Makeup for the mind

Shangar or adornment an apabramsha of the Sanskrit shringar, is central to the Indian way of life. Whether it is for our bodies or our ...

Shangar or adornment an apabramsha of the Sanskrit shringar, is central to the Indian way of life. Whether it is for our bodies or our homes, through art and craft, we adorn with a passion and a flourish. In its immediate sense, adornment is both the manifestation and the search for beauty. For beauty in ourselves and in everyday objects and surroundings. To make life a sensual delight. Adornment is also an expression of self-assuredness.

It is a statement that things that are beautiful are an important part of the celebration of our being. Shangar begins with adorning the deity whether in a temple or in a shrine at home. However, within the hues and aromas of shangar, at a personal level, there is an expectation and anticipation of meeting one8217;s beloved. And at that moment, physical shangar is transformed into the emotion of shringar.

Then one is transported into the hushed company of nayikas and nayaks, of romantic jharokhas and enchantedgardens. Of Krishna and the gopis, of the Bhagvad Purana and the Geet Govinda. To the gopis and the sakhis of Brindavan nothing was more important than to rejoice in the romantic togetherness of Radha and Krishna. And that8217;s when shringar enters the domain of bhakti. With it comes the devotional ecstasy of Chaitanya and the beautiful rites and rituals of Bengal Vasihnavism.

The transformation of shangar into shringar and then finally into bhakti through affirmation and celebration has created its own aesthetics and metaphysics in the Indian tradition. Particularly in the Vaishnava Sampradaya. Scholars from India, Great Britain, USA and Canada will deliberate on the manifold expressions and manifestations of shangar and shringar during a three-day seminar. Organised by the University of Mumbai and Carleton University of Ottawa, Canada, the event opens with a keynote address by Dr Kapila Vatsyayan, academic director of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts, New Delhi.This will be followed by Shringar ke Raga, a music recital by Pandit Arvind Parikh sitar and Purvi Parikh vocal.

The conference organiser is Harsha V Dehejia. Dr Dehejia has a double doctorate, one in medicine and the other in Ancient Indian Culture, both from the University of Mumbai. He is a practising physician in Ottawa as well as professor of Religion at Carleton University in Ottawa.The event is open to everyone but scholars, artists, critics and rasikas are especially welcome.