India Books

This is one of a few rare books that provides and excellent introduction to the edged weapons and armor of India, from Early and Medieval History to the last century. It is richly illustrated with both beautiful and detailed photographs of weapons and armor of the ages as well as line drawings and sketches of typical forms. Both these and the text are useful to collectors for identification purposes. Historical tales are woven through the discussion to provide context for the items discussed. I'm very pleased with this book as a collector and would also recommend it to anyone interested in museum quality photographs of the historical arms of India.

This movie is based on Tarashankar Bandopadyay's immortal novel, Arogya niketan (The clinic). It is a story of the clash between an old vaidya and a modern doctor. This review cannot do justice to the movie.

He was an idealist and a deeply spiritual man who lived his life with honor, and held his work as service to God. He sent his son to study modern medicine. However, he quits medical college and marries without telling his parents anything. Unfortunately, he dies untimely, leaving his wife and a son behind, without disclosing anything about his wife and child to his parents. Years later, the grandson becomes a doctor and comes to practise medicine in their ancestral village. The real story starts here. The grandson is a decent but very proud person. He has very poor opinion of old time medicine. Therefore, at every opportunity, he insults his grandfather, calling him a quack. At the end, the they come together as a family.

This woman has lived a fascinating life beginning in Barrow, Alaska and on to India during world war two. She now lives in Solvang, California and continues to write of her life.

About the Book :
The present book is collection of essays, research papers and articles pertaining to the various aspects of the history of visual art of Punjab right from the ancient times until the close of the nineteenth century. These were published in various journals in India and abroad. These essays transcend the political barriers of the dynastic rulers of different periods. The main emphasis has been laid on the manifestations of the visual arts in their manifold and kaleidoscopic forms created in the Punjab.

About the Author :
Born 1932. M.A., Ph.D. Specialisation in History of Punjab Painting, Mughal Painting in Punjab, Mughal Painting in Agra-Fatehpur Sikri and Mughal Painting in Burhanpur and Allahabad. Published about fifty research papers in national and foreign journals. Some of them are : (1) Punjab painting (1983) (2) Art and Archaeology of Punjab (1988), (3) Persian Sources of History of Art of Punjab (in press), (4) Jahangir as a Connoisseur of Art (in press), (5) Prince Dara Shikoh as a Patron of Art (in press), (6) Art and Life of Kamal-ud-din Behzad (in press) and (7) Islamic Monuments of Lahore (in progress).
Honored as a distinguished art historian by President Giani Zail Singh in 1986.
Contributor to Birla Foundations Encyclopaedia Asiana. Member of various literary institutions like the Asiatic Society of Calcutta; Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona; Royal Asiatic society, London; Indian Institute of Islamic Studies, Delhi; and Bharat Itihas Samnsodhan Mandal, Poona etc.
Invited to present learned papers at Universities of Hamburg; Heidelberg (West Germany); Leiden (Holland); and Wisconsin (U.S.A.) Currently engaged in teaching the Postgraduate classes in Fine Arts at Government College for Women, at Patiala.

Contents :
Acknowledgement
Foreword
Introduction
List of Plates
1. Kapur Singh-Nineteenth Century Figurative Artist of Punjab
2. Problem of Fakes in Indian Art
3. Patronage of Fine Arts under the Sikh Rulers of the Punjab
4. Reflections on the new evidence of Punjab Painting
5. index to Articles of Journal of Research Society of Pakistan
6. Painting in Punjab
7. guest Editorial in Sikh Sansar Magazine
8. Patiala-Its Cultural Significance
9. Visual Arts in Higher Education in India
10. Manuscript Sources of Art and Cultural History of Patiala State
11. Manuscripts as a source of Cultural History of India
12. Art and Antiquities of Patiala
13. Artistic Significance of Illustrated Historical Manuscripts of Punjab Government Archives
14. Depiction of Holy Saints and prophets in the Manuscripts of Islamic Lands
15. Contribution of Islam to the Arts of India-Pakistan Sub-Continent
16. The Art of Sculpture in Ancient Punjab
17. Kashmiri Contribution to the Development of Manuscript Painting in Punjab
18. Mohummad Hussain Kashmiri Zarin-Qalam (A Mughal Calligrapher par excellence)
19. Illustrated Janam-Sakhis of Punjab
20. Jahangir as a Connoisseur of Art
Index
Plates

About the Book :
Art and Architecture of Nalanda deals in details about Nalanda a Buddhist monoment of international fame. The author of this monograph has presented Nalanda in brief with all its academic and artistic pursuit`s for over one millennium as a centre of the Buddhist learning as well as heart of art and architecture.
In Ist chapter an effort is made to furnish in details about the development of Nalanda from a place of pilgrimage of Buddhists and jains to a renowned Nalanda university for Indian and foreign students.
In subsequent chapter architectural complex of Nalanda is discussed that existed right from the fourth century A.D. till its final extinetion in the 12th century A.D., as these monasteries, stupas, caityas, and shrines have yielded lare number of antiquities and precious art treasures of ancient Nalanda.
Chapters three to six give the different aspects of the development of a centre of art (sculptures) at Nalanda. The materials used, icons (images) carved and their age wise classification i.e. Gupta, post Gupta, pala and Sena etc are the salient features of these chapters. The appropriate interpretation of these icons in the context of religious development viz. Mahayana, vajravana/Kalachakra yana etc. difinitely attract the attention of scholars.
The last chapter throws light on the art and iconography of Brahmanical sculptures found from Nalanda excavation and also within the vicinity.
The author has incorporated art and architecture of University of Vikramsila and Ratnagiri in Orissa to fesilitate scholars for a comparative study at a glance in the appendices.

