Untitled (Mahabharata Series)

The Mahabharata, said to have been recited by the sage Veda Vyasa and transcribed by Ganesha, the elephant-headed Hindu god, is one of the two major Sanskrit epics from ancient India. The embedded narrative of the epic has lent itself to myriad (visual) interpretations and reimaginations for centuries. The illustrated Mahabharata is one such example. Published by an ‘Artist Press’ in India, it demonstrates early metal engraving in the country, which was popularised at centres such as the Serampore Mission Press, a book and newspaper publication centre in Bengal founded by the Dutch in 1800. Amongst the pages on display, the title page features a hand-engraved calligraphy and image of Ganesh sitting with Vyasa, surrounded by sprawling foliage. The artists employed in the making of plates—with little or no training in academic practices—were able to fashion a three-dimensional space where the narrative could unfold. Centres such as the Serampore Press aided in the circulation of popular texts—whether translations of the Bible or Hindu epics—in a cheap and affordable format for mass consumption. This scene features the famous conversation between Arjuna and his charioteer Krishna, which informs the narrative of the Bhagvad Gita.