Exhibition on Banaras Brocade Inaugurated at Bharat Kala Bhavan BHU
Banaras : An exquisite exhibition on Banaras brocade was inaugurated by Prof. Jasminder Kaur, former Deputy Director of Bharat Kala Bhavan, on 22nd November 2024 at the Central Hall of Bharat Kala Bhavan. The event was marked by the unveiling of the rich and intricate heritage of Banaras brocade, showcasing the artistry and tradition of this celebrated textile craft. In conjunction with the exhibition, a National Seminar on “Banaras: The Artistry and Tradition of its Textile” was also inaugurated in the Seminar Hall, organized jointly by the Textile Clothing & Research Centre, New Delhi (TCRC), Jnana Pravah, Varanasi, and IICD, Jaipur. The seminar was inaugurated by Dr. Anamika Pathak, President of TCRC; Dr. Toolika Gupta, Director of IICD, Jaipur; Prof. Anjan Chakraverty of Jnana Pravah; and Prof. Sreerup Raychaudhuri, Director of Bharat Kala Bhavan, who lit the ceremonial lamp to mark the occasion.
Dr. Nishant, Deputy Director of Bharat Kala Bhavan, welcomed the distinguished guests on the dais. The keynote address was delivered by Sri Asif Sheikh from Ahmedabad, who joined the seminar online due to health reasons.
The seminar featured a series of enlightening lectures. Dr. Anamika Pathak gave an insightful talk on “Costumes Described in Buddhist Literature and Art,” while Mr. Amrit Layak presented on the “Silk Production and Marketing.” Prof. Jasminder Kaur and Dr. Priyanka Chandra presented a joint research paper on Bharat Kala Bhavan’s textile collection and its weaving techniques. Mr. Kunal Maurya from IIT, Delhi, presented a paper on the use of AI features in textile studies, while Ms. Angika Kushwaha, Mrs. Namrata Jaiswal, and Ms. Madhu Kulwant from BHU also shared their research findings. The session was chaired by Dr. Bani Jha.
The event saw the presence of several eminent personalities, including Dr. Ashok Kapoor, Shri Shyam Sundar Agrawal, Prof. Suresh Nair, Dr. Anil Kumar Singh, Shri Vinod Kumar, Dr. DB Singh, Shri Deepak Bharathan Alathur, as well as the staff and students from Bharat Kala Bhavan and various departments.
The seminar, coordinated by Dr. Priyanka Chandra, Assistant Curator at Bharat Kala Bhavan, provided a valuable platform for the exchange of knowledge on the cultural and artistic significance of Banaras textiles. The event has been a significant step in preserving and promoting the heritage of Banaras brocade.
