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Kala Korner - by Dee Cee

The Buddha's life
For some it would have been a voyage of discovery. For others, like me, it was a nostalgic experience - seeing the revered places of Buddhist worship in India through a collection of beautiful photographs. It happened a few days ago at the National Art Gallery where 'The Path of Compassion', described as "a photographic exhibition on Buddhist sites and art heritage" was held. Eighty two photographs by Benoy K. Behl were on view.

A little over ten years ago, I was in a party of pilgrims to the Buddha's land. We visited the four most venerated places for all Buddhists - Lumbini, the place where Prince Siddhartha was born, Bodhgaya, where he attained Enlightenment, Saranath, where He preached the first sermon, and Kusinara, where He passed away. The coverage by photographer Behl, introduced as a renowned photographer and art historian known for his pioneering low-light photography of ancient paintings, was comprehensive.

Among the photographs which moved me immensely, was the gilded statue of Buddha's Parinirvana in Kusinara. The angle he had captured created a deep sense of both sorrow and respect.

In a note on the exhibition, India's External Affairs Ministry stated that Buddhist sculpture and paintings are some of the gentlest and most sublime art of mankind. Introducing Emperor Ashok (3rd century BC) as the first great royal patron of Buddhism, the note added that the great stupas which he made, his commemorative pillars and sculptural railings are some of the most beautiful and oldest surviving architecture and art of the subcontinent.

There was wide coverage of the Sanchi Stupa where the gates of the railings are richly sculpted with illustrations of the Jataka stories and episodes from the life of the Buddha. Close up shots of the Shalabhanjika, sculpture seen on the eastern gateway, Dharmachakra (the Wheel of Law), Queen Mahamaya's dream from Sanchi railings were revealing.

Sigiriya and Polonnaruwa were also featured along with selected material from Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. Thus it was quite a representative gathering of Buddhist art. Another feature was the wide range of the heritage of both Theravada and Mahayana-Vajrayana orders covered by Behl.

The photographer
Photographer Benoy Behl has also made numerous documentary films on cultural subjects and has lectured extensively at prestigious universities in many countries. He has published a book on Ajanta caves and has documented the Buddhist culture and monasteries of the Himalayan and Trans Himalayan regions.

Behl has made a path-breaking series of 26 documentary films for Doordarshan on 'The Paintings of India' covering Indian paintings from pre-historic times up to the present day. Isn't it time that we take a cue from the Indian Government and undertake a similar project covering the lesser known treasures of Buddhist art in our country?

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