News and Updates

The tank at Mahakuta in Badami, which traps the waters of a natural spring, is generally occupied by energetic boys splashing around. Photograph by Surendra Kumar.

The monsoon season in the Deccan typically spans from June to September, bringing much-needed relief from the scorching summer heat, transforming the landscape with its rains and lush greenery. Rivers and reservoirs are replenished and revitalised. However, the Deccan’s rocky terrain and semi-arid areas can make the monsoon unpredictable, with some regions experiencing heavy downpours while others receive sporadic showers. For the Deccan’s rich historical sites, the monsoon is both a blessing and a challenge, as it brings life to the region but also requires careful management.

[Top] An aerial view of the Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, with the recently added monsoon shed visible. [Bottom] A view of the shed from the inside.

At our ongoing project, Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion in Mysuru, a monsoon shed has been erected over the terrace of the North Block. This temporary structure helps prevent water ingress during the heavy rains, ensuring that both the building and its valuable collections remain safe and secure throughout the monsoon season. To learn more about the restoration efforts at Jayalakshmi Vilas Mansion, visit our website.

Clearing the vegetation at the Rang Mahal Pavilion at The Residency Complex, Hyderabad, August 2024

Heavy and continuous rains in Hyderabad put a pause on our restoration work at the Rang Mahal Pavilion. While this has slowed us down, the surrounding plants and vegetation have flourished. Despite their beauty, the plants have to be cleared so we can continue restoring the building and help protect it against the effects of soil erosion, water logging and damage from roots of nearby plants. For the latest updates on the project, visit our website.

Each couraça shields a steep flight of stairs, and together they enclose a triangle of hillside, originally bare but now thickly planted with coconut. Photograph by Surendra Kumar.

As the monsoon slowly ceases, there is perhaps no better time to visit Goa’s numerous Portuguese sea forts. These strongholds that overlook the sprawling ocean are stunning remnants of an old maritime empire. Standing on the site of a small Bijapuri fort, Reis Magos is probably the oldest Portuguese fort in Goa, designed by João Baptista Cairato, and completed in 1551 but continuously improved till 1605. It has taken many shapes over the years, once used as a quarantine centre after World War I, later remodelled into a prison in the early 20th century, left abandoned after the Portuguese left in 1961, and finally renovated recently for use as a culture and heritage centre. One can also visit a permanent retrospective of works by Goa’s celebrated artist, Mario Miranda, housed in the fort. Pictured above is one of the startlingly steep couraças, angled at nearly 60 degrees towards the lower fort, with a picturesque view of the sea. Explore the Portuguese Sea Forts of Goa with our DHF Guidebook.

Pichvai of Varsha (Monsoon Season), 1700-1800, Deccani school, Gold, silver and pigments on dark blue cotton, H x W: 127 x 96.5 cm (50 x 38 in), India, Andhra Pradesh state. From the collection of The Smithsonian Institution.

We are thrilled to share a special contribution from Dr. Madhuvanti Ghose, Alsdorf Associate Curator at The Art Institute of Chicago and DHF board member. Dr. Ghose is part of an exciting collaboration for an upcoming exhibition at the National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian in 2025, which will showcase fifteen monumental pichvai, including this Pichvai of Varsha (Monsoon Season) – pictured above.

Golden pichvai from the Deccan are notably distinct from the painted pichvai of Rajasthan and were commissioned by the wealthy Vaishnava merchant families from Hyderabad for their family shrines. Some of them were offered by these families to their gurughars (temples of their gurus) as gifts when they would visit Nathdwara or Kankroli or Benaras. This exquisite example showcases the unique Deccani style, with gold and silver foil set against a deep blue background. It depicts symbolically the love that the gopis (cowherdresses) of Vrindavan felt towards Krishna. The gopis carrying offerings of garlands, flowers, peacock feather fans and fly whisks, have come searching for Krishna, drawn by the exquisite music of his flute. They gather around the kadamba tree anxiously awaiting his arrival. The peacocks above set the mood, depicting the desire for union with one’s beloved. These golden pichvai are displayed during the navratri season. One needs to imagine how this pichvai would have looked, with a shrine in front of it with the image of Krishna, with the kadamba tree behind the simhasana (throne), and the gopis on either side and Krishna’s beloved cows and cowherds as attendants peeking out from below.

The columned mandapa of the Kadalekalu Ganesha shrine above Hampi. Photograph by John Gollings from the DHF’s Hampi Vijayanagara guidebook, co-authored by Dr. George Michell.

DHF co-founder Dr. George Michell will be giving a series of talks across the US this month, where he will share insights from his extensive research, conducted in collaboration with Dr. John Fritz, on the magnificent ruins of Hampi, the great capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. The schedule for the talks is as follows:

Harvard University, October 7

University of Pennsylvania, October 11

University of Chicago, October 14

UC Berkeley, October 17

Get in touch with us about how to get involved and support the DHF’s ongoing restoration projects. Learn more about the fascinating Deccan region and plan your travels with our comprehensive guidebooks, which are available in both paperback and digital format on the DHF Bookstore.