BUDDHISM AND GANDHARA ART

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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 The book aims at presenting various facets of Gandhara art in a historical perspective and contains not only the unpublished material but also the analyses and fresh interpretations on the different aspects of Gandhara art including the emergence of the great school of Gandhara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

1. Introduction
   R.C. Sharma

2. Fifty Years of Research in Gandhara Art (1947-1997)
   Saifur Rahman Dar

3. Physical and Historical Geography of Gandhara
   T.P. Verma

4. Society of Gandhara Region
   Pranati Ghosal

5. Islamic Gandhara: History, Society and Culture from the Eighth Century AD
   V.K. Sharma

6. Islam and Iconoclasm
   Kranti Kumar

7. Islam and Icons
   Amar Singh

8. Mathura and Gandhara: The Two Great Styles
   R.C. Sharma

9. Central Asia: Buddhist and Gandhara Art
   C. Willemen

10. Greater Gandharan Art Vs. Gandhara Art
    S.P. Gupta

11. Recently Excavated Sites in Udyana and Gandhara
    Farid Khan

12. Excavation at Ambaran and Akhnur Terracottas
    B.R. Mani

13. The Origin of Buddha Image
    Pushpa Tiwari

14. Dipankara Jataka in Gandhara Art
    Anasua Das

15. Bodhisattva-cult in Afghanistan
    V.C. Srivastava

16. First Sermon Relief in Mathura and Gandhara
    Usha Rani Tiwari

17. Images of Buddha and Gandharan Influences
    J.K. Sarma

18. Brahmanical Sculpture in the Gandhara Art
    N.P. Joshi

19. Svastika : The Gandharan Enigma
    Preety A. Trivedi

20. Decorative Elements in Gandhara Art
    S.D. Trivedi

21. Decorated Trays from the Gandhara Region
    Kamal Giri

22. Lady Holding the Mirror
    Anamika Roy

23. The Metal Craft and Art of Gandhara Region
    Vibha Tripathi

24. Kusana Portraits
    T.K. Biswas & Savita Sharma

25. Digital Documentation of Gandhara Art in Chandigarh Museum
    Vidya Nand Singh

26. Early Epigraphs from Gandhara and its Neighbourhood
    Kiran Kumar Thaplyal

27. Coin Hoards from Afghanistan
    Devendra Handa

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