Address
Honorary Director

The C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation

1 Eldams Road,

Chennai 600 018.

 

Phone: (91-44) 2434 1778, 2434 6526

Fax:    (91-44) 24351022

E-mail:cpraf@vsnl.com

 

Education

 

Ph.D. from the Department of Ancient Indian Culture, University of Bombay, in 1975 on the "Iconography of Vishnu Narayana". She was a Heras Scholar.

 

Areas of specialization

 

·         Indian Art and Culture

·         Environmental History & Ecological Heritage of India

·         Cambodian Art

 

Research Projects (completed)

 

• Sacred Animals of India, 2010

·         Demons in Sanskrit Literature, 2007

·         Varahishwarar Temple - Damal, 2001               

• Iconography of Balaji-Venkateshwara, 2001     
• Folk Arts of Tamilnadu, 1995
• Arts and Crafts of Tamilnadu, 1992         
• Origin and Iconography of Ganesha, 1992       
• Painted Manuscripts of the Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur, 1991
• Folk Toys of South India, 1986
• Art and Iconography of Vishnu-Narayana, Bombay, 1980

                       

Research projects (guided)

 

Current:

• Iconography of Kartikeya
• Narasimha Avatara of Vishnu
• History of Environmental Education in Tamilnadu
• History of Wetlands in Chennai
• Sacred Groves of Thiruvannamalai District

 

Completed:

• Documentation and Survey of the Arts and Crafts of Nilgiri tribes - Kota, Kurumba, Irula and Paniya,  2002

·         Rock Paintings of Tamilnadu, 2002

·         Sacred Tanks of South India, 2002

·         Temple Tanks of Chennai, 2001

·         Sacred Trees of Tamilnadu, 1998

• Roman Antiquities of Tamilnadu, 1992
• Women of Tamilnadu - A Status Survey, 1990
• Cultural Renaissance of the Vijayanagar Kingdom, 1989

 

Heritage Conservation

 

·         Establishment of the Shakunthala Jagannathan Museum of Folk Art at Kanchipuram (with collections of antique and old textiles, toys and dolls, musical instruments, lamps, ritual items, utensils, paintings, stone sculptures, etc.) in a 400-year old building, 2001

·         Revival of Kurumba painting traditions, 2000

·         Restoration of Varahishwarar Temple, Damal, 2000

·         Documentation and conservation of the ecological heritage, since 1997

·         Revival of Traditional Drawing and Painting, 2003

• Revival of Folk Art Forms in Schools, 1993 till present.

 

In 1990, she was deputed to the Archaeological Survey of India's restoration of Angkor Vat at Cambodia. She has extensively researched the Khmer temples, particularly Angkor Vat and Angkor Thom, and reported on the restoration process.

 

Symposia conducted

 

• The Environment and the Indian History (2008)
• New Trends in History (2002)
• Iconography and Socio-Cultural Development (1998)
• A Conceptual Approach to Indian History (1997)
• Kartikeya in Art and Religion (1996)
• The Heritage of Kanchi (1991)                 
• Indian Influences on the Art and Culture of Indo-China (1991)        
• The Heritage of Thanjavur (1991)
• Women of Tamilnadu (1990)
• Shiva in Art and Religion (1990)
• Indian Art and Indian Painting (1987)
• Shakti in Art and Religion (1985)
• Alwars (1981)

 

Publications

 

1.      Sacred Animals of India, Penguin Books India, New  Delhi, 2010

2.      Madras-Chennai, Its History and Environment, New Horizon Media, Chennai, 2009 (in English and Tamil), 2009

3.      Book of Demons, Penguin Books India, New Delhi, 2008

4.      Folk Toys of South India, Chennai, 2006.

5.      Book of Vishnu, Penguin Books India, New Delhi, 2001

6.      Varahishwarar Temple - Damal, Chennai, 2001 (in English and Tamil)

7.      Balaji Venkateshwara - Lord of Tirumala Tirupati - An Introduction, Vakils, Feffer & Simons, Mumbai, 2000

8.      Painted Manuscripts of the Sarasvati  Mahal   Library, Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Sarasvati Mahal Library, Thanjavur, 1994

