Sharada Srinivasan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sharada Srinivasan
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| Born | 16 January 1966 |
| Education | (PhD, 1996) (M.A. Art, Archaeology, and Archaeometallurgy, 1990) (BTech Engineering Physics, 1987) |
| Alma mater | University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, London, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay |
| Occupation | Professor, National Institute of Advanced Studies(NIAS), Bangalore |
| Known for | Contributions in the field of Applications of scientific studies in art and Archaeology, Indian Classical Dance |
| Spouse(s) | Digvijay Mallah |
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| Awards | Padma Shri (2019) |
Sharada Srinivasan is a famous archaeologist. She uses science to study old art, ancient metals, and different cultures. She is a professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies in Bangalore, India. She is also an honorary fellow at the University of Exeter in the UK.
Besides her scientific work, Sharada Srinivasan is a talented Bharatanatyam dancer. In 2019, she received the Padma Shri. This is one of India's highest awards for civilians.
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Early Life and Learning
Sharada Srinivasan was born on January 16, 1966, in Bangalore. She is the younger of two children. Her father, M. R. Srinivasan, was a nuclear scientist and engineer. Her mother, Geetha Srinivasan, worked to protect nature and wildlife.
Sharada finished high school in Mumbai in 1983. She then earned her engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay in 1987. In 1986, Sharada and four friends from IIT helped make a movie called "Nuclear Winter." She also acted and choreographed dances for it. This movie won an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1988.
After getting her master's degree from the University of London in 1989, she continued her studies. She earned her PhD in 1996 from University College London. Her PhD research focused on bronze sculptures from South India.
Her Work and Discoveries
Since 2012, Sharada Srinivasan has been a professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) in Bangalore. She teaches about heritage and society. She first joined NIAS as a Fellow in 2004.
She is the main author of a book called "India's Legendary Wootz Steel." This book is about a very strong ancient metal from India. Sharada Srinivasan is also a member of important groups like the Royal Asiatic Society.
She received a special Homi Bhabha Fellowship. This allowed her to visit places like the Smithsonian in the USA. She also gave talks at conferences about ancient metals and archaeology.
Sharada Srinivasan has worked on many research projects. One project with the University of Exeter studied how steel was first made in South India. She also researched ancient high-tin bronzes. These are special metals used to make vessels and mirrors. She studied groups in Kerala who still make these items today. In 2020, she was featured on the Trowel Blazers website. This site highlights women archaeologists.
Dance and Art
Sharada Srinivasan is a skilled performer of Bharatanatyam. This is a classical dance style from South India. She has performed and given talks at many famous places. These include the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Academy of Arts.
She also created an exhibition called "Danse e-Toile: Nataraja et le Cosmos." This exhibition explored the Nataraja bronze statue. It showed how art, metalwork, and science connect through dance. The exhibition was displayed in France.
In 2008, she had a photo exhibition in Bangalore. It was called "Cosmic Dance of Shiva." This show looked at art, science, and dance related to South Indian bronzes.
Awards and Recognitions
Sharada Srinivasan has received many awards for her work.
- In 2011, she won the Dr. Kalpana Chawla State Award for Women Scientists. This award is from the Government of Karnataka.
- She received the Materials Research Society of India Medal in 2006.
- She also won the Malti B. Nagar Ethnoarchaeology Award.
- She was a Junior Research Fellow for the Ministry of Culture.
- She received the Homi Bhabha Fellowship from 1996 to 1998.
- Other awards include the Forbes Fellowship and the Post-Doctoral Smithsonian Fellowship.
Thoughts on Art and Science
Sharada Srinivasan often talks about how art and science are connected.
- She sees the "cosmic dance" as a way to understand movement. She also believes it shows how new things can come from destruction. She uses science to discover things about ancient art that art historians might miss.
- She finds a lot of interesting connections between art and science. She says that dance helps her connect with human emotions. Science, on the other hand, can sometimes feel a bit distant.
- She believes that Bharatanatyam is both freeing and structured. She feels that science helps her see dance as a form of movement in art.
- She has noted that the Nataraja image offers a positive message. It suggests finding hope and dealing with loss through art and dedication.
