Temples of the Kalachuri Period

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About the Book The present work is a comprehensive volume on the architectural development and figurative scheme of the temples erected during the Kalachuri period in Central India. It embodies an in-depth study of the temples (brick and stone both) and monasteries known so far, as well as those explored in recent past by us. It includes those temples as well which may not be necessarily an erection under the Kalachuris hence of different genre, but fall under the broader denomination of the Kalachuri period. In order to bring home the point, the temples of neighboring region have also been tied. Simultaneously, while discussing these temples of Negara sikhara, sufficient care has been taken to narrate the sculptural wealth as well. Wherein, a gradual process of evolution in the monuments, commencing from the monolithic prototype (circa 6-7 cent. A.D.) to structural temples of the region, could easily be discerned.

In the initial pages of this book, a general survey of the subject, historical back drop of the Kalachuris, the then ruling dynasty and an overview of the architecture has been incorporated. Latter on, the horizontal and vertical disposition of the temples has been discussed in length, which shows' regional accents in its treatment and elaboration.

The book embodies over hundred photographs and drawings and the latest research on temple architecture. It will prove of immense help to the scholars and serious students of ancient Indian art and architecture.

About the Author Dr. Amrendra Kumar Singh, Senior Lecturer in the Deptt. of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, A.P.S. University, Rewa (M.P.) has undertaken research projects funded by the University Grants Commission, New Delhi and Nehru Trust for the Indian collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum C/o The Nehru Trust for Cambridge University. Since the last two decades, besides teaching, he is working on the architectural and sculptural wealth of the Central India.

Consequently, a host of newly explored sites incorporated in the present volume, are credited to him. Earlier, he was a Post Doctoral Fellow of Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi and contributed research papers to national and international conferences, seminars and journals.

Also, he has authored the title "Prachina Bhartiya Dharma evam Kala me in Yaksha, Kinner aur Dikpal" (1990).

Foreword In November 2000 at the ninth All Dual Session of the Indian Art History Congress, Hyderabad, I met Dr. A.K. Singh and also have had a chance to read through his paper and to look into the photo prints of his newly discovered temples at the obscure site of Buddha Danda in Madhya Pradesh. The temples being earlier, in form and style, indeed less sophisticated and archaic than the known temples in Dakslna Kosala, their importance was self-evident. (That paper, I am now aware, is currently being published in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bombay). I could see that Dr. Singh is a zealous explorer with a knack to find out unknown and hence hitherto unreported material, and thus is among the few from. the younger generation who are as active in the research field as are promising as scholars who would be in the forefront by the end of the current quarter of this new century.

His current monograph, the Temple Architecture of the Kalachuris. is an important study embodying detailed descriptions and careful analysis of the temple components? done in a style of writing and expression characteristics of the contemporary young members ill the Indian academic world, particularly pertaining to the field of archaeology. His handling of " the subject and the material involved just as the illustrative part follows the same current vogues and standards largely adapted by and hence frequently encountered in our universities in India. The work indeed contains fair amount of useful material which researchers of the next generation will find serviceable and handy.

Since books dealing with Indian architecture are not many and this is particularly the case with pre-medieval and medieval architecture that appeared under the Cedis/Kalachuris in the Dahaladesa, the descriptions of the buildings with corresponding illustrative material in this book also deals with the less known sites such as Bandhogadh, are sure to allow this book find a place on the shelves of the libraries that entertain books on art and architecture of ancient and medieval India. I have been benefitted by its perusal.

Preface The present monograph on the Kalachuri art of Central India is an outcome of the field survey of two decades undertaken by the author. It comprises of a comprehensive description of the temples, monasteries and of the sculptural wealth. The exploration of the region conducted by the author has brought to light a host of new sites of interest to art historians and connoisseurs as well, some of which have appeared in various volumes also. Nevertheless, most of these are being published and coming before the scholarly world, for the first time. A collective detail of all the monuments at the same place was long left, which necessitated the present publication. In order to drive home the point, illustrations and drawings wherever necessary, have also been incorporated. The present work is thus a humble effort to carry forward the study of the architectural and sculptural art of the temples of the early medieval period coinciding with the Kalachuri period. Sufficient care has been taken in incorporating the study of those temples as well, who are datable to the Kalachuri period; they however, may belong to different genre, wherever necessary. There reference will facilitate the comparative study.

The author acknowledges his grateful thanks to all those whose erudite scholarship has illuminated his path and contributed a lot in shaping the volume. It could not have been accomplished but for the affectionate suggestions rendered by Prof. M.A. Dhaky, Director (Emeritus), American Institute of Indian Studies, Gurgaon and Shri Krishna Deva, eminent art historian. Prof. G.c. Pandey, Chairman, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla and a versatile genius and Mrs. Pandey always stood by me and have been a source of inspiration.

Some of the drawings produced here, were generously provided by Prof. Dhaky. Also, I express my ineptness to the American Institute of Indian Studies (Centre for Art and Archaeology), Gurgaon and Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi, for the illustrations they readily provided for the publication. Nehru Trust for the Indian Collections at the Victoria and Albert Museum C/o The Nehru Trust for Cambridge University has awarded me a research grant, for which I am grateful to them also.

My sincere thanks to Mr. M.K. Maheshwari, Archaeologist, M.P.State Archaeology and Museums, Bhopal and Dr. Santosh Singh Chauhan, Deptt. of History of Sidhi College for their valuable help rendered in the field survey, particularly in Sidhi. The author acknowledges his grateful thanks to Prof. (Retd.) U.V. Singh of Kurukshetra University for his suggestions. He helped me a lot in going through the script.

I express my thanks to Mr. K.K. Rai, Draughtsman, Archaeological Survey of India, Bhopal for preparing the drawings for the publication. Mr. Naimuddin Khan, Photographer in the deptt. deserves my thanks for his photographic assistance. I am indeed grateful to all of them including my colleagues and Mr. Ajit Singh of Rewa for their help whenever needed.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages