The word 'Articuly' stems from the combination of art and culture. Through this initiative, we aim to spread knowledge about Indian art forms, heritage, and culture.
Namaste,
I am Yashmitha Purushotham. I think it was during my 2nd year of Law School when I became more interested in Indian history, culture, and art. I remember vividly having a chat with my dad and uncle about temple science. They told me how ancient Shiva temples were built in a straight line along or close to the 79-degree longitude, without any satellite technology, GPS, or tools to measure exact coordinates! It amazed me how this was even possible back then.
A few days later, my aunt introduced me to a renowned Ganjifa artist in Mysore. Honestly, I had no clue what Ganjifa was (and I was a little embarrassed about it). These instances sparked something in me. I started reading, questioning, and exploring. One thing led to another, and it introduced me to various Indian traditions, folk arts, looms, crafts, etc. There are so many! Each community practices a different ritual and art form, and each one has beautiful stories to tell.
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My readings about these art forms led me to find that one of the most common conclusions made is that these art forms are on the verge of extinction due to people's unawareness of them. Most artists don't want to continue working in it because they aren't paid enough. That's when I realized how much knowledge we are losing due to our ignorance. Families pass on these arts and traditions from one generation to the next, and if the last driving family stops practicing them, the art form and traditions will cease to exist.
Our long-carried knowledge and traditions will be lost if these art forms are not documented today and if these artists are not brought to the forefront. Our ancestors would have gone through so much to ensure that this knowledge is passed on to our generation. Shouldn't we be doing the same? That's how Articuly was born. With the simple vision of promoting these art forms, exploring our motherland in depth and sharing all the treasures of this beautiful country, and building a bigger platform for these artists to showcase their art and stories to live.
If you have any ideas to take this very vision forward, you are always welcome to discuss them with me at yashmithapurushotham@gmail.com. If you are interested in researching and writing about any of the topics covered, please, email at articulyy@gmail.com. Together we can work towards preserving all that our motherland offers!