Buddhist Art of Bengal

The monograph introduces the remains of a legendary stupa of the Sunga period (2nd-lst century B.C.) which once stood near the village Bharhut in Madhya Pradesh. Since 1876 these precious antiquarian gems are the prized possession of the Indian Museum, Calcutta. The author in his capacity as Director of that Museum had the opportunity to study them afresh and reassess their cultural and artistic merits. The renowned scholar Dr. Mulk Raj Anand in his capacity as ‘Visitor’ to the Museum suggested to bring out a handy pictorial companion which could be useful to the visitors to the Museum as well as lovers of early Indian art. The book gives a lucid introduction beside several interesting interpretations about the concept and significance of stupa tradition and particularly the socio-religious and artist role played by this grand edifice in the pre-and post-Christian centuries. Important sculptures have been adequately described and projected through colour and black and white illustrations.