English on the worship of the primordial mother goddess in India since ancient times; a worship that is still prevalent today. The book is called Lajjàgaurã, a word which translates roughly as bashful Gaurã or Pàrvatã. Pàrvatã, øiva's wife, is of course the mother of the world in Hindu mythology. The author of the book is Dr. R.C.Dhere who has written prolifically on folk culture. Author of over a hundred books, Dhere has been a recipient of numerous awards including Sahitya Academy Award from the Indian government and Maharashtra Gaurav Award from the Maharashtra government. In archeological excavations all over India, unusual images were found which consist only of a headless female torso. The breasts and vagina are shown prominently and this has been achieved by folding both the hands and feet and placing them sideways. Occasionally a lotus replaces the head. Dhere argues that the word Lajjà is derived from Lanjà, meaning naked. Lajjàgaurã would thus mean ß naked mother û. He identifies Lajjàgaurã with mother earth whose main functions are procreation and sustenance of the universe. To Dhere, this is the reason why she is depicted by showing only those organs responsible for the two functions. Dhere also shows that other folk goddesses such as Joguëàmbà, Reõukà, Màtangã, Ellammà and Kottavvà are representations of the female generative principle and gods such as Jyotibà and Subramaõyam represent the equivalent male principle. Lajjàgaurã was awarded Maharashtra Government Puraskar (Prize) in 1980.
Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Silk Road Symposium, 2002
National Centre for South Asian Studies (Monash Asia Institute) and Asia Society
This symposium is designed to rekindle interest in Afghanistan's cultural and historical heritage. September 11 had a devastating impact on Afghanistan, and now it is time to rebuild and focus on positive change. The speakers are:
- Dr Shahram Akbarzadeh: 'The Silk Road today: oil, gas and Afghanistan'
- Dr Farid Bezhan: 'Images of the Silk Road in Afghani fiction'
- Dr Andrea di Castro: 'Afghanistan: Centre of Asia, Borderland of Empires'
- Dr Colin Hope: 'From Bagram to the Sahara: the classical era'
About the Speakers
Shahram Akbarzadeh is a specialist on Central Asia and a Research Fellow with the School of Political and Social Inquiry, Monash University
Farid Bezhan, has just completed his doctorate at Monash University on the subject of modern Afghani fiction. He is a former member of the Persian Department, University of Kabul. He has written 10 books about the culture of Afghanistan.
Dr Andrea di Castro, Hon. Fellow University of Melbourne, is a specialist on the archaeology of South Asia, in particular the Gandhara era and the Himalayan region.
Dr Colin Hope is the head of the Archaeology Department at Monash University and the Director of Excavations at various sites in the Sahara.
Newsletters
2002
2001
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