Ancient India
living traditions
Event information
5 June 2025
17.30–18.30
Online event
Please note this event will require you to use the video conferencing system Zoom.
Free
18+
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Join curator Dr Sushma Jansari and project curator Kajal Meghani as they introduce the context, scope, themes and highlights of this major exhibition, in this illustrated online talk.
This eye-opening event will explore where the image of the beloved and playful Hindu god Ganesha, with his elephant head and rounded belly, originates, and what inspired the depictions of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain deities and enlightened teachers in the forms we are still familiar with today.
The major new exhibition, Ancient India: living traditions, reaches back more than 2,000 years to explore the origins of the sacred art of these major world religions in the ancient and powerful nature spirits of India, and the spread of this art beyond the subcontinent.
From the symbolic footprints which preceded portrayals of the Buddha in human form, to the cosmic serpents incorporated into Hindu art and the nature spirits who attend Jain enlightened teachers. Jansari and Meghani will set out the ancient stories behind these living traditions, explored in this compelling exhibition.
This event is part of the public programme supporting the exhibition Ancient India: living traditions (22 May – 19 October 2025).
To attend this online event
Book now to secure your place.
We are hosting the event on Zoom – a free video conferencing system that requires users to register in advance. If you do not already use Zoom, you can sign up using this registration link.
If the event is fully booked, or you do not wish to use Zoom, you can also watch the event streamed live – as well as other events in the series – by subscribing to the British Museum Events YouTube channel.
This event includes live captioning provided by Stagetext and delivered by MyClearText.
Read our booking form privacy policy.
About the speakers
Dr Sushma Jansari is Tabor Foundation Curator of South Asia at the British Museum and a Trustee of the Roald Dahl Museum. Jansari was Lead Curator of the award-winning Manchester Museum South Asia Gallery in partnership with the British Museum (opened 2023), and Co-Investigator of the AHRC-funded Sloane Lab project (2021–24). She curated the major British Museum exhibition Ancient India: living traditions and co-authored the accompanying book. Jansari shares South Asian art and history on TikTok and Instagram.
About the speakers cont.
Kajal Meghani is the Project Curator for the British Museum exhibition Ancient India: living traditions. Alongside the exhibition, she is undertaking an AHRC-funded PhD researching the contributions of South Asian collectors to the British Museum. Kajal formerly worked at the Royal Collection Trust, curating the 2017–18 exhibition, Splendours of the Subcontinent: A Prince's tour of India 1875–6, that explored Edward VII's four-month diplomatic visit to India through the gifts he received from South Asian rulers and dignitaries.
Privacy policy
The personal data you provide to us on the event booking form is being collected so that we can administer the event efficiently and, if necessary, contact you with important updates about the event. It will only be used by the British Museum for this purpose, it will not be shared with any third parties and it will be securely deleted as soon as reasonably practicable and no later than a month. This privacy information does not apply to the processing of your personal data by Zoom which will be governed by the terms of the agreement made between you and Zoom when you subscribed to their service.