Of All The Indian Handicrafts, Textiles Form A Class By Themselves Over Which The Rest Of The World Went Into Ecstasies From Time Immemorial.With An Enormous Store Of Myths, Symbols, Imagery And Inspiration From Other Art Forms Indian Textile-Craft Never Faced A Slump Or Stagnation. On The Other Hand It Transcended From A Craft Identity To The Status Of An Art.With Shades Of Classicism, Folk Tradition And Regional Flavour The Rich And Unrivalled Fabrics Of India Have Rightly Been Called Exquisite Poetry In Colour .Indian Fabric Art Can Be Classified Into Three Broad Categories Woven, Painted Or Printed And Embroidered. Within This Broad Outline The Present Study Pinpoints The Historical Background Of Some Representative Forms Each Unique In Its Distinctiveness.A Search For Any Linkage With Allied Art Forms As Well As Their Socio-Cultural Significance Also Provides A New Perspective.Though Apparently Widely Dispersed In Contents, They Form A Composite Tapestry Of Indian Fabric Art Tradition And Call For More Scrutiny Before Our Precious Heirlooms Are Totally Submerged In The Tide Of The Synthetic Era. The Book Is Enriched By Illustrations Of Rare Specimens Of Historical Art Fabrics Collected From Different Museums In The Country. Coupled With Extensive References This Volume Spotlights A New Facet Of Indian Art Heritage Which Will Fascinate Both The Social Scientists As Well As The Connoisseurs Of Indian Art And Culture.

Swami Karpatri (1907-1982), a revered contemporary sannyasin of exceptional personality, was renowned for his deep scriptural knowledge, which he used in his many writings to light up the Hindu orthodox point of view. The two significant articles presented here deal with the meaning of the Linga and the nature of the Great Goddess. This bilingual edition (Hindi-English) presents a new translation - the fruit of a collective work - in the first book by Svami Karpatri published in English. Prefaced by H.H. Jagadguru Sankaracarya of Dvarakapitha and Jyotispitha, Svami Svarupananda Sarasvati, who was a close companion of Svami Karpatri, this book clarifies many fundamental thoughts of sanatana dharma related to Siva and Sakti.

For now more than half a century, scholars of the history of Western art have become familiar with the idea that art is embedded in a social and cultural context which imbues it with meaning and as such may be viewed as a source which generates knowledge concerning this context; this again may result in a better understanding of the artefact itself. This synthetic method of investigation, known under the name of ‘iconology,’ has proved to be of great value in the research of the history of culture. The present book is an essay in which the ‘classical age’ of India is studied by exploring textual as well as archaeological sources that relate to the kingdom of the Vākāṭakas, the southern neighbours of the Guptas in the fourth and fifth centuries AD. A great number of inscriptions and Hindu sculptures have been discovered and published during the last two decades. Among these inscriptions the one found in the Kevala-Narasiṃha Temple on Ramtek Hill (Rāmagiri) deserves special mention as it throws a flood of light on the political history of the Vākāṭakas and their relationship with the Guptas. This book draws on the new sculptural and epigraphical evidence in presenting a history of the Vākāṭaka kingdom. The (Hindu) sculptures found in the eastern Vākāṭaka realm are brought together for the first time in an illustrated catalogue, their findspots are surveyed, their iconography is studied and their link with Ajanta is pointed out.

Working with Bengali mentors, especially his close friend A. B. Ghose, Sir John Woodroffe became the pseudonymous orientalist Arthur Avalon, famous for his tantric studies at the beginning of the twentieth century. Best known for The Serpent Power, the book which introduced 'Kundalini Yoga' to the western world, Avalon turned the image of Tantra around, from that of a despised magical and orgiastic cult into a refined philosophy which greatly enhanced the prestige of Hindu thought to later generations of westerners. This biographical study is in two parts. The first focuses on Woodroffe's social identity in Calcutta against the background of colonialism and nationalism - the context in which he 'was' Arthur Avalon. To a very unusual degree for someone with a high position under the empire, Woodroffe the British High Court Judge absorbed the world of the Bengali intellectuals of his time, among whom his popularity was widely attested. His admirers were attracted by his Indian nationalism, to which his tantric studies and supposed learning formed an important adjunct. Woodroffe's friend Ghose, however, was the chief source of the textual knowledge in which the 'orientalist' scholar appeared to be deeply versed. The second part of this study assesses Woodroffe's own relationship to Sanskrit and to the texts, and highlights his very extensive but gifted use of secondary sources and the knowledge of Ghose and other Indian people. It examines the apologetic themes by which he and his collaborators made Tantra first acceptable, then fashionable. Partly because of his mysterious pseudonym, Woodroffe acquired a near legendary status for a time, and remains a fascinating figure. This book is written in a style that should appeal to the general reader as well as to students of Indian religions and early twentieth century Indian history, while being relevant to the ongoing debate about 'orientalism'.

Reviews Indian painting from the earliest times to the 19th century in terms of Indian life, religion, culture, and attitudes.