Courses

Indian Aesthetics

JPM’s year-long postgraduate course in Indian Aesthetics (IA) is an ambitious, five thousand-year sweep of the field that delves deep into art history, archaeology, architecture, anthropology, literature, philosophy and visual culture to build an aesthetic and critical methodology to unpack Indian art.

IA encompasses the premodern, the modern, and the contemporary, as well as popular traditions, to map the most significant areas of Indian aesthetics over roughly 5000 years. Indic philosophical systems and their transformations underpin the course, which starts by introducing students to principles of classical Indian aesthetics, the Sanskritic theory of Rasa, as well as the relations between form and content that generate artistic meaning.

Though the course uses art historical records and material remains, the aim is to uncover discursive meaning rather than just primary or explicit and secondary or implied understandings of texts and objects. Course scholars present current research and practice in the field, ensuring relevance and evolution of thought. Chronology and style are not emphasised as much as questions of “Why?” and “To what effect?”, which motivate the pedagogy.

After an archaeological and anthropological exploration of the Harappan civilisation, and an analytical examination of early terracotta and numismatics, India’s finest scholars proceed to elucidate Buddhist art, its iconography, and world view, through the earliest material remains and extant texts. Foundational notions of Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, and the beginnings of narrative representation and cosmology traverse the realms of orthodox Theravada, as well as examine the present-day political affiliations of the complex Vajrayana. The course moves to an elaboration of Jain philosophy and art, recreating the biographies of the Jinas and the Jain cosmos through painted, sculpted, and textual images as well as the visual aesthetics of temples, both structural and excavated, providing a comprehensive understanding of this world view.

Several lectures offer a thorough examination of the origin, lives and iconography of deities such as Shiva, Vishnu, and Devi, moored in the Vedic, Brahmanical, and Puranic traditions. Examined through a wide range of seminal architectural, sculptural, and other visual forms, the course ensures that students are familiarised with existing debates in the literature, addressing the problematics of theory, method, and practice as well as the contentious definition of masterpieces. Temple architecture is analysed in terms of the placement of icons and their esoteric meaning, exemplifying how ritual and iconography are often at the fulcrum of philosophical systems. Subsequent lectures relate the concept of Shakti to the Agamas and Tantras, texts often couched in a purposeful and mysterious language, to explicate the relationship between macrocosm and microcosm. Concepts such as Nada, Bindu and Kundalini Yoga, to name a few, are addressed.

The course then enters the world of Islamic aesthetics and takes a close look at the manifold artistic and architectural funerary forms that were born of the intermingling of people, cultures and artistic traditions from the twelfth century onwards.

At this juncture, the focus shifts to painting across several genres, treating the hoary tradition of mural painting evidenced in the Ajanta caves, early Buddhist palm leaf manuscripts, manuscripts produced with the introduction of paper and the veritable explosion of the Art of the Book. Both geographical space and historical time inhabit the realms of not only the indigenous Chaurapanchashika and Jain miniatures, but also South Indian temple murals. The syncretic quality of the triadical Sultanate-Mughal-Deccan and its tremendous impact on “Rajput Painting” create a veritable tapestry of a magical world, a key focus of this part of the course. The lasting impact of the Bhakti traditions, of the written word, which led to the creation of magnificently illustrated manuscripts and genre paintings such as Ragamala and Barahamasa, are explored with care.

The course then examines painting at Lucknow and Murshidabad in the early modern period, in which it is possible to discern a heteroglot world. The Western architectural aesthetic as it developed during the colonial period in India is considered through architectural styles and monuments such as the edifice of the colonial market hall. The philosophical and critical backdrop of this colonial encounter is offered through a study of Edward Said’s concept of “Orientalism” as well as an examination of the aesthetic theories of Tagore and Aurobindo. Course lectures foray into photography and take a close look at such representations, and examine the colonial interstices through formal analysis and critical theory, as exemplified in the understanding of the effect of technologies of mechanical reproduction on art production and consumption. The concluding lectures map post-independence twentieth-century Indian architecture where the stamp of the vernacular is prominent. The formidable sweep of the course exposes students to the diversity, richness, and incredible breadth of Indian aesthetics in its glorious multiplicity.

Reading is an important part of the course. Course Scholars have prepared synopses of their lectures and selected Required Reading for each session; this material is available on our online learning management-portal, JPM Think.

