Art Indica with Alka Pande and Nidheesh

In Episode 6 of Art Indica , we explore the fragile afterlife of Mughal heritage in India through the haunting case of Zeenat Mahal Haveli in Old Delhi — now a girls' school, but once the residence of the youngest wife of the last Mughal emperor. In conversation with Dr. Alka Pande and Nidheesh, we unpack why historic structures fall into disuse and decay despite their immense cultural value....

In this episode of Art Indica , Dr. Alka Pande and Nidheesh explore how Mughal aesthetics continue to live on long after the empire itself. Framed as the “afterlife of beauty,” the conversation traces the journey of Mughal design—from pietra dura in the Taj Mahal to floral motifs, paisley forms, carpets, and brocades that remain embedded in contemporary culture. The episode highlights how Mughal a...

In Episode 4 of Art Indica , Dr. Alka Pande and Nidheesh trace the evolving journey of Mughal art and aesthetics across centuries—beginning with its Persian influences and moving through its encounters with European and British visual cultures. This episode reflects on how Mughal art was never static, but shaped by exchange, adaptation, and shifting political contexts. From miniature painting trad...

Do you want to learn more about some of the greatest visual stories ever told? Join  Dr. Alka Pande  and  Nidheesh  in  Episode 3 of Art Indica , as they dive into the world of  Mughal public spaces : gardens, cities, bazaars, and monuments that still shape how we move, gather, and experience space in India today. In this 40-minute conversation, they explore: How  Babur hated Delhi’s dust and heat...

This episode of Art Indica explores the layered world of Mughal art through conversation with Dr. Alka Pande and Nidheesh. We unpack how patronage shaped artistic production, how Hindu themes entered Mughal courts, and how projects like the Razmnama reveal art as a tool of statecraft.

What does it mean to experience empire through the senses? In Episode 1 of  Art Indica , hosts Alka Pande and Nidheesh Tyagi begin a journey through  500 Years of Mughal Arts . Titled  Empire of the Senses , this episode explores how Mughal visual culture engaged sight, texture, material, and ornament as forms of power, identity, and aesthetic experience. Dr. Alka Pande and Nidheesh Tyagi discuss...

Do you want to learn more about some of the greatest visual stories ever told? Join Dr. Alka Pande and Nidheesh , co-hosts of Art Indica , as they delve into the world of Mughal art, architecture, and design in the first season. Each episode, they look at a different facet of Mughal visual culture like paintings, gardens, stones, manuscripts, and objects, bringing the historical context behind the...