Frequently Asked Questions
Last Updated: November 16, 2024
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What's Kamat's
Potpourri?
This is a website showcasing the works of Krishnanand
and Jyotsna Kamat. This is a content rich, personal
website whose contents range from pre-historic
rock paintings to documenting contemporary
communities and it is a hodge-podge of Indian
history, arts and culture.
Can I place a link to your site/page?
Yes, Please. Thank you. We welcome your deep links as well (linking to a specific
page instead of the main page). No permission is required to link to our pages. For details on what you
cannot do, please see the copyright page.
Can you link to me?
We have discontinued our Web Directory due to its high
maintenance requirements. However, if you have a interesting website
related our content, we can probably link to it. Perhaps you might want to consider
buying a paid link as well.
Where can we buy your books?
Please contact the respective publishers to purchase our works.
Many of the books are out-of-print and are available only through
specialty and second-hand (used) books stores.
Why are you still promoting the theory of Aryan
invasion of India?
First, your accusation is not true. We have not researched the topic of "Aryan Invasion of
India" to be able confirm or deny the so called "Aryan Invasion
of India" theory. But we do support all the scholars
and historians who have researched the field of Indology since its inception in
the 18th
century. We rely only on peer-reviewed and published research for our
references, and do not promote a particular point of view or agenda.
Specifically, we do not believe that likes of Prof. A.L. Basham and Max Mueller conspired to belittle India, even though they might have been wrong on some matters. Even Issac Newton was wrong on one subject (he said the light composed of particles), but in no way his genius is lessened by it.
Why do I get absurd results in PictureSearch?
Image
Searching is an emerging technology that relies both on the keyword and
the context. Kamat PictureSearch is configured to be generous and we show
pictures even remotely matching the search criteria. If you did not find the pictures you were looking
for in Kamat
PictureSearch, or found too many, please try using the and
operator (as in Lord and
Krishna instead of Krishna)
or alternative words. Please remember that Indian names can be spelt
in multiple ways.
Are you related
to Kamat Hoteliers? What is their Web Address?
No, we are not related to the owners of Kamat restaurants spread throughout India; not
that we are aware of anyway. Try KamatGroup.com
to
reach them.
How often do you
update? Can you notify me when you update?
We try to update at least on a weekly basis. The What's
New page lists the new contents by date. We regret that we do not have a notification
service. However, you can sign up for the Friends
of Kamat Forum at Yahoo! Groups, where we list the new topics added every month.
We have added a RSS Feed that you
can subscribe to.
How to browse
through these thousands of pages?
The KalaRanga (The Timeless Theater) page has a table of
contents, which we agree, needs work. The archive of old
pictures has many links in it. The Jai
Karnataka
and Gandhi Album collections feature a frame based navigation and
are popular. The slide-shows (like the Faces of India
-I, II and III)
feature pictures in a slide show format, and at the end of every article, there are
suggested links. You can browse through the Timeline
of India and click on our smart SeeAlso buttons. We have a full
text search
mechanism. Other navigational tools include a site-map,
a Master Index, Saved
Searches, a searchable Who's Who
Database and a searchable Kamat
PictureSearch Database.
The best way to browse our site,
is to come back often!
What is the Poker face?
The poker face (shown on the right) is a click-able map of related pictures at
Kamat's Potpourri. Each of the red dots indicates a different picture and the green dot
shown where you are in the map.
Who pays for
Kamat's Potpourri?
Currently it is supported from the humble savings of the Kamat family.
We are considering alternate means of support at this time. You can help us
attract advertisers by participating in an anonymous
survey. More details on how to advertise on Kamat's Potpourri can be
found in our Media-kit.
What's cool
about Kamat's Potpourri?
It serves as a distant learning resource for lesser known topics about India (see some of
the recognition we have received, including anthropological
and cultural listings). There's no Bollywood, no politics, no cricket (well, we have a picture), no Taj Mahal... Just the studies of two students
of life.
How can I see
all the pictures in KälaRanga archives?
You can purchase The _Timeless Theater_ CD-ROM (ISBN:1929648006, CyberCrow
1999). It is available from online retailers like Amazon, Borders and in fine book stores
where you would find books on Indian Art.
Can I copy the
pictures/stories?
Not for redistribution or for commercial purposes. You can print and distribute the pages
without editing, for educational use. You can recommend, link or write critiques. You may
not use the pictures on your websites without our consent. (Usually, we waive royalties
for personal web pages, educational, and cultural institutions; but permission to
reproduce is required via the Kamat
Self-Service License Page). If you notice anyone using our content
without an acknowledgement, please drop us a line at . Thank you for supporting the
intellectual works at Kamat's Potpourri.
How come you
have all this material?
Much of the content comes from the diaries of Dr. K.L. Kamat,
who is an avid student of Indian life, and Dr.
Jyotsna Kamat, who is an active researcher in Indian history. During their long
married life, they have written over ten thousand letters, thus producing a
large
archive of information. Along with personal notes, these diaries and letters contain detailed catalog of museum
pieces,
interviews with famous people (1, ...), directions to sites (example,
maps), social commentaries (example1,
example2), travelogues,
tribal
studies and a constant soul searching.
It is our estimate that Kamat has over 200,000 photographs. Read his Introduction to the Timeless Theater.
Many a times, Universities (The Karnataka University, The Bangalore University, and the University of Bombay), book publishers, fellow researchers, and readers such as yourself have initiated us to take up new research topics. The Dept. of Gazetteer, The National Archives, The various Art Academies of India have been generous to provide us with permissions to photograph and provide resources. A list of such resources is listed in the Acknowledgements.
How
to Cite Content from Kamat's Potpourri?
We recommend the following format:
<Author>, <Page Title>, Kamat's Potpourri,<URL>,
<Today's Date>
Example:
K. L. Kamat, "Pre-historic Rock Paintings of Bhimabetaka,"
Kamat's Potpourri, <http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/rockpain/betaka.htm>,
July 20, 2006
Why do you use American spellings instead of Indian
spellings?
We use American English for our own convenience. Many of the
software tools we use are configured for American English. Our
justification for using American spellings also comes from the fact that
over 95% of our readership (in year 2000) is in North America.
Kamat's
Potpourri
FAQ
There's no Bollywood, no politics, no Cricket, no weather, no stocks.
See Also:
Kamat's
Potpourri 
About Us
Frequently Asked Questions