Myth and Memory

A visual journey into Hindu mythology, told through India's most exquisite wall paintings - an immersive encounter with India's mythological imagination, preserved in paint and stone.

Following the publication of The Bundi Wall-Paintings in Rajasthan, Hilde Lauwaert photographed hundreds of wall-paintings, across Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. In her new book, she introduces readers to the great stories of Hindu mythology, as depicted in refined artistic wall-paintings found in centuries-old temples, palaces, forts, cenotaphs and wells, as well as more popular examples in the havelis, the wealthy merchant houses from the 18th to the 20th centuries. These richly decorative wall-paintings, a unique form of cultural heritage in India, bring the principal Hindu myths vividly to life in visual form. Taking these paintings as her guide, the author aims to make the stories of Hindu mythology recognizable and understandable to a wide audience. She also explores the ways in which the gods are worshipped today, through rituals at home, in temples, and during festivals.