Lecture Schedule

17 July 2026 – (Online)

1) Zoom Trial and Introductions

- Dr. Jaya Kanoria

18 July 2026 – (Physical)

1) Orientation

2) Classical Indian Aesthetics – Its Principles

- Dr. Rashmi Poddar

25 July 2026 – (Physical)

1) Form – Rhythm, Harmony, Iconometry, Materiality

2) Line, Colour, Proportion

- Dr. Rashmi Poddar

01 August 2026 – (Physical)

1) Content & Meaning – Subject Matter

2) Iconography, Iconology, Symbolism

- Dr. Rashmi Poddar

08 August 2026 – (Physical)

1) Rasa Theory

2) Content of Art

3) Aesthetic Experience

- Dr. Rashmi Poddar

22 August 2026 – (Physical)

1) History of Indian Aesthetics and its Theories

2) Abhinavagupta – His Yoga & Aesthetic Concerns

- Dr. Veena Londhe

29 August 2026 – (Physical)

1) The Harappan Civilisation: From the beginnings of Agriculture to the consolidation of Empire (7000 BC to 2000 BC – Mehrgarh to Rakhigarhi)

- Dr. Kurush Dalal

SEPTEMBER

04 September 2026 – Friday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm – (Physical)

1) The Basics of Academic Writing I

Dr. Jaya Kanoria

05 September 2026 – (Recorded & Online / Online)

1:30 pm to 4:00 pm

1) Mass Production in Antiquity – An Aesthetic Reappraisal through Early Historic Terracottas of India

- Dr. Naman Ahuja

4:00 pm to 6:30 pm

2) The Age of the Satavahanas: Numismatics, Art and History in Peninsular India (c. 200 BC – 200 AD)

- Dr. Shailendra Bhandare

11 September 2026 – Friday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm – (Physical)

The Basics of Academic Writing II

- Dr. Jaya Kanoria

The Philosophical Underpinnings and Aesthetics of Buddhist Art

12 September 2026 – (Physical)

1) Buddha – Life, Events, and the Three Bodies: Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya

2) Dhamma – Early Buddhist Philosophy: The Noble Truths, Doctrine of Dependent Origination

- Dr. Supriya Rai

18 September 2026 – Friday 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm – (Online)

1) Early Buddhist Art in the Deccan

- Dr. Kalyani Ramachandran

19 September 2026 – (Physical)

1) Sangha – Tripitakas

2) The World of Compassion: Mahayana, Bodhisattvas

3) Aniconic and Iconic: Development of the Buddha Image and Notions of Kingship

- Dr. Supriya Rai

26 September 2026 – (Physical)

1) Vajrayana – The Tantric Arm of Buddhism

2) Understanding Buddhist Tantra and its Practice in the Indo-Tibetan Sphere

3) Prajnaparamita: The Text that Became a Goddess

- Ms. Swati Chemburkar

OCTOBER

The Primacy of Vira Rasa or Heroic Forbearance in Jain Thought

03 October 2026 – (Online)

1) Jainism: Philosophy and Art

2) Cave Architecture of the Victorious Ones

3) Rishabhnath as the Initiator of Change

- Dr. Viraj Shah

09 October 2026 – Friday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm – (Online)

1) Vira – The Hero as the Model of Ascetic: Krishna–Balarama as Prototype

- Dr. Viraj Shah

10 October 2026 – (Online)

1) Nagas and Yakshas: Folk Heroes

2) Vardhamana Mahavira

3) Heroes of the Non-Material World

- Dr. Viraj Shah

Iconography

17 October 2026 – (Online)

Introduction to Brahmanical Iconography I

a) Ashtadikapalas

b) Surya

c) Vishnu

- Mr. Arvind Sethi

24 October 2026 – (Online)

Introduction to Brahmanical Iconography II

a) Brahma

b) Ganesha

c) Kartikeya

d) Shiva

- Mr. Arvind Sethi

30 October 2026 – Friday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm – (Physical)

1) Shaiva Pashupatas: The Earliest Indian Missionaries

- Ms. Swati Chemburkar

31 October 2026 – (Physical)

1) Devi – Cosmic Charm of Vatsalya and Raudra

- Dr. Rashmi Poddar

NOVEMBER

Diwali Break

Temple – Hallowed Space and Time

14 November 2026 – (Physical)

1) Evolution and Morphology of the Hindu Temple

2) Maratha Temples

- Dr. Pushkar Sohoni

21 November 2026 – 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm – (Online)

1) Imperial Temples and Gopuras

2) Festivals and Tamil Temple Urbanism

- Dr. Crispin Branfoot

28 November 2026 – (Physical)

1) Acculturation in Bengal Temple Architecture

2) Jain Architecture: Bengal to Gujarat

- Ms. Kamalika Bose

DECEMBER

Aesthetics of Tantra – Expanding Consciousness

05 December 2026 – (Physical)

1) Shakti

2) Agamas & Tantras – The New Mystic Revelations and the Mechanisms of a Novel Order

