Browsing by Author "Condra, R."

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Elephant Motifs on Indian Coins and its Significance
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Condra, R.
Significance of Elephants and their Motif: Elephant is regarded as the mount of Kings in India. It is a devastating weapon of war and could be symbolised as God of warriors. It is also a sign of wealth and power and denotes royalty, inner strength and nobility. On coins it’s depicted in war scenes and to show royal extravaganza. The elephant has been presented as raining clouds, Vahana or vehicle of Indra, fertility of crops, the conception of womanhood, the sign of fecundation of mother goddess and her Vahana, the guardian of quarters, the symbol of the Sun, the Lord Buddha and Lord Mahavira. The elephant motif makes consistent appearance on Indian coins and has religious and political importance. The paper will look into the elephant symbolism or motif on Indian coins and journey of its appearance in different context. It will further discuss usage of motif from northern part of Indian subcontinent to southern part. The period will cover specific dynasties and period that prominently used this symbolism from Indus valley seals to modern Indian government coinage.
Elephant Motifs on Indian Coins and Their Significance
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2016) Condra, R.
An Odyssey of Indian Railways through Cinematic Lens
(The International Conference on Land Transportation, Locomotive Heritage and Road Culture - 2017, 2017) Condra, R.
Cinema is related to trains from the time of its inception. Both inventions brought world closer and introduced newer aspects of modern world to mankind. They are more than century old and have heritage status. Trains shown in films have many connotations including physical, commercial and philosophical. There had been something about trains that makes them irresistible to film-makers including in that of India. The concept of train and cinema in India could be categorised into different genres such as romance, thrillers, social drama and so on where many momentous twist of plot in films has taken place as a train winds its way passing fields and forests in India. The following paper will explore some aspects of Indian Railways in Indian cinema, especially made in Hindi as canvas of Indian cinema is very large. The trains have adorned movies ranging from romance to action, and entertained Indian audience.Indian Railways had different type of representations in pre-independence India then called GPR (Grand Peninsula Railways). In the Raj era railway companies often used the print and cine medium to attract passengers and to educate them in proper utilisation of their services. In post-independence period this became more subtle and sublime. The various aspects under consideration here includes Railways as a messenger of new beginning, Trains and Veerangana movies, Train and Partition, Trains and Swadesh, Railway professions and films, romance, commercial aspects and so on. A special reference will also be made on the train songs which are almost a genre unto itself, with the locomotive serving as a veritable orchestra with its piercing toots and the chuk-chuk of its wheels. Thus, the paper aims to see the dynamic history of cinema and railways shaping India through narratives of mobility.
West-orient Memsaabs of Indian Films in Colonial period: The history, heritage and hegemony
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Condra, R.
The growth of Indian cinema and its messages under British colonial rule significantly parallel the political and societal atmosphere of the country of the time thus asserting it historical and cultural identity. Certainly, there was a significant contribution of western community and their technology in this evolution. The pre-colonial period generation invariably benefited from each other with cultural wisdom of one, and the modern integration of the other. Due to societal prejudices women of Indian origin were discouraged to become part of film industry. We so find the preliminary female actors in Indian films being of foreign origins. They may be considered as leading female entrepreneurs of Indian Film industry. They were integral part of decision making working in different capacity as an Actor, Director, Music composer and prominently Proprietor of film Production house. The journey for them was not simple but extremely challenging. However, they prolifically emerged as indispensible part of what we today understand as ‘making of modern Indian woman’. This study aims to analyse historical and social stature of Anglo-Indian female actors, their stardom, accomplishments- failures and contribution in shaping the imagery of modern Indian women. The paper will consider the physical and virtual migration and assimilation of western filmic individuals into mainstream modern Indian cultural premise. Further, a review will be made of trend setting phenomenal transition where ‘modern’ Indian minds were conditioned to appreciate western ideas, white-skinned heroines and related aspects of modernisation. The film themes, orientalisation of heroines of western origin, their contribution to Indian society and censorship in colonial India will further be discussed.
West-orient Memsaabs of Indian Films in Colonial period: The History, Heritage and Hegemony
(Centre for Asian Studies, University of Kelaniya, 2015) Condra, R.