jayanta saha exhibition
Shabana Azmi inaugurates photo exhibition on Bhuj
MUMBAI, July 19/2001: Would archaeologists be able to restore historic monuments that have been turned into rubble by the January 26 killer earthquake in Bhuj ?
This is the question that arose in the minds of most visitors as they saw some of the unique pictures that city-based lensman Jayanta Saha clicked in Bhuj before and after the fateful 59 seconds on January 26, 2001.
"Oh my God....It is really shocking," said noted actress and Rajya Sabha member Shabana Azmi while inaugurating the exhibition titled "splendour and ruins of Bhuj" last night alongwith her husband, noted writer and poet Javed Akhtar.
Earlier, Tina Ambani, associated with the Reliance Group as its photo consultant, complimented Saha.
"The splendour of the monuments is gone, only the photographs now remain," lamented Saha as the exhibition opened at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) here.
A cross section of people from various walks of life, who attended the exhibition, wondered whether the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be able to restore these monuments which are in ruins.
The main attraction of the 61-photograph exhibition are the 18th Century period "Chhatris", which are in rubble now. While the photographs of these Chhatris, taken in 1993, reveal the rich heritage of the hard-working Kutchhis, the photographs of rubble shows what nature has done to it.
These Chhatris to the west of Hamirsar lake in Bhuj were polygonal in form and had two galleries with two entrances. The roof was covered with artistic supporting pillars at each corner. The central dome surrounded by a wall, had a door to the west. In this room was a stone image of Maharaoshri Lakhpatiji, the erstwhile ruler on horseback and memorials of his 15 wives around it.
"All these memories of the past glory were razed to the ground in the fateful 59 seconds on January 26 when Bhuj witnessed the earth shattering climax of nature’s play," Saha told UNI here adding that the photographs attempt to bring out the ephemeral nature of human civilization and its utter helplessness in the face of nature’s fury.
The photo-journalist felt that "efforts should be made to restore such imposing monuments of the past". (UNI)
MUMBAI, July 19/2001: Would archaeologists be able to restore historic monuments that have been turned into rubble by the January 26 killer earthquake in Bhuj ?
This is the question that arose in the minds of most visitors as they saw some of the unique pictures that city-based lensman Jayanta Saha clicked in Bhuj before and after the fateful 59 seconds on January 26, 2001.
"Oh my God....It is really shocking," said noted actress and Rajya Sabha member Shabana Azmi while inaugurating the exhibition titled "splendour and ruins of Bhuj" last night alongwith her husband, noted writer and poet Javed Akhtar.
Earlier, Tina Ambani, associated with the Reliance Group as its photo consultant, complimented Saha.
"The splendour of the monuments is gone, only the photographs now remain," lamented Saha as the exhibition opened at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) here.
A cross section of people from various walks of life, who attended the exhibition, wondered whether the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) will be able to restore these monuments which are in ruins.
The main attraction of the 61-photograph exhibition are the 18th Century period "Chhatris", which are in rubble now. While the photographs of these Chhatris, taken in 1993, reveal the rich heritage of the hard-working Kutchhis, the photographs of rubble shows what nature has done to it.
These Chhatris to the west of Hamirsar lake in Bhuj were polygonal in form and had two galleries with two entrances. The roof was covered with artistic supporting pillars at each corner. The central dome surrounded by a wall, had a door to the west. In this room was a stone image of Maharaoshri Lakhpatiji, the erstwhile ruler on horseback and memorials of his 15 wives around it.
"All these memories of the past glory were razed to the ground in the fateful 59 seconds on January 26 when Bhuj witnessed the earth shattering climax of nature’s play," Saha told UNI here adding that the photographs attempt to bring out the ephemeral nature of human civilization and its utter helplessness in the face of nature’s fury.
The photo-journalist felt that "efforts should be made to restore such imposing monuments of the past". (UNI)
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