Patterns of India


Book Description

It’s the trip of a lifetime—a textile-based tour of colorful Rajasthan, India featuring more than 200 lush photographs depicting everyday life in one of the most vibrant regions in the world. ”Get lost in the beauty of the photographs in Patterns of India, a striking journey through the colorful Indian state of Rajasthan.”—BuzzFeed Patterns of India is a visual experience that offers intimate insights into the diverse and richly hued Western Indian culture. Color is the thread that binds the vast country together, defining every aspect of life from religion and politics to food and dress. Organized by the five dominant colors royal blue, sandstone, marigold, ivory, and rose, this book explores how deeply color and pattern exist in a symbiotic relationship and are woven into every part of the culture. For instance, the fuchsia found in the draping fabric of a sari is matched by the vibrant chains of roses offered at temple, and the burnt orange spices in the marketplaces are reflected in the henna tattoos given to brides and wedding guests. While every color is imbued with meaning, it is often within the details of patterns that the full story comes to light. Photographer and writer Christine Chitnis spent over a decade traveling through, getting to know, and falling in love with the intricate patterns of everyday Rajasthani life. With history and culture-based essays woven throughout the more than 200 stunning photographs of architecture, markets, cuisine, art, textiles, and everyday goings-on, Patterns of India captures the beauty and essence of this unique part of the world.




India: Cultural Patterns And Processes


Book Description

In this comprehensive analysis of India's cultural patterns and processes, the authors address both the diversity and the unity of India's culture, emphasizing the spatial distribution of cultural forms.




Indian Science Fiction


Book Description

This study draws from postcolonial theory, science fiction criticism, utopian studies, genre theory, Western and Indian philosophy and history to propose that Indian science fiction functions at the intersection of Indian and Western cultures. The author deploys a diachronic and comparative approach in examining the multilingual science fiction traditions of India to trace the overarching generic evolutions, which he complements with an analysis of specific patterns of hybridity in the genre’s formal and thematic elements – time, space, characters and the epistemologies that build the worlds in Indian science fiction. The work explores the larger patterns and connections visible despite the linguistic and cultural diversities of Indian science fiction traditions.







Indian Patterns to Colour


Book Description

Features beautiful black and white line drawings of Indian patterns, allowing readers to colour them in their own style. With snippets of information on techniques, media and colours, this is a unique introduction to modern and traditional Indian art.




Party System Change in South India


Book Description

This book provides a systematic exploration of party system change. By applying the concept of political entrepreneurship and using a detailed case study of the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu, it demonstrates how party leaders can exercise their agency and drive party system change. Recent developments in Tamil politics are taken into account in the light of the literature on party systems, achieving a classification of the party system and revealing patterns of change. The author explains the process of the change by comparing the careers of successful and failed party leaders, thus identifying the factors that enabled some political entrepreneurs to successfully found political parties and contribute to the process of party system change. Examining issues such as regional parties, political entrepreneurship, social change, caste and religious nationalism, the book illustrates the key forces shaping contemporary Indian politics, and presents an example of how the trend toward identity politics and the rising influence of regional political parties are fashioning a new Indian polity. With a broad cross-disciplinary appeal, the book will be of interest to students of South Asian politics, comparative politics, sociology and anthropology.




India Calling


Book Description

Reversing his parents immigrant path, a young writer returns to India and discovers an old country making itself new. Anand Giridharadas sensed something was afoot as his plane prepared to land in Bombay. An elderly passenger looked at him and said, Were all trying to go that way, pointing to the rear. You, youre going this way. Giridharadas was...




Traditional Chikankari Embroidery Patterns of India


Book Description

Chikankari is the term for the white cotton thread embroidery stitched on white cotton cloth in the Lucknow area of India. The subtle interplay of tonal and textural nuances produced through the varied, finely worked-out patterns -- workmanship once taken for granted but now collected by connoisseurs -- is beautifully demonstrated here by two acknowledged masters of textile design.




Indian Textile Patterns and Techniques


Book Description

This vibrant volume showcases a stunning collection of Indian textiles from the V&A, and explores in depth their history, production techniques, and designs. Textiles have a long and distinguished history on the Indian subcontinent, from the dazzling woven silks worn by royalty to the simple block-printed patterns worn by the masses. Drawing from the Victoria and Albert Museum’s world-class collection, this beautiful and informative reference features breathtaking and varied textile designs, techniques, and colors. Each piece is examined in detail through close-up shots of the fabric and patterns, and demonstrates different weaving techniques, allowing readers to see precisely how the textile was made. Divided into three chapters by pattern style—“Floral,” “Figurative,” and “Geometric”—each chapter comprises an introduction to the style’s history along with its intended use. This authoritative volume overflows with distinctive colors and patterns to inspire and inform the reader about the history of Indian textiles and patterns, their intended use, and the methods by which they were made.




Patterns of India: Gift Wrapping Paper Book


Book Description

Ten sheets of gorgeous gift-wrapping paper featuring imaginative designs that draw on the richness of the arts of India