Australia will get a historical perspective of India's visual art heritage associated with the Ramayana, as the National Museum is lending it 101 miniature paintings on the celebrated epic for an exhibition.
The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra will next month receive the National Museum's set of "Rama-Katha" collection that features varied-style miniature paintings done between the 17th and 19th centuries.
Pooled in from India's northern, central and eastern territories, the grand body of artwork will be on display in the 1967-founded NGA for three months from May 22.
Curator Vijay Kumar Mathur, who has selected the 101 paintings in chronological progression capturing the story of the Ramayana, said the collection is one of India's richest artefacts.
"These miniatures represent a matured movement that colourfully visualises the spirit of the Ramayana," he noted, and recalled that the National Museum organised a "Rama-Katha" exhibition in 2013, after which it travelled to Belgium.
According to Venu V., director-general of the National Museum, both India and Australia have a rich history, particularly of oral cultures.
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"The Rama-Katha is part of this oral inheritance where the epic has grown many layers, as is the case with interpretations around it through ages," he said.
"Introducing the Ramayana story to Australian audiences through this exhibition will also be a great opportunity to bring international histories closer."