Tapobhumi Institute for the Promotion of Mysore Art

Tapobhumi Institute
for the Promotion of Mysore Art

Tapobhumi Institute was founded to ensure that Mysore art does not merely survive in archives and collections, but continues to flourish in the hands of practicing artists. Anchored at the Tapobhumi Oko Centre for the Arts, the Institute brings together rigorous pedagogy, living archives, artistic practice, and public engagement to sustain and evolve this classical tradition.

Many individuals and institutions are engaged in researching, documenting, and collecting Mysore art — work that is deeply valuable to cultural memory. Yet, without a concerted effort to train and support new generations of professional artists, even the richest traditions risk becoming museum heritage rather than living practice.

AN IMPRESSIVE PAINTING OF THE MARRIAGE OF SHIVA AND PARVATI, TANJORE, TAMIL NADU, SOUTH IN

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What We Do

Tapobhumi Oko Centre for the Arts serves as our creative campus - a space where tradition is practiced, taught, studied, and reimagined.

01 Structured training in Mysore art

02 Living archives and documentation

03 Artist mentorship and professional support

04 Research, exhibitions, and outreach

Our Vision

To safeguard the integrity of Mysore’s artistic heritage while enabling its evolution in a contemporary world.

Our Mission

Tapobhumi Institute for the Promotion of Mysore Art advances its vision through fourinterconnected pillars:

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Preservation through Practice

We prioritise the continuity of Mysore art as a living tradition in the hands of working artists - not only as historical objects in collections.

01

Pedagogy, Documentation, and Archiving

We design structured curricula while building a systematic archive of techniques, artists, oral histories, tools, and artworks.

02

Artist Support and Mentorship

We provide time, space, guidance, and material resources that allow artists to pursue Mysore art as a serious, lifelong profession.

03

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Scholarship and Outreach

We bridge academic research with artistic practice through talks, publications, exhibitions, and community engagement.

04

Tapobhumi Oko Centre for the Arts

The Centre is the physical and experiential heart of the Institute, housing:

Artist studios

Learning Spaces

Exhibition galleries

Archives and research rooms

Workshop and seminar facilities

Designed as a contemplative yet vibrant environment, it nurtures both discipline and creativity.

WHY WE EXIST

The Need for a Living Tradition

Across India, many scholars, collectors, and institutions are doing important work in researching, documenting, and preserving historic Mysore artworks. Their contribution is vital to safeguarding memory and material heritage.

However, preservation alone does not keep an art form alive. Collections and archives protect the past - but they do not automatically create future practitioners.

At present, there is no coordinated, large-scale effort dedicated to training more artists to practice Mysore art professionally. Without structured pedagogy, mentorship, and clear pathways for practice, even celebrated traditions can slowly disappear from contemporary cultural life.

Tapobhumi Institute was established to fill this critical gap. Our work is grounded in the conviction that an art form survives only when it is:

taught rigorously,
practiced consistently,
supported professionally, and
transmitted intentionally across generations.

This is the core purpose of Tapobhumi.

PROGRAMS