Even in the Gobi Desert, the Party goes on
A long plane trip to the far reaches of north-western China isnât far enough to evade frenetic Communist Party centenary celebrations.
Camels in the south Gobi Desert. This remote corner of China is rich in the history of the Silk Road. Mark Daffey
Save
Share
To escape the self-congratulatory, fervent and, indeed, reverent adulation over the Communist Party of Chinaâs centennial celebrations, it seemed timely to go a long way from Beijing. We went far out west to Dun Huang, a town in the Gobi Desert, some 3½ hours by air.
Like a love affair, the hunt for tracing the source of the Sind river took me years of trekking deep into the gorges and mountains. Finally, I hired boats and sailed through this charming river till it embraced Jhelum at Shadipora, writes Mahmood Ahmad As my boat glided gently over the turquoise.
The translation of Rajatarangini, a 12th century historical chronicle that includes myths and folk tales, will open it up to a new generation of readers
A decorative ink-pot from 18th century Gujarat
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Jain calligraphic art flourished in 14th century India as scholars started transferring their knowledge into writing
A few weeks ago, I chanced upon a fascinating book called
Calligraphy and Art of Writing in Jain Manuscripts, written by Dr. Shridhar Andhare and edited by Ratan Parimoo. Full of coloured plates on Jain calligraphic and painted scrolls, the book was a revelation. The photography and design by Subrata Bhowmick, a leading graphic designer, and his associate, Payal Nanavati, add value to the book.
Dipping into the exquisite scrolls presented here is like embarking on a journey in an ancient caravan that moves through time. There are numerous halts where you can pause like a latter-day Aurel Stein, the great European Indologist, and search for seals and parchments left behind by merchants of the Silk Route. Travelling down the great highway connecting the East with the West, these