3) Nada and Bindu – Primal Seeds of Sound, Space & Energy: Emanation of Mantras and Yantras

4) Kundalini Yoga: The Released and Soaring Dormant Energy: Chakras as Points of Contact

- Dr. Rashmi Poddar

Indo-Islamic Aesthetics

12 December 2026 – (Physical)

1) Commemorative Practices in Islamic Cultures

2) Funerary Expressions: Sultanate Period

- Dr. Riyaz Latif

19 December 2026 – (Physical)

Regional Funerary Structures

Mughal Monuments & Modern Memorialization

- Dr. Riyaz Latif

Christmas Break

JANUARY 2027

Creative Processes: Contemporary Art Practice

09 January 2027 – 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm – (TBC)

Notes on Practice

The Poetics of Painting I

16 January 2027 – (Physical)

1) Ajanta Murals and Chitrasutra

- Dr. Leela Wood

23 January 2027 – (Online)

1) Indian Portable Paintings I

- Dr. Shailka Mishra

30 January 2027 – (Online)

1) Indian Portable Paintings II

- Dr. Shailka Mishra

FEBRUARY

06 February 2027 – (Physical)

1) Mughal Painting Traditions

- Ms. Roda Ahluwalia

13 February 2027 – (Physical)

1) Deccan & Pahari Painting

- Ms. Roda Ahluwalia

20 February 2027

1:30 pm to 3:30 pm – (Online)

1) Bengal Paintings

- Ms. Mrinalini Sil

3:30 pm to 5:30 pm – (Online)

2) Lucknow Paintings

- Dr. Parul Singh

27 February 2027 – (Online)

1) Text and Image Traditions (Gita Govinda, Rasika Priya, etc.)

- Dr. Annapurna Garimella

MARCH

06 March 2027 – (Physical)

1) Orientalism I & II

- Dr. Jaya Kanoria

13 March 2027 – (Online)

1) Photography in Colonial India

- Dr. Suryanandini Narain

20 March 2027 – (Physical)

1) Colonial Architecture

- Dr. Pushkar Sohoni

27 March 2027 – (Online)

1) Gandhi and Photography

- Dr. Sumathi Ramaswamy

APRIL

03 April 2027 – (Physical)

1) Indian Aesthetics: Tagore & Aurobindo

- Dr. Jaya Kanoria

10 April 2027 – (Physical)

1) Modernism in Architecture

- Dr. Pushkar Sohoni

16 April 2027 – Friday 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm – (Online)

1) Indian Ocean Trade

- Dr. Nancy Um

24 April 2027 – 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm – (Online)

1) Modern Art and Secular India

- Dr. Zehra Jumabhoy

Classes, unless otherwise stated, are from 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm on Saturday afternoons.

The sessions where the scholar will be present at Jnanapravaha have been indicated with the word 'Physical'. All sessions will also be online. Students may attend in either mode.

Local scholars will be in class for physical classes as indicated below their names in the schedule, barring an emergency.

We would warmly welcome students to our space for all classes and expect local students to be with us.

Questions from both physical and online students will be addressed.

Students are expected to make a sincere attempt to attend all classes. To obtain an IA Diploma or IA Certificate, students must have at least 72% attendance at live or online classes (held on Saturdays or on Friday evening). In addition, those pursuing a PG Diploma in IA are required to successfully complete three, supervised academic writing assignments: two short essays (1500 – 2000 words) and a final thesis (5000-7000 words). All students who attend 72% of the live or online lectures will be given a PG Certificate in IA if they are not attempting the diploma.

For admission, you are required to submit:
a digital copy of each of your last degree certificates, short bio (100 words) and passport size photograph to info@jp-india.org

Please read the Terms and Conditions carefully before registering.

Duration

18 Jul 2026 - 24 Apr 2027

Fees

Rs. 1,00,000

(PG Diploma)

Rs. 75,000

(PG Certificate)