Exhibitions

The Southern Asia Department has presented several major exhibitions in addition to numerous smaller exhibitions projecting the riches of the collection.

Razm-nāma Envisioning South Asia: Texts, Scholarship, Legacies
This exhibition introduces the Regenstein Library's extraordinary resources related to South Asia through visual metaphors of imagination, representation, and engagement.


South Asia at Chicago South Asia at Chicago: Fifty Years of Scholarship
This exhibition appears in conjunction with global events marking the 50th anniversary of Indian and Pakistani independence on August 15, 1947. Rare older publications, recent imprints linked to current faculty, student research projects, and archival and manuscript materials from the formative years of the University's focus on languages and civilizations of the region are exhibited.


Asia Europe Asia in the Eyes of Europe: Sixteenth through Eighteenth Centuries 
From the time of the Renaissance onward, Western consciousness has been shaped by a multitude of diverse and rapidly changing images of Asia and its peoples. This exhibition examines the process of Western exploration and discovery of Asia. 

Default Placeholder Photo From Palm Leaf to Printed Text: The Traditional Indic Book
Drawn from the collection donated by Mrs. Edwin Asmann, this exhibit highlights the structure and usage of the palm leaf format, from the preparation of the leaves themselves to their illumination and binding. The manuscripts are also discussed in relationship to their role in the transmission of the Buddhist Canon.

Rajasthani bir gathaem Regional Traditions and Local Patrons: Recent South Asia Acquisitions
The exhibit presents North Indian materials ranging from historical publications to a variety of representations of the epic Ramayana. The volumes exhibited were a gift to the Library by Professor & Mrs. Kali C. Bahl.