A well-established graphic designer, Vikramajit Ram let his passion for the pachyderm overtake his professional interests and literally drive him to the ‘stone’ age! His recently released book, Elephant Kingdom: Sculptures from Indian Architecture (Mapin / May 2007 / 104 pages (with 77 colour illustrations) / Rs 995) is an ingeniously researched document integrating examples which span over two thousand years of architectural sculpture from 3 rd century BC to late 18th century AD. 

In his preface, the author-photographer reveals both his unmixed delight and understandable concerns about the animal. He explains how in India, stories of elephants in life and legend have captured imagination for countless generations; how the word for ‘elephant’ had a way of entering our childhood vocabularies, often before we had set eyes on one; how some of our best-loved toys, of sun-dried clay or stuffed cotton, brought those puzzling dimensions into the grasp of our hands; how elephants visited our dreams and an encounter with the real thing invariably filled us with awe, delight and wonder. 
 
At the same time, he is aware that the face of a deity— the Indian elephant today pays a heavy price for enchanting our lives for thousands of years. “Its jungles are shrinking. A bloody and clandestine trade continues. Tired and dusty, many beg at temples or ferry tourists into forts. Tales of valour and companionship are largely forgotten. But perhaps behind their inscrutable smiles, the elephants remember.”

Vikram, who imbibed a love for nature and environment since his younger days, has always enjoyed being with the natural world and trekking in unknown territories. An alumnus of the National Institute of Design he is also in tune with music— both classical Western and Carnatic. But what made him give up a lucrative career in design and be bitten by the writing bug? “The inner urge to become a full time writer was brewing for quite some time. Once I decided to quit designing, things started falling perfectly into place. Curiously, Elephant Kingdom was both a planned and serendipitous development!”

A visual treat
Divided into four thematic chapters (Heaven and Earth / Life and Surrender / Pomp and Circumstance / Sentinel and Cipher) that provide the historical and cultural framework to view the images, Elephant Kingdom is a visual treat. Elegantly designed and produced to measure up to international standards, the book— with its engaging text and enthralling photographs— takes the reader through familiar as well as unknown aspects of Indian legend, art and architecture.

The book is itself the result of a series of journeys to places Vikram undertook where Indian elephants still survive in stone. The experience was enlivened by fascinating discoveries as much as serendipitous encounters with men and women from different walks of life who in their own way contributed to the project.

Vikram acknowledges that many anonymous ASI officers and guides are doing a fabulous job of protecting monuments despite no recognition or incentives. He also recalls meeting blind Rajasthani singers whose full-throated songs bring life to legends, and car drivers who knew about places as clearly as the palm of their hands.    

“I do not carry the tag of ‘environmentalist’,” says Vikram. “Nor am I a flag bearer of any group. But what bugs me is the highly widespread hypocrisy. We worship the Elephant God, but are blind to the state of living elephants. We electrocute them by putting power fences to our farms. We slaughter them for their tusks and ivory. We allow rascals like Veerappan to rule the forests. But we never forget to pompously celebrate Ganesh festival, every year. What hypocrisy! No wonder the elephant population is dwindling year by year... As for desecrating heritage sites, the less said the better. How could anyone carve our names and romantic feelings on ancient temples, caves and rocks? And cut those priceless pieces of sculpture to smuggle them to rich foreign collectors?”

His future projects? Vikram is working on several themes. He has recently sealed a contract for penning a travel book. A fiction would follow sooner than later.