The Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya has organised another chapter of its popular series, ‘Museum Popular lecture’ on Tuesday at Rock Art conference hall. In this lecture, Roma Chatterjee (Professor, Delhi School of Economics, Delhi University) spoke on ‘Myths, Similes and Memory Traces: Imageries of Abduction in the Ramayana Universe’. The lecture was chaired by Director, IGRMS, Prof Sarit Kumar Chaudhuri.
She said Pradhans are a major-sub tribe of Gond tribe of MP&CG. She informed that she researched closely paintings of Venkat, Anand, Kala Bai and Magru and found that every painter has painted expanded stories based on legends of Ramayana learnt through oral description of the Ramayana.
Where they have painted prominent characters of Ramayana viz lakshmana and Sita depicted their character through Clouds, sounds etc. In his lecture, Professor Chatterjee Gond tribe explained the pictures with ladies singing with musical instrument Bana and said Pradhan painters have used more often Triya full, Indrakamini etc are described in the pictures much.
According to a myth Sita along with her 7 sisters come down from Indralok and bathe in the waters of lake and a Bramha flower blooms on their head, which is reflected in the paintings of Pradhan tribe. She also told the story of laxman's Agni Pariksha.
On this occasion, famous painter Akilesh ji, Sangeeta Gundecha, Naval Shukla ji, Basant Niguarne, Sunil Shukla, Devi lal Patidar and Pradhan tribe painters Venkat Shyam, Anand Shyam, Mayank Shyam, Bhajju Shyam, Kala Bai etc and museum personnel were present in large numbers. Arun Kiro, Assistant Curator gave the vote of thanks.