This new cultural study looks at the intersection of Hellenistic and Egyptian-Lycian art forms in the religion sphere of dynastic India that was ushered by Buddhist Cult during the early Christian era. While specifying uniqueness of Indian culture it looks for external parallels and attempts to define the archaeological and cultural affiliation observed in terms of history of art forms in their cultural context. A discussion of artistic change, cultural identity, and religious belief foregrounds the most important monuments that typify the concept of Kailasa, abode of gods on the sacred peak of Himalayan Mountain. The 8th century Kailasantha Temple at Ellora in the Decan and at Kanschipuram in South India are both architectural marvels defining the Dravidian style; one is a sculptured monolith and the other earliest structural temple. Both are modeled after rock cut Dharmaraja Ratha at Mahabalipuram at tangent with the Gupta temple in North India, which set the stage for fundamental change in the design of religious monument that never the less derives its form Buddhist art and architecture.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Arputha Rani Sengupta
Arputha Rani Sengupta is Associate Professor in History of Art at the National Museum Institute, Deemed University in New Delhi. She has lectured widely and published extensively her writings on diverse aspects of art in journals and contributed to leading publications, including the IGNCA. Her book on Art of Terracotta focuses on Cult and Cultural Synthesis in India. She investigates it further in her forthcoming book on the Buddhist Jewellery. Sengupta was Assistant Professor in History of Fine Arts in Stella Maris College at Chennai and at Lasbrey Teachers' College at Imo State in Nigeria. She specializes in cross cultural currents and globalisation during the early Buddhist period in India. She is currently writing on the Symbols and Substitutes in the Early Buddhist Art of India under ICHR grant. She has coordinated several symposiums on art in NMI and is editor of God and King: Devaraja Cult. She has studied Art History in the University of Madras, Chennai, Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata and University of Washington, Seattle. A versatile practicing artist, she has exhibited extensively and has received several awards for her paintings.
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