India: Iconic treasures and one-time empires
ontheglobe.com returns to the Revue
by STAFF
Sunday, August 22, 2010 at 4:00 pm, ontheglobe returns to the Revue. Cultural navigator Andrew Princz hosts another installment of his unique travel-film series presented at venues across Canada which takes audiences to disparate corners of the globe. He will present his multi-media program titled India: Iconic treasures and one-time empires:
An exclusive view of many faces of ancient India. From the famed Golden Triangle of Agra, Delhi and Jaipur; to the most eastern cities of Orissa where we visit ancient temples adorned with mysterious erotic sculptures. This visit reminds us of the histories that we may never have learned, and informs us of powerful empires and magnificent cultural treasures of India.”
This journey begins at the Taj Mahal, the most emblematic of India’s attractions. This greatest example of Mughal architecture was constructed with no other purpose than to honor the love of a man for his wife.
We then venture off to Agra, a city on the Yamuna River in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, the one-time capital of the Mughal Empire. Here we see the stately Agra Fort and the beautifully constructed but abandoned sixteenth century settlement of Fatehpur Sikri.
After a visit to the capital New Delhi and Jaipur comes a journey to the eastern state of Orissa. The eastern India journey begins in Bhubaneswar, followed by Puri and Konark where we see an impressive array of temples and archeological sites. Here we meet with artists and artisans, dancers and choreographers who follow the age-old dance traditions of Odissi. We discover the mysterious erotic temples that date from the 9th and 13th century, and ponder about their very origins.
Film to be screened:
Given to Dance: India’s Odissi Tradition (University of Wisconsin, 57 mins, USA, 1985, English
A film touching on Odissi dance, associated with the temple of Lord Jagganath in Puri, Orissa. In the past, a few families ritually married their young daughters to Lord Jagganath. Their daughters then trained as devadasis to sing and dance in the temple. The British colonial administrators mistakenly labeled the devadasis “temple prostitutes.” The film interviews the last of the devadasis as they describe dancing for the Lord.
Andrew Princz has traveled to over fifty countries and has been published in publications including CNN Traveller, the Wall Street Journal, the Montreal Gazette and the CBC program Dispatches. He is also the author of numerous travel guides including Frommers Budapest and the Best of Hungary, and he is now working on an update for Fodors.com’s guide to Cuba. Princz specializes in tourism promotion in developing and post-conflict countries.
For more information about the series please check out http://www.ontheglobe.com/travels-ontheglobe/
To view the trailer click here