Akriti to Sanskriti

India is a civilisation of many images, a culture of many visual feasts, a tradition where the visible and the palpable are as important as the oral and the occurrent, where our highest truths are embodied not only in our erudite texts but in our kathas (stories) and gathas (songs), akritis (visual forms) and rachanas (compositions), rich with a variety of forms, shapes, designs and motifs. Akriti to Sankriti: The Journey of Indian Forms explores various akriti forms that adorn both majestic and grand monuments, as well as standard and ordinary spaces, and which, through their purely visual language, serve as pointers to not only our culture but also to Brahma Jnana, or transcendental knowledge. These beautiful visual representations of both ordinary people and artisans are not individual expressions, but rather the shared experiences of the community, preserved through endless generations within the family. They are neither mere designs nor decorations, nor are they meant only for rites and rituals; in their unpretentious way, they become sources of visual knowledge and have a culture of their own. Akriti to Sanskriti, a unique analysis and repository of Indian visual forms, is a collector’s tome. Reviews of ‘Akriti by the author provide us with a disarmingly understated masterwork of profound reflection and metaphysical distillation. Through images, paintings, and artworks in all media, the author reflects inclusiveness and a visual construction that defines Akriti. —The author has highlighted how India is a civilisation of many images where the highest truths are embodied not only in the sacred texts and rituals but also in the informal kathas and customs that have been passed on for generations —MID-DAY.COM