The National Museum, which has one of the largest collections of miniature paintings in the country, is all set to lend a part of its collection to The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) next month.
Australians will be able to see India’s visual art heritage, as well familiarise themselves with the Ramayana .
The NGA, located in Canberra, is the largest museum in Australia and will house the Rama Katha Collection, comprising varied miniature paintings done between the 17th and 19th Centuries from schools like Mughal, Deccan, Pahari, Rajasthani and Central India.
The announcement was made on Monday by Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop after a meeting Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Tourism and Culture Mahesh Sharma. Mr. Sharma noted that the upcoming exhibition will re-kindle global interest in Indian miniatures.
National Museum Director-General Venu V. pointed out that both India and Australia have a rich history, particularly of oral cultures.
He added that Rama Katha is part of this oral inheritance, where the epic has grown many layers, as is the case with interpretations around it through ages.
Introducing the story of Ramayana to the Australian audiences through this exhibition will also be a great opportunity to bring international histories closer, he said.
National Museum curator Vijay Kumar Mathur, who has selected the 101 paintings in chronological progression that capture the story of Ramayana , said the collection is one of India’s richest artefacts.
The National Museum had first put together the Rama Katha series for an exhibition in 2013, after which it travelled to Belgium.
The exhibition will be on in Australia for three months, starting May 22.
