Under the 25th series of its online exhibition by Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya, on Thursday Rock paintings at IGRMS has been presented online with its basic information and photographs and videos.
About this exhibition, Praveen Kumar Mishra, Director, IGRMS said that, Unknown is more powerful than known. That is why they are more influenced by what we don’t know rather than we know and in case of rock art it seems to be very actuate because when we try to understand the human past by getting in depth of disciplines like history, archaeology, anthropology and art, step by step each layer exposes the creativity of humankind as also that how meaningful and intense it is.
In absence of script, a superficial appearance not more than a graphic expression these rock paintings reveal the interior part of the culture of that period, which enables us to know the psychic world of prehistoric humans with precision and vividness. Jagdish Gupt has compared these painted rock shelters with enormous illustrated windows of an ancient palace through which the past can be made alive and vibrating in today’s mindset.
About this Rock paintings at IGRMS Garima Anand, Sangrahalaya Associate told that Manav Sangrahalaya has also been carried out with the same notion existing in hundred of numbers within one 11 shelter these faunal and human futures are not a mere indication of a period but also indicate the continuity and change in different segments of time. Portrayal of micro organisms like butterfly and larger one like rhinoceros is a unique indications toward the rich diversity, coexistence of all and perhaps eccentric climatic from present.
However, depiction of a pregnant woman, community engaged in rituals, decorated animal figures, association with specific animal species and paintings of human figures engaged in typical activities communicate the sense of responsibility, work distribution and the clarity of social status even in the so-called undeveloped or under developed stage.
In this exhibition “Rock Shelters” have been arranged in descending order as per their sequence of identification and location for the ease of access. But this composition of three decades ago has become more relevant now because the present time which will be defined and confined as Corona period in future, this sequel talks of simple to complex and on the either and moving and active postures of individual and groups speak of continuity of life cycle and the concept of life here after.