There are around 1500 rock cut structures in India, more than half of which are in the Western Ghats. For more than two thousand years, the Sahyadri range in the Western Ghats has been one of the busiest terrains in the world. Numerous dynasties, many trading communities and the subsequent cultural exchanges have provided patronage to make this terrain replete with eclectic art creations. The layered mountains with well-formed rocks have called patrons and artists alike to create exquisite rock cut structures, narrating stories of Buddhist, Jain and Brahmanical mythologies. Why were the Western Ghats so attractive for these rock-cut structures? What made people climb up these terrains and create marvels of art? Who were the patrons and who looked after these structures? At our Online Talk #CutInRock, art historian Snehal Tambulwadikar-Khedkar tells us the story of of these structures, each a fascinating tale of human ambition and connoisseurship. 

About the speaker

Snehal Tambulwadikar-Khedkar is a freelance writer, art critic and art historian and aesthetician. She is currently working as a Visiting Faculty of Art History and Aesthetics at the JJ School of Arts, Mumbai, and also at NID Ahmedabad and Kurukshetra, along with many other institutes. She has given two tedx talks and published many papers. Currently pursuing her PhD in medieval sculptures from western Maharashtra, she is interested in making history relevant to contemporary aesthetics. Presently in India, Snehal is working on a project named Kalapravasi Heritage Tours with the objective of creating awareness and respect for the heritage of arts and culture in different parts of the country.