About the Author :
Dr. G.C. Chauley, Director in the Archaeological Survey of India is well known as scholar, Archaeologist and conservator. He has joined in the Archaeological Survey of India in 1970 and worked in different capacities in Curator, Deputy Superintending Archaeologist, Superintending Archaeologist and has proved his worth in the respective fields. He earned name and Fame for a two understanding works viz. (i) Excavation at Lalitgiri in Orissa and discovery of Buddhist relic caskets, the 1st of its kind reported from Eastern India (ii) His association for over a decade with the deplastering and conservation project of Lord Jagannath Temple at Puri.
Besides, a large number of Monuments in Orissa. Chhattisgarh and North East India got facelifted, beautified and conserved under his personal supervision and care.
He has to his credit over sixty Research papers of Art, Archaeology, Museology, Excavation etc., published/presented in different Journals and Seminars.

Contents :
Preface
List of Plates
1. Introduction
2. The Architectural Complex of Nalanda
3. Religious and Iconographic Developments
4. Sculptural Remains Found from Nalanda Materials used - Stucco, Stone, Bronze and Terracotta
5. Sculptures of Gupta and Post-Gupta Periods
6. Sculptures of the Pala-Sena Periods
7. Brahmanical Sculptures
Selected Bibliography
Appendix - I
Appendix - II

About the Book :
The history of the early mediaeval art and architecture in northern India focuses on the Kalacuris of Dahala-Mandala, during the period from ninth century A.D to the thirteenth century A.D. The rulers of this dynasty made a landmark in the history of ancient Indian art by raising temples, monasteries and other monuments which had characteristics peculiarly their own. With a view to evaluate the temples, the author has put them into three phases of development, dated approximately on the basis of their stylistic features. The chapter dealing with sculpture has been divided into various heads. Much new light has been thrown on artistic developments during the Kalacuri period for which the representations of human and animal figures, as well as decorative motifs, have been critically studied. The chapter on iconography of the Kalacuris includes evidences supported by images in-site in different monuments, those found around them and also those displayed in various museums. The chapter on epigraphy deals with features of the Kalacuri grants, viz. their style, subject matter, seals, etc. and throws light on the Kalacuri coinage.

About the Author :
Dr. Rahman Ali was born in 1943 in a village Chankapur, Dist. gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. He obtained his post graduate degree in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology from Gorakhpur University in 1965. Later, he joined Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute, Poona(Now Deemed University) and obtained Ph.D. Degree under the guidance of world renowned Professor H.D. Sankalia, Padma Bhushan, from Poona University in 1972.
Dr. Ali participated in the scheme of Village to Village Survey sponsored by ASI and UGC, New Delhi and received First Prize for rare discoveries in the field. While stay at Deccan College, Poona Dr. Ali underwent training in Archaeological Excavations and Explorations of Pre-Proto and Historic sites of India under the scholarly supervision of Prof. H.D. Sankalia and his team for a period of ten years.
Dr. Ali has written half-a-dozen books on different aspects of art, architecture and archaeology; and written excavation reports of Sodanga and Mahidpur (M.P.) Besides these, many of his research articles on different aspects of art, archaeology and culture have been published in National and International Journals. Dr. Ali is actively engaged with research and other academic pursuits and many of his research scholars are pursuing their research work under his scholarly guidance.
Apart from the academic zeal, Dr. Ali is associated with different academic bodies and associations throughout the country and at present he is a Senior Professor in School of Studies in Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Vikram University, Ujjain (M.P.).

Contents :
Preface
Introduction
abbreviations
List of Illustrations
1. Political History, Social-Religious Conditions and Cultural Geography
2. Architectural Remains
3. Sculpture
4. Iconography
5. Epigraphy and Numismatics
6. Conclusion
Bibliography
Glossary
Index
Figures
Plates

About the Book :
The present book embraces all the aspects of art and architecture, as patronized by the erstwhile rulers of the Patiala state. A special feature of this book is the presentation of a genealogy of artists who worked in the Patiala state.

About the Author :
Born in 1962 in Patiala (Punjab) in the family of Scholars and Artists, the author of this book obtained Master`s degree in fine arts in First division and PhD. in his field of specialization. Art and Cultural Heritage of Patiala from Rohilkhand University, Bareilly (India). D.Litt work is in progress. His recent publication is Guru Nanak in Indian Painting.
He was invited by the International Congress of Asian and African Studies held in September, 1990 in Toronto (Canada) to present a paper on the art of Patiala. Having recognised his scholastic caliber and achievement, the Royal Asiatic Society of England has elected him a Fellow of the Society. He has been invited by several Universities of America and Europe.
Presently, he is associated with the post Graduate Department of Fine Arts, Government College for Women, Patiala, Punjab, teaching and research.
Besides, he specialises in the field of art of architectural photography and that too of the ornaments and miniatures.

