If you\u2019re fascinated by India and Indian heritage a new two-part documentary \u2013 produced with the help of two Open University academics \u2013 is about to air.<\/p>\n
Treasures of India<\/em> will hit the small screen on Sunday 9 July on Channel 4 at 8pm, when viewers see seasoned adventurer, author and historian, Professor Bettany Hughes, guiding us through her curated selection of India\u2019s treasures with the help of experts including those from the OU.<\/p>\n The two-part, hour-long episodes, produced by Sandstone Global Productions for the channel, which are also available on 4 On Demand (4oD) after the broadcast, showcase many extraordinary sites and cultural practices in North and South India.<\/p>\n They include much beauty including the Taj Mahal, the Golden Temple, scenic countryside viewed from a colonial-era railway and ancient sites such as the city of Hampi, one of the world\u2019s greatest abandoned cities.<\/p>\n We also see the steps, known as ghats, of Varanasi on the banks of the River Ganges where Hindus are performing sacred rituals.<\/p>\n The programme also shows the\u00a0ongoing traditions of\u00a0the\u00a0making\u00a0of\u00a0the famous Chola bronzes\u00a0– a medieval\u00a0sculpture tradition that is still being practised.<\/p>\n Dr Suzanne Newcombe<\/a>, senior lecturer in religious studies, was one of the consultants. As was Dr Renate Dohmen<\/a>, senior lecturer in art history at the OU and a part of the university\u2019s The Ferguson Centre for African and Asian Studies | Open University<\/a>.<\/p>\n She shared her knowledge on many aspects of India\u2019s architecture and its associated sculptural traditions.<\/p>\n While Renate was UK based throughout the filming, she said:<\/p>\n \u201cMy\u00a0main input was to provide art historical expertise and to support the team in choosing shots\u00a0that allow the viewer to savour the beauty and wonderfully interesting aspects of these intercultural\u00a0histories.<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI particularly enjoyed the stunning shots of Northern India, especially of\u00a0Jag Niwas Palace in Lake Pichola in Udaipur \u2013 known as the Lake Palace\u00a0\u2013 total eye candy.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Bettany also visits the Golden Temple in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, where this breathtakingly beautiful structure gives the illusion of floating in the centre of a sacred lake.<\/p>\n The temple is a gurdwara, a place known as the holiest pilgrimage site for Sikhs, but it is open to pilgrims of all faiths and offers food to every visitor from the largest free kitchen in the world.<\/p>\n Renate said:<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing what goes on in the kitchen of the Golden Temple was the most surprising for me. It feeds\u00a0up to 100,000 people a day and is mostly staffed by volunteers. Look out for what looks like a cement mixer. It turns out to be a giant mixer for\u00a0chapati dough.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Suzanne, who conducts research on contemporary yoga and contributes to the OU\u2019s religious studies courses, was consulted by the programme makers around presentations of contemporary religion.<\/p>\n She said:<\/p>\n \u201cBettany participates in a religious ceremony on the ghats of Varanasi and we also see a theyyam ritual take place in Kerala. This is where a male dancer becomes \u2018possessed\u2019 by a goddess.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Suzanne says the programme highlights how the line between tourism and spiritual pilgrimage becomes blurred for many in India, themes that are explored in the OU\u2019s religious studies courses.<\/p>\n This series was commissioned by Broadcast and Partnerships<\/a> and is supported by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences with particular relevance to:<\/p>\n R14 – BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities<\/a>, R27 – BA (Honours) Art History and Visual Cultures<\/a> & R45 – BA (Honours) Religion, Philosophy and Ethics<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n