Focus on Arts and Ecology

In the early form of Buddhism the image of the Buddha was never made. From the 1st century AD onwards, Buddhists began to make and worship his images. Earlier Buddhism concentrated solely on self discipline as a means of striving for enlightenment. Mahayana Buddhism brought the new concept of Bodhisattvas. These were beings who delayed their own salvation, to help others on the path. They could be prayed to for their help. In the later Vajrayana developments, various aspects of the Buddha were personified in many deities and which were represented in sculptures and paintings.

In the meantime, Sri Lanka became the centre of the earlier Theravada order of Buddhism. From here, the Buddhist tradition travelled to the many countries of South-East Asia. Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism spread to Indonesia, Tibet, Vietnam, Myanmar, Centra Asia, China, Mongolia, Korea and finally to Japan.

This photographic exhibition provides a wide perspective of the monuments and art heritage of Buddhism, from earliest times. It also takes us on a visual pilgrimage through the life of the Buddha: to the places of his birth, enlightenment, first sermon and final renunciation. It presents photographs taken in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Buryatia (Siberia) and Kalmykia in Russia, China, Mongolia, Japan, Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Indonesia.

The photographer Benoy K Behl is a film-maker and art-historian who is known for his tireless and prolific output of work over the past 32 years. He has taken over 35,000 photographs of Asian monuments and art heritage, made a hundred documentaries on art history and his exhibitions have been warmly received in 28 countries around the world. He is known for his extremely sensitive photography of Buddhist art which provides a deep insight into the gentle and compassionate message of the Art.

Indian Council for Cultural Relations