The Timeless Art of Stained Glass in India
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India is often referred to as a mixed salad bowl: a country where cultures blend seamlessly yet each retains its individual character; as opposed to a melting pot where sameness is seen across the landscape. This attribute to absorb and let each flourish has led to innumerable arts and crafts taking root here and being preserved over the centuries. We have an envious handicraft and hand loom heritage, and despite losing a lot in the recent decades due to callous national policies, there is a great deal we can still be proud of. And this needs to be lovingly protected.
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While talking about art, one genre that tends to get overlooked is stained glass. Have you ever stood inside a church and noticed colored light streaming down from a window? How often has it been that one look at the stunningly decorated window panel and you haven’t been able to take your gaze off it? That’s the drawing power of stained glass. The bits of colored glass used for composing the figurative, abstract or floral patterns are juxtaposed with such dexterity that the final outcome appears to be sheer poetry. This fluidity and grace is the defining attribute of glass art. The technique of stained glass emerged in Europe many centuries ago. One of the oldest forms of painting, initially it began appearing in cathedrals where panels depicted biblical narratives and characters. By the Medieval Age the art had begun to find many takers, the reason being the prominence of Gothic style the world over. Stained glass windows in places of worship did more than just letting in beautiful light: they became means to inspire the faithful through religious artwork. Over time this art began making an appearance in the homes of the rich where family portraits, insignia etc began being commissioned.
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Two communities whose built heritage in India displays exquisite examples of stained glass are the Parsis and Baghdadi Jews. Besides being affluent, their mix of West Asian and European sensibilities drew them to the art and they dressed their buildings beautifully. However, the country is dotted with a lot of hidden gems tucked away in small towns. Like any art, it’s only skilled hands that can create magnificence of such magnitude, which has incredibly lasted centuries and still fills viewers with a sense of awe. Timeless is a word that captures the spirit of this classic art on stained glass.
