Sanchar – The Lines of Bengal and Beyond

Sanchar – The Lines of Bengal and Beyond’ is far more than a regional artistic col- lective; it represents a comprehensive quest or conceptual framework rooted in the very act of Indian creation. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, the British sought to convince the people of this land that India possessed no indigenous art or culture of its own. Indeed, they maintained that their arrival’s primary purpose was to illuminate every branch of Indian thought, creativity, and education. It was within this atmosphere of cultural ambivalence that a new art movement was conceived, rooted deep into the culture of India, especially Bengal. As British-mandated curric- ula became deeply entrenched in art school pedagogy, and as the dominance of West- ern academic realism began to override indigenous practice, certain artists in Bengal sensed that the time had come to reconnect their creative endeavours with the nation’s heritage, history, and traditions. From this urgent necessity, as a distinct artistic cur- rent emerged, fathered by Abanindranath Tagore. In the context of this movement, Sister Nivedita’s role was incalculable; she served as the friend, guide, and philoso- pher of the nascent Indian art movement.