Glimpses of Tanjavur's 11th century Brhadisvara Temple, part of Unesco's world heritage site, is now available through an interactive multimedia DVD launched by the IGNCA.
Union Minister Rural Development Jairam Ramesh launched the DVD and unveiled an accompanying exhibition at the Indira Gandhi National Indira Gandhi Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) here today.
"The DVD has been released in honour of what was surely the most unusual piece of architecture in India, a thousand years ago. I am so very glad that scholars have taken this task and documented in great detail and I have seen the DVD myself which is wonderful," Ramesh said.
The interactive multimedia DVD titled "Tanjavur Brhadisvara Temple" is the result of two decades of research and scholarship under IGNCA's Cultural Informatics Laboratory established under United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
"Rural India is a repository of traditions going back ages and some traditions have survived and some just died out. What we need to do is re-discover the spirit of Tagore who really saw in rural India the essence of Indian civilisation and Indian culture. To that extent the rediscovery of some of these traditions is really vital," Ramesh said.
"I also want to congratulate the IGNCA for the numerous initiatives that it has taken," the minister said.
R Nagaswamy, subject expert and project co-coordinator said, "This magnificent monument has till now not been given due attention. We have used modern scientific tools like measured drawings and using computer and audio-visual techniques to know the totality of the temple."
Nagaswamy delivered a lecture on the "Making of Interactive Multimedia DVD on Tanjavur Brhadisvara Temple." A set of seven DVDs detailing aspects from floor plan to iconography to rituals and festivals of the temple was also released.
The multimedia exhibition on the temple is slated to pen to public at the IGNCA from December 7-20.
"School students will be brought to the venue and through story telling and presentation of the DVD they can learn more about history," Dipali Khanna, Member Secretary, IGNCA said.
The Brhadisvara temple is acclaimed as the finest achievement of Chola art, built by Raja Raja I in 1010 AD. Its artistic excellence lies in the perfect balance of the parts and the whole, its architecture, sculptures, paintings, bronze images, the idols and reliefs.
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the granite temple is part of the Unesco World Heritage Site 'Great Living Chola Temples'.
Meanwhile, IGNCA officials said they "plan to take the exhibition down south to Tamil Nadu and adjoining states.
