In his talk today, architect Kaiwan Mehta will explain why turn-of-the-century art and architecture could be responsible for shaping our idea of what God looks like

In his biography, 20th century theatre actor Jayashankar Sundari gave 18th century artist Raja Ravi Varma due respect, by purchasing his paintings portraying Shakuntala, for the sets of his play.

"This seemingly little detail is important since it reinforces Raja Ravi Varma's significance in art, particularly for his paintings depicting episodes from Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and Nala and Damayanti, from the Mahabharata.

Ravi Varma's representation of mythological characters have defined an Indian's imagination of the epics," notes architect Kaiwan Mehta.

The architect will talk about the relevance of mythological paintings at the turn of the century and what they stood for, at the Bombay Art Gallery, today.
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A building in Bhoiwada has a carving of Krishna, who is shown killing a snake

By citing examples of Raja Ravi Varma's contribution, and important buildings in Mumbai that helped rediscover mythology during the turn of the century, Kaiwan aims to educate the layperson about its role in religious folklore, by helping us define and shape our idea of what God looks like.

"When mythology was rediscovered through art and architecture during the 19th and 20th century, it instantly became a vital part of national history as well," says the author of Alice in Bhuleshwar, who will also showcase pictures from his book of buildings and art on those buildings, in Mumbai's Bhuleshwar and Bhoiwada addresses, to drive his message home.

Kaiwan Mehta will be speaking at the Bombay Art Gallery, Ruia House, 19 Mount Pleasant Road, Malabar Hill, at 6.45 pm today.
Call: 23675254