Chamba art historian gets national scholarship
Dr Sarang Sharma, a young historian from Chamba, has been awarded the prestigious Tagore National Scholarship under the Cultural Research Scheme of the Ministry of Culture. He is the first scholar from the state to receive the coveted scholarship.
The Tagore National Scholarship is offered annually by the Ministry of Culture to support outstanding scholars working in the field of cultural research. Under the scheme, selected scholars receive an honorarium of Rs 50,000 per month for a period of two years to undertake specialised research projects.
Dr Sharma, a topper from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, will conduct an in-depth study of the esteemed collection of Pahari miniature paintings housed at the Government Museum and Art Gallery, Chandigarh. As part of his research, he will also translate inscriptions written in the traditional Tankri script that appear on these historic paintings, helping to decode valuable cultural and historical information embedded in the artworks.
His research is expected to contribute significantly to the understanding and documentation of the rich tradition of Pahari miniature painting, which originated in the Himalayan hill states and is regarded as one of the most distinctive schools of Indian art.
Dr Sharma has already made notable contributions to the field of art history. Recently, Yale University Press published a book edited by him on the collections of Pahari paintings preserved in American museums. The publication has drawn attention from scholars and art historians interested in the global presence of this unique artistic tradition.
Dr Sarang Sharma comes from a distinguished artistic family. He is the son of Vijay Sharma, a renowned miniature painting artist and Padma Shri awardee.
The scholarship is part of the Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research (TNFCR), a scheme introduced by the Ministry of Culture to invigorate and revitalise cultural institutions across the country. The programme encourages scholars and academicians to affiliate with museums, archives and other cultural institutions and undertake research projects related to their collections.
