Editor Aparigraha Jain
Editor Carla Geerdes
6th-7th March 2008
Brunei Gallery Lecture Theater
Jaina Art & Architecture
10th Jaina Studies Workshop at SOAS
Refreshed we awaked and took breakfast at Indian YMCA. Indian YMCA (see location at google maps) is highly recommendable for staying in the centre of the city of London for reasonable rates, breakfast & dinner included. From dormitory to suite clean & neat rooms are available, advanced booking advised.
Our appointment of the day was at noon at Victoria & Albert Museum with Mr. Raju Shah a friend & every Thursday a volunteer to V&A museum. Mr. Raju Sobhag Shah kindly gave the opportunity to us to visit together some special samples at V&A’s Nehru gallery and had invited us for lunch thereafter. As there was quite some time left, we decided to take a city walk and then continue by Underground to South Kensington Station where V&A (see location at google maps) is next to.
The city showed its March-working-day-charm, not many tourists were around. Most streets were peopled by Londoners, even Piccadilly Circus stayed nearly unnoticed, only one Japanese couple and a bunch of London adolescents took photos. We enjoyed walking and continued until Green Park from where we took the Underground.
At noon we met with Mr. Raju Shah, and were delighted to meet him again. He and his brother-in-law had given permission to publish the book on their father’s, resp. father-in-law’s extraordinary life, “Meghji Pethraj Shah” by Dr. Paul Marett.
First we visited the Jina exhibits, [Mr. Raju Shah was so kind to send the descriptions of the images]
Altarpiece with Santinatha, Western India, 1168 AD, Bronze with silver inlay
Jina Parsvanatha with yaksha and yakshi, Andhra Pradesh, 12th Century, Black shale
Detail of yaksha Dharanendra from picture "Parsvanatha 01331"
Detail of yakshi Padmavati from picture "Parsvanatha 01331"
Surya, Karnataka, South India, 13th Century, Limestone
Samvara attacking Parsvanatha, Madhya Pradesh, 6th Century, Sandstone
Altarpiece Parvanatha, Western India, 15th Century, Copper alloy and crystal
Entrance to Neminatha Temple at Dilwara, Mt. Abu. Watercolour painting by Sir William Carpenter, June 1857
We then took another look to special samples:
We also admired Tipoo’s Tiger and samples of Islamic Art:
Visiting museums renders hungry, we enjoyed the meal with Raju, and mainly the nice talk with him.
