Bengal Sultanate Coins
In 1996 I undertook a research project entitled "Coinage and Currency System of Bengal Sultans (1204-1576 AD inmy capacity as Fellow of the Institute. A part of this project involved indepth study and documentation of coins preserved in public collections inridge the UK. I applied for a Visiting Fellowship in 1997 and received the award in 1998 which was the ideal time for mto visit the UK after completing the first phase of rsearch work on the coin hoards of the Bengal Sultanate in India.
An internship to study the latest techniques relating to the conservation of paintings at the Hamilton Kerr Institute, Cambridge University.
My internship in the paper conservation department at the Hamilton Kerr Institute at the University of Cambridge was really interesting and exciting. It is not an exaggeration if I sawy it is a well equipped conservation studio with highly experienced conservators. My aim was to learn some advanced techniques implemented in conservation, mainly on Indian miniature paintings and western paintings on paper. I was looking for various techniques on consolidation, lining of paper paintings, relaxing of cockled and wrinkled paintings, filling of missing areas and mounting techniques.
Study of Mediterranean pottery and other material relating to early trade in the Indian Ocean.
In my three month stay in the UK, I worked with Professor David Peacock and his team in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Southampton. We jointly wrote a paper on Mediterranean amphorae from Nevasa India. I produced a scond paper on " Impact of Indo-Roman trade of western India", which was published in the Journal of South Asian Studies of the British Academy. The award gave me the opportunity to initiate meaningful collaborations with scholars in the UK. I have delivered lectures at various institutes and academic gatherings in India and abroad.
Coromandel trade
Along with the UK Visiting Fellowship this enabled me to collect data on the subject of the Coromandel English trade from UK institutions.
Miniature paintings and works on paper: Conservation and care
I was already in the process of conserving Indian miniatures but the award gave me a chance not only to be involved in practical conservation at the V&A but also to visit and discuss the treatment techniques employed by other Paper Conservation Studios. This gave me an opportunity to get acquainted with new materials and techniques. I procured samples of some of these materials in the UK and since then have been able to find some locally. There is unfortunately still a dearth of materials for conservation in India.
Palmleaf Manuscripts: Care and Conservation
To study and train in the conservation of paper and palmleaf manuscripts at the V&A & other UK museums
A complex history: collections of Indian art at the V&A
Of the grants awarded to me, the one that most deeply affected me , was the NTICVA Visiting Fellowship which I was awarded soon after completing my PhD when I was looking for a new area of study and had become interested in the field of new new museology. This deconstructive approach applies insights of the new anthropology to the field of museology, examining the ways in which museums have become influential institutions in the modern world, as custodians and interpreters of the artefacts of the past.
Study of South Indian sculpture in UK museum collections.
I visited many museums in the UK during my stay there, and both documented South Indian sculptures and bronzes and display methods. I subsequently developed display methods for the Government Museums at Vellore and Cuddalore. Since then I have received a fellowship awarded by the Institute for Social Science and Research at Vellore. I delivered about 100 lectures in the period between 1994 and 2001 to college and school students, Rotary and other clubs, and groups of visitors to the Vellore museum.
Study of Jaina sculptures and paintings in UK Museums
Several new ideas and materials which emerged through the research in the UK collections helped me in my future researches. The award widened my knowledge and mental horizons.
Conservation and analysis of Wall Paintings
To study the analysis and conservation of wall paintings at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London
