Banaras is the religious capital of India. Situated on the Ganges, it is a pilgrimage site where the Hindu faithful bathe in the sacred river. The site contains more than 1,500 temples and mosques and 100 bathing and burning ghats, of which Manikarnika ghat is the most sacred. To die in Banaras is to die blessed; many move here to live out their final days. Manu Parekh has executed a series of paintings inspired by the city. In turn, this book is a collection of the essays by eight writers who have been inspired by his work. Tanuj Berry considers the use of red in the Banaras paintings while Aditi De looks at the theme of holiness and pilgrimage. These essays offer a thorough assessment of the themes and motivations in the series. We hear the voice of Manu Parekh in an interview with the artist in which he explains what attracted him to Banaras and how the city ignited his creativity. The "Banaras" series is a symbolic rendering of the relationship between faith and fear, a dynamic which the artist identifies as uniquely Indian. Painted in the Indian Expressionist style, these works have a significant role in the development of modern Indian painting.
- ISBN13 9780853319634
- Publish Date 28 September 2007
- Publish Status Transferred
- Out of Print 17 February 2022
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 224
- Language English