Though dealing with the past, the Department of History has moved forward at an amazing pace. The Certificate Course on “Indian Art Appreciation” turned out to be an even greater success this year. There were 80 participants from as far as Vashi on the Central line and Vasai on the Western line. The experts covered the following :

Dr Meenal Kapadia—Ajanta Paintings.
Ms Shilpa Chheda —Jain Iconography.
Dr Purnima Srikrishna —South Indian Temple Architecture.
The Course Coordinators, Dr. Aubrey Mascarenhas and Prof. Agnes de Sa, spoke on “Indo-Christian Art” and “Indo-Islamic Architecture” respectively.

This year we also screened a documentary on the “Taj Mahal”, honouring one of the seven wonders of the world. Fr. Paul Vaz, Director, XIMR, distributed certificates to the successful participants. We remain grateful to the Heras Institute for collaborating with us on this venture. Museums always provide a visual feast to the discerning viewer. Students visited the Heras Museum, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralya and the newly renovated Bhau Daji Lad Museum. These visits increased their awareness of their nation’s heritage.

A few students were motivated to participate in the historical walks which were part of the “Celebrate Bandra Festival”. Others attended the Church History Association of India seminar on “The Origins and Growth of the Catholic Church in. Mumbai Region”. This was organized by Prof. A. de Sa who is the Secretary.

The academic staff of the Department also pursued their individual interests, participating in workshops, and attending international seminars, lectures and conferences.

Mrs. A. de Sa received the Heras Society scholarship, to do a research project on the “Social and Religious Significance of the Crosses in Bandra.”

Mrs. B. Upadhyaya continues to publish articles. She is also a volunteer with Animal Angels Foundation, wherein her labrador provides animal assistance therapy to underprivileged people on wheelchairs or children.

Our future plans include excursions to heritage sites such as Ajanta and Ellora.

Publishing a Department Magazine is another project under consideration. Hoping the future holds good things in store for us!