This broad treatment of architecture throughout the region of the Himalaya mountains is the first book of its kind. The author has based this study on many years of research in Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, and the Darjeeling area of northeast India, northern Pakistan, and Himachal Pradesh in India's northwest. These areas make up an artistic and, to some degree, a cultural unit. It is unique and definable for its design qualities as well as its use of materials. Dramatic and lofty structures rise as towering palaces and as temples dedicated to Hindu and Buddhist ideals. The impact of neighboring Tibet and India is often evident in the art, but other influences are found as well. The area has not been isolated, as some studies suggest, but was in fact always linked to the rest of Asia and to the West by means of the Silk Road, at least since the second century B.C. This study progresses from east to west, beginning in the foothills of India's Assam. It is richly illustrated with photographs, most of which are the author's or his wife's, and many of the photographs are published here for the first time. The archives of the Archaeological Survey of India and the Department of Archaeology of His Majesty's Government of Nepal are also used here.

The region of the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan plateau is known for its unique and characteristic vernacular architecture and housing culture which is slowly but surely disappearing. The first part of the book analyses 19 traditional houses in the region that respond in diverse ways to the specifics of their location and local climate. The second part presents a comparative study of the construction elements – walls, roof and façades – using photographs and hand-drawn construction details. The newly produced scale drawings provide an excellent basis for comparative review. Detailed plans, atmospheric photographs and informative texts take the reader on a journey through a fascinating building culture.

The Present Study, Divided Into Two Parts, Deals With The Socio-Geographical Mosaic, The Racio-Cultural Background And Discusses The Factors Responsible For The Development Of The Wooden Temple Architecture In The Western Himalayas.

In Himalayan Style: Shelters and Sanctuaries, photographer Thomas L. Kelly and author Claire Burkert present exquisite examples of vernacular architecture, sacred spaces and interiors found in Tibet, India, Bhutan and Nepal.

First published in 2002. Following twenty-five years in the Himalayas tirelessly documenting different forms of vernacular architecture and different local customs and beliefs as reflected in material objects, this book is the result. The arrangement of the works selected for the present show and for the accompanying catalogue is by region in a rough chronological order. The plates within carry inscribed a local traditional universe, for the better understanding of which the expert remarks have been added.

First published in 2002. Following twenty-five years in the Himalayas tirelessly documenting different forms of vernacular architecture and different local customs and beliefs as reflected in material objects, this book is the result. The arrangement of the works selected for the present show and for the accompanying catalogue is by region in a rough chronological order. The plates within carry inscribed a local traditional universe, for the better understanding of which the expert remarks have been added.