Ramayana goes digital
Stunning paintings from the Mewar Ramayana, portions of which were in India and UK for more than 150 years, have been digitally reunited by the British Library and Mumbai's CSMVS Museum
More than 300 years before artist Nina Paley's Sita Sings the Blues or the Indo-Japanese film Ramayana: the Legend of Prince Rama, Rana Jagat Singh of Mewar launched what may well have been the first attempt to animate the Indian epic. Three artists worked in his court studio from 1649-54 to make over 370 paintings that bring to life texts from the epic. "In some images, you can see the story unfolding on different areas of the page, with the same character repeated in different situations - almost like a comic book," says Catherine Eagleton, head (Asian and African Studies) at the British Library.
The exquisite 17th century manuscript, which was split between India and the UK for more than 150 years, was digitally reunited a week ago. The entire work had been in India until the early 19th century, when four of the seven books were gifted to British political agent James Tod by Rana Bhim Singh, who was then the ruler of Mewar. These - the Ayodhyakanda, Kiskindhakanda, Yuddhakanda and Uttarakanda - are currently held by the British Library. The London-based library also has 18 folios of what is presumably the fifth book, Sundarakanda, acquired in 1912. Over time, the remaining folios became separated among Mumbai's CSMVS Museum, the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, and a private collection in Mumbai.
In both countries, the 17th century paintings were first captured in high-quality photographs and digitised using the British Library's Turning the Pages (TTP) software.
Owing to its size, the manuscript takes about two minutes to load on a moderately speedy connection. The interface allows users to navigate the various books, see the Sanskrit text and flip unbound pages as in a traditional loose-leaf book. "The detail you can see in the paintings is incredible; you can zoom in on the hairs on a monkey's tail, or focus on a minor character's face and see all the work that went into getting the exact expression right," observes Eagleton.
Rather than technology or careful maintenance by the manuscript's various owners, Vandana Prapanna, coordinator and curator, CSMVS, gives credit for this clarity to the Mewar artists' technique. "The paintings have stayed in good condition after all these years because they (artists) used mineral colours strengthened with babul tree gum and coated them with a kind of varnish." The paper too was thickened by sticking two or three sheets together. The folios reveal the styles of prominent miniature artists Sahibdin and Manohar, who combined the Mewar and Mughal schools, as well as an unknown artist who painted with a Deccan influence. The pieces are painstakingly thorough, with fine brushstrokes marking everything from details on utensils to creases on sleeves.
The digital reunification, initiated by the British Library after receiving a grant, was also supported by the Jamsetji Tata Trust. As a subject, the Ramayana - first told in an epic poem by Valmiki over 2,500 years ago - raises curiosity around the world. "We wanted to bring the manuscript together for the benefit of researchers. Not everyone can afford to go to London or visit India to see the works," says Prapanna. The initiative is a pilot for future collaborations between the two organisations. "More projects are likely to follow because the British Library has a huge repository of books and manuscripts," added the curator.
A small percentage of folios from the original manuscript have not yet been located. While it is possible that these have not survived, they might still exist in private or smaller collections. "So it is possible that they may come to light in future and be put forward for inclusion in the digital version, which is a very exciting prospect," says Eagleton.
The challenge, says Prapanna, was in convincing various owners there would be no misuse and that copyrights would remain with them despite digitisation. Indeed, some still regard international scholarly interest in Indian mythology with suspicion. Currently, procedural delays have meant that 72 folios of the Aaranyakandam held by the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute have not yet been digitised. "That particular book tells the story of Rama's exile, which was a period of great struggle in his life," observes Prapanna. "Maybe that's why we too have to face troubles before we get access to its manuscript."
The exquisite 17th century manuscript, which was split between India and the UK for more than 150 years, was digitally reunited a week ago. The entire work had been in India until the early 19th century, when four of the seven books were gifted to British political agent James Tod by Rana Bhim Singh, who was then the ruler of Mewar. These - the Ayodhyakanda, Kiskindhakanda, Yuddhakanda and Uttarakanda - are currently held by the British Library. The London-based library also has 18 folios of what is presumably the fifth book, Sundarakanda, acquired in 1912. Over time, the remaining folios became separated among Mumbai's CSMVS Museum, the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Baroda Museum and Picture Gallery, and a private collection in Mumbai.
In both countries, the 17th century paintings were first captured in high-quality photographs and digitised using the British Library's Turning the Pages (TTP) software.
Owing to its size, the manuscript takes about two minutes to load on a moderately speedy connection. The interface allows users to navigate the various books, see the Sanskrit text and flip unbound pages as in a traditional loose-leaf book. "The detail you can see in the paintings is incredible; you can zoom in on the hairs on a monkey's tail, or focus on a minor character's face and see all the work that went into getting the exact expression right," observes Eagleton.
Rather than technology or careful maintenance by the manuscript's various owners, Vandana Prapanna, coordinator and curator, CSMVS, gives credit for this clarity to the Mewar artists' technique. "The paintings have stayed in good condition after all these years because they (artists) used mineral colours strengthened with babul tree gum and coated them with a kind of varnish." The paper too was thickened by sticking two or three sheets together. The folios reveal the styles of prominent miniature artists Sahibdin and Manohar, who combined the Mewar and Mughal schools, as well as an unknown artist who painted with a Deccan influence. The pieces are painstakingly thorough, with fine brushstrokes marking everything from details on utensils to creases on sleeves.
The digital reunification, initiated by the British Library after receiving a grant, was also supported by the Jamsetji Tata Trust. As a subject, the Ramayana - first told in an epic poem by Valmiki over 2,500 years ago - raises curiosity around the world. "We wanted to bring the manuscript together for the benefit of researchers. Not everyone can afford to go to London or visit India to see the works," says Prapanna. The initiative is a pilot for future collaborations between the two organisations. "More projects are likely to follow because the British Library has a huge repository of books and manuscripts," added the curator.
A small percentage of folios from the original manuscript have not yet been located. While it is possible that these have not survived, they might still exist in private or smaller collections. "So it is possible that they may come to light in future and be put forward for inclusion in the digital version, which is a very exciting prospect," says Eagleton.
The challenge, says Prapanna, was in convincing various owners there would be no misuse and that copyrights would remain with them despite digitisation. Indeed, some still regard international scholarly interest in Indian mythology with suspicion. Currently, procedural delays have meant that 72 folios of the Aaranyakandam held by the Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute have not yet been digitised. "That particular book tells the story of Rama's exile, which was a period of great struggle in his life," observes Prapanna. "Maybe that's why we too have to face troubles before we get access to its manuscript."
The full manuscript of the Mewar Ramayana can be accessed at www.bl.uk/ramayana