Pancha Mahadevas in the Indian Art

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About the Book The present book is a valuable contribution to the studies of Pañcha Mahadevas (Šiva, Vishnu, Surya, Ganeša and Devi) in the Indian art based on the emprehensive field work, unravelling the vast sculptural store-house lying almost unnoticed in the sprawling region of the country, bringing latest archaeological, literacy, epigraphic and numismatic insights to bear upon their genesis, evolution, history and development in a chronological sequence.

The antiquity of Gods, their legendary origin, evolution and concept are fascinating in the channeling of the philosophic thought. The analysis, documentation, arrangement and narration of sculptural art are only matched to the author's intense devotion to this study. The mostly informative, critical and comprehensive and immensely readable analysis centering, round God's images, their iconic features, chronology, evolution, esoteric significance and all bears a rich testimony to author's multifaceted experience in the field of art and archaeology.

About the Author Professor S.B.Singh had a fine association spanning well one and a half decade with Archaeological Survey of India, gaining vast and varied experience in the field of Archaeology, Art and Epigraphy by extensive field work, particularly explorations and excavations in various parts of the country. Since 1975, he was associated with the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Kurukshetra University, teaching postgratluate students and guiding research to scholars, and subsequently retired as Professor from the same department in 1992 AD. As an erudite scholar, his publications include sixty Research papers in prestigious Indian and Foreign Journals like East and West, Arts of Asia, Lalit Kala, Journal of the Indian Society of Oriental Art, Roopa Lekha, besides several others. He is also an author of The Archaeology of the Lucknow Region (1972) in collaboration.. The other books include 'Letters of H.M. Lawrence (1978), Archaeology of Pañchala Region (1979, U.G.C. Project), Epigraphy and Art (1996, I.C.H.R. Fellowship), Sculptural Art of Northern India, (2006, U.G.C. Project), in addition to a Hindi book-Lucknow-Nawabon Se Pahle' (2010) and other literary works in Hindi including a poetic composition 'Pushpanjali'.

Preface The significance of Pancha Mahadevas (Siva, Vishnu, Sürya, Ganesa Devi) Hindu pantheon interesting study the religious history India. Their antiquity. legendary origin, evolution and concept fascinating in understanding of the working human mind the channelling of philosophic thought. The present work modest attempt studies five principal deities the Indian mainly based on the extensive field-work sculptural studies, not only the collections in Museums to those the old temples, private collections or preserved on ancient sites, concentrating on unknown evolution various image-types.

The book pertains to seven chapters beginning with short history of each deity on ancient literature, inscriptions coins first five chapters. It is followed iconic features deity, in chronological sequence as prescribed in the Pratima Sastras. Henceforth, the descriptions of various forms deity known in plastic enumerated. The points where the scriptural pratima-lakshanas do not tally the sculptural forms clearly been indicated. Efforts also made to critically the figures and identify them the basis the prescribed the sculptural art also discussed the present theme. The sixth chapter the syncretic deities and their various forms. Spirit reconciliation and rapprochement between divergent sects present behind this of mental bent. Thus, many the liberal thinkers among sects could guess their respective gods were but different one Supreme-Soul.

This produce Smartas who evolved the system of Panchayatana-pija, representing the deities the Hindu the objects of worship the form of aniconic emblems. The seventh chapter deals with concept Pañcha Mahadevas exploring wondrous realm the Hindu their attributes and symbols for understanding concept and meaning. the Indian mythology and art, symbols and attributes deities are encoded future generation.

**Contents and Sample Pages**