Art Architecture Antiquities

The Mystery of Art

The Mystery of Art lets the forms of art tell their own tale. Instead of analyzing the art expressions this narrative work invites the reader to re-discover the functions of art. The observation of the art-scenes starts with the present and winds its way backward through time and history. In the course of this journey the different art-expressions reveal themselves in a novel light.

About the Author(s)

D K Chandra

Despair and Modernity: Reflections from Modern Indian Painting

Dehejia has tried to create a place within the main frame of culture and philosophy of Indian art for a legitimate analytic theory called despair. Dehejia’s effort creates a space for the modern within Indian classicism by negotiating the philosophy of despair in classical terms. As a result the basic schism that has grown in recent years between the philosophy and history of modern art on the one hand and the philosophy and history of traditional arts is today cloder to being breached

Vastu Science For 21st Century: To Enjoy the Gift of Nature

Vastu Shastra is not merely an art but a definite science in itself. This book has made an excellent effort to establish this fact. The book attempts to highlight the principles of Vastu science and its application in designing of built enviroment to enhance the quality of life. This science

is still relevant and effective in the modern life changing styles of Architecture with universal application of its principles. The author has tried to justify that Vastu principles are much in need in the 21st century in view of rapid advancements man is making in other fields without compensating on ecology front, which forms the basis of Vastu. In the end an attempt has been made to give a compound solution to the problem of Vastu-based planning.

Evolution of Stupas in Burma: Pagan Period: 11th to 13th Centuries A.D.)

This work is the outcome of painstaking research on the evolution of stupas in Burma, Pagan Period, 11th to 13th centuries a.d. Burma known as the land of pagodas is nowhere so rich in the number of pagodas as in Pagan. The stupendous vastness of the ruins reminiscent of the glory that was of Pagan

in its heyday inspired this study. The evolution traced back to the beginning of the stupa structure in India, deals with the various architectural phases (duly illustrated) it passed through ending with the final stage in the Rhwedagum Pagoda in Rangoon (Burma). Apart from the material side of the study, there is the need of looking into the aesthetic and spiritual side of the evolution. That religious architecture is a barometer of the material prosperity and social outlook of the people,

besides being the handmaid of the spiritual aspirations of the devotees, is amply discernible in this study.

The value of the art survey in this work is further enhanced by the inclusion of over 138 photographs. Moreover, besides the magnificent Pagan art, it gives a comparative view of the religious architectual development in the Asian countries contemporaneous with the Pagan Period.

Stupa and Its Technology: A Tibeto-Buddhist Perspective

Among all the religious monuments of the world, the stupa has the longest

uninterrupted historical development. Though modelled after the Indian

prototype, the stupa architecture was developed in all the countries where

Buddhism had flourished. Over time, the structural shape of the stupa

underwent significant modifications in India and the other Asian Buddhist

countries.

The present study shows how Tibet became a treasure house of Buddhist

culture and literature–highlighting important texts dealing with stupa

architecture. Various ritual activities associated with the construction of

the stupa are described along with the eight fundamental types of

Tibeto-Buddhist stupas and their main structural components. A survey of

the stupas found in the upper Indus Valley in the Leh region of Ladakh

shows their similarity to the Tibeto-Buddhist tradition. The value of the

book is enhanced by an appendix with English translation of four important

Tibetan texts preceded by transliteration.

This monograph is the first in the new sub-series of the IGNCA on the

Buddhist stupas, which would not be restricted to India alone. It is hoped

that such studies will enable the art-historians and archaeologists to

understand this important structural form in totality in relation to its

wide geographical spread and the distinctive features of particular

developments in different countries.

Monolithic Jinas: The Iconography of the Jain Temples of Ellora

Monolithic Jinas: The Iconography of the Jain Temples of Ellora

About the Author(s)

CARMEL BERKSON

Elephanta: The Cave of Shiva

Three descriptive essays and numerous fascinating photographs, taken

especially for this volume, allow the reader to experience a major monument

of Indian art: the sixth century temple cave on Elephanta Island, in Bombay

harbor, and its extraordinary stone sculptures. The authors and the

photographer capture the atmosphere of the cave and the spirit of the

sculptures, which portray the relentless energy and paradoxical power of

Shiva, greatest of all Hindu gods. The photographs are particularly

successful in revealing the dramatic alternation of light and dark that is

so much a part of the beauty of the cave’s interior. Ms. Berkson’s trained

and loving eye picks out the subtleties of the main sculptures and humorous

details that the visitor might miss even on the site.

In the text Wendy O’Flaherty interprets the myths of Shiva depicted in the

sculpture; Ms. berkson’s essay supplies historical background and a

stylistic analysis; and George Michell examines the overall structure of

the cave to show that it is a mandala-like image of the heavenly mountain

residence of Shiva and even of the structure of the universe itself.

“The author as well as the publishers of the work deserve to be

congratulated for providing this easily accessible guide to Elephanta.”

Research Bulletin Vishveshvaranand

Vedic Research Institute,Vol.I, Dec.2002

Silparatnakosa of Sthapaka Niranjana Mahapatra: A Glossary of Orissan Temple Architecture

The Silparatnakosa is a 17th century Orissan text composed by Sthapaka Niranjana Mahapatra describing all the parts of the temple types of Orissa such as the Manjusri and Khakara. It also contains a section on sculpture on image-making (Pratimalaksana). This text though much later than the temples described reflects the still living tradition and it contributes much to clarify the terminology of Orissan temple architecture. The text has been edited from three palmleaf MSS and translated with numerous illustrations.

The Muktesvara Temple in Bhubaneswar

The Muktesvara Temple in Bhubaneswar

About the Author(s)

WALTER SMITH