Few Indians are aware that the centre of each Gurudwara or Sikh temple, is the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy word of God. It is common knowledge that the holy book is always covered with a velvet cloth over which a priest constantly waves a silver-handled fly whisk. Dr Stephen Huyler's photography exhibition, 'Meeting God: Elements of devotion in India' is an educative experience.

India and her elements of devotion
India is increasingly aware and to a large extent has adapted the customs and lifestyles of the west, it is equally important that Westerners have access to well-balanced information about India and her cultures. India has always painted a picture of being a large village to the west. Prolific writer and photographer, Dr Stephen P Huyler, has taken up the task to change that. His photography exhibition 'Meeting God: Elements of devotion in India' conveys the breadth and vitality of reverential experience in India: within the house, on the roadside, in temples, and in festivals. The exhibition will be on view till January 31, 2001 at the National Centre for Performing Arts.

Huyler, an American cultural anthropologist has for the past 28 years spent an average of four months in the year travelling thorughout the Indian sub-continent conducting a survey of ritual art and culture. He has produced 4 books on the subject, the latest being 'Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion,' which was published by the Yale University Press in September 1999 and complements the exhibition. The book describes many facets of popular Hinduism, portraying the ways in which this massive religion affects the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people. The text is illustrated with 152 colour photographs, including all those Hindu subjects shown in the exhibition, each with a descriptive caption that provides deeper insight into one of the largest religions in the world.

The purpose of the exhibtion, 'Meeting God,' is to travel to museums throughout the West in order to offer access to a deeper understanding and to pave the way for more emphatic intercultural communication. Accompanying the exhibition is a detailed educational outreach programme intended to inform local schools and organisations about the heriditary values of South Asian members of their own communities.

This exhibition, Meeting God, is comprised of 84 Ciba-chrome photographs that simply and eloquently show the sacred rituals of Hindus, Sikhs and Jains. Together with detailed captions and wall text, they portray a large section of humanity for whom every action has a spiritual component. Huyler believes, prayers are pervasive in India, influencing every moment of the day - from rising early to acknowledge the sacred elements at dawn, to honouring the spirits within the tools with which one works, to praying to the deities that protect the home from harm at night.

Few Indians have taken on themselves the mammoth task of understanding Indian traditions and culture like Huyler has. Huyler has not only captured moments in 'Worship Time' but also researched the background of each of these cultures to provide an insight into our own culture, which we are fast forgetting.

Exhibition: Exhibition of photographs 'Meeting God:Elements of Devotion in India'

Venue: NCPA, Piramal Gallery, Experimental Theatre Building, Nariman Point, Mumbai - 400 021

Date: 5th January to 31 January, 2001

Timings: 10.30 am to 6.30 pm (Closed on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays)

By: Anupama Vinayak