Artist Prashant Shah paints the beauty of Jain temples

THE HINDU
By Shailaja Tripathi

“Homage to Bhagwan Bahubali” by artist Prashant Shah

Besides highlighting the aesthetics and the beauty of Jain temples, artist Prashant Shah also underlines the life of Gomateshwara, the revered Jain monk whose tall statue in Shravanbelagola makes for a fascinating sight. To take up religious matter for a painting exhibition can be tricky but Prashant Shah is quite up to the challenge. He wants the viewer to only appreciate the art for art’s sake at his two ongoing exhibitions “Homage to Bhagwan Bahubali” and “Masterpieces of Jain Heritage” at Karnataka Chitrakala Parishath in Bengaluru. He would rather have a viewer appreciate the ancient heritage of Jain scriptures, the temple icons, sculptures, bas relief for their aesthetics and beauty. [More]

India’s Supreme Court suspends lower court ban on starvation ritual

THE NEW YORK TIMES
By Ellen Barry

INDIA---India’s Supreme Court on Monday suspended a state-level court’s ban on a religious practice called santhara, a fast to the death most often undertaken by the sick and aged. The case was initiated in 2006 by an activist who argued that the practice amounted to suicide and that relatives sometimes forced it on family members who could no longer properly give consent. Defenders of the practice, which is considered to bring honor to a family, argue that it is both distinct from suicide and essential to Jainism, which celebrates acts of radical renunciation. [link]