The Art of KHAJURAHO

$43
Item Code: IDG187
Author: R Nath
Publisher: Abhinav Publication
Language: English
Edition: 1980
Pages: 202 (B & W Illus: 177,Figure: 34)
Cover: Hardcover
Other Details 11" X 9"
Weight 1.33 kg
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Book Description

About the Book:

This monograph attempts to study the Art of Khajuraho from an absolutely new perspective: Architecture vis-à-vis its ornament, mainly the non-religious Devangana sculptures, including the 'Mithuna', on the basis of the Sanskrit texts. 'Mithuna' is the most debated and also the most widely misunderstood phenomenon of Indian Art. Arbitrary surmises have obscured its real meaning and purpose and have confused the issue. Too much sacred, esoteric and metaphysical significance has been attached to the Indian Art and this aspect has been explained, without any textual support, on fanciful conjectures. Study of its FORMAL aspect has been almost entirely missed. Indian Art is sacred in the sense that it is only through the religious media that it has expressed itself; otherwise, as the study of the Silpa texts, classical works of Poetry and Drama and, more specifically the works on Poetics shows it has grown and developed formally and independently of any religious injunction. The key to its understanding lies in these texts. This is a classical problem and it is with the textual support of the classical literature of the same age that the author has ventured to solve it. In essence, it is a study of Indian Aesthetics based on Sanskrit texts, about 100 of which have been quoted in original. The temples of Khajuraho have been dealt with stylistically. The work attempts to study Indian Art in general and the Art of Khajuraho in particular, in its formal aspect, over and above the much professed and generally superfluous esoteric, metaphysical and ritualistic interpretation thereof and as such it is the first work of this type.

About the Author:

Dr. R. Nath (b. 1933), Reader in the Department of History and Indian Culture, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, did his Ph.D. and D.Litt. On Mughal Architecture. He covered other facets of Medieval Architecture of India under research-fellowships of the Homi Bhabha Fellowships Council and the Indian Council of Historical Research and, in fact, he is one of the very few scholars in this field. He is author of ten scholarly and excellently produced books; seven others are in the print. Out of about 85 research papers which he has contributed to learned historical and art journals, some (published in the Annals of the B.O.R.I., Poona, Vol. LVIII-LIX; the Indian Museum Bulletin, Calcutta, Vol. X-2; the Shodh-Patrika, Udaipur, Vol. 28-2, etc.) also deal authoritatively with subjects on Ancient Indian Art and Architecture. A recent paper entitled 'A Study of the Sanskrit Texts on the Interrelationship of the Performing and Plastic Arts (with reference to the Devanganas of Khajuraho)' (Quarterly Journal of the National Centre for the Performing Arts, Bombay, Vol. VIII-2, June 1979) has been widely acclaimed. He is, thus, widening the scope of his study of Indian Architecture and exploring its subtleties at the fountain-head.

 

CONTENTS

 

  Preface xiii
  Bibliographical Abbreviations xvii
  Key to Transliteration xix
  List of Illustrations (Maps, Figures and Plates) xxi
I THE CHANDELLAS AND THEIR CAPITAL
KHAJURAHO
3-12
  References 8
  Appendix A Synopsis of the Inscriptions of
Khajuraho
9
  Appendix B Genealogical Table of the
Chandellas of Jejakabhukti
12
II ARCHITECTURAL MORPHOLOGY OF
KHAJURAHO
15-55
  Growth of the Hindu Temple 15
  Types of the Prasada 17
  Evolution of Madhya-Nagara Art 19
  The Temples of Khajuraho 23
  The Chaunsath Jogini Temple 26
  The Kandariya Mahadeva Temple 28
  The Devi Jagdamba Temple 32
  The Chitragupta Temple 33
  The Vishwanath Temple 34
  The Nandi Temple 35
  The Parvati Temple 36
  The Devi Temple 36
  The Varaha Temple 36
  The Lakshman Temple 37
  The Matangeshwar Temple 39
  The Ghantai Temple 40
  The Parshwanath Temple 41
  The Adinath Temple 43
  The Shantinath Temple 43
  The Brahma Temple 44
  The Javari Temple 45
  The Vamana Temple 45
  The Duladeva Temple 46
  The Chaturbhuj Temple 47
  Devangana-Mithuna Sculptures 47
  References 50
  Appendix C Synopsis of the Temples
of Khajuraho
52
III VISTAS AND VIEWS 59-71
  Scope of the Depiction of Mithuna in India 59
  Examination of its Miscellaneous Interpretations 60
  References 63
  Appendix D Table of Chronological,
Geographical and Sectarian
Depiction of Mithuna in Indian
Architecture (2nd century B.C. to 17th century A.D.)
67
IV CONCEPT OF MITHUNA IN THE
PRE-GUPTA AGES
75-81
  Reference 80
V SIVA-SAKTI SYMBOLISM 85-97
  The Concept of Sakti 86
  The Pancamakaras 88
  The Enigma of Yoga and Bhoga 92
  References 94
VI MITHUNA DOCUMENTATION IN
SANSKRIT LITERATURE
101-118
  References 116
VII MITHUNA VIS-À-VIS THE PRASADA 121-131
  The Prasada Forum 121
  Silpa-Texts on Mithuna 126
  References 130
VIII AESTHETICS OF MITHUNA-
DEPICTION
135-161
  References 153
  Appendix E Indian Art vis-à-vis the
Iconographic Prescriptions
(with reference to the
depiction of the Bhu-Varaha
Incarnation)
156
IX THE RETROSPECT 165-171
  Select Glossary of Related Technical Terms 173
  Index 179

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