Iconography of Balarama

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For comprehensive study of Hindu Iconography minor divinities call for special attention. Balarama is one of them. Though accepted on all hands as the elder brother of Krsna and sometimes as an incarnation of Visnu he rarely commands an independent and superior status in Hindu pantheon. He finds mention in the epics and the Puranas and is very much known to the Jaina works also. In the fields of Numismatics and Plastic Art he has been depicted right from the early centuries of the pre-Christian era. The present work intends to study the different iconographic aspects of this minor but important deity.

Born on 16th April, 1922 he received his education in the Banaras Hindu University at Varanasi under the able guidance of Drs A S Altekar, R D Majumdar and V S Agrawal. He received his degree of Ph.D. in 1956 on thesis entitled "Material Civilization of Northern India from 2nd Century BC to 3rd Century AD as revealed by sculptures, terracottas and coins". Since 1946 he has been serving the Government of Uttar Pradesh in different capacities such as Custodian, Provincial Museum, Lucknow (1946-51); Assistant Professor of History, Government Sanskrit College, Varanasi (1951-58); Assistant Professor of Puranetihasa, Sanskrit University, Varanasi (1958-63); Curator, Government Museum, Mathura (1963-67); and now working as the Director of the State Museum, Lucknow since 1967.

Besides contributing research papers and articles on different subjects such as Art & Archaeology, Iconography, Jainology, Numismatics, History, Physical Culture, etc. numbering to about 200 written in Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit and English, he has been editing since 1969 a research journal named 'Bulletin of Museums and Archaeology in UP'. This is being brought out by the State Museum, Lucknow since 1969 and till now 16 issues have been published. The State Museum, Lucknow catalogue series is also being published under his editorship. Besides he was asked to edit the Jaina Nibandhamala in Hindi which saw the light of the day at Rampur in 1977.