Immerse in this art exhibition in Mumbai that explores the enigmatic ascetic over the ages

Temple Complex (triptych), unidentified artist (Jain Art). Pics Courtesy/DAG

You have seen them, even in the busy digital age, cutting a shock of orange amid the crowds. At times powerful, political, and other times mythical and elusive, the sadhu or sannyasi is an ‘enigmatic figure', shares curator Gayatri Sinha. The ongoing exhibition at DAG, The Body of The Ascetic, captures the visual representations of this asceticism, situated within the broader religious fabric of the Indian subcontinent, through the ages.

"This exhibition seeks to mine the depth of the DAG collection to represent the figure of the ascetic over the last three hundred years in different facets, as he appears as mystic, wanderer and performance artist," Sinha explains. From the Colonial perspectives of Marius Bauer and William Daniell to the familiar perspectives of MV Dhurandhar, MAR Chughtai, or the contemporary perspectives of FN Souza, the narrative shifts and changes with time.

Portrait of Subramanyan Namboothiripad of Akavoor Mana, Cochin, Madhava Warrier

Sinha elaborates, "The figure of the ascetic fascinates because it is of the broader social fabric and yet outside it. In any study of Indian painting you see the figure of the sadhu, the sannyasi, the kalandar, or Sufi sheikh, alongside gods and rulers, and yet the figure remains somewhat obscure in terms of analysis and understanding of his or her role."

Untitled, 1956, oil on paper FN Souza (1924-2002)

From the large textile, Shatrunjaya Patha, a detailed visual map of the sacred Jain pilgrimage site of Shatrunjaya Hill in Palitana, to the figures of Ramakrishna Paramahansa, Swami Vivekananda, Sant Haridas, and Tulsidas, make their presence felt in the exhibition.

An Old Buddhist Temple at Mendoot, 1900-12, Hugo Vilifred Pederson

Sinha points out that the image is not just mystical, but at times, the ‘disruptive force' in politics. "The Sannyasi Rebellion of the 1770s is an example of the sannyasi as an active agent of change. We see this paradox in the exhibition with images of the armed sadhu, the power of the priest as patron in the instance of Akavoor Mana in Kerala."

Fakeer At Agra, 1841, Sir Frederick Pollock

The exhibition is accompanied by the eponymous book, edited by Sinha, with voices like those of scholars like Manisha Sethi, Prathik Murali, and Nuzhat Kazmi who bring to light diverse perspectives.

Ashish Anand, CEO and MD, DAG, shares, "I hope the exhibition and this book, which brings into focus the richly layered and complex worlds of austere practice, will offer you a new lens through which to understand the body of the ascetic."

Gayatri Sinha

The curator observes further, "If we look at contemporary artists in the show, they have a very different interpretation of the manifestation of holiness and self-sacrifice. Amit Ambalal revels in satire, and the ascetic figure is shown as indolent and overfed. Gogi Saroj Pal's young monks with their shaven heads and emaciated bodies speaks of the rigours of a life of sacrifice among the young. In FN Souza's work, the figure of the saint is both hardened and crude; thus, the ascetic as an intermediary figure of faith is brought into question."

Yet, through it all, the mystique remains.

Till September 4; 11 am to 7 pm
At DAG Mumbai, The Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Apollo Bunder Road, Colaba.