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BBC Radio 3 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced Third Programme.

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The Essay Podcast

The Essay

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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Essays from leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond.

Leading writers on arts, history, philosophy, science, religion and beyond, themed across a week - insight, opinion and intellectual surprise.

The Essay: A Short History of Indian Art

The Essay: A Short History of Indian Art: Episode 2: Arjuna's Penance

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Factual: History

A Short History of Indian Art

Episode 2

Episode 2: Arjuna's Penance

Arjuna's Penance

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William Dalrymple celebrates a remarkable 7th-century rock carving near the Bay of Bengal.

William Dalrymple discusses a remarkable 7th-century rock carving near the Bay of Bengal in modern Tamil Nadu, a work rich with images from Hindu mythology.

Two giant boulders of pink granite near the Bay of Bengal in modern Tamil Nadu are the focus of Dalrymple's second essay in the series 'A Short History of Indian Art'.

It was here, in the 7th century, that master carvers created a giant open-air relief that tells many stories, including the well-known tale of how the sacred River Ganges fell to earth as well as depicting the penance of Arjuna, one of the heroes of Indian mythology. This huge and intricate carving remains one of the most powerful pieces of open-air art anywhere in the world.

Dalrymple describes the importance of South India at this time and the emergence of the Pallava dynasty. He introduces us to the fascinating story surrounding the patron of South Indian sculpture, the great monarch Mahendra. These kings of Tamil Nadu generated incredible wealth, thanks to their control over the spice and silk trade, and powered a period of profound artistic production and temple building. From their great port of Mahabalipuram (now a sleepy tourist resort) the Pallava kings created a vibrant new approach to art that was widely exported.
William tells the remarkable story of Arjuna's Penance / The Descent of the Ganges. He describes its place within the major artistic movements of India and its role in the unfolding history of one of the world's most diverse cultures. 

'A Short History of Indian Art' is a Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 3. The producer is Anthony Denselow.

Live music and the arts: broadcasts more live music than any other radio network. Classical music is its core. Genres include world and new music, jazz, speech and drama.

William Dalrymple tells a history of India through classic images of art and sculpture

William Dalrymple tells a history of India through art and sculpture. He describes their place within major artistic movements of India and their role in one one of the world's most diverse cultures

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