The word Warli comes from ‘Warla’ which means a piece of land or a field. The Warlis, an Indian tribe, live at the foot of Western Ghats in Maharashtra. Their simple wall paintings use very basic forms: a circle, a triangle and a square. The paintings indeed tell stories in a symbolic manner and represent the folklore and culture of the community.
‘Ashoka’s reign for eight and twenty years was one of the brightest interludes in the troubled history of mankind. Such was Ashoka, the greatest of kings. He was far in advance of his age.’ H.G. Wells. Ashoka, the greatest of Mauryan emperors, launched a fierce attack on the kingdom of Kalinga; his intention was to conquer this rich and fertile kingdom. And this he did but there was misery and trauma all around. As realisation came crashing down upon him, he moaned to himself, ‘I am the cause of it all!’ From the ruthless conqueror of lands to the one who conquered millions with his doctrine of love and peace. This is the story of Ashoka.
