NM Certificate Courses

Certificate Course in Buddhist Art and Philosophy

Objectives:

This course seeks to locate Buddhist art, history, and philosophy in India and across Asia. The lectures are curated to provide glimpses of Buddhist art, emerging from the early traditions of Theravada and Mahayana and gradually evolving through Vajrayana Buddhism. It seeks to enable the participants to explore the tenets of Buddhist philosophy while exploring archaeological sites in India, South and Southeast Asia, Central Asia, and Far East Asia. The course also revisits trans-cultural practices associated with Buddhist religion, patronage, migration, and sustenance of art traditions. 

Outcomes:

The teaching module, based on in-house lectures at the National Museum, comprises five dedicated classes tracing the development of Buddhist art through stupa art and architecture, sculptures, manuscripts, paintings, and ritual art through the representations of Buddha, Bodhisattvas, and the evolving pantheon of gods and goddesses. It will also study the Buddhist antiquity at the National Museum, on display, and in reserve, to appreciate the various facets of Buddhist art. As a diverse means to explore the pan-Asian heritage of Buddhism, the course also acquaints the participants with the constructs of Buddhist iconography and iconology. As a bonus lecture, a guided tour of the Buddhist galleries such as the Maurya, Shunga-Satvahana, Kushana Art; Virtual Experiential Museum: Ajanta; and Central Asian Antiquities galleries will also be conducted by the instructors. 

Course conducted by: 

Dr. Sama Haq works as a Consultant in the Anthropology Department at the National Museum, New Delhi. She has a Ph.D in Art History from National Museum Institute. Her area of specialisation traces esoteric Buddhist art and philosophy in Southeast Asia, Far East Asia, and Central Asia. She has been a recipient of various international scholarships, some of these were awarded by State Museum Berlin (SMB); Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR); Ecolé Français d’Extrême Orient (EFEO). To continue her engagements with archival sources, she also holds Diplomas in Pali, Tibetan, and certification in French. She has been associated with various national and international curatorial projects leading to research and curation of Buddhist art and antiquity in the National Museum. She has also participated in various national and international seminars and workshops. 

Ms. Abira Bhattacharya is working as an Assistant Curator of the Department of Anthropology at the National Museum, Delhi, since 2016. She is a Doctoral Scholar in the Department of Art History, National Museum Institute, Delhi. She has actively presented research papers and travelled widely in Southeast Asia as part of her research and documentation, which focuses on the iconographic development of Buddhist goddesses in Eastern India and their transmission to Southeast Asia. She has received travel grants for study tours and paper presentations from the Polish Ministry of Culture, Poland, SOAS University of London and Asia Research Institute, NUS, Singapore, Silpakorn University, Thailand and she also served as a part of the Indian cultural delegation to Dunhuang Academy, China, sponsored by Govt. of India. She has been associated with various national and international curatorial projects leading to research and curation of Buddhist art and antiquity in the National Museum.

Duration of Course: 5 Days (May 18^th -22, 2022) 

Timings: 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Minimum Eligibility Criteria: 20 years and above can apply for the course. 

Total number of seats: 35 only

Certificates: Certificate would be given against 100 percent attendance only.

Course fee:

Course outline

Venue: All sessions will be conducted in the National Museum, New Delhi. 

• Please email your complete application form with payment details to: educationnationalmuseum@gmail.com
• Applications will be accepted on first-come, first-serve basis. 
• Last date for submission of applications: May 16th, 2022, 5:00 pm

Team National Museum will share the payment details only when your seat is confirmed.

Note: Registration fees for the Certificate course is Non-refundable.