Katharanya | Stories of Santiniketan | Smt. Diyali Lahiri | KARU

In the opening conversation of Katharanya’s second edition, we listen to Smt. Diyali Lahiri — a creative soul shaped by the life and aesthetics of old Santiniketan. Her recollections take us back to the Ashram of her childhood: its homes, its people, its seasons, its songs, and principles through which beauty became a way of life. As the daughter of Sri Birendra Mohan Sen, she carries the memory of Santiniketan being built — not only as an institution, but as a living world. As a dancer and student of Tagore’s aesthetics, she speaks of how that world shaped her art, her eye, and her way of being. With this conversation, Katharanya becomes both remembrance and offering — carrying a rare memory of Santiniketan to a wider world. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Time stamps: 00:00:00 - 00:01:10 - Intro 00:01:10 - 00:03:10 - How did Santiniketan absorb global influences while remaining rooted in its own culture? 00:03:10 - 00:07:13 - How did your upbringing in Santiniketan help you adapt to life on foreign shores? 00:07:13 - 00:08:50 - When you revisit Santiniketan’s golden years, what comes to mind first? 00:08:50 - 00:13:15 - Could you walk us through your memories of your alma mater, Kala Bhavana? 00:13:15 - 00:15:10 - How do you think Kala Bhavana shaped the visual language of modern India? 00:15:10 - 00:18:26 - What place did design and craft hold for the masters of Kala Bhavana? 00:18:26 - 00:21:00 - How did Kala Bhavana shape the students of a young, independent India? 00:21:00 - 00:29:28 - What are your thoughts on the built environment of Santiniketan, which was such an integral aspect of your father’s life? 00:29:28 - 00:35:35 - What, in your view, are the intrinsic principles of Santiniketan’s architecture? 00:35:35 - 00:40:20 - How did the architecture of the Ashram reflect the people who lived and worked within it? 00:40:20 - 00:43:46 - Is there a Santiniketan building that remains especially close to your heart? 00:43:46 - 00:51:20 - What are your thoughts and memories of our favourite — Udayan? 00:51:20 - 00:56:00 - What makes Santiniketan’s aesthetic distinct from other artistic and cultural movements? 00:56:00 - 01:00:44 - How has Santiniketan influenced the modern Bengali aesthetic? 01:00:44 - 01:03:33 - How does one balance ornamentation with restraint? 01:03:33 - 01:10:58 - What are your thoughts on the three pillars of Karu’s Uttarayan collection — Rathindranath Tagore, Surendranath Kar, and Nandalal Bose? 01:10:58 - 01:19:29 - Could you share your thoughts on Pratima Devi, Gauri Devi, and Jamuna Devi? 01:19:29 - 01:22:30 - How did these women contribute to the Ashram’s artistic traditions? 01:22:30 - 01:24:41 - How have the ideals of Santiniketan shaped your own beliefs and ideas? 01:24:41 - 01:27:26 - What are your thoughts and hopes for Karu’s Uttarayan, and for the journey ahead?