India: A Story Through 100 Objects

by Vidya Dehejia

We are constantly surrounded by objects, by 'things' that channel and dictate our everyday life, 'things' that we take for granted. But these objects speak to us, and speak about us. They have a story to tell that reflects our values and aspirations, our achievements and dreams, and reveal more about us than we realize! This richly illustrated book focuses on 100 objects to tell a story of India that unravels in a series of thematic sections that allow the objects to take center-stage. The stories that some objects tell will be new to readers; at other times, the objects themselves may be familiar but the story they tell may not be obvious. The 100 objects shed light on the varying priorities and the differing strands of achievement that arose over time to create the rich multi-cultural medley that is today's India.

Genres: India, Art

Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Romita Mukherjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of India, its rich culture, and heritage have always been and will always be a limitless sphere for exploration.

“India: A story through 100 objects” by Vidya Dehejia is a compendium of 100 objects that hold in them a part of India’s history, exploring their origin, significance as well as implications. With colorful and vibrant pictures kindling visual delight, this book is not only a worthy collectible but also a substantial and educative collection.

No matter if you are a serious history buff or a casual explorer, this book has something for everyone. What constitutes a major fraction of this collection are the objects belonging to the Mughal Era however you will also find a few inclusions of modern contemporary art. The facts about the various deities make this book a delightful read for the spiritual and religious peoples as well.

This is definitely a book I would suggest you pick up whenever you get a chance.

[Himanshu Bhatnagar · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice little journey through Indian history via a personal, select set of articles that, each in their own unique way, depict, delineate, and demonstrate one facet of the immensely complex polygon that is India. Some articles are trite, some quite well-known, and some very expected but I am sure everyone will find at least a few that surprise them, even if they think they know all there is to India, all that is India. Definitely worth a read.

[Jessica Chapman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine. There's a reason it took me almost two years to finish it though.