Living Temple II brings India's artistic heritage into the present

Metro India News | Hyderabad : The month-long Living Temple II opened at EkChitra Art Gallery, Madhapur, on October 31, with fashion designer and entrepreneur Shilpa Reddy, Mrs India, inaugurating the second edition of Living Temple. The exhibition continues until November 29. The exhibition brings together more than 30 artists and practitioners and over 100 artworks spanning art, craft, sculpture, architecture and performance, alongside installations, performances, workshops and conversations.

A major attraction is a 32-foot-long scroll by Chennai-based artist K. G. Narendrababu. Aikyatha presents a limited-edition M. S. Subbulakshmi saree collection.

EkChitra founder Annapurna Madipadiga said the second edition brings artists, craftspeople and contemporary practitioners together to connect ancient knowledge systems with present-day creative expression. Reddy, who attended both editions, said the first exhibition had left her overwhelmed and that the current edition offered even more to absorb. She described Narendrababu's continuous scroll as extraordinary, wondering about the artist's state of mind as one form flowed into another. The Subbulakshmi saree collection was another memorable encounter, she said, adding that receiving a small gift from it felt humbling.

Participating artists include Amar Ramesh, Anupama Choudary, Aryan Patil, Debasish Das, Geru, Himmat Gayri, Jai Khanna, Janardhana Rao Havanje, K. G. Narendrababu, Krishnamurti Lalji Parshad, Mahesh Pottabathini, Parnavi Shrikant Bangar, Rajendran, Ramesh Gorjala, Rohini Kumar, Sangam Vankhade, Sanjay Das, Shastha Swarup Trayambak, Srihari S. Tote, Subhendu Mishra, Thillai Natarajan and Vipul Haldar.

The calendar includes a history-reminiscence workshop by Parnavi, a book presentation by Sanjay Das, a session on Chambal Valley temple conservation with K. K. Mohammed, a discussion on Indian temple architecture with D. N. V. Prasad Sthapathy and a Kerala mural workshop led by Sumesh. The festival connects heritage with contemporary life.