Symposia & Conferences
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Item Ganjifa Art: Aesthetic Representation of Elephant in the Playing Cards of Mysore and Moghul Ganjifa(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Gowda, G.Elephants play a large role in other aspects of Indian life beyond religion. Author Heinrich Zimmer says of elephants in India, "In Hindu miniatures and present-day popular drawings [elephants are] a constantly recurring motif". Each region in the country has its own form of game and Ganjifa is an ancient Indian card game believed to have been bought to India and popularised during Moghul period. The name Ganjifa comes from the Persian word “Ganjifeh” which means playing cards. These playing cards are traditionally hard painted using natural colors and are typically circular. These cards were popular throughout India, each region having its theme and own distinct style. The Mysore Ganjifa was greatly patronized by the Mysore Royal family during their reign and the Mughals during the 16th C made it popular at court. Meant to amuse, these cards comprised of twelve subjects, including two face cards, a minister and a king along with various other motifs, religious themes based on mythology and Puranas, epics etc. Animals were also represented, of which the elephant was aesthetically represented with much variety. Elephant is considered a symbol of strength, prosperity and auspiciousness and thereby is a recurring motif in Indian art and architecture. The paper focuses on the symbolism and artistic delineation of elephants on these cards. The fine detailing, the aesthetic elements and the technical skill of the artists to represent the elephants in the Chad (Ganjifa) cards of Mysore and the Moghul Ganjifa will be discussed.Item A Critical Inquiry into the Concept of Art(Staff Development Center, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Piyananda Thero, WilgamuweArt is the medium of entertainment which should be experienced within an awaken mind. There are various forms of art including drama, poetry, music, sculpture, dance, literature, films etc. The modern day scholars have classified all these forms of art into numerous categories such as Visual Arts, Auditory Arts, Verbal Arts, Mix Arts, Fine Arts and Applied Arts. All these forms of art used for the same purpose, i.e. providing an aesthetic experience in order to heighten the wisdom. Various factors and incidences in society make contributions for a production of art to be made. Among them, people's life styles, beliefs, religion, the need to address the mental excitements of artists and environmental as well as geo-political factors are of enormous importance. Hence, it could be safely argued that a production of art is inevitable a property of the whole society and that such productions of art should address the conditions of the contemporary society. Since, art is one of the most important moving factors of culture, any study of the historical background of any country could not disregard art. Even though the primary purpose of art is to enlighten the mind, it appears that in the present society, it is primarily used only for personal satisfaction and entertainment. Given this background, the present study seeks to inquire into the phenomenon of art in a comprehensive way especially with regard to the functions and purpose of art and the ways in which forms of art could be used for the betterment of the society.Item A Critical Inquiry into the Concept of Art(Staff Development Center, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2015) Piyananda Thero, WilgamuweArt is the medium of entertainment which should be experienced within an awaken mind. There are various forms of art including drama, poetry, music, sculpture, dance, literature, films etc. The modern day scholars have classified all these forms of art into numerous categories such as Visual Arts, Auditory Arts, Verbal Arts, Mix Arts, Fine Arts and Applied Arts. All these forms of art used for the same purpose, i.e. providing an aesthetic experience in order to heighten the wisdom. Various factors and incidences in society make contributions for a production of art to be made. Among them, people's life styles, beliefs, religion, the need to address the mental excitements of artists and environmental as well as geo-political factors are of enormous importance. Hence, it could be safely argued that a production of art is inevitable a property of the whole society and that such productions of art should address the conditions of the contemporary society. Since, art is one of the most important moving factors of culture, any study of the historical background of any country could not disregard art. Even though the primary purpose of art is to enlighten the mind, it appears that in the present society, it is primarily used only for personal satisfaction and entertainment. Given this background, the present study seeks to inquire into the phenomenon of art in a comprehensive way especially with regard to the functions and purpose of art and the ways in which forms of art could be used for the betterment of the society.Item Traditional Fusion Dance- a solution of artistry to ethnic prejudice(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Weerasinghe, A.M.During a performance of a collaborated dance which I choreographed using Kandyan (Udarata) and Bharata Natyam dance forms, I realized many similarities between the nuances of the two dance forms and the elegance of its appearance when performed together. The Kandyan dance form which is hailed as the most prominent Sri Lankan traditional dance form, is mostly performed and studied most often by Sinhala Buddhists due to its theological imprints. Bharata Natyam too, which is one of the most celebrated Indian Classical dance forms, is mostly followed prestigiously by those of the Hindu religion. The mélange of these two dance forms brought the dancers of my team together. My study was mainly with regard to the pre-conceived attitude that certain artists/creative performers of Sinhalese and Tamil ethnicities have which makes it difficult to use their constructive and productive energy to work together. However, my study will show that a mélange of Kandyan and Bharata Natyam dance forms framed as a contemporary fusion dance form, in order to be taught, studied and followed, and where both Bharata Natyam and Kandyan dancers can contribute to one another’s cultures, ethnicity-wise, will bridge this vague chasm between the two ethnic groups. A comparative observation on either of the dance forms mentioned above, on personal experiences, were pursued in order to gather findings, and to suggest the fusion dance form as a potential category of art which can be utilized in aesthetic education, while drawing away ethnic prejudice.