~ Introduction of Kosetsu Nosu (1885~1973) ~

the artist painted the mural of Buddha’s Life at Sarnath, Varanasi, India⇦Link to DVD

1885   Born as a son of Buddhist monk in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan.

1908   Graduated from the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (Present Tokyo University of Arts) , aiming to be a painter.

1916   First visit of Great Poet Rabindranath Tagore to Japan. One of the members of visiting group together with Tagore was Mr. Mukul Dey.

1917～1918  Visited to India to study Buddhist Art and joined in the team of Replication  of Ajanta’s mural. Met Mr. Mukul Dey who became the Principal of the Government School of Art in Calcutta later.

1931　 Mulagandhakuti Vihara was built in Sarnath by Bodhisattva Anagarika Dharmapala (1864~1933) who asked 

 the Japanese Consul General to send an artist from Japan to draw murals of Buddha’s Life for this new temple.

1932 　Kosetsu Nosu was selected as the artist of mural and visited India with his assistant S. Kawai.  Asked the

Great Poet Tagore and Principal Mukul Dey (⇦Link) for the support to the project.

Photo

Left-Great Poet Tagore and Kosetsu Nosu at the welcome party held in Calcutta,  1932

Center-Ganga(Ganges River) in early morning, Varanasi.

Right- Ablution at ghats in Varanasi

The Great Poet Tagore helped Kosetsu Nosu to achieve the project. The photo was taken at the Welcome Party in Calcutta.

1933   Using the experience of replication at Ajanta and learning relics at museums in India, completed the famous “Goma Jodou (Assault by Mara with his host and the Enlightenment)”. Dharmapala was impressed by the scale of the mural and the beautiful witches in the picture. Dharmapala passed away after for a while. Kosetsu visited Nepal in this summer.

Difficulty of mural-painting in the summer seasons made the schedule delayed and lack of funds to complete murals. Kosetsu tried to hold exhibitions and selling his own works in Ceylon, Bombay or Calcutta for money-raising.

1936   Completed all the works in April of fifth year since starting mural-works.

Completion ceremony was held by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Founder of Baranas Hindu University       

(B.H.U).

Kosetsu was highly appreciated by the citizens of Benares.　　

            Returned back to Japan in November.