9.      Folk Arts of Tamilnadu, Chennai, 1994 (English & Tamil)

10.  The Arts and Crafts of Tamilnadu, U.S.A., 1992

11.  Ganesha (jointly with Shakunthala Jagannathan), Vakils, Feffer & Simons, Mumbai, 1992

12.  The Art and Iconography of Vishnu-Narayana, Mumbai, 1980

 

Publications for children

 

·         Understanding Animals  - An Activity Book , Chennai, 1990

·         The Tree  - A Book of Facts and Activities, Chennai, 1989

 

Edited

 

Ecological Traditions of

·         Goa (2010)

·         Maharashtra (2006)

·         Kerala (2006)

·         Andhra Pradesh (2005)

·         Karnataka (2005)

·         Tamilnadu (1997)

·         Kanchipuram (1992)

·         Shakti in Art and Religion (1991)

 

Editor of

 

·         Eco News (A quarterly magazine of environmental news and articles), Chennai

·         Indian Journal of Environmental Education (peer-reviewed journal - annual)

 

Publisher & Editorial Board Member of

 

·         Journal of Indian History and Culture (peer-reviewed journal - annual)

 

Researched Papers

 

·         'A Jaina Yakshini in the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston', Journal of History and Culture, September 2008.

·         'Utsava Murtis', Gods Beyond Temples, (edited Dr. Harsha Dehejia), Motilal Banarsidass, 2006

·         'Damal Varahishwarar Kovil', Tamizhnattu Sivalayangal, Manivasagar Pathipakam, Chennai, 2003.

·          'Rice in the Human Life Cycle: Traditions from Tamilnadu, India', The Art of Rice - Spirit and Sustenance in Asia, UCLA, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 2003.

·         'Ponniyamman', The Art of Rice - Spirit and Sustenance in Asia, UCLA, Fowler Museum of Cultural History, 2003.

·         'The Image of the Indian Woman in the Paintings of Ravi Varma', Journal of Indian History and Culture, Chennai, September 2003.

·         'Kurumba Paintings - A Continuing Tradition in the Nilgiris', Journal of Indian History and Culture, Chennai, March 2000.

·         'From Vriksha Chaitya to Sthala Vriksha', Platinum Jubilee Volume of the Journal of Indian History, University of Kerala, 1999. 

·         'The Icon of Venkateshwara', Journal of Indian History and Culture, Chennai, September, 1999.

·         'Ecology and History', Journal of Indian History and Culture, March 1999.

·         'Conserving the Ecological Heritage, Sacred Groves of Tamilnadu', Volume 2, Topic 7, XI World Forestry Congress, Antalya, Turkey, 13 to 22 October 1997.

·         'Terracotta Tradition of the Sacred Groves', Ecological Traditions of Tamilnadu, Chennai, 1997.

·         'Paintings of Kanchi', Kanchi - A Heritage of Art and Religion, Madras, 1992.

·         'The Iconography of Devi as Durga-Mahishasuramardini', Shakti in Art and Religion, Madras, 1991.

·         'The Art Scene in India', Lalit Kala Contemporary, 37, Delhi, 1991.

·         'Mysore Painting', C.P. Art Centre, Madras 1989.

·         'Handicrafts', Spell of the South, Thanjavur, 1987.

·         'The Avatara Concept', Samanvaya, Vol. 1, No. 2, Madras, 1976.

·         'Interpretation of Iconography', Samanvaya, Vol. 1, No. 1, Madras, 1976.

 

Researched Articles

 

·          'Retreat of the Gods', (on sacred gardens), The Hindu Folio, Chennai, June 4, 2000.

