Art and Architecture of Nalanda

Art and Architecture of Nalanda deals in details about Nalanda a Buddhist monoment of international fame. The author of this monograph has presented Nalanda in brief with all its academic and artistic pursuit’s for over one millennium as a center of the Buddhist learning as well as heart of art and architecture. In Ist chapter an effort is made to furnish in details about the development of Nalanda from a place of pilgrimage of Buddhists and Jains to a renowned Nalanda university for Indian and foreign students. In subsequent chapter architectural complex of Nalanda is discussed that existed right from the fourth century A.D. till its final extinetion in the 12th century A.D., as these Monasteries, stupas, caityas, and shrines have yielded large number of antiquities and precious art treasures of ancient Nalanda. Chapters three to six give the different aspects of the development of a center of art (sculptures) at Nalanda. The materials used, icons (images) carved and their age wise classification i.e. Gupta, post-Gupta, Pala and Sena etc. are the salient features of these chapters. The appropriate interpretation of these icons in the context of religious development viz. Mahayana, vajravana/Kalachakra yana etc. definitely attract the attention of scholars. The last chapter throws light on the art and iconography of Brahmanical sculptures found from Nalanda excavation and also within the vicinity. The author has incorporated art and architecture of University of Vikramsila and Ratnagiri in Orissa to fesilitate scholars for a comparative study at a glance in the appendices.