In the Hindu tradition, images of the deities, meant for worship in the temples, were invariably crafted in conformity with the prescriptions laid in the Silpa/Agama texts. In the South Indian art and architecture, Vaikhanasa Agama tradition had played a vital role, just as the Pancaratra Agama did in North India. Based on Vaikhanasa Agamas, this book is the first ever to offer an exhaustive, systematic study of Vaisnava iconography. Surveying a large number of rock-cut caves and temples south of the river Godavri, the author not only identifies the myriad manifest forms of Visnu, but also sets out a detailed analysis of their widely varied iconographic attributes, like emblems, crowns, postures.
The Present work based on Vaikhanasa Agamas is a systematic study of Vaisnava Iconography in all its aspects. The vaikhanasa authors give elaborate and specific rules regarding minute details on Iconography. They repeatedly advice the reader to consult silpa works. With due consideration to this advice, the present study ha staken into consideration such works for clarification, comparison and further corroboration.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR K.K.C. Lakshmi Narasimhan
K.K.C. Lakshmi Narasimhan is a Lecturer in Ancient Indian Culture and Sanskrit in Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute, Post-graduate centre affiliated to the University of Mumbai Born in 1964, he studied Sanskrit and acquired the degree of Vyakarana Siromani ( Madras University, 1984), Shiksha Shastri – B. Ed. ( Rashtriya Sanskrit Samsthan New Delhi 1985), M.A. ( Mumbai University, 1990) and Ph.D (Mumbai University, 2006) both in Ancient Indian Culture.He had been initiated into the field of Agamas ( both Vaikhanasa and Pancaratra) by Dr. K. K. A. Venkatachari. He was further guided and given special training by his brother Sri. K.K.C. Vijaya raghavan, Temple Architect and Sculptor, in the field of icon-making and temple architecture. He, thus, specializes in iconography of Agamas and Silpa works, South Indian icons and architecture. Moreover, he has been associated with his brother in conservation, renovation and construction of temples and icons.His Doctoral thesis on Vaikhanasa Iconography: A Study of Vaikhanasa Agamas under the guidance of Dr. G.K. Pai, Former Director of Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute, Mumbai, is revised and published now in the form a volume.The author is currently working on the iconography of Pancaratra Agamas with his another brother Sri. K.K.C.S. Badhri Narayanan, a Sanskrit scholar and specialized in theField of temple architecture and iconography.
There are no reviews yet.