The Present Volume Is An Outcome Of The Expert Discussion On The Theories Of Brahmanism And Buddhism, In An International Meet At Jnana-Pravaha. Philosophical And Artistic Interaction Between The Two Have Been Brilliantly Discussed With References To Famous Places As Well As Texts To Unravel Basic Principles.

A fresh and exciting exploration of Southeast Asian history from the 5th to 9th century, seen through the lens of the region's sculpture

This book deals with the confrontation of Buddhism and Brahmanism in India. Both depended on support from the royal court, but Buddhism had less to offer in return than Brahmanism. Buddhism developed in a manner to make up for this.

It Is A Collection Of Thirty Essays On Various Aspects Of Hindu And Buddhist Art And Iconography Contributed By Indian And Foreign Scholars. These Represent Deep Insight And New Interpretation Based On Sound Scholarship And Accounts. While Intended To Commemorate The Loving Memory Of Professor Kalyan Kumar Dasgupta, The Book Is A Fitting Tribute To The Great Savant. Professor P.K. Mishra And Publisher M/S Abhinav Publications Have Spared No Pains To Make It An Outstanding Publication Of The Year

This deft and lively study by Robert DeCaroli explores the questions of how and why the earliest verifiable images of the historical Buddha were created. In so doing, DeCaroli steps away from old questions of where and when to present the history of Buddhism’s relationship with figural art as an ongoing set of negotiations within the Buddhist community and in society at large. By comparing innovations in Brahmanical, Jain, and royal artistic practice, DeCaroli examines why no image of the Buddha was made until approximately five hundred years after his death and what changed in the centuries surrounding the start of the Common Era to suddenly make those images desirable and acceptable. The textual and archaeological sources reveal that figural likenesses held special importance in South Asia and were seen as having a significant amount of agency and power. Anxiety over image use extended well beyond the Buddhists, helping to explain why images of Vedic gods, Jain teachers, and political elites also are absent from the material record of the centuries BCE. DeCaroli shows how the emergence of powerful dynasties and rulers, who benefited from novel modes of visual authority, was at the root of the changes in attitude toward figural images. However, as DeCaroli demonstrates, a strain of unease with figural art persisted, even after a tradition of images of the Buddha had become established.

The essays cover a wide spectrum, from the sensuous to the sublime, from an analysis of narrative Ramayana sculptures, to a discussion of the relevance of Tantrism to erotic temple sculpture, to a study of ancient terracottas in a socio-cultural context. Collection of 16 essays which have been edited and updated.