Bharat Bhavan is an autonomous multi-arts complex and museum in
Bhopal
Bhopal (; ) is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of both Bhopal district and Bhopal division. It is known as the ''City of Lakes'' due to its various natural and artificial lakes. It i ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, established and funded by the
Government of Madhya Pradesh
Government of Madhya Pradesh also known as the State Government of Madhya Pradesh, or locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and its 52 districts. It consists of an executive ...
.The architect of the Bharat Bhavan is
Charles Correa
Charles Mark Correa (1 September 1930 – 16 June 2015) was an Indian architect and urban planner. Credited with the creation of modern architecture in post-Independent India, he was celebrated for his sensitivity to the needs of the urban p ...
. Opened in 1982, facing the
Upper Lake, Bhopal
Bhojtal, formerly known as Upper Lake, is a large lake which lies on the western side of the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal, India. It is a major source of drinking water for the residents of the city, serving around 40% of the residents ...
, it houses multiple art galleries, a graphic printing workshop, a ceramics workshop, an open-air amphitheatre, a studio theatre, an auditorium, a museum of tribal & folk art and libraries of Indian poetry, classical music & folk music.
![Mohan and Lillete performing in a play Aadhe Adhoore in Bharat Bhavan Bhopal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a9/Mohan_and_Lillete_performing_in_a_play_Aadhe_Adhoore_in_Bharat_Bhavan_Bhopal.jpg)
History
![Tigre bastar (Musée du Quai Branly) (4489195531)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Tigre_bastar_%28Mus%C3%A9e_du_Quai_Branly%29_%284489195531%29.jpg)
The early 1980s saw a burgeoning of the Indian arts scene and a renewed government focus on developing arts across the nation, through regional centers for arts in state capitals. The initiative, in Madhya Pradesh, was furthered to fruition by cultural administrator,
Ashok Vajpeyi, an
IAS IAS may refer to:
Science
* Institute for Advanced Study, in Princeton, New Jersey, United States
* Image Analysis & Stereology, the official journal of the International Society for Stereology & Image Analysis.
* Iowa Archeological Society, Uni ...
-officer in the state Ministry of Education (1966-1992), who was also behind the setting up of the literary organization, 'Kalidas Academy', in
Ujjain
Ujjain (, Hindustani pronunciation: d͡ːʒɛːn is a city in Ujjain district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is the fifth-largest city in Madhya Pradesh by population and is the administrative centre of Ujjain district and Ujjain ...
in 1983. Though some cultural initiatives lost steam in later years in many parts of India, one project that became a success is the Bharat Bhavan (India House) in Bhopal.
[
The institution was inaugurated on February 13, 1982][ by then ]Prime Minister
A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...
, Indira Gandhi. It was established and funded by the Department of Culture, Government of Madhya Pradesh
Government of Madhya Pradesh also known as the State Government of Madhya Pradesh, or locally as the State Government, is the supreme governing authority of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and its 52 districts. It consists of an executive ...
, though it is run by an autonomous 12-member Bharat Bhavan Trust. In the following decade, the institution grew to become an important cultural institution of India as it started attracting artists, scholars, students and other visitors from Indore, Jabalpur, Mumbai, Kolkata and even foreign countries.[ Raza. p. 92][ Abram, p. 385]
During its formative years, theatre personality, B. V. Karanth who headed the 'Rangamandal repertory', incorporated folk forms of the region into his work, staged many productions in Hindi, especially during his stint at the Bharat Bhavan.[ Rubin, p. 200] The "Bharat Bhavan Biennial of Contemporary Indian Art" started in 1986, followed by "Bharat Bhavan International Print Biennial" in 1989. The complex is most known for its art museum, ''Roopankar'', which houses a permanent collection of tribal art
Tribal art is the visual arts and material culture of indigenous peoples. Also known as non-Western art or ethnographic art, or, controversially, primitive art, Dutton, Denis, Tribal Art'. In Michael Kelly (editor), ''Encyclopedia of Aesthetics. ...
, collected by Jagdish Swaminathan
Jagdish Swaminathan (21 June 1928 – 25 April 1994) popularly known as J. Swaminathan was an Indian artist, painter, poet and writer. He played a role in the establishment of the Bharat Bhawan, a multi-art complex in Bhopal, in 1982, and serv ...
in its early years, and represents the best examples of tribal art in India.[ Verma, p. 225]
The 'Vagarth' centre of Hindi poetry
Hindi literature ( hi, हिन्दी साहित्य, translit=hindī sāhitya) includes literature in the various Hindi language which have writing systems. Earliest forms of Hindi literature are attested in poetry of Apabhraṃś ...
and literature houses a library and archive of Indian poetry, classical music and folk music. It organizes the 'Katha Prasang' festival on Hindi literature
Hindi literature ( hi, हिन्दी साहित्य, translit=hindī sāhitya) includes literature in the various Hindi language which have writing systems. Earliest forms of Hindi literature are attested in poetry of Apabhraṃś ...
.
Overview
The complex includes an art gallery of Indian painting and sculpture, a fine art workshop, an open-air amphitheatre ("Bahirang"), a studio theatre ("Abhirang"), an auditorium ("Antarang"), a museum of tribal & folk art and libraries of Indian poetry, classical music & folk music. Besides this, the Bhavan hosts artists and writers under its artist-in-residence program at the "Ashram".[ Over the years, it has also become a popular tourist attraction.
Some of the wings include:][
* ''Roopankar'' - Museum of Fine Art: Gallery of contemporary, folk & tribal art and a modern art gallery, a Graphic Art workshop and a Ceramics Art workshop
* ''Rangmandal'' - theatre ]repertory
A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation.
United Kingdom
Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawin ...
* ''Vagarth'' - center of Indian poetry
Indian poetry and Indian literature in general, has a long history dating back to Vedic times. They were written in various Indian languages such as Vedic Sanskrit, Classical Sanskrit, Tamil, Odia, Maithili, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese, ...
, library, archive and translation center
* ''Anhad'' - library of classical and folk music, audio and video archives, it organizes dance recitals and classical music series like, ''Parampara'' and ''Saptak''
* ''Chhavi'' - center of classical cinema
* ''Nirala Srijanpeeth'' - the chair for creative writing, founded by the Government of Madhya Pradesh
References
Bibliography
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External links
*
Bharat Bhavan / Charles Correa
Bart Bryant, ''AD Classics: Bharat Bhavan / Charles Correa'', ArchDaily
ArchDaily is a weblog covering architectural news, projects, products, events, interviews and competitions, opinion pieces, among others, catering to architects, designers and other interested parties.
Description
ArchDaily is one of the mo ...
, 1 August 2016
{{Authority control
Arts organisations based in India
Museums in Madhya Pradesh
Art museums and galleries in India
Buildings and structures in Bhopal
Tourist attractions in Bhopal
Organisations based in Bhopal
Theatrical organisations in India
Performing arts in India
Theatres in India
Libraries in India
1982 establishments in Madhya Pradesh
Folk art museums and galleries
Arts organizations established in 1982
Art museums established in 1982