AN INTERNATIONAL religious statesman has praised one of the city’s universities for its digital collection of historic paintings.
Oxford University has digitised 110 paintings of Hindu deities, which originated from 19th century Calcutta, the Indian city now known as Kolkata.
The historic paintings feature within the university’s online portal Digital Bodleian.
The works of art were bought between 1883 and 1884 by Sir Monier Monier-Williams, who was Oxford University’s second Boden Professor of Sanskrit from 1860.
It is thought some of the paintings were purchased by Sir Monier for one anna, a currency formerly used in India.
Rajan Zed, president of Nevada’s Universal Society of Hinduism, said he “applauded” the university for digitising the images of the Hindu deities and making them available for people across the world to use for teaching and research.
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