10 Indian Art Mysteries That Have Never Been Solved
by Mamta Nainy
“10 Indian Art Mysteries That Have Never Been Solved” by Mamta Nainy. Published by Duckbill. A set of ten curious cases of mysterious events spanning across millennia and diverse art forms of India which have not been solved conclusively so far!
The book is a lovely collection of 10 intriguing topics which have left art historians and researchers baffled. Each of these stories showcase different regions, eras and styles of art. While the reasons behind the creation and creators are a mystery in some, the existence of some of these marvels of art are just unbelievable given that they are so sophisticated and it is just unimaginable how they must have been made in the past.
The Bhimbetka paintings from prehistoric times, the evolution of the Buddha (or rather the depiction of the human form of Buddha), the Ajanta Caves, the magnificent Kailasanatha Temple of Ellora, the Pithora paintings (could there be hidden symbols in them?), women artists of Mughal era, Bani Thani from Rajasthan, the mystery of the Indian yellow, Manaku of Guler and the biggest art heist of the Shiva Nataraja idol from a Chola temple in Sripuranthan village in Tamilnadu are the topics covered in the book. Each of these mysteries have been presented by splitting into broad sections. They end with a related activity to give some perspective to the readers and for them to develop an appreciation and respect for the artwork. Read the book to know about these mysteries and see if the art detective in you can find a clue or two to solve them or even get closer to the solution!
I read this book recently with my eight year old and we were amazed by the diversity of art and sculpture from our beautiful country. Hats off to our super skilled ancestors who have left behind such a beautiful and diverse legacy for us! Despite such advances in technology, we cannot imagine creating masterpieces such as these. The book is apt for self reading for children aged 10/11 and above. Though I read it with my eight year old who prefers true stories and non fiction, he may not have got all the finer nuances is what I felt. He understood the big picture though and was intrigued by some of the stories. He now has a couple of destinations like Ajanta, Ellora and Bhimbetka added to his travel wishlist. He can always revisit the book a little later and understand it even better! The book is the latest of the 10s series by Duckbill and we are now looking forward to reading the others as well on different topics and by other authors.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 10+ for self reading and can be read with some explanation for 8/9+.
Reasons to Read
The book gives a glimpse into the some of the most mysterious and marvellous pieces of architecture and artworks from across the country.
Where to buy from?
An independent bookstore, Funky Rainbow, from where I buy many of my books.
Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India (Duckbill), for review. Thank you to Greeshma and Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!