·          'The Snake in Indian Culture', The Hindu Folio, September 6, 1998.

·          'Nayaka Paintings of Thiruvarur', India Magazine, Vol.9, No. 5, April, 1989.

·          'Mylapore Festival', India Magazine, Vol. 8, No. 6, 1988.

·          'Indian Miniature Painting', Vivekananda Kendra Patrika, Vol. II, No. 1, 1982.

 

Important Addresses

 

·         'The History of Trees in Early Indian Culture and Art', Prof. R. Sathianathaier Endowment Lecture - 2009-2010, University of Madras, Chennai, March 30, 2010.

·         'Radha in South Indian Tradition', Workshop on Radha - Transformation from Gopi to Goddess on January 29, 2010, organized by School of Art and Aesthetics, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, and Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada.

·         'South Indian Jewellery', presented at the Seventh International Conference on the Beginnings of the Use of Metals and Alloys (BUMA) on September 16, 2009 organized by School of Humanities, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore.

·          'The Impact of the Environmental Change on Indigenous People in the Nilgiris', presented at the First World Congress on Environmental History, Conference on "Local Livelihoods and Global Challenges: Understanding Human Interaction with the Environment", Copenhagen, Denmark, August 4-8, 2009.

·         'Artificial Irrigation Systems in Tamil Nadu and Cambodia', International Conference on Religion and Culture, Bali, Indonesia, June 3 - 6, 2009.

·          'Murals of the Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanchipuram', presented at the Conference on Indian Painting: The Lesser Known Traditions, March 8-9, 2008, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, U. S. A

·         'Social Impact of Environmental Change', Presidential Address at the South Indian History Congress, 2007, Rajapalayam.

·         'A People's History of India', Presidential Address at the 38th Annual Conference of the Institute of Historical Studies, Calcutta, held at Mother Teresa Women's University, Kodaikanal, November 8, 2001.

·         'Ethno-archaeology and Indian Art', The Sankara Parvathy Endowment Seminar, Department of Ancient History and Archaeology, University of Madras, March 27, 2001.

·         'Women in Politics', Centre for Contemporary Studies, Chennai, November 13, 1999.

·         'Environment and History', Indira Gandhi Endowment Lecture, Stella Maris College, Chennai, September 9, 1999.

·         'Environment and Culture', Keynote address at Conference on Cultural Adaptation: the Relationship between Man and Environment, Centre for Social Development and Management Research, Chennai, August 27, 1999.

·         'Conserving our Natural Resources', Conference on Land Use, Ecology and Resources, Association of Geography Teachers, July 13, 1999.

·         'Iconography and Socio-Cultural Development', Keynote address at the Seminar on Iconography and Socio-Cultural Development, C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Institute of Indological Research, 1998.

·         'Art and Cultural History', Presidential Address at the Art and Culture Section, Tamilnadu History Congress, 1995, Annamalai University, Chidambaram.

 

Awards received

 

·         Acharya Hasti Centenary Karuna Ratna Award, Karuna International and Acharya Hasti Centenary Celebrations Committee, 2010.

·         Enabled Woman from Madras Management Association, 2003

·         Millennium Woman Award from the Forum for Women Students, Loyola College, 2000

·         Seva Ratna from the Centenarian Trust, Chennai, December 1999

·         Stree Ratna from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai, March 1998

·         Outstanding Woman of Asia from the University Women of Asia, January 1997

·         Fellow of the Institute of Social Science Research

 

Other Awards

 

·         The C. P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation received the Rani Lady Meyyammai Aachi 101^st Birthday Commemoration Award by the Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar Memorial Trust, Chennai, under her Directorship in 2005.

·         Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Award for Environmental Protection by Rotary Club of Madras (East) and Earth Care Group, 2004.

·         C.P.R. Environmental Education Centre received the Indira Gandhi Paryvaran Puraskar, India's highest environmental award, under her Directorship in 2000.