The present work is the outcome of an International Conference on "Buddhism and Gandhara Art" organized in the joint collaboration of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla and Jnana-Pravaha - Centre for Cultural Studies, Varanasi. The idea evolved at the juncture when the then Taliban government of Afghanistan was bent upon destroying the marvelous creations of Gandhara art including the great Bamiyan Buddha. It is an academic homage to those splendid treasures of Gandhara art, many of which are no more to be seen.
The papers presented by a galaxy of art historians and archaeologists impart an excellent glimpse of the cultural development of Gandhara region from the pre-Christian era to the Islamic period. The book aims at presenting various facets of Gandhara art in a historical perspective and contains not only the unpublished material but also the analyses and fresh interpretations on the different aspects of Gandhara art including the emergence of the great school of Gandhara sculpture, the creation of Buddha image, development of Buddhist pantheon, interaction with several art styles in the neighbouring countries, construction of monasteries and stupas in the vast area termed as Greater Gandhara, and the delicate issue of Islam and iconoclasm. The documentation and research as a result of archaeological expeditions in several areas during the last two centuries have also been highlighted. The book thus presents important milestones of religious, cultural and the artistic journey of Gandhara area, now in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
About the Author:
Prof. R.C. Sharma headed important Museums of the country like Government Museum, Mathura; State Museum, Lucknow; Indian Museum, Kolkata and finally, the National Museum, New Delhi as the Director-General and Vice-Chancellor, National Museum Institute. He also served the Banaras Hindu University as the Director, Bharat Kala Bhavan and Professor of Indian Art and Museology. Presently, he is the Honorary Director/Acharya of Jnana-Pravaha - Centre for Cultural Studies, Varanasi. Beside authoring several books and editing journals and bulletins in the field of Early Indian Art, he has contributed a large number of papers published in the journals in India and abroad.
Dr. Pranati Ghosal is a promising scholar in the field of Sanskrit and Vedic studies and engaged in the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Varanasi Branch. She has contributed brilliant papers in different seminars and co-edited five issues of the Annual Research Bulletin and twelve proceedings of Jnana-Pravaha. Her two books, Prasnavali and Everyday life in Vedic India are in the process of publication. Beside the present volume, she has also co-edited the proceedings of another International Seminar on the Interaction Between Brahmanical and Buddhist Art, to be published soon.
Preface List of Contributors
Fifty Years of Research in Gandhara Art (1947-1997)Saifur Rahman Dar
Physical and Historical Geography of GandharaT.P. Verma
Society of Gandhara RegionPranati Ghosal
Islamic Gandhara: History, Society and Culture from the Eighth Century ADV.K. Sharma
Islam and IconoclasmKranti Kumar
Islam and IconsAmar Singh
Mathura and Gandhara: The Two Great StylesR.C. Sharma
Central Asia: Buddhist and Gandhara ArtC. Willemen
Greater Gandharan Art Vs. Gandhara ArtS.P. Gupta
Recently Excavated Sites in Udyana and GandharaFarid Khan
Excavation at Ambaran and Akhnur TerracottasB.R. Mani
The Origin of Buddha ImagePushpa Tiwari
Dipankara Jataka in Gandhara ArtAnasua Das
Bodhisattva-cult in AfghanistanV.C. Srivastava
First Sermon Relief in Mathura and GandharaUsha Rani Tiwari
Images of Buddha and Gandharan InfluencesJ.K. Sarma
Brahmanical Sculpture in the Gandhara ArtN.P. Joshi
Svastika : The Gandharan EnigmaPreety A. Trivedi
Decorative Elements in Gandhara ArtS.D. Trivedi
Decorated Trays from the Gandhara RegionKamal Giri
Lady Holding the MirrorAnamika Roy
The Metal Craft and Art of Gandhara RegionVibha Tripathi
Kusana PortraitsT.K. Biswas & Savita Sharma
Digital Documentation of Gandhara Art in Chandigarh MuseumVidya Nand Singh
Early Epigraphs from Gandhara and its NeighbourhoodKiran Kumar Thaplyal
Coin Hoards from AfghanistanDevendra Handa
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