To study the mat and silk weaving traditions of Pattamadai village and Kanchipuram town in Tamil Nadu
I would like to thank the Trustees for their timely and generous awards. In the year following my Cambridge M Phil I returned to India and was given a second grant to conduct ethnographic research among weaving communities. This work formed a pre-PhD pilot study and I returned to Cambridge in 1996 to commence work on my PhD entitled "Crafting discourse: mat weaving in Pattamadai, South India". I was awarded the PhD in 2002.
To document and research modern Indian art criticism at Santiniketan, Bengal
The Female form in Ancient Indian terracotta art
To study Rashtrakuta influences in Tamil Nadu
The topic for my second award was so chosen because there is very scanty material available on the subject which forms a vital part of Tamilnadu (an art rich state). Tamilnadu, known for its rich art and culture is equally adept at adopting cultures of other states, and in this sense, the art influences of one of the major dynasties of South India assume importance. These awards have given me encouragement and have honed my skills to view the subject in a different perspective. After completing the project report, I have given lectures to junior staff about my observations.
To study the documentation on wood carvings in the collections of the Government museums in Tamil Nadu
To study the Lingaraja temple, Bhubaneswar, Orissa
