The British Museum’s new exhibition, ‘Ancient India: Living Traditions’, is the first ever a British Asian exhibition, exploring the origins of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism through early Indian sacred art, tracing the shift from symbolic to human forms. It also showcases the evolution of these three religions in the lives of people and significance of the day to day practices associated, as the diaspora made Britain their home. Featuring the Museum’s South Asian collection alongside loans from global and community partners, it’s the first to present early Indian sacred art from a pluralistic, global perspective.
Asian Voice spoke with Sushma Jansari, Tabor Foundation Curator of South Asia and Roald Dahl Museum Trustee, and Kajal Meghani, Project Curator of Ancient India: Living Traditions.
What inspired the development of this exhibition at this particular time?
Sushma: All our exhibitions take years to develop due to extensive research and relationship-building. This project, focused on early India, has been in the works for a couple of years. I aimed to bring together devotional sculptures from Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions, highlighting their shared roots and the diversity we see in the UK today. Many, even within the South Asian diaspora, are unaware of the deep links between these faiths and their origins in the subcontinent’s Nature Spirits. Community collaboration has been key, helping us engage practicing Hindus, Jains, and Buddhists alike.
Kajal: I’d just add that since Sushma and I are both from the South Asian diaspora, we wanted the exhibition to reflect some of our own experiences—how we connect with faith, how religious imagery evolves across different spaces and times, and the traditions passed down through older generations. It was important to us that the exhibition captured that personal and diasporic dimension as well.
How does the exhibition challenge or reframe conventional narratives about Indian sacred art and religious imagery?
Sushma: We’ve avoided pigeonholing traditions, focusing instead on their shared roots while respecting their differences. This highlights commonalities and helps dispel stereotypes, like misconceptions about Hindu gods’ multiple arms or symbolic Buddha depictions. By tracing these forms to ancient nature spirits, we show continuity of belief. The exhibition bridges past and present with films of contemporary Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain worship in the UK, ending with three devotional sculptures loaned by community partners. It’s about living faiths as much as ancient art. The section on powerful women and goddesses’ challenges stereotypes, like the Ashmolean plaque showing a jewel-draped but fierce warrior spirit, or the snake goddess who is both nurturing and deadly. These figures embody strength and duality.
Kajal: The exhibition explores how the ancient lives on in our daily experiences. Through sculptures, labels, and interpretation, we’re helping audiences peel back layers of meaning, some images are truly unexpected, like the Yakshi with weapons in her hair, symbolising power and complexity. It’s a thread of female strength that runs through history, and we’ve aimed to reflect that. These figures speak to the multifaceted nature of women, showing how divine representations can embody that richness too.
For many years, ancient Indian art has been seen through a Western academic lens. How does ancient India, living tradition shift that narrative and perhaps reclaim it?
Sushma: This exhibition shifts perspective because we are South Asians and practicing Hindus, approaching these objects not just as art historians but as historians and community members. While these pieces can be seen as art, for nearly two billion people, they represent living gods and enlightened teachers, demanding a different respect. We’ve collaborated closely with community partners and museum staff to honour this—using vegan conservation materials, removing shoes when handling sacred objects, and choosing ethical, non-animal-derived paints and display materials. Even the gift shop reflects this care, offering only a few respectful prints and postcards, as agreed with our community panel. This is more than an exhibition; it’s an inclusive, collaborative practice redefining curation and conservation.
Kajal: The way we’ve approached this exhibition has been guided by core principles that shaped how we display and interpret the material. A key part of that was visiting South Asian places of worship—like the Ashwal Centre in Potinha and the Neasden Temple—and taking the designers with us. Seeing how these sacred images are presented and engaged with in real life deeply influenced the exhibition design. It helped build cultural bridges and really shifted everyone’s perspective on how to approach the material with greater sensitivity and authenticity.
In what ways do you hope ‘Ancient India: Living Traditions’ will change public perceptions of South Asian religions and culture?
Sushma: Though thousands of years old, Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism remain living faiths today, with local temples in the UK reflecting this shared heritage. While different gods and teachers are venerated, universal values like inner peace and kindness connect them all. Our community partners are eager to bring families to the exhibition because, while many know their faith and rituals, they often don’t understand the origins of the devotional art, symbolism, or gestures. The exhibition is designed for all generations to explore together, with accessible labels and engaging displays. We encourage visitors to talk, share experiences, and learn from one another rather than remain silent.
Kajal: I hope people connect with the images and understand their significance, taking something meaningful away from the exhibition. In UK culture, these images and places of worship are deeply embedded, and fostering a more cohesive society through such exhibitions is a wonderful ambition. Regardless of faith or belief, I hope visitors can relate to the art.