Contents :
Acknowledgement
Preface
List of Illustrations
Family Genealogy of Patiala
1. Patiala : Early Political and Cultural Study
2. Patiala : Cradle of Phulkian Renaissance
3. Classified Paintings in Patiala State
4. Painting in Patiala State : Themes and Motifs
5. Patrons and Artists
6. Stylistic Analysis, Material and Technique
7. Place of Patiala Paintings in India
Bibliography any Appendices
Index
Plates

About the Book :
The pan-Indian nature of Tamil culture is manifest in their literature, art impulses, aesthetic sense, socioeconomic and religious conditions. This book has presented a cross section of the communities ³ the king and commoner, aristocrat and agriculturist ³ highlighting their life, customs, obligathetions, etc. It shows that the temple was the hub of the society and the festivals were a unifying factor among the people. The book is well illustrated too.

About the Author :
R. Nagaswami (b. 1930) took his Master`s Degree in Sanskrit Language and Literature from the Madras University. In 1975 he was awarded Doctrate degree by the Poona University for his thesis Tantric cult in Tamilnadu.
Joining the Tamil Nadu Government as a Curator in the Madras Museum (1959) he was soon elevated as the first Director (1966) to head the newly formed Deptt. of Archaeology, which post he holds presently.
Dr. Nagaswami has been trained in Field Archaeology by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Widely travelled throughout the world (he has visited U.K., European countries, Malaysia, Singapore, USSR, etc.) Nagaswami is a prolific writer having a dozen books and more than hundred articles to his credit.
He is a member of the ICO MOS and International Association of Tamil Research. He is also the Director of the Institute of Epigraphy, Madras and President of the Society for Archaeological, Historical and Epigraphical Research, Madras.
Nagaswami has specialized in art, archaeology, Tamil Epigraphy, Numismatics, Ancient Law and Tamil Literature. His forthcoming books are Tamil Coinage and Tamil Palaeography.

Contents :
Preface
List of Illustrations
1. Social and Cultural Life in Medieval Tamil Land
2. Fresh Light on Dravidian People
3. The Festival of the Cosmic Dancer
4. The Origin and Development of Kaumaram
5. Temples of Village Gods
6. Early Sati Stones from Tamil Nadu
7. The Varaha Temple at Srimushnam
8. Kapalisvara Temple at Mylapore
9. Tirupperunturai- A Yoga Pithasthala
10. The Narrunaippan Temple at Nanipalli
11. The Monolithic Art of Kalugumalai
12. Temple at Tiruvarur
13. The Shore Temple at Mamallapuram
14. The Temple of Kshetrapala at Tiruvalanjuli
15. The Temple of Arappalisvara
16. Melapperumpallam Bronzes
17. Some Bronzes from Thanjavur Temple
18. Gold Images and Temple Jewelery from Madurai
19. Panamalai Paintings
20. Khaberies Emporion-Port City of the Cholas
21. Antiquity of Madras and its Neighbourhood
22. A Pallava Grantha Inscription in Siam and its Significance
23. The Date of Divyasuricharitam-A Historical Work on Vaishnava Saints
24. Ananda Coomaraswamy -An Appreciation and Tribute
25. Astronomy as an Aid to History
Appendices
Index
Plates

this is the greatest book, it has valuable information you wouldn't find anywhere else, get it now.

About the Book :
The book presents that form of women`s arts ³ Mehandi and Mandana ³ which are abstract, i.e. geometrical art forms drawn on the floor of kachcha homes and beautiful palms on auspicious occasions and festivals. Women`s is a traditional and essentially ritual art of great antiquity and full of meaning; a domestic art form directly expressive of the sacredness and fullness of living. These art forms throw light on the artistic life of the people, their customs, religious faith and history. They are very close to the tantric-cum-scientific diagrams in their purpose and meanings. The book presents, in nine chapters, besides an introduction, the physical features, archaeology and the people of Rajasthan; and the cultural history of folk-designs; the purpose and meaning of women`s arts; Mehandi and Mandana arts and their connection with science and tantra.

Contents :
Foreword
At Long Last
Scheme of Transliteration
1. Introduction
2. The Land And the People
3. Cultural History of Folk Designs
4. Purpose and Meaning
5. Mehndi
6. Mandana
7. The Science of Folk-Symbology
8. A Tantric Approach to Mandana Art
9. The Art of the Nomadic People
Appendices
1. The HIr` Ceremony
2. Sarvana : for Rakshabandhan
3. Holi : An Artistic Expression of Valour
4. Gangour : A Festival of Fun and Frolic
5. A Living Tradition
Illustrations with Explanations
Bibliography
Glossary of Terms
Index