№ MMXXVI

RACHNA · A LIVING ARCHIVE

Rachna by M.

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MM · XXVI

Canvas
Reception of the Duke of Buckingham by Visakham Thirunal

Shanta

कोलम्बस का जहाज

Kolambasa Ka Jahaj

Kunwar Narayan
1 min read 3 versesकोलम्बसबाजारअंतरिक्ष

3 verses · ~1 min

बार-बार लौटता है कोलम्बस का जहाज खोज कर एक नई दुनिया, नई-नई माल-मंडियाँ, हवा में झूमते मस्तूल लहराती झंडियाँ।

बाज़ारों में दूर ही से कुछ चमकता तो है − हो सकता है सोना हो सकती है पालिश हो सकता है हीरा हो सकता है काँच... ज़रूरी है पक्की जाँच।

ज़रूरी है सावधानी पृथ्वी पर लौटा है अभी-अभी अंतरिक्ष यान खोज कर एक ऐसी दुनिया जिसमें न जीवन है − न हवा − न पानी −

इति

Kunwar Narayan

The Poet

कुंवर नारायण

Kunwar Narayan

Reception of the Duke of Buckingham by Visakham Thirunal

Paired Painting

Reception of the Duke of Buckingham by Visakham Thirunal

This masterful work serves as a silent witness to a significant diplomatic encounter in the princely state of Travancore. It captures the moment when the future Maharaja Visakham Thirunal greets the Duke of Buckingham upon his arrival by water. Raja Ravi Varma, the quintessential painter of the Indian aristocracy, brings the humid air and the rhythmic sway of palm trees to life, surrounding the formal exchange with the lush vibrancy of Kerala. The painting acts as a bridge between two worlds: it documents the intricate protocol of the British Raj and the regal majesty of the South Indian courts.

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If this held you

Four more, in the same key.

Chosen for their rasa and their register, not their popularity. Each one carries some part of what Kolambasa Ka Jahaj carries.