<p>India is often referred to as a mixed salad bowl: a country where cultures blend seamlessly yet each retains its individual character; as opposed to a melting pot where sameness is seen across the landscape. <br /><br /></p>.<p>This attribute to absorb and let each flourish has led to innumerable arts and crafts taking root here and being preserved over the centuries. We have an envious handicraft and handloom heritage, and despite losing a lot in the recent decades due to callous national policies, there is a great deal we can still be proud of. And this needs to be lovingly protected. <br /><br />While talking about art, one genre that tends to get overlooked is stained glass. Have you ever stood inside a church and noticed coloured light streaming down from a window? How often has it been that one look at the stunningly decorated window panel and you haven’t been able to take your gaze off it? That’s the drawing power of stained glass. <br /><br />The bits of coloured glass used for composing the figurative, abstract or floral patterns are juxtaposed with such dexterity that the final outcome appears to be sheer poetry. This fluidity and grace is the defining attribute of glass art. <br /><br />The technique of stained glass emerged in Europe many centuries ago. One of the oldest forms of painting, initially it began appearing in cathedrals where panels depicted biblical narratives and characters. By the Medieval Age the art had begun to find many takers, the reason being the prominence of Gothic style the world over. Stained glass windows in places of worship did more than just letting in beautiful light: they became means to inspire the faithful through religious artwork. Over time this art began making an appearance in the homes of the rich where family portraits, insignia etc began being commissioned.<br /><br />Passage to India <br /><br />In India, the art of stained glass arrived with the British and the Portuguese. That evidence is amply visible in the erstwhile three British Presidencies: Bombay, Calcutta and Madras; as well as the Western coast, especially Goa and Cochin where Portuguese influence was seen. Later the technique was seen travelling to many towns. In Europe, wealthy families opted for such windows in their homes. <br /><br />Two communities whose built heritage in India displays exquisite examples of stained glass are the Parsis and Baghdadi Jews. Besides being affluent, their mix of West Asian and European sensibilities drew them to the art and they dressed their buildings beautifully. Highly-paid European master-artists were assigned to do the works. In those times the glass would be manufactured in Britain and shipped to India; thus the overall cost of a project would be rather hefty. <br /><br />Some of the finest examples in India are the Beth El Synagogue and St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata; Afghan Church, University of Bombay and J N Petit Institute, Mumbai; St Michael’s Cathedral, Shimla; and St Francis Xavier Basilica, Goa. These are a few well-known spots, however, the country is dotted with a lot of hidden gems tucked away in small towns. <br /><br />Modern tints<br /><br />Old localities such as Chandni Chowk in Delhi also keep a lot preserved within their folds. Quite a bit of it is crumbling and every time an ageing structure is razed to the ground, collectors and local artists make a dash to buy glass that once stood proud amidst an overwhelmingly charming design.<br /><br />These days stained glass has moved on from being solely a window art to getting moulded into utilitarian items too, lampshades and table-screens being the most popular objects being hand-crafted. <br /><br />Though many a century has passed since the first stained glass window was created, the technique has remained quite the same. Pieces of coloured or sometimes painted glass are cut to size and spread out as per design. Subsequently the boundaries of the glass bits are framed into thin strips of lead. Each of these is further soldered to one another to form the required pattern. When a panel is complete, it is held together with an iron frame. <br /><br />This is a simplistic explanation, but the process is far from that. Like any art, it’s only skilled hands that can create magnificence of such magnitude, which has incredibly lasted centuries and still fills viewers with a sense of awe. Timeless is a word that captures the spirit of this classic art. <br /><br /></p>
<p>India is often referred to as a mixed salad bowl: a country where cultures blend seamlessly yet each retains its individual character; as opposed to a melting pot where sameness is seen across the landscape. <br /><br /></p>.<p>This attribute to absorb and let each flourish has led to innumerable arts and crafts taking root here and being preserved over the centuries. We have an envious handicraft and handloom heritage, and despite losing a lot in the recent decades due to callous national policies, there is a great deal we can still be proud of. And this needs to be lovingly protected. <br /><br />While talking about art, one genre that tends to get overlooked is stained glass. Have you ever stood inside a church and noticed coloured light streaming down from a window? How often has it been that one look at the stunningly decorated window panel and you haven’t been able to take your gaze off it? That’s the drawing power of stained glass. <br /><br />The bits of coloured glass used for composing the figurative, abstract or floral patterns are juxtaposed with such dexterity that the final outcome appears to be sheer poetry. This fluidity and grace is the defining attribute of glass art. <br /><br />The technique of stained glass emerged in Europe many centuries ago. One of the oldest forms of painting, initially it began appearing in cathedrals where panels depicted biblical narratives and characters. By the Medieval Age the art had begun to find many takers, the reason being the prominence of Gothic style the world over. Stained glass windows in places of worship did more than just letting in beautiful light: they became means to inspire the faithful through religious artwork. Over time this art began making an appearance in the homes of the rich where family portraits, insignia etc began being commissioned.<br /><br />Passage to India <br /><br />In India, the art of stained glass arrived with the British and the Portuguese. That evidence is amply visible in the erstwhile three British Presidencies: Bombay, Calcutta and Madras; as well as the Western coast, especially Goa and Cochin where Portuguese influence was seen. Later the technique was seen travelling to many towns. In Europe, wealthy families opted for such windows in their homes. <br /><br />Two communities whose built heritage in India displays exquisite examples of stained glass are the Parsis and Baghdadi Jews. Besides being affluent, their mix of West Asian and European sensibilities drew them to the art and they dressed their buildings beautifully. Highly-paid European master-artists were assigned to do the works. In those times the glass would be manufactured in Britain and shipped to India; thus the overall cost of a project would be rather hefty. <br /><br />Some of the finest examples in India are the Beth El Synagogue and St Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata; Afghan Church, University of Bombay and J N Petit Institute, Mumbai; St Michael’s Cathedral, Shimla; and St Francis Xavier Basilica, Goa. These are a few well-known spots, however, the country is dotted with a lot of hidden gems tucked away in small towns. <br /><br />Modern tints<br /><br />Old localities such as Chandni Chowk in Delhi also keep a lot preserved within their folds. Quite a bit of it is crumbling and every time an ageing structure is razed to the ground, collectors and local artists make a dash to buy glass that once stood proud amidst an overwhelmingly charming design.<br /><br />These days stained glass has moved on from being solely a window art to getting moulded into utilitarian items too, lampshades and table-screens being the most popular objects being hand-crafted. <br /><br />Though many a century has passed since the first stained glass window was created, the technique has remained quite the same. Pieces of coloured or sometimes painted glass are cut to size and spread out as per design. Subsequently the boundaries of the glass bits are framed into thin strips of lead. Each of these is further soldered to one another to form the required pattern. When a panel is complete, it is held together with an iron frame. <br /><br />This is a simplistic explanation, but the process is far from that. Like any art, it’s only skilled hands that can create magnificence of such magnitude, which has incredibly lasted centuries and still fills viewers with a sense of awe. Timeless is a word that captures the spirit of this classic art. <br /><br /></p>
