Gallery & temple

Sikkimese Lepcha girls dressed in the traditional Bakhu with Buddhist scriptures resting on their shoulders

Issue 37 of Garland will feature the gallery and temple.

How can we make a space that is separate from everyday life where we can come together to reflect on life and the world?

TEMPLE is separated from everyday life for the purposes of reflection and worship. It includes both works made for religious buildings (temples, mosques and churches) as well as stories about art galleries that facilitate contemplation in innovative ways.

This issue reflects the rich creative life emerging from diasporic communities that are working together to make spaces of beauty and meaning.

The stories can include:

  • Different models of a gallery space
  • Works made for temples, shrines, mosques and churches

This issue will be published on 1 December 2024. You can find guidelines for submitting a story here. The deadline for stories is 1 November 2024. Please let us know in advance of your idea here.

The guest editor is Pamela See.

Some temple stories already in Garland:

Urmila Mohan on The Jugaad Project - This podcast interview reflects the role that anthropologists of material culture can play in supporting a diversity of beliefs and practices.
The sacred garden: A photo essay of worship through flowers - Prerana Chandak shares images of the flowers that play an important role in her Hindu faith and practice.
Lotus blooms and divine blessings: A spiritual journey through fragrance and festivity - Japneet Keith recounts the floral scents associated with the deities invoked in Durga Puja.
Roof top alchemy: Gilding statues in Nepal - Gary Wornell visits a legendary Nepalese gilder and witnesses the mysterious alchemy that turns idols golden.
Silk thangka: An unbroken thread - Gary Wornell journeys to the Pullahari Gumba Monastery hoping to find Nurbu, whose life is dedicated to the tradition of sacred Buddhist imagery in luscious silk.
Saga Dawa: The blessing of the scriptures - Shruti Agrawal fulfils her father-in-law’s dream to visit the fabled Himalayan town of Gangtok, where she witnesses a remarkable Buddhist rite that brings life to sacred wisdom.
Shaping the divine in the lanes of Kumartuli - Ananya Hazarika ventures into the lanes of Kumartuli in West Bengal to witness the creation of gods from clay.
Banten jerimpen: An offering to reach the universe - Local authority Mas Ruscita offers a Balinese perspective on Banten Jerimpen, the diving offering that reaches to the sky and a reflection on the unique attitude of nakmulaketo (“As it is”).