‘Sacred Art of Ladakh: Fading Treasures’ highlights the need to preserve endangered Buddhist art
New Delhi [India], November 4: Through evocative photography and scholarly insights, Shreekant Somany’s book captures the artistic treasures...
New Delhi [India], November 4: Through evocative photography and scholarly insights, Shreekant Somany’s book captures the artistic treasures of Ladakh’s historic sites, preserving a visual record of a heritage that stands at a risk of being lost forever.
Industrialist, explorer, photographer and author Shreekant Somany unveiled Sacred Art of Ladakh: Fading Treasures to New Delhi at an event held at Bikaner House on Friday. Published by Niyogi Books, the visually evocative coffee-table book documents Ladakh’s sacred Buddhist art, architecture and spiritual traditions, drawing attention to a fragile cultural legacy that faces the threat of deterioration and irreversible loss.
The project grew out of Somany’s nine journeys to Ladakh over more than four decades, beginning with his first visit in 1981. During these travels, he witnessed fading pigments, water-damaged murals and deteriorating plaster threatening artworks created by generations of unknown artists. Photography consequently became more than a means of artistic expression; it became a way of preserving a visual memory of treasures that may otherwise be lost.
