CUP prof presents research paper at international seminar

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 26

Dr Subhash Parihar, associate professor at the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, presented a research paper on “Figurative Mughal murals: Evidence from miniature painting” at the international seminar organised by KR Cama Oriental Institute on “The Art and Culture of Mughal India” in Mumbai recently.

The two-day seminar comprised four sections —painting, architecture, decorative arts and artistic relations with Safavids and Ottomans.

Dr Parihar is an art historian who has done pioneer work on the Indo-Islamic architecture of North-Western India. He has written a number of books, including Mughal Monuments in the Punjab and Haryana; Muslim Inscriptions in Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh; Aspects of Indo-Islamic Architecture; Sirhind: Its History and Architectural Remains; Land Transport in Mughal India: Agra-Lahore Mughal Highway and its Architectural Remains.

His book— Architectural Heritage of a Sikh State: Faridkot — is under publication. He has also edited and annotated CM Villiers-Stuart’s pioneer work on Mughal gardens — Gardens of the Great Mughals.

As many as four international scholars chaired each section. The first section chaired by Susan Stronge, senior curator at the Asian Department of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, was inaugurated with the opening address of D Som Prakash Verma, a renowned scholar of Mughal painting and former professor of Aligarh Muslim University.

The other three scholars who presented papers during the first session were Dr Mika Natif, assistant professor at George Washington University; Roda Ahluwalia, an independent scholar of South Asian Art, Mumbai; and Prof Kavita Singh of Jawahar Lal Nehru University.

The second session was chaired by Prof Gulru Necipoglu Kafadar, Aga Khan Professor of Islamic Art, Harvard University.

Prof Catherine Asher, University of Minnesota; Dr Laura Parodi, a research scholar from Italy; Dr Parihar, and M Saleem Beg, former Director, Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir, gave illustrated lectures on various aspects of Mughal art and architecture.

Dr Kavita Singh chaired the third section of the conference.