It is a habit that Dr. Chithra Madhavan abhors: the alacrity with which many Indians scrawl on ancient sculptures, often using permanent markers, to declare to the world that they visited a particular place or are in love with someone.
“They can go and scribble anywhere. Why do it on a 1000-year-old monument?” rues the Chennai-based historian and writer, adding that she blames this lackadaisical attitude on educational institutions and parents. “I have said this a million times, and I will say it a million more. Until we instill a sense of heritage in children at a very young age, we will not be able to do a thing about it,” she believes. “Once that is there, it will last a lifetime,” says Dr. Madhavan, who will be in the City on August 6 to deliver a lecture titled Kanjivaram Motifs and its inspiration from temple architecture.
Expanding on the talk, which is part of a handloom day celebration conducted by Maya, a Bengaluru-based brand that works with weaving clusters from Kanjeevaram and Arni, Dr. Madhavan points out that many of the patterns on traditional sarees have been inspired, over the ages, by sculptures in temples. Take, for instance, the hamsa motif, which is common to both a lot of sculptures in South Indian temples as well as on Kanjivaram saris. “It is so evident because of the richness of the border. The pallus of the sarees are very elaborate so it really strikes you,